AAT

Administrative Appeals Tribunal—The AAT can, on request, review administrative decisions by most Australian and Australian Capital Territory Government departments and authorities. This includes reviewing reconsideration decisions made by Comcare. Either an employee or an employer may request a review of a decision.

ACC

New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation

ACT

Australian Capital Territory

ACTU

Australian Council of Trade Unions

Affirmation rate

Affirmation rate is the percentage of original decisions which were upheld following a request for reconsideration.

AGIGRP

Australian Government Indigenous Graduate Recruitment Program

AGILE

Australian Government Indigenous Lateral Entry

ANAO

Australian National Audit Office

APS

Australian Public Service

APSC

Australian Public Service Commission

APS Values

Principles, standards and qualities in accordance with which the Australian Public Service operates.

ARC Act

Asbestos-related Claims (Management of Commonwealth Liabilities) Act 2005

ATO

Australian Taxation Office

Australian WHS Strategy

Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022

Bankwest

BWA Group Services Pty Limited

CALD

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

Case manager

Responsible for workplace-based management of an injured employee’s return to work plan, as well as for initiating, coordinating and monitoring the rehabilitation process. The employer is responsible for providing case managers, who are usually employees of the agency.

CEO

Chief Executive Officer

Claim

Any claim for compensation, for example, the initial injury claim, claim for payment of medical expenses, or claim for incapacity benefits.

Claims Manager (CM)

Claims Managers are employees with a role in managing claims for workers’ compensation—formerly known as Claims Services Officers (CSOs).

Comcare Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS)

Departmental portfolio budget statements provide information on the proposed allocation of funds to achieve government outcomes. They include budget statements for the department as well as agencies working under the department. The statements provide information to assist parliament to understand the purpose of each proposed outcome.

The Comcare Portfolio Budget Statements are contained within the Portfolio Budget Statements for the Department of Jobs and Small Business.

Comcare’s Enterprise Agreement 2016–19

Principle instrument that sets out the terms and conditions of employment for non-SES employees

Corporate governance

The process by which agencies are directed and controlled. It is generally understood to encompass authority, accountability, stewardship, leadership, direction and control.

Corporate Plan

Comcare Corporate Plan 2018–2022

CRIS

Cost Recovery Implementation Statement

CSC

Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation

Date of Injury

Date of occurrence (injury), date first sought medical treatment, or first resulted in incapacity or impairment (disease).

Delegation

The written assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities.

Determination

A decision to accept or reject a claim.

Disease

From 13 April 2007 any ailment suffered by an employee, or the aggravation of such an ailment, that is contributed to, to a significant degree, by the employee’s employment.

EAP

Employee assistance program

EL

Executive Level

EPBC Act

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

ESD

Ecologically sustainable development

FOI

Freedom of information

FOI Act

Freedom of Information Act 1982

FTE

Full-time equivalent, in the context of staffing levels

GP

General practitioner

GST

Goods and services tax

HWCA

Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities

IAGDP

Indigenous Australian Government Development Program

IAP

Indigenous Entry Level Apprenticeships Program

ICT

Information communication technology

IHF

In-house facilitation

Impairment

The loss, the loss of use, or the damage or malfunction, of any bodily system or function or part of such system or function. A permanent impairment is one that is likely to continue indefinitely.

Incapacity

A diminished ability to earn.

Incapacity benefit

A payment made directly or indirectly, by way of income maintenance.

Injury

Refers to either an injury or disease. An injury can be a physical or mental injury and includes aggravation of a pre-existing ailment.

IPS

Information Publication Scheme

KPI

Key performance indicator

LCPI

Licensee Compliance and Performance Improvement

LCPM

Licence Compliance and Performance Model. The LCPM provides the regulatory framework under which the SRCC monitors and assesses licensee performance and replaced the previous Licensee Improvement Program and Tier Model.

Liability

The effect of a determination, creating a legal obligation to pay compensation under the SRC Act.

LiCBT

Low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy

Licensed self‑insurers

A Commonwealth authority or a corporation that is a holder of a licence under Part VIII of the SRC Act.

Licensees

Licensed self-insurers

LKPIs

Licensee Key Performance Indicators

MHFA

Mental health first aid

NABERS

National Australian Built Environment Ratings Scheme

NBN

National Broadband Network

OAIC

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

OH&S

Occupational health and safety

PDP

Performance Development Plan

People Plan

Comcare’s People Plan

PGPA Act

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013

PGPA Rule

Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014

PICS

Parliamentary Injury Compensation Scheme

Premium

A contribution made to Comcare in respect of the estimated costs of a customer agency’s workers’ compensation costs for a given financial year. It is based on fully funded principles and is designed to be responsive to the employing agency’s claims experience.

Premium claim

Claim with a date of injury after the introduction of Comcare’s premium system on l July 1989. Also referred to as an ‘insured’ claim.

Premium paying employers

Commonwealth departments, agencies and the ACT Government who pay a workers’ compensation premium under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.

Premium rate

The rate, expressed as a percentage of wage/salary dollar, which, when multiplied by the estimate of wage/salary, will provide the premium payable by that agency.

Pre-premium claim

Claim with a date of injury before the introduction of Comcare’s premium system on l July 1989. These claims and the resultant expenditure may also be called ‘uninsured’.

Privacy Act

Privacy Act 1988

Provider

Person or organisation providing medical, rehabilitation or health services in relation to a work-related injury or disease.

Public Service Act

Public Service Act 1999

RAP

Comcare’s Reconciliation Action Plan

Reconsideration

An employee or employer, who is dissatisfied with a decision made under the SRC Act, may ask for that decision to be reviewed by an officer not involved in the making of the decision in question. The result of such a review is called a reviewable decision.

Rehabilitation

A managed process involving early intervention with appropriate, adequate and timely services based on injured worker’s assessed needs.

RPF

Regulator Performance Framework

RTW

Return to work

Seacare Authority

The Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority

Seafarers Act

Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992

Serious claims

Those claims that reach one week or more of time lost during the reporting period

SES

Senior Executive Service

SRC Act

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988—the legislation which established Comcare and defines how the workers’ compensation function is to be administered for the Australian and ACT Governments and a corporation that is a holder of a licence under Part VIII of the SRC Act.

SRCC

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. See also ‘The Commission’.

SRC Directions

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Directions 2019

TASC

Telecommunications Asbestos Safety Compliance

The Commission

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission—responsible for issuing licences for self-insurance and claims management, and for various regulatory functions under the OHS legislation. Until 1992 it was referred to as the Commission for the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation of Commonwealth Employees. It reports to the Minister for Employment.

The scheme

The Comcare scheme

WHS

Work health and safety

WHS Act

Work Health and Safety Act 2011