Restorative Just Learning Culture Symposium May 2023
2 June 2023
Restorative Just Learning Culture Symposium May 2023
Health leaders from across NSW joined our Restorative Just Learning Culture Symposium in May 2023 to work on our collective efforts to strengthen safety culture and leadership as part of the statewide Zero Suicide in Care initiative.
The symposium drew experts on restorative approaches from interstate and New Zealand to share best practice, and lead discussion and workshops which aimed to equip teams from local health districts to establish cultures that support compassionate safety governance and cultivate psychological safety, so that serious incidents can be managed with immediacy, accountability and kindness.
Welcoming people to the event Clinical Excellence Commission CE Prof Michael Nicholl said a restorative just and learning culture drew on several important elements of healthcare safety.
"Restorative approaches focus on people and relationships and the sources of strength that can be impacted when harm occurs. Often our process in handling the aftermath of serious incidents compounds the harm caused," Prof Nicholl said.
"We want to achieve health services that are mindful of the process and practices that are responsible for restorative practices. Restorative just learning culture is a deeply accountable and forward-looking process."
Registered nurse and human factors professional Jo Wailling was among the speakers at the event in Brighton-Le-Sands. Ms Wailling has led notable work on healthcare restorative responses and advises international government agencies on the latest restorative initiatives and general approaches to health system safety.
"A restorative response capitalises on the power of community," Ms Walling said.
"We need to enable dignifying relationships that balance the perspectives and concerns of all the people who are affected by a harmful event during the processes of disclosure, resolution, and change.
"We need to support people to determine what it would look like and feel like to be free from the harm in the future alongside improving system safety."
The symposium attracted various delegates including directors of clinical governance, mental health professionals and NSW local health district team members, NSW Health Mental Health Branch representatives and pillar colleagues from agencies including the Agency for Clinical Innovation and the Health Education Training Institute.