Teamwork Finalists in Psychosocial Safety 2025
Celebrating Best Team Collaboration for Psychosocial Safety
Psychosocial safety doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s built when teams come together with a shared commitment, a clear strategy and want genuine collaboration to create change. The Best Team Collaboration in Psychosocial Safety Award shines a light on those groups who are proving that when people work together across roles, departments, and even whole organisations, they can create meaningful and lasting change.
This year’s finalists have shown that collaboration is not only possible in complex environments it’s powerful. Their efforts have built trust, inspired inclusion, and created momentum for safer, healthier workplaces.
Meet the Finalists
Peer Connect Champions - Pacific National
The Peer Connect Champions network is a grassroots program providing immediate, peer-to-peer support for workers across Pacific National. With over 120 employees trained in Mental Health First Aid, these volunteers act as approachable colleagues who can listen, support, and connect their peers with professional help if needed.
Through posters, intranet resources, toolbox talks, and R U OK? events, the Champions are visible, accessible, and embedded in the daily life of the business. Judges noted that while this is a strong mental health initiative, its strength lies in breaking down stigma and encouraging meaningful conversations across a national workforce. By giving workers the confidence to reach out, the Peer Connect Champions have created a supportive, connected culture.
Executive Leadership, Safety and People & Culture Team - Port of Newcastle
At Port of Newcastle, psychosocial safety has been built into strategy from the top down. The Executive Leadership Team, alongside Safety and People & Culture, co-designed a psychosocial strategy based on three clear actions: Raise Awareness, Build Capability and Strengthen Compliance.
This whole-of-organisation approach includes training leaders in Real Conversations with Mitch Wallis, annual communication programs, and the introduction of FlourishDX to assess risks across the workforce. Judges praised the clear structure, shared accountability, and leadership commitment, noting the strong collaboration between functions and the integration of psychosocial safety into core WHS strategy.
The result is a program with a strong backbone, backed by data and leadership support, and focused on prevention, capability, and long-term cultural change.
Breathe Better, Bounce Together - Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group
NCIG’s Breathe Better, Bounce Together program united teams across the business to address mental health challenges in a hands-on, innovative way. Built in partnership with Challenge Champions from each department, the initiative included:
The Plunge - a guided ice bath and breathwork session to build resilience
The Walk - a sunrise event with Lifeline Hunter for World Suicide Prevention Day
The Conversation - an R U OK? Day coffee session with a psychologist to open dialogue.
With 60% of employees participating and overwhelmingly positive feedback, the program fostered connection, resilience, and a culture of care. Judges noted its strong wellbeing outcomes and creativity, while also highlighting the opportunity to strengthen links to psychosocial risk management systems. Even so, this initiative stands out for breaking down stigma and uniting people in shared experiences that build trust and connection.
Executive Leadership Team - Tweed Shire Council
Tackling psychosocial safety in local government is no small task. Tweed Shire Council’s Executive Leadership Team embraced it as a collective responsibility, co-designing a Cultural Transformation Strategy with HR, WHS, governance and operations.
Their initiatives include a Council-wide Psychosocial Safety Framework, training for more than 700 staff, risk assessments and controls embedded into service delivery, and the highly visible Respect Campaign. With the message "Proud to be part of your everyday", the campaign humanised staff in the eyes of the community and strengthened pride internally.
Judges described this as a strong example of leadership and collaboration, embedding psychosocial safety into culture, systems and everyday behaviour. The ELT’s shared approach has shifted Council towards a safer, more inclusive and respectful workplace.
Denise Richards and Mitchell Kem - TrendPac
Working side by side, Denise (Safety Leader) and Mitchell (Head of People and Culture) have shown how collaboration can embed psychosocial safety into every layer of an organisation. Their joint initiatives include:
Rolling out a psychosocial risk assessment aligned with audits and compliance frameworks
Partnering with Neon Shed to deliver workplace training on bullying, harassment, conflict resolution and aggression management
Training over 240 workers - including tailored programs for ESL employees - to ensure inclusion and accessibility.
By combining their expertise, Denise and Mitchell have built a consistent, practical, and people-focused approach. Judges praised their proactive, preventative teamwork and highlighted how their efforts have created a culture of shared responsibility and genuine psychological safety across TrendPac.
Ben Musgrove & Fabrication Team - Morgan Engineering
At a workshop floor level, Heavy Fabrication Supervisor Ben Musgrove and his team have shown how collaboration and care can transform culture. Ben has led practical changes - from improving PPE access and scaffolding systems to redesigning crib rooms as open, safe spaces for communication. He’s brought managers to the table, organised BBQs to connect leaders and workers, and used clear signage to reinforce company values and accountability.
By openly sharing his own struggles, Ben has broken down barriers in a male-dominated environment, encouraging his team to seek support and use the EAP. Recognition programs at toolbox talks further build trust and pride. Judges commended Ben’s sincerity, calling his leadership powerful and genuine, and noting that his grassroots collaboration has directly improved safety, communication and morale.
Oceania Health, Safety & Wellbeing Team - Fonterra
Fonterra Oceania’s HSW Team brought together leaders, advisors, and frontline workers across Australia and New Zealand to roll out the People at Work risk assessment. Their inclusive approach included translating surveys into multiple languages, providing hard copy options, and partnering with advocates like Wayne Schwass and Jason Gunn to engage staff in meaningful conversations.
The results speak for themselves - over 1,000 employees completed the survey, participation rates rose by more than 50%, and site-specific action plans are now being co-designed with local teams. Judges commended the team’s inclusiveness and collaboration across roles and regions, describing it as a strong example of consultation and shared ownership in psychosocial risk management.
KPMG Sustainable Working Group - KPMG
Job demands are one of the most significant psychosocial risks, and KPMG’s Sustainable Working Group tackled this challenge through structured, cross-functional collaboration. Bringing together HR, Wellbeing, Risk, Business Services and senior leaders, the group created:
A real-time dashboard to monitor additional hours worked
Internal psychosocial leadership training focused on job design and burnout
The 'It’s About Time' campaign, encouraging accurate time recording to support better workload management.
Judges praised the program as a gold standard in teamwork, embedding real controls to reduce psychosocial risks. By integrating system-wide monitoring, leadership accountability and cultural initiatives, the group has already begun to shift conversations and outcomes around workload, capacity and sustainable ways of working.
Join us to celebrate
The finalists in this category show that collaboration isn’t just about working together - it’s about listening, sharing responsibility, and creating change that lasts. From boardrooms to workshops, these teams are proving that collective action builds momentum for psychosocial safety.
Join us on Friday 12 September 2025 for a vibrant, cocktail-style celebration as we announce the winners of the Psychosocial Safety and Leadership Awards.
