Success Story: Psychosocial Risk Management

Client Context

Logan City Council (LCC) is one of Queensland’s largest local government authorities, serving a diverse and rapidly growing community. With increasing regulatory requirements relating to the psychological wellbeing of workers, LCC recognised the need to strengthen governance processes and embed psychosocial risk management at a strategic level.

The development of a draft Psychosocial Risk Management Plan formed part of a broader organisational initiative to enhance workplace safety systems and support psychologically safe leadership.

Project Overview

In 2024, Organisational Risk Consulting (ORC), led by Principal Consultant Andrea Paynter, collaborated with Logan City Council’s project lead, John Rodriguez, to develop a draft Psychosocial Risk Management Plan. The work involved consolidating existing materials, aligning them with contemporary standards, and preparing a governance-level draft plan for submission to the CEO and Board.

The initiative was designed to support compliance with Queensland’s Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022 and align with ISO 45003:2021 Occupational Health and Safety Management – Psychological Health and Safety at Work.

Our Comprehensive Approach

ORC delivered the engagement in two phases during 2024:

1. Integration of Inputs – Consolidated diverse information streams into a single, governance-level framework.
2. Collaborative Development – Worked closely with internal leads to ensure the draft plan reflected both compliance requirements and LCC’s operational culture.

The approach struck a balance between legal obligations and the practical realities of leading psychosocial risk management in a complex workplace.

Outcomes Achieved

• Compliance Confidence: Delivered a high-level draft plan aligned with WHS legislation and ISO 45003, clearly defining leadership roles, consultation pathways, and organisational controls.
• Strategic Contribution: Synthesised inputs across multiple workstreams into a coherent framework, tailored for executive-level consideration and future implementation.

Ongoing Impact

 The draft Psychosocial Risk Management Plan provides Logan City Council with a structured foundation to guide future decision-making and reinforce duty of care obligations. It establishes a clear pathway for embedding psychosocial risk governance across the organisation, positioning the Council to respond proactively to emerging compliance and leadership expectations. Final adoption and implementation remain at the discretion of the organisation. 

Client Feedback

“I have the pleasure of working with Andrea Paynter from Organisational Risk Consulting on the development of our draft Psychosocial Risk Management Plan. This project began earlier in 2024, with a draft version not progressed at that time for our own business reasons. Further work on the refocused version commenced in early October 2024 and continued through to now.

Throughout this period, Andrea has demonstrated exceptional professionalism and expertise. She is a focused listener, keen to meet her brief while adding significant value through her extensive industry knowledge and areas of expertise. Andrea's ability to provide balanced and differing views has greatly enhanced our project, and she approaches every challenge with a positive attitude and a willingness to go the extra mile.

One of Andrea's standout qualities is her openness to different perspectives. She is not precious about holding to her position for the sake of it; instead, she is open to seeing things differently and partnering to build from there. This collaborative approach has been instrumental in the success of our project.

Andrea's turnaround times are excellent, and she consistently honours her commitments. She provides full disclosure of potential complications, which is a quality I deeply respect and expect from a consultant. Her dedication to understanding our business and the prevailing issues in the broader environment is evident in the high-quality work she produces. It is clear that she takes the time to read and digest all the material she is provided with, ensuring that her contributions are well-informed and impactful.

In summary, Andrea is a highly skilled and dedicated professional who brings significant value to any project she undertakes. Her expertise, commitment, flexibility and collaborative spirit make her an asset to any team. She understands the nuances of the subject area and we've also enjoyed a few good laughs (appropriately, of course!) along the way. I highly recommend Andrea for any consulting role, particularly in the area of psychosocial risk management.”

— John Rodriquez, Psychosocial Safety Project Lead, Logan City  Council (December 2024)

Continuing Partnership

This engagement highlights ORC’s ability to support organisations in navigating emerging areas of safety regulation, while enabling senior leaders to make informed, strategic decisions that foster psychologically safe workplaces. Building on the success of this project, ORC has since been engaged for further work with Logan City Council, reflecting a trusted partnership and the organisation’s commitment to strengthening governance and safety leadership.