Albury chaplain David Poole helps workplaces through their toughest times

When tragedy hit a Border workplace in May 2018, one seemingly minor role was swiftly elevated.

Two men died from a gas leak at the Norske Skog paper mill, leaving behind shocked and grieving colleagues and families.

In the difficult days that followed, the company's external workplace chaplain David Poole spent many hours on site providing support.

Norske Skog's workplace health and safety manager David Pithers said this highlighted the enormous value of such a position.

"David had been a regular visitor to our site for many years and he had built up relationships with staff, so people were comfortable with him," he recalled.

"It was extremely valuable to have someone who was well-known, well-liked and well-respected by all employees.

"David spent a lot more time here, doing what he always does, which is to make himself available to discuss where people are at and what they need."

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The on-call nature of the role combined with the all-consuming impact of such a significant event made it a physically challenging but highly rewarding time for David.

"I would be there at all sorts of times during the day, for long hours, and sometimes I'd go back in the evenings," he explained.

"It was just so intense, but at the same time, in those circumstances I tend to put myself out to try to help people to manage."

As chaplain to the Country Fire Authority for almost two decades, David cut short his Christmas break during last summer's bushfire crisis to provide support to emergency staff at four different organisations.

Having lost one of his own children in a car accident in 2006, David believes he has developed an understanding of how individuals respond to trauma.

"I feel like I know a little bit about what's really important to people when there's significant loss and I have also learnt some of the things that are important for managers to do, and what support people need at that time," he said.

A chemist by trade, David's introduction to chaplaincy came in 1980, as a 25-year-old training for the Baptist ministry.

"My pastoral placement was in a retirement village working with a chaplain in Melbourne, and that initiated my interest," he said.

After moving to Albury with his wife and children, David became friends with Alan Kelb, an industrial chaplain working for the Inter-Church Trade and Industry Mission, a national, not-for-profit organisation established in 1960.

"In 1998 my pastoral ministry with the church was coming to a close," David said.

"I'd been talking to Alan, and he told me someone he worked with was taking six months' long service leave, and asked if I would be interested in taking up the role.

"Towards the end of those six months, the employee on leave retired, and I guess the rest is ancient history. The six months has turned into 20 years."

The ITIM eventually became Reventure, the parent company for Converge International, an organisation specialising in human resources support and one of the largest providers of workplace mental fitness and wellbeing support services in Australia.

David is one of more than 40 chaplains employed by Converge, who serve in collaboration with more than 1800 psychologists, social workers and counsellors working with about 1000 organisations across Australia.

Despite a long tradition of workplace chaplaincy, the 65-year-old said his role had not always been well understood.

"The way people understand chaplaincy in other settings has not always been helpful for us working in another environment," he said.

"Some organisations have preconceived ideas about what chaplaincy is, plus it has a strong connotation as being a religious service."

Aiming to break down such barriers, Converge International calls David a pastoral counsellor - a more neutral tone that seems to appeal to secular organisations.

"Through regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly visits, we embed specialised onsite consultants into workplace teams or business units," he explained.

"This means employees see the same person on a consistent basis and become comfortable around them.

"The power of our model is its capacity to support a comprehensive workplace response that prevents harm, promotes positive mental health and wellbeing, and manages immediate psychological, emotional and spiritual needs.

"Ensuring the integration of these key areas has been shown to be the most effective framework for supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace."

But the benefits of workplace chaplaincy also extend to the individual providing the service. David described working as a chaplain as an "amazing experience".

"It's a huge privilege to be able to enter into a person's life story and hopefully to be of some help to them as they work through some fairly significant issues," he said.

A typical day in the life of a chaplain might involve checking up on numerous individuals, speaking to a company's managerial staff about any larger workplace issues and simply making oneself available for anyone to approach.

"Part of pastoral care is about just making contact with people and trying to form relationships," David said.

"An important part of it is about those relationships you've already formed and the track record that you already have, and being available, consistent and constant."

Constancy has been a feature of David's work, having provided chaplaincy services to the CFA and Albury Council for 18 years.

Albury Council human resources team leader Pip Riches has worked with David since 2002 and said his presence had helped maintain a strong workplace culture.

"David's very approachable and he's very proactive in regard to going around and making himself familiar with new staff members," she said.

Research by Macquarie University found workplace chaplains helped to improve employee morale and consequently increased the rates of worker productivity.

Ms Riches said she agreed.

"If David's concerned about the welfare of anyone in our team, he will make sure he follows up with the individual and keeps in touch," she said.

"It means that some things can be addressed by an informal process, rather than a formal process... and other issues can be nipped in the bud earlier."

After 20 years of service, David has well and truly earned his retirement, but he said he won't be leaving his work just yet.

"I'm still passionate about what I do and I feel valued in what I do, so as long as I have good health, I will continue on," he said.

- Supplied by Converge International