Return to work coordinators

Overview

All self-insurers and large employers in the ACT must appoint a trained or experienced return to work coordinator. A return to work coordinator is someone with expert training, knowledge and skills that support workers to return or remain at work after being sick or injured.

Return to work coordinators play a key role in workplace rehabilitation, including:

  • finding appropriate employment opportunities
  • speaking with insurers and treating medical practitioners in the preparation of return to work plans
  • monitoring the progress of an injured worker's recovery
  • identifying ways in the workplace to improve return to work outcomes.

Training requirements

To obtain certificated training as a return to work coordinator, Carfi is offering remote training sessions via Zoom in 2023. The following training sessions are available:

  • Tuesday 5 March & Wednesday 6 March 2024, 9.00am - 12.30pm via Zoom each day
  • Tuesday 7 May & Wednesday 8 May 2024, 9.00am - 12.30pm via Zoom each day
  • Tuesday 6 August & Wednesday 7 August 2024, 9.00am - 12.30pm via Zoom each day
  • Tuesday 3 December & Wednesday 4 December 2024, 9.00am -12.30pm via Zoom each day

Please register via their online form. The fee per participant via Zoom is $350.00 + GST.

You may also source training from any NSW approved provider.

Relevant experience

A return to work coordinator must have the following experience:

  • Knowledge of the ACT workers' compensation scheme.
  • Demonstrated work experience in the field of injury or case management or workplace rehabilitation, including experience in the following:
    • helping injured workers to continue to work, or return to work as soon as appropriate following an injury
    • if the return to work coordinator's employer is not a self-insurer, helping the employer's insurer to prepare and implement the return to work plan or personal injury plan for an injured worker
    • identifying suitable duties for injured workers
    • speaking with people involved in the delivery of medical treatment or rehabilitation services to an injured worker
    • monitoring an injured worker's progress towards the worker's return to work
    • to take steps to avoid the injury from getting worse or returning when the injured worker comes back to work
    • promoting injury management plans in the workplace.

Registration

To register a return to work coordinator, complete the Return to work coordinator registration form.

Frequently asked questions

Which employers will need to appoint a return to work coordinator?

  • all employers who are self-insurers under legislation
  • all employers who pay an annual ACT workers' compensation insurance premium of $200,000 or more.

What do employers who fall into these categories need to do?

  • appoint a person to the role of return to work coordinator
  • provide the appointed person's contact details to us via our online form
  • make sure the person you assign is trained or experienced at helping injured workers stay at work while they recover or return to duty as soon as their injuries allow.

Employers who fail to do these things may receive a significant fine.

What if the appointed person already has relevant experience?

You do not need to arrange any new training if the person you plan to appoint:

has already completed the NSW training course

  • understands the ACT workers' compensation scheme and has experience:
    • helping injured workers remain at work, or return to work as soon as practicable following an injury
    • assisting an employer's insurer with return to work or personal injury plans
    • identifying suitable duties for injured workers
    • working with injured workers, medical providers and insurers in returning injured workers to duty.

If your return to work coordinator fits this description, simply make sure that WorkSafe ACT has the person's contact details and those details are kept up to date.

If you decide that your return to work coordinator does not need to complete the training course, you should document the reasons why and keep this as a record of evidence if  WorkSafe ACT seeks to verify compliance.

The types of training and experience required can be found in the following:

How can a return to work coordinator be nominated?

To nominate a person or persons as your return to work coordinator, please email the following details to CMTEDDworkerscompensationpolicy@act.gov.au.

  • return to work coordinator's name
  • position held
  • workplace address
  • workplace contact phone number
  • workplace email address
  • date of appointment as return to work coordinator.

On this page