Diagnosis Before Design
A needs assessment precedes intervention design. Programmes built on diagnosis perform measurably better than off-the-shelf approaches.
Safe Minds, Better Work® is InCheq's maturity-based framework for governing and managing psychosocial health and safety. It is built on academic research, regulatory frameworks, and a structured methodology, and is delivered through three integrated products: Safe Minds Index®, Safe Minds Interventions®, and Safe Minds Risk Management®. The framework evaluates organisational maturity across 10 Pillars aligned to WHS legislation across all Australian jurisdictions and ISO 45003.
A systems-first approach to psychosocial health and safety.
Mapped to regulatory frameworks and scientific research. Built on academic evidence and data from more than 50 organisations and 50,000 workers. Designed to answer what awareness programmes and survey-only assessments cannot.
Safe Minds Index ®
Safe Minds Interventions ®
Safe Minds Risk Management ®
Safe Minds, Better Work ®
The programme
Programmes and surveys identify problems. Systems manage them.
Mental injury claims in Australia rose 161% over the last decade. All other injury types rose 26% in the same period. Time lost is five times longer. Cost: $10.9 billion a year.
Awareness programmes identify the problem. Surveys describe it. Neither manages it. Australian regulators have moved to systems-based requirements: continuous improvement, evidence of trajectory, audit-defensible action. The maturity model meets the obligation.
Built on Psychosocial Safety Climate theory.
Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) theory positions organisational policies and practices as the upstream cause of worker mental health outcomes. The Safe Minds Index® applies this theory at the system level, integrating multi-source data to measure the system, not its symptoms.
The dataset behind the framework draws on more than 50 organisations and 50,000 workers across multiple sectors and jurisdictions.
Download the full methodology paper (PDF)10 Pillars. One score.
Each Pillar is weighted by regulatory importance and mapped to WHS, OHS, and ISO 45003 obligations.
01Leadership Commitment & Governance
02Policy Framework & Organisational Standards
03Hazard Identification & Intelligence
04Risk Assessment & Prioritisation
05Control Implementation & Work Design
06Worker Consultation & Participation
07Training & Capability Development
08Monitoring, Review & Performance Measurement
09Incident Response & Support Systems
10Documentation & Knowledge Management
A 0–100 composite score combining Pillar maturity assessment with risk indicator data from claims, absence, engagement, reporting, and workforce stability.
Five levels. A trajectory, not a snapshot.
Each level signals what is in place, what is missing, and what comes next.
No formal systems. Response is ad hoc and incident-triggered.
Regulatory exposure on critical Pillars; limited defensibility
Some activity but inconsistent. Awareness exists but implementation is uneven.
Partial compliance; gaps are documentable
Formal processes established. Implementation more consistent but not yet organisation-wide.
Demonstrable progress; defensible if trajectory is clear
Comprehensive, evidence-based. Processes operational across the organisation and monitored.
Defensible, auditable regulatory position
Integrated and continuously improving. Predictive analytics inform strategy.
Sector leadership; leading indicators actively managed
Compliance is the floor. Sector leadership is the ceiling. Over a typical three-year programme, organisations progress from Level 1 or 2 to Level 4.
Four principles distinguish a maturity programme from a compliance exercise.
Existing Data First
Triangulation across HR, safety, claims, and operational systems. Higher fidelity than surveys. Repeatable measurement without disruption to business-as-usual.
Intelligent Systems
The system sharpens with each cycle. At maturity, the Safe Minds Index® functions as an actuarial-grade early warning.
Maturity as Continuous Capability
Compliance is the floor of the model. Continuous improvement is the trajectory. Sector leadership is the ceiling.
Mapped to every Australian jurisdiction.
Each Pillar maps to specific clauses across Australian WHS and OHS legislation, the Model WHS Act, Model Codes of Practice, and ISO 45003:2021.
See the full regulatory landscapeThree products. One integrated system.
Product 01 · Measurement
Safe Minds Index®
A standardised maturity score across the 10 Pillars, integrated with risk indicator data. Built from data the organisation already holds.
Product 02 · ActionSafe Minds Interventions®
Prioritised, evidence-rated action recommendations. Ranked by regulatory urgency, impact, and feasibility.
Product 03 · LifecycleSafe Minds Risk Management®
Hazard identification, controls, incident response, and audit trail in a single defensible system.
What the system delivers
Analytics on the organisation's specific data. Each recommendation carries a confidence and impact rating. Compliance and risk first, optimisation second.
Reporting at every level
Boards see governance. Management see oversight. Line supervisors see their teams and the controls they own.
Capability builds adoption.
Self-serve systems do not get adopted. Capability is built alongside the framework, not after it.
The InCheq Academy
Training and accreditation for safety, HR, and operational professionals working with the framework. Methodology, the 10 Pillars, regulatory alignment, and intervention design.
Explore the AcademyThe accredited partner network
Consultants and firms accredited to deliver the framework end to end. Onboarding, audit support, training, transformation strategy, and HR and safety function support.
See the partner ecosystem
For most organisations, the partner network is the default delivery pathway. Same framework, expert hand-holding.
Defensible by design.
Standardised third-party assessment
Same methodology across every organisation and industry.
Risk-to-action traceability
Every recommendation tied to a diagnosed gap. Every action logged.
Documented due diligence
Evidence of decisions, advice sought, and rationale. Officer due diligence supported.
Board-ready reporting
Familiar metrics. Consistent format. Ready to act on.
A WorkSafe improvement notice was withdrawn after the client presented their Safe Minds Index®, documented actions, and three-year roadmap. Full compliance was not yet in place. What satisfied the regulator was the systems-based approach and a credible psychosocial safety roadmap.
Begin with measurement.
A 30-minute briefing. We will show you what your data could surface and how the Safe Minds Index® would map to your jurisdictions.
30 minutes · No prep · Written brief either way