72606 (2024). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Corrections

72606 (2024). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Corrections: How many Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) consultations, if any, occurred in the Minister's departments, if any, from 1 November 2022 to 1 November 2023 and what was the cost, if any?

Hon Mark Mitchell: Increasing staff safety is a key priority in my Corrections Portfolio. With the overwhelming majority of its workforce of around 10,000 staff working on the frontline, Corrections is responsible for the safe and effective management of people in prisons and in the community on sentences and orders. I am advised that Corrections is focused on retention and wellbeing measures including continuously working to improve staff safety, and investing in capability and training. Some recent examples of supporting staff safety in prisons include providing tactical training for staff, increasing staff wellbeing and welfare services and introducing a protocol to reduce the risk of violence and aggression toward staff. The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is provided to all Corrections employees and their immediate family members. I am further advised that Corrections can readily report information about EAP sessions by financial year. I refer the member to the attached table, which provides the number of EAP sessions that Corrections staff engaged in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years, and the costs incurred for these periods. This is also my response to WPQ 72609 (2024).