Seeing Psychosocial Risk

Leaders have a responsibility to recognise and respond to psychosocial risk, but the warning signs are not always immediate or obvious. In domestic, family and sexual violence services, risk may develop through cumulative demand, trauma exposure, emotional and relational load, role ambiguity, system pressure, conflict, withdrawal or over-functioning.
 

This practical workshop will help participants recognise how psychosocial risk shows up across workers, teams and organisational systems. It will introduce the key obligations and language of the psychosocial risk Code of Practice, while focusing on the practical leadership task of identifying hazards, noticing early indicators of harm and responding within a leader’s role and influence.
 

The session will be fast-paced and interactive, combining brief content presentations, guided reflection, small-group discussion and realistic workplace scenarios. Participants will examine the difference between workplace pressures, psychosocial hazards, signs of strain and protective conditions, and consider when concerns can be addressed locally or require broader organisational action or escalation. 

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will increase their skills and confidence in: 

• recognising common psychosocial hazards in trauma-facing workplaces; 

• identifying cumulative and early patterns of worker and team strain; 

• interpreting risk through a work systems rather than individual-deficit lens; 

• identifying protective conditions and practical early responses; 

• determining when concerns require supervision, organisational action or escalation. 

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, 25th August 2026
Time: 9:30am - 12:30pm AEST (QLD time)

Location: Online

To also get your tickets for the "Leading Psychosocially Safer Teams" events, please follow this link: https://events.humanitix.com/leading-psychosocially-safer-teams

Who should attend

Current and emerging leaders, managers, team leaders, coordinators, supervisors and senior practitioners in domestic, family and sexual violence and other trauma-facing services. All practitioners interested in psychosocial risk and wellbeing are welcome 

About the presenter/s

Kerriann Dear
Kerriann Dear is a social worker and organisational consultant with over 20 years’ experience working alongside individuals, teams and organisations across the community, legal and women’s sectors. Her work focuses on supporting safe, sustainable practice in complex, trauma-exposed environments. Kerriann brings a practical, grounded approach to psychosocial safety in the DFSV Sector- helping leaders and teams make sense of risk, strengthen everyday safe practice, and build supportive, relational workplaces. She has held practitioner, senior leadership and governance roles, including CEO of Queensland Working Women’s Service and WorkCover Queensland Director.