Photo: Plus Inclusion for injured Workers

New options to improve client health and wellbeing

Plus Inclusion is helping to make the workers compensation system easier to understand for people who experience significant language barriers.

In partnership with the icare foundation, PCCS is developing tailored health literacy and return to work resources for injured workers with language barriers. The meaning of language barriers, for the purposes of this project, is constrained to low proficiency in English with a second language spoken at home. In this case we are focusing on the three language and cultural groups of Korean (Hangul), Mandarin and Cantonese.

Plus Inclusion is a design-led innovation project which aims to help injured workers with significant language barriers to understand, access and navigate the workers compensation system with greater ease. PCCS will do this by investigating new ways to deliver resources, tools and innovative methods for communicating with those who share a Korean, Cantonese or Mandarin speaking background.

PCCS will engage Scheme Agents, case managers, nominated treating doctors, community leaders, icare and clients in the research phase which will include semi-structured interviews and client journey mapping.

Then, from the insights collected we will generate – in collaboration with selected stakeholders – prototypes. Of those prototypes, the ones that are scalable and implementable – and which fulfil the stakeholder’s needs best – will be selected for development.

The design, development and selected live prototyping of tools and resources will take place in partnership with 30+ injured workers from the Northern Sydney Local Health District.

For further information, please email or call us on (02) 9477 8700.

Primary & Community Care Services acknowledges the financial and other support from the icare Foundation (NSW).

Referral considerations

Personal background

Participants with Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin speaking backgrounds with limited English proficiency.

Geography

Northern Sydney Local Health District and surrounds.

Time in scheme

Open to various options. Clients with 30+ days in the system will be valuable.

Why we’re committed to Plus Inclusion

“We know people with limited language skills often have low levels of health literacy. Simple things most of us take for granted, like understanding medical instructions and seeking an appointment with a health professional, can be extremely difficult,” said PCCS CEO Dr. J.R. Baker.

“This applies equally to injured workers with limited language skills who can struggle to navigate the workers compensation system and access the services and support they need following a workplace injury. The inability to access the right treatment at the right time can negatively impact on their recovery and reduce their likelihood of returning to work.

“Our Plus Inclusion program aims to improve the health literacy of injured workers with language barriers. We want to create a more culturally responsive and more accessible means by which injured workers can engage with icare, treating doctors and each other to strengthen their recovery journey.

“We’re hopeful that Plus Inclusion will lead to an improved workers compensation experience and improved return to work outcomes for people with significant language barriers.”