Outstanding Achievement in Influencing Injury Policy or Practice
St John WA
Using biomechanical sensors to prevent injuries through body awareness and risk reduction
In 2021, St John WA implemented biomechanical sensors as part of Frontline Officer training programs and individual meetings with allied health workers involved in incidents. The sensors measured the amount of lumbar bending and arm movement upwards or outwards away from the trunk. The initiative was successful in positively impacting injury reduction, raising awareness of risks to the body, and increasing knowledge of hazards such as inadequate body positioning and movement, which can result in an injury.
The focus on injury prevention of St John employees can lead to further injury prevention in the wider WA Community. With safer lifts and transfers managed through strong body positions and controlled movements, this can further assist in injury prevention to the patient.
Outstanding Achievement Empowering WA to Prevent Injury or Support Recovery
Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Services Multicultural Village Hub
Let’s Get Moving project
The Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Services ‘Let’s Get Moving’ project delivered under the Multicultural Village Hub Program aimed to promote strength and balance activities for older adults from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. The project’s objectives were to encourage ‘everyday’ physical activity and prevent falls among older adults. Nine workshops were held between September and December 2022 for 55 seniors from CaLD communities at Umbrella’s age-friendly centre in Belmont.
The workshops were co-developed and facilitated by Movement Therapies with the help of a Polish-speaking physiotherapist and exercise instructor who has been providing exercise sessions for Umbrella’s clients for several years and is familiar with clients’ physical capabilities.
Outstanding Achievement in Collaboration for a Safer WA
Holyoake
Within your Wallet
Within Your Wallet is a youth early intervention project funded by the Alcohol & Drug Foundation’s Local Drug Action Team program and coordinated by Holyoake’s Wheatbelt Community Alcohol and Drug Service Prevention Team. The program ran as a pilot in 2021 and an expanded program in 2022-23.
Within Your Wallet aims to prevent or reduce alcohol and other drug use by young people in the southern Wheatbelt by improving protective factors for young people in the community. Within Your Wallet raises awareness of age-appropriate mental health & Alcohol and Other Drug support services; increases access to art, cultural & sporting diversionary activities; and improves social connections with peers and local stakeholders.
Outstanding Achievement in Injury Prevention or Recovery Support within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Edith Cowan University
Healing Right Way
The Healing Right Way trial was undertaken as part of the National Health & Medical Research Council Partnership Grant Scheme in Western Australia from 2017-2022, informed by recommendations from Aboriginal brain injury survivors and their families from across WA. The project aimed to improve the delivery of culturally secure rehabilitation services to Aboriginal people after stroke and traumatic brain injury, improve overall health outcomes and quality of life for Aboriginal brain injury survivors, and establish an economic model to support the business case for funding new rehabilitation services.
Conducted by ECU’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal research team in collaboration with multiple major service providers and policymakers across WA, the trial was the first in Australia to identify and address the specific needs of Aboriginal people living with acquired brain injury.
Outstanding Achievement by a Local Government in Injury Prevention or Recovery Support
City of Armadale
Move Your Body program
The Move Your Body program was delivered from 16 March – 12 June 2021 and aimed to raise awareness of falls and injuries among people aged 60 years and older living in the City of Armadale.
In consultation with accredited fitness instructors, the program included the delivery of exercise classes focusing on strength, balance and flexibility using the City’s free outdoor fitness equipment at three locations. Additionally, beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts were specifically tailored to all parks and reserves with outdoor fitness equipment within the City.
By offering these sessions at the outdoor fitness equipment locations, the program aimed to build capacity and confidence among participants to use the equipment themselves. The program also aimed to provide a low-cost/free option to encourage older adults to keep physically active to prevent falls.
Outstanding Achievement in Injury Recovery
Edith Cowan University
Brain Injury Yarning
This program established and evaluated the first regional and metropolitan Yarning Circles for Aboriginal brain injury survivors and their families beginning in 2021. The Yarning Circles encouraged social and emotional wellbeing and improved health outcomes for this under-served population. Currently, in WA, access to rehabilitation services for Aboriginal people with brain injury is challenging for many reasons, including geographical remoteness from existing services and a lack of cultural security in many acute hospital and follow-up contexts.
The weekly Yarning Circles were conducted by skilled local Aboriginal facilitators who offered ongoing psychosocial support, education, practical problem-solving, yarning and socialisation in a culturally secure space to help avoid social isolation for Aboriginal brain injury survivors and their families. Activities included painting, music, trips on-Country, self-care sessions, language activities, sharing of member stories and guest speaker information around brain injury, and always involved lunch and socialising around food.
Outstanding Achievement in Injury Prevention or Safety Promotion
Alcohol and Drug Foundation
Good Sports Program
Good Sports takes an evidence-based approach in supporting community sporting clubs to manage alcohol in their environment and reduce potential harm proactively. The program assists clubs in shifting their drinking culture, positively influencing healthy behaviours, strengthening social cohesion, and reinforcing protective factors to decrease future injuries.
The Good Sports program is Australia’s largest and most successful health promotion initiative in community sports. It provides free, tailored support to approximately 12,000 community sporting clubs, improving their capacity to prevent and manage alcohol and other drug-related issues and implementing practice changes focusing on health and safety. In Western Australia there are 1,200 Good Sports Clubs supported by the ADF’s Western Australian team.
Outstanding Achievement in Practice that Supports Recovery for those Impacted by Road Trauma
Department of Fire and Emergency Services
Wellness Branch – The Wellness Response to Critical Incidents
The Wellness Branch within DFES works to respond to all Critical Incidents which take place on the road throughout the state of Western Australia. Unfortunately, road incidents are often potentially traumatic and have the potential to cause distress and impact the crew which attend. Response processes are rolled out for all critical incidents. All individuals who attend, are exposed to, or are impacted by road crash incidents are recorded, monitored, and offered support and screening if required.
In addition, the team leads ongoing training for new firefighters and educational presentations and training for first responders to build resilience and support them.
Paraplegic Benefit Fund Australia
Providing meaningful employment opportunities.
PBF Australia is a national not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to reducing the incidence and impact of spinal cord injury. PBF wants to see fewer Australians becoming paralysed each year through road crashes and other causes and deliver injury prevention programs in the areas where spinal cord injuries occur most.
These interactive education programs offer participants a first-hand account of what it’s like to experience and live with a spinal cord injury in Australia. Their education programs are delivered by a team of presenters, each of whom has suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury and is living with paraplegia or quadriplegia, many because of road trauma. PBF provide employment opportunities for those with a permanent injury, including 15 West Australians directly impacted by road trauma. They currently employ 45 people with permanent spinal cord injuries.
