ARV seminar prepares managers for proposed OH&S (Psychological Health) amendment regulations

Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV) has revealed results from its recent hosting of an  industry seminar on Preparing for the Proposed OH&S (Psychological Health) Amendment Regulations.

Held on Wednesday 29th March, ARV’s Mental Health Clinician/Consultant, Psychologist Adele Bergin, presented on the five key duties under the proposed regulations, with an emphasis on preventing psychosocial hazards from developing in the workplace.

Two industry members, Candice Le Merchant, People and Culture at the BlueFit Group and Liz Van Deventer, Group Health & Safety Manager for Belgravia Health & Leisure Group, also presented planning and actions they have taken within their organisations to prepare for the regulations within the new legislation.

ARV advised that feedback from attendees was overwhelming positive, with pre-post evaluation showing significant increases in understanding of the proposed regulations, as well as how to identify and control for psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

At the request of attendees, ARV is planning for a follow up Seminar to be held in June this year.

More details of the Seminar can be viewed on the ARV Website’s Wellbeing Hub - which is regularly updated with resources and topics relating to mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Click here to read more about the proposed regulations.

Click here to learn more about the Partners in Wellbeing service for ARV members.

EMERGENT Program Launches for 2023
ARV has also announced the return of its EMERGENT leadership program, a professional development program for emerging leaders in Victoria’s aquatic and recreation sectors designed to grow the next generation of industry leaders.

ARV’s vision for EMERGENT is to develop leaders from across the sector who have the passion and drive to contribute to the growth and success of the sector across Victoria.

Introducing the program, ARV Chief Executive, Kathy Parton stated “ARV is excited to provide this opportunity for emerging leaders to develop new leadership skills, behaviours and mindsets to shape the future of our industry. ARV is excited to work with aspiring leaders who are committed to drive organisational success and positively impact the Victorian aquatic and recreation industry.”

The goals of EMERGENT are to:
• Develop collective leadership within the sector
• Build the future of the Aquatics and Recreation industry
• Provide a practical learning and development opportunity for industry leaders
• Provide candidates with the tools and frameworks they need to be more impactful and influential leaders
• Enhance personal and team effectiveness
• Connect current and emerging leaders with senior industry mentors with proven leadership experience and impact within the sector to encourage knowledge sharing and foster succession planning
• Enhance networking opportunities across the sector

Delivered both in-person and online, EMERGENT is designed to fit into your schedule. With a mix of private mentoring sessions, leadership workshops and industry masterclasses, you will learn how to maximise your impact and drive organisational success across multiple teams and functions.

ARV extends its thanks to Perfect Gym, who have generously sponsored the 2023 program enabling 25 emerging leaders to access this professional development experience.

Perfect Gym's additional sponsorship has enabled ARV to maintain the accessible costs amid a time of increased expenses across our industry.

Image: ARV Chief Executive Kathy Parton addresses the recent OH&S Seminar.