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Evaluation of the Work Safety and Psychosocial Wellbeing of Disability Support Workers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2015

Julia Harries ,
Ka Yiu Yoyo Ng ,
Leah Wilson ,
Neil Kirby  and
Jerry Ford
Julia Harries*
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Ka Yiu Yoyo Ng
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Leah Wilson
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Neil Kirby
Affiliation:
University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Jerry Ford
Affiliation:
Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Julia Harries, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia. Email: julia.harries@adelaide.edu.au
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Abstract

This study investigated organisational factors impacting disability support worker (DSW) psychosocial wellbeing and work safety to understand the relationship between wellbeing, using measures of burnout and job satisfaction, and work conditions and safety performance. This study also investigated factors predicting wellbeing using the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model. A sample of 87 DSWs completed normed measures of burnout, work conditions, and safety climate. Results showed DSWs experienced significantly higher personal and work-related burnout but significantly lower client-related burnout. Although the JDCS model components did not all predict any single wellbeing measure, they each predicted aspects of burnout and job satisfaction, with these wellbeing measures associated with safety performance. Findings highlighted the importance of monitoring worker job demands, support availability, and job control to improve safety performance. Compared to normative data, DSWs were experiencing significantly higher role conflict, the negative impact of which was effectively moderated by support for personal and work-related burnout and job satisfaction. Findings suggest the need to consider DSW work conditions, and particularly work practices contributing to role conflict, as well as increasing support for DSWs to prevent the development of personal and work-related burnout. Findings suggest further research associated with client-related burnout is required.

Keywords

psychosocial safetyburnoutsafety climatejob satisfactiondisability support workerswork conditionsrole conflictsupport
Type
Articles
Information
The Australasian Journal of Organisational Psychology , Volume 8 , 2015 , e9
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2015 

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