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Community Survey Participation Information Sheet

About the project:

This project will look at the impacts of plant closures and mass retrenchment on workers and their families, and how they and their communities may best transition into the future. In particular, we want to know how closures affect the economic and social sustainability of the areas and regions. Our study will investigate these issues and provide feedback to companies and governments across Australia on how services and supports can work better in the future.

This survey is a unique subset of an overarching five year $1.5 million collaborative research project, funded by the Australian Research Council, SA Government and the Federal Government. The parties signed to this research project are: the University of South Australia, Australian Catholic University, Department for Innovation and Skills (SA), Department of Premier and Cabinet (SA), SA Health, South Australian Council of Social Service, Anglicare SA, GM Holden, Toyota Motor Company, Federal Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment, and the Department of Education and Training (VIC).

Our Community Survey is about how you think your local area has fared over the last 5 years with big changes in your state such as the closure of the car manufacturing industry. We also want to know your opinions on the role of governments, the private sector, and your community during such times of community transition.

What would happen if I took part in the research project?

We will ask you a series of short questions asking for your opinions on how you think your local area has fared over the last 5 years with big changes in your state. We would like to know your opinions on the role of governments, the private sector, and your local community during times of change, in particular the closure of the car manufacturing industry. The interviews will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

Consent

By completing and submitting this survey you are indicating that you:

Risks and Benefits of the Study

Participation in the study will involve the collection and recording of your answers but will not require any personal or sensitive information. This study may also involve psychological or emotional stress as a result of the sensitive nature of the topics discussed. However, it is not anticipated that the risks to participation in this study are beyond those encountered during everyday life. You are You are free to withdraw your consent to participate and leave the research at any time. Please note that there is a list of support resources available at the end of this information sheet.

Participation in this study may not directly benefit you. However, our research will have an impact on policy makers and the services provided in the event of future industry closures.

Confidentiality and Data Retention

Participation in this study is voluntary and participants are free to decline or withdraw from the research project any time, before they have completed and submitted the survey, without affecting their relationship with the researcher, or the University of South Australia. As we are not collecting any identifying information during the survey after you have submitted your survey we are unable to remove your responses as it will be impossible to identify your individual data.

The information collected from this project will be shared with our project partners and published in non-identifiable aggregate form only. All information will be stored on password-protected computers and documents on secure UniSA servers for a period of 7 years after the completion of the project. The survey is intended to be anonymous and the research team will take every care to keep data confidential, however, survey results will temporarily be stored on a subcontractor’s survey platform and the platform manager may have access to that data. However, since data collected is anonymous, the platform manager will not be able to identify participants. As soon as practical after data collection is complete, the data will be deleted from the subcontractor’s platform and transferred to the UniSA servers. However, the confidentiality of anonymous data stored on or transferred via the Internet cannot be guaranteed. The information collected from this project will be published. No participant in this research will be individually identifiable in the reports or other publications resulting from this research.

Research partners working across the broader five year project are: Prof Andrew Beer (UniSA), Associate Professor Sally Weller (UniSA), Dr Akshay Vij (UniSA), Dr Ilke Onur (UniSA), Dr Tom Barnes (ACU), Dr Julie Ratcliffe (Flinders University), Prof Markku Sotarauta (University of Tampere) and Professor David Bailey (University of Birmingham).

This project has been approved by the University of South Australia’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) as Protocol Number: 203307. If you have any ethical concerns about the project or questions about your rights as a participant please contact the Executive Officer of UniSA’s Committee, Tel: +61 8 8302 3118; Email: [email protected].

Participants or third parties who wish to lodge a complaint about either the study or the way it is being conducted should contact the Executive Officer of UniSA HREC in the first instance, Email: [email protected] or Tel: +61 8 8302 3118.

The progress of the project and findings will be published on the project website https://www.fwfc.com.au/

Further information on the study can be obtained from:

PositionNameEmailPhone
Project LeaderProf Andrew Beer[email protected] 
Project CoordinatorCate McKenzie[email protected]08 8302 7335

Support Services

Please contact the following support services if you experience or are experiencing any psychological or emotional stress:

OrganisationPhone and URLAbout
Beyond Blue1300 22 4636 https://www.beyondblue.org.au/Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
Lifeline13 11 14 http://www.lifeline.org.au/Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
MensLine Australia1300 7899 78 http://www.mensline.org.au/A telephone and online support, information and referral service, helping men to deal with relationship problems in a practical and effective way.
Carers Australia1800 242 636 https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/Short-term counselling and emotional and psychological support services for carers and their families in each state and territory.

For more support services, Beyond Blue has listed several other providers on their webpage: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/suicide-prevention/get-support-now.

In an emergency, please call 000, the emergency help line.