Background
An independent evaluation of SIRA funded programs has been completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). These programs play an important role in helping people injured at work or on the road in NSW to return to meaningful work, while also providing support for employers to find and retain valuable employees.
The report confirms the benefits of positive return to work outcomes for all stakeholders in the NSW personal injury schemes, including people with an injury, their employers, and the broader community.
Findings and recommendations
SIRA welcomes the evaluation report’s 5 key findings and 9 recommendations. Work is already underway to develop an implementation plan that will strengthen, streamline, and modernise the SIRA funded programs across the NSW Workers Compensation (WC) and Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Schemes.
The evaluation found that the suite of SIRA funded programs is broadly fulfilling its intended purpose and aligns with best practice return to work principles. However, results on efficiency and effectiveness varied across programs where utilisation was constrained by administrative barriers or influenced by how well programs were tailored and timed to individual circumstances.
SIRA will continue its commitment to close collaboration with stakeholders. A round table to discuss SIRA funded programs in the WC Scheme has been scheduled to connect representatives from insurers, employer and industry groups, unions and workplace rehabilitation providers. This forum will focus on how these groups can strategically partner with SIRA to progress specific recommendations and optimise return to work outcomes.
SIRA’s implementation plan will be finalised following this round table to ensure stakeholder input is appropriately reflected.
More information
Updated 9 October 2025