Student Health and Wellbeing Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline how Academus Training Institute supports the health, safety and wellbeing of domestic students during their enrolment and training.

Academus Training Institute recognises that student wellbeing can affect attendance, participation, learning progress, assessment performance and overall course completion. This policy ensures that health and wellbeing concerns are identified and responded to in a timely, respectful, confidential and appropriate manner.

This policy also supports Academus Training Institute’s duty of care obligations by ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to provide a safe training environment, respond to student welfare concerns, support students experiencing difficulty and refer students to appropriate external services where required.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all domestic students enrolled with Academus Training Institute.

For the purpose of this policy, domestic students may include Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, eligible New Zealand citizens and other persons with appropriate rights to study in Australia, where applicable to the course requirements.

This policy applies to all staff who may identify, respond to or support student health and wellbeing matters, including:

• CEO
• Training Manager
• Trainers and assessors
• Student support staff
• Administration staff
• First aid officers
• Compliance staff
• Approved contractors or third-party personnel, where applicable

This policy applies to all training locations, classrooms, practical training areas, simulated workplace environments and approved delivery sites used by Academus Training Institute.

This policy does not apply to international student, CRICOS or overseas student welfare arrangements.

3. Policy Statement

Academus Training Institute is committed to providing a safe, respectful and supportive learning environment for domestic students.

Academus Training Institute will take reasonable steps to:

• Promote student health, safety and wellbeing.
• Identify students who may be experiencing difficulty.
• Respond promptly to health, safety or welfare concerns.
• Provide reasonable support within the limits of the RTO’s role.
• Refer students to appropriate external support services where required.
• Maintain student privacy and confidentiality.
• Provide a safe training environment.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies and critical incidents.
• Support students to continue training where reasonable and appropriate.
• Record serious wellbeing concerns and actions taken.

4. Health and Wellbeing Principles

4.1 Safety First

The immediate safety of students, staff and others is the first priority. Where there is a serious or immediate risk, staff must take appropriate action, including contacting emergency services where required.

4.2 Early Identification

Staff are encouraged to identify signs that a student may be experiencing difficulty and respond early before the issue affects safety, participation or course progression.

4.3 Respect and Dignity

Students must be treated respectfully and sensitively when discussing health, wellbeing or personal concerns.

4.4 Confidentiality

Student health and wellbeing information must be treated confidentially and shared only where appropriate, required, consented to, or necessary to manage risk.

4.5 Reasonable Support

Academus Training Institute will provide reasonable support within the limits of its role, capacity, policies and training requirements.

4.6 External Referral

Where a student’s needs are outside the RTO’s role or expertise, the student will be referred to suitable external support services.

5. Student Wellbeing Support

Academus Training Institute may provide wellbeing support through staff contact, student support processes and external referral information.

Support may include:

• Private discussion with an appropriate staff member.
• Referral to the Student Support Officer or Training Manager.
• Reasonable adjustment where appropriate.
• Support to access missed learning, where approved.
• Advice about attendance or course progression options.
• Referral to external health, counselling, crisis or community services.
• Support to lodge a complaint or appeal where the wellbeing concern relates to an RTO matter.
• Follow-up contact where a student is identified as being at risk.

Support must be appropriate to the circumstances and must not compromise course requirements, assessment integrity or safety.

6. Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

Academus Training Institute recognises that students may experience stress, anxiety, emotional distress, personal difficulties or other mental health concerns during training.

Students are encouraged to seek support early if they are experiencing difficulty that may affect their attendance, participation or ability to complete training.

Staff may identify possible wellbeing concerns through:

• Noticeable distress.
• Withdrawal from class activities.
• Sudden behavioural changes.
• Repeated absence or lateness.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Aggressive, confused or unusual behaviour.
• Comments suggesting harm to self or others.
• Repeated assessment difficulty linked to emotional distress.

Where a concern is identified, staff must respond calmly and respectfully. Staff must not attempt to diagnose a student or provide counselling unless qualified and authorised to do so.

Where professional support is required, the student should be referred to appropriate external services such as a general practitioner, counselling service, Lifeline, Beyond Blue, Headspace, community health service or emergency service.

7. Physical Health and Medical Concerns

Academus Training Institute will take reasonable steps to support students who become unwell or experience a medical concern during training.

Students who are unwell are encouraged not to attend training where their condition may affect their safety, the safety of others or their ability to participate.

Where a student becomes unwell during training, staff must assess the situation and take reasonable action, which may include:

• Allowing the student to rest in a safe area.
• Contacting the student’s emergency contact, where appropriate.
• Calling emergency services if the matter is serious.
• Arranging first aid assistance where available.
• Advising the student to seek medical advice.
• Recording the incident where required.
• Arranging catch-up training or support where reasonable and approved.

Students must notify Academus Training Institute as soon as practicable if a health issue prevents attendance or participation.

8. First Aid

Academus Training Institute will ensure reasonable first aid arrangements are available at its training location.

First aid arrangements may include:

• Access to a first aid kit.
• Display of emergency contact information.
• Staff awareness of emergency procedures.
• Availability of trained first aid personnel where practicable.
• Clear process for reporting injuries or medical incidents.

First aid incidents must be recorded where required.

9. Student Safety and Behaviour

Academus Training Institute is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment free from violence, intimidation, bullying, harassment, discrimination and unsafe behaviour.

Students are expected to:

• Treat staff and other students respectfully.
• Follow trainer instructions.
• Follow workplace health and safety requirements.
• Use facilities and equipment safely.
• Avoid behaviour that places themselves or others at risk.
• Report hazards, incidents or safety concerns.
• Comply with the Student Code of Conduct.

Where a student’s behaviour creates a safety risk, Academus Training Institute may take immediate action to protect students, staff and others. This may include removing the student from class, contacting emergency services, contacting an emergency contact, issuing a warning, applying misconduct procedures or suspending training participation where appropriate.

10. Attendance, Welfare and Student Progress

Student wellbeing concerns may be identified through attendance or course progression monitoring.

Trainers and administration staff must monitor attendance and participation where required and report concerns to the Training Manager or Student Support Officer.

A student may be considered at risk where they:

• Are repeatedly absent.
• Leave class without explanation.
• Appear unwell or distressed.
• Do not participate in learning activities.
• Repeatedly fail to complete required tasks.
• Show signs of fatigue or inability to safely participate.
• Display behaviour that may affect their own safety or the safety of others.

Where a student is identified as at risk, Academus Training Institute may take reasonable follow-up action, which may include phone contact, email contact, support discussion, referral, catch-up training arrangements or welfare check.

11. Fatigue, Fitness for Training and Practical Safety

Some training activities may require students to participate safely in practical demonstrations, role plays, physical movement, scenario activities or supervised practical tasks.

Students must be fit to participate safely in training and assessment.

Where a trainer reasonably believes that a student is too unwell, fatigued, distressed, affected by substances or otherwise unable to participate safely, the trainer may stop the student from participating in the activity.

Actions may include:

• Moving the student to a safe area.
• Speaking with the student privately.
• Offering first aid support where appropriate.
• Contacting an emergency contact where required.
• Advising the student to seek medical attention.
• Arranging alternative participation or catch-up options where reasonable.
• Recording the matter where required.

12. Critical Incidents

A critical incident is a serious event that causes, or has the potential to cause, significant harm, distress, injury or risk to a student, staff member or visitor.

Critical incidents may include:

• Serious injury or medical emergency.
• Threats of self-harm or harm to others.
• Violence or assault.
• Serious harassment or intimidation.
• Fire, evacuation or major safety incident.
• Death or serious trauma affecting a student or staff member.
• Police or emergency services involvement.
• Serious incident during training or assessment.

Academus Training Institute’s response to a critical incident may include:

1. Taking immediate action to protect safety.
2. Calling 000 where required.
3. Providing first aid or support where available.
4. Notifying the CEO or Training Manager as soon as practicable.
5. Contacting the student’s emergency contact where appropriate.
6. Recording the incident and actions taken.
7. Providing referral information or support to affected persons.
8. Reviewing the incident and identifying improvement actions.

Critical incidents must be managed with urgency, confidentiality and care.

13. Emergency Procedures

Academus Training Institute will maintain emergency procedures for its delivery site.

Emergency procedures may cover:

• Fire and evacuation.
• Medical emergency.
• Serious injury.
• Violence or threatening behaviour.
• Lockdown or safety threat.
• Hazard or facility risk.
• Emergency contact process.

Emergency contact numbers must be displayed or made available to staff and students where appropriate.

Staff must be familiar with emergency procedures and must follow instructions during an emergency.

Students must follow staff directions during emergency situations.

14. External Support and Referral

Academus Training Institute may refer students to external services where their needs are beyond the support available within the RTO.

External support services may include:

• Emergency services: 000
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue
• Headspace
• General practitioner or medical centre
• Community health services
• Local counselling services
• Legal Aid NSW
• Domestic violence support services
• Housing or homelessness support services
• Financial counselling services

Where a referral is suggested, staff should provide the student with relevant information and encourage the student to contact the service directly.

15. Confidentiality and Privacy

Student health and wellbeing information must be treated as confidential.

Information must only be shared where:

• The student gives consent.
• The information is required to provide support.
• There is a serious risk to the student or another person.
• There is a duty of care obligation.
• There is a legal or regulatory requirement.
• Emergency services or appropriate authorities need to be contacted.
• The information is required for internal management of a serious incident.

Staff must only collect and record information that is relevant and necessary.

Records relating to health and wellbeing matters must be stored securely and accessed only by authorised staff.

16. Student Disclosure

Students are encouraged to disclose any health, wellbeing, disability, medical or support needs that may affect their participation in training.

Disclosure may occur:

• During enrolment.
• During pre-training review.
• During training.
• When requesting support.
• After an incident or concern.
• When circumstances change.

Students are not required to disclose private medical information unless it is relevant to safety, participation, support or course requirements.

Where a student chooses not to disclose information, Academus Training Institute may be limited in the support it can provide.

17. Reasonable Adjustment and Wellbeing Support

Where a student’s health or wellbeing affects participation, Academus Training Institute may consider reasonable adjustment or support.

This may include:

• Additional explanation or guidance.
• Adjusted seating or classroom arrangements.
• Additional supervised practice.
• Rescheduling a learning activity where reasonable.
• Catch-up training where approved.
• Referral to support services.
• Modified learning materials.
• Additional time for learning activities.
• Temporary pause in participation where safety is affected.

Reasonable adjustment must not:

• Change the competency standard.
• Remove essential course requirements.
• Compromise safety.
• Compromise assessment validity.
• Provide an unfair advantage.
• Guarantee course completion.

18. Staff Duty of Care

All staff have a duty to take reasonable care for student safety and wellbeing within the limits of their role.

Staff must:

• Respond to immediate safety risks.
• Report serious wellbeing concerns.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Avoid providing advice outside their competence.
• Refer students to appropriate support.
• Follow emergency procedures.
• Record incidents where required.
• Treat students respectfully and without judgement.

19. Incident Reporting and Records

Health, safety and wellbeing incidents must be recorded where required.

Records may include:

• Incident report forms.
• First aid records.
• Welfare contact notes.
• Referral records.
• Attendance concern records.
• Critical incident records.
• Communication records.
• Continuous improvement actions.

Records must be factual, respectful and limited to relevant information.

Where an incident identifies a gap in policy, procedure, facilities, supervision or student support, the issue must be entered into the continuous improvement process.

20. Continuous Improvement

Academus Training Institute will use health, safety and wellbeing information to improve its student support arrangements.

Continuous improvement may be informed by:

• Incident reports.
• Student feedback.
• Trainer feedback.
• Complaints and appeals.
• Attendance patterns.
• Support requests.
• Critical incident reviews.
• WHS reviews.
• Internal audit findings.

Improvement actions may include:

• Updating procedures.
• Improving student information.
• Providing staff training.
• Improving facilities or resources.
• Strengthening referral arrangements.
• Updating emergency procedures.
• Reviewing course delivery arrangements.

21. Roles and Responsibilities

22. Related Documents

This policy should be read together with the following documents:

• Student Support During Training Policy
• Training Delivery Policy
• Attendance Policy
• Workplace Health and Safety Policy
• Critical Incident Procedure
• Complaints and Appeals Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Records Management Policy
• Student Code of Conduct
• Student Handbook
• Continuous Improvement Policy

23. Review and Approval

This policy will be reviewed annually or earlier where required due to changes in:

• Standards for RTOs
• Student support requirements
• Workplace health and safety obligations
• Delivery arrangements
• Student cohort needs
• Incident outcomes
• Complaints or appeals
• Internal audit findings
• Continuous improvement outcomes

Next Review Date: July 2027