As psychosocial risk management becomes a central pillar of modern WHS, a new initiative is bringing professionals together in a way the sector has not seen before, the Healthy Work Community of Practice (CoP).
Designed for WHS, HR, Organisational Development, People & Culture and Wellbeing practitioners, the Community is built on a simple belief: creating mentally healthy workplaces requires shared learning, practical tools, and a strong sense of connection.
The Healthy Work CoP offers a structured but welcoming space where common challenges can be discussed openly, silos can break down, and members can access evidence-informed resources that are immediately usable in their day-to-day work. Members tap into case studies, a practical controls library, legislation updates, funding alerts, quarterly knowledge-sharing sessions, office hours, and more. It’s a space intentionally built to support real practice, not theory alone.
Why Now?
Across Australia, organisations are grappling with new psychosocial regulations, heightened expectations from regulators, and the growing recognition that mentally healthy work is not just beneficial, it is a legal and moral responsibility. At the same time, WHS and HR professionals often find themselves working in isolation, solving the same problems separately.
The Healthy Work CoP was created to shift this reality: to bring practitioners together, to learn from each other’s successes and missteps, and to build capability across the system together.
A Member’s Perspective: Jason’s Story
One of the earliest Founding Members, Jason Wai, Principal – Health Safety and Wellbeing at Perenti Group, shared a powerful reflection on why he joined the Community. His story speaks to the heart of why this initiative matters.
“I’d love to start with a self-reflection. Have you ever had a moment in your career that sticks with you, something that completely shifts how you think about wellbeing and your part in it? Personally, I had one of these moments about eight years ago when someone in the organisation I was working for attempted to take their own life. Thankfully they survived, but looking back, there were certainly signs that we simply didn’t recognise. It really made me stop and think about what I understood around mental health and psychosocial risk and what genuine support at work actually looks like.
This experience has stayed with me and it’s become a part of why I wanted to join this community. I joined as a founding member because psychosocial safety matters to me, both personally and professionally. I work in the safety space for a large mining contractor. Finding a space where people openly share what’s working, what’s not working, what they’re learning along the way, really appealed to me.
What stood out about the Community was how practical everything is. From the case studies and real examples, they’re all grounded in lived experience, not just theory. I’ve also found the controls library genuinely helpful. They’re the sort of tools you can take straight back into your own work and start applying to your own risks or any planning that you might be doing.
The community has also given me a sense of connection over the past few weeks. A few people have reached out on different things. We’ve started different conversations, shared ideas. And that’s exactly the kind of environment I was hoping for. It’s broadened how I think about psychosocial risk and what healthy work can look like, which I’ve really appreciated. And that’s why I joined.”
Jason Wai, Principal – Health Safety and Wellbeing, Perenti Group
Jason’s experience is echoed by many who see the Community as a way to strengthen their practice, deepen their understanding, and contribute to shaping the future of psychosocial risk management.
What Members Can Expect
The Healthy Work CoP is intentionally designed to be practical, collaborative and grounded in evidence. Key features include:
- Case Studies that show what real organisations are doing and learning in managing psychosocial hazards.
- A practical and ever-growing Controls Library organised by hazard type, ready to apply in risk assessments and work design.
- Regulator and Legislation Updates summarised in plain language to keep practitioners ahead of change.
- Funding Alerts highlighting grants such as safety rebates and mental health initiatives.
- Quarterly Knowledge-Sharing Sessions focused on real challenges and cross-sector problem-solving.
- Office Hours and Peer Chat offering touchpoints for support, feedback and collaborative thinking.
- Training and Workshops for customised learning addressing not only psychosocial risk competencies, but also leadership skills and career development.
At its core, the Community is built on collaboration: a space where people don’t have to navigate complex psychosocial challenges alone.
A Growing Movement
Membership is intentionally staged, with limited cohorts admitted each year to preserve quality and support. As the Community grows, the vision is clear: a national network of WHS, HR and Wellbeing practitioners who are not only competent in psychosocial risk management, but supported, connected, and continuously learning.
In a rapidly evolving WHS landscape, the Healthy Work CoP is becoming a hub for professionals who want to stay ahead and make a meaningful difference in how work is designed.
To find out more, visit: https://www.heartbrainworks.org/Healthy-Work-CoP
