NSW Psychosocial Safety Regulations Update & Mental Health Seminar for Care Leaders​
Date : Tuesday 21st April 2026
Venue : Club York 95-99 York St, Sydney
Time : 8.30am - 1.00pm
Cost : $250pp
Includes Morning tea, Lunch and Networking
Afternoon session optional (1.30pm - 3.30pm)
Transitioning from NDIS to Aged Care
Navigating Aged Care Reform & Support at Home in 2026
The 2026 Sydney Care Leaders Psychosocial Safety Regulations & Mental Health Safety Summit is a premier professional forum designed for Aged Care, NDIS and Supported Independent Living (SIL) providers, allied health professionals, HR, coordinators, and operational leaders across Sydney.
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This summit addresses one of the sector’s most critical and evolving challenges: managing psychosocial hazards to safeguard both participants and workers within a complex and changing regulatory landscape.
From 2026, New South Wales will implement significant reforms, with the Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work becoming legally enforceable, placing a clear duty on organisations to actively identify, assess, and control psychosocial risks.
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In parallel, SafeWork NSW is increasing compliance inspections, particularly targeting high-risk workplaces, reinforcing that psychosocial risk management is no longer optional. It must be embedded into everyday operational practice, elevating workforce wellbeing from a supportive initiative to a core governance, compliance, and leadership responsibility.
Providers now carry a dual obligation: to protect participants -including those with psychosocial disabilities -and to safeguard the mental health and resilience of their workforce.
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This summit will provide attendees with:
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​A comprehensive understanding of NSW 2026 psychosocial hazard regulations and the practical application of the legally enforceable Code of Practice.
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Strategies to protect participants from risks such as trauma exposure, social isolation, and inconsistent care.
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Tools to safeguard workers from burnout, fatigue, aggression, and secondary trauma, ensuring a sustainable, resilient workforce.
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Practical advice on preparing for SafeWork NSW audits and inspections, including documentation, record-keeping, and demonstrating compliance with enforceable codes.
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Insights into organisational and officer legal responsibilities associated with psychosocial risk management.
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Who should attend & why
This summit is essential for leaders, professionals, and decision-makers in the NDIS and SIL sector responsible for participant safety, workforce wellbeing, and regulatory compliance.
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Aged Care Providers ; NDIS, SIL : Executive managers, operational leaders, and service coordinators responsible for organisational risk management, service quality, and participant/resident outcomes across disability and aged care settings.
Support Coordinators, Case Managers & Care Managers: Professionals coordinating care and supports for individuals with complex needs, including psychosocial disabilities and ageing-related conditions, ensuring safe, person-centred and compliant service delivery.
Governance, Compliance & Risk Officers: Professionals overseeing policy implementation, quality standards, WHS compliance, and audit preparation across NDIS, SIL, and aged care organisations.
HR and Workforce Leaders: Those managing workforce wellbeing, staff capability, training, and mental health support initiatives within high-demand disability and aged care environments.
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Attending this summit equips organisations and professionals to meet 2026 regulatory requirements, strengthen attendee's safety, and foster a resilient, supported workforce capable of delivering high-quality NDIS and SIL services.
Attendees will gain practical, evidence-based strategies to embed psychosocial safety into organisational culture, ensuring that both participant protection and workforce wellbeing are systematically prioritised, measurable, and sustainable.
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This summit provides an essential platform for sector leaders to align operational practices with legal obligations, enhance workforce resilience, and drive improved outcomes for participants across the NDIS and SIL sectors.
Speakers
Melissa Owen
Assistant State Inspector Psychosocial Programs and RTW
SafeWork NSW
Melissa Owen is an Assistant State Inspector within the Psychosocial Programs team at SafeWork NSW.
She has over ten years’ regulatory experience across psychosocial hazards and risks, return to work and specialist regulatory programs.
She holds postgraduate qualifications in social science and rehabilitation counselling and is recognised as a subject matter expert in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector, particularly the disability industry.
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Melissa has developed WHS guidance for businesses, contributed to national policy discussions and represented SafeWork NSW in industry and regulator forums.
Melissa is passionate about improving safety outcomes and influencing healthier, safer workplaces across NSW.
Dr Ben Searle
Director
Mind on the Job
Dr Ben Searle is an organisational psychologist, researcher, consultant, and burnout expert.
Ben used to research and teach about occupational stress and psychosocial hazards.
These days, he works directly with government agencies and private organisations, helping them to evaluate psychosocial hazards and develop productive responses and sustainable control systems.
Ben’s academic and professional expertise are augmented by his own lived experience of burnout, which ignited his passion to make a difference in how we handle this serious condition.
He offers training in detecting early warning signs of burnout, responding effectively to individual cases of burnout, and managing risks of burnout through smart work design and systemic change.
He shares tips and insights in his monthly newsletter, Read Before Burning.
Lorraine Salloum
Director
Ability Advocates
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Lorraine is a values driven executive leader who is passionate about making a positive impact on vulnerable communities and social outcomes.
She has displayed a strong commitment to service-system linkages, collaboration, and working proactively to prevent and address disadvantage throughout her career.
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With extensive experience in the social services sector, Lorraine has supported vulnerable communities in the government sector (central and service delivery agencies), Not for Profit, and For-Purpose, For Profit companies as well as community.
Lisa Baker
Health Care Providers
Association
Lisa brings over 9 years of expertise in Aged Care, Healthcare, and the Not-for-Profit sectors, with a strong focus on strategy, advisory, and technology.
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As a Consultant at Health Care Providers Association, she works within one of the nation's leading healthcare consulting firms, specialising in government-funded initiatives.
Lisa’s primary focus is on Aged and Home Care, where she assists both individuals and established businesses in navigating the complexities of these sectors.
With a strategic approach and tailored support, Lisa empowers clients to overcome challenges and achieve sustainable growth. Her extensive experience and deep knowledge of Aged and Home Care enable her to deliver actionable insights that drive success.
Agenda
Arrival and Registration
8.00am - 8.25am
Welcome and Introductions
8.30am - 8.45am
8.45am - 9.30am
Psychosocial Hazards in the Care Sector
Melissa Owen
Safework NSW
This session provides an essential overview of psychosocial hazards in the disability sector.
Attendees will learn what psychosocial risks are, why they are prevalent in disability support work, and how to adopt best-practice approaches to manage these risks.
The presentation will cover:
• Understanding common hazards (e.g., occupational violence, fatigue, burnout)
• WHS obligations under NSW law and upcoming WHS Regulation 2025 changes
• Best-practice risk management strategies, including safe management of complex behaviours and restrictive practices
• Tools and resources to support workforce wellbeing and compliance
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Who should attend: HR managers, frontline supervisors, and disability providers responsible for staff wellbeing.
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9.30am - 10.15am
Preparing for SafeWork Inspections: Compliance, Evidence & Audit Readiness
Melissa Owen
Safety NSW
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With SafeWork NSW increasing inspections by 25% annually, disability providers must be audit-ready.
This practical session provides step-by-step guidance for preparing for inspections and maintaining regulatory compliance.
Attendees will learn:
• How to prepare risk registers, evidence of controls, and consultation documentation
• Tools for demonstrating compliance with legally enforceable codes and hierarchical control measures
• Common inspection findings and strategies to prevent non-compliance
• Protecting staff from psychosocial hazards while safeguarding participants
• Practical checklists and templates for audit readiness
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Who should attend: Executive teams, compliance officers, SIL operators, and disability providers looking to strengthen their WHS audit preparedness.
10.15am - 10.30am
Morning tea
10.30am - 11.15am
Putting the Brakes on Burnout: Principles, Priorities, and Practicalities
Ben Searle
Mind on the Job
Managing burnout risks is a huge challenge, especially within the care sector.
To meet this challenge, we need to understand burnout: what it is, why it happens, and what can be done about it.
Following the event’s theme, this presentation will draw on research and case studies to explore patterns of psychosocial hazards that pose particularly high risks for burnout.
It will address practical steps all leaders can take, such as recognising contributions, reinforcing values, and responding quickly to early warning signs.
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11.15am - 12.00pm ​
Managing Psychosocial Hazards the Disabled and Elderly
Lorraine Salloum
Ability Advocates
This session explores the identification, assessment, and management of psychosocial hazards affecting vulnerable individuals, including older adults and Participants in care settings.
Attendees will gain insights into the complex interplay between mental health, social isolation, and workplace or care-related stressors that can impact both participants and staff. Key focus areas include strategies to prevent psychological harm, promote wellbeing, and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks such as psychosocial safety standards. The session also highlights practical approaches for creating supportive environments, implementing risk mitigation plans, and fostering resilience among both care recipients and care providers.
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By attending, professionals will leave equipped to enhance safety, improve participant outcomes, and build a culture of mental health awareness and proactive psychosocial risk management within aged care, NDIS, and related service settings.
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12.00pm - 12.30pm
Panel and Q & A
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12.30pm - 1.15pm
Lunch
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1.30pm - 3.30pm
Transitioning from NDIS to Aged Care and Navigating Aged Care reform and Support Home
Lisa Baker
HealthCare Providers Association
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3.30pm - 4.30pm
Networking and depart
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Afternoon Session
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Networking till 4.30pm
Transitioning from NDIS to Aged Care
Navigating Aged Care Reform & Support at Home in 2026
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Transitioning from NDIS to Aged Care &
Navigating Aged Care Reform & Support at Home in 2026
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Networking till 4.30pm
As Australia’s aged care system undergoes its most significant transformation in decades, Lisa Baker delivers a practical and insight-driven session designed to help providers confidently navigate the new regulatory and operational environment.
With the strengthened Aged Care Act now in effect and the Support at Home (SAH) program replacing legacy in-home care programs, this session moves beyond theory to focus on what these reforms mean in practice for providers, workforce, and participants.
Lisa will unpack the new rights-based, person-centred framework, including strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, enhanced provider obligations, and the introduction of a single, risk-based registration model. Attendees will gain clarity on registration categories, audit expectations, compliance requirements, and the ongoing renewal cycle now shaping provider accountability in 2026.
A key focus will be the transition to the Support at Home program, including its structured funding model, improved access pathways, and expanded service flexibility. Lisa will provide practical guidance on transitioning from Home Care Packages (HCP), Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC), with a focus on maintaining continuity of care, managing client expectations, and aligning service delivery to the new framework.
The session will also explore common compliance risks emerging under the new system — particularly in governance, clinical care, and incident management — alongside strategies for audit readiness, internal assurance, and continuous improvement.
Importantly, Lisa will address the growing convergence between the NDIS and aged care sectors.
As more participants transition out of the NDIS, providers are increasingly seeking to expand into aged care.
This session will outline what is required to successfully transition or operate across both systems, including adapting business models, aligning governance structures, and delivering consistent, person-centred outcomes across the lifespan.
This is an essential session for providers, leaders, and practitioners who want to remain compliant, competitive, and future-ready in a rapidly evolving aged care landscape.
Disclaimer :
Please note that the below program serves as a guide.
Health2ageducate will make every reasonable effort to adhere to the advertised schedule, speakers, and topics; however, we reserve the right to modify the program, substitute speakers, or adjust session content at any time without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances.
Health2Ageducate accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or expenses incurred as a result of changes to the event format, program, speakers, or schedule.