Ambulance Victoria review – Update 19 (6 July 2023)

6 July 2023

I’m pleased to provide the 19th update on the Commission’s Independent review into workplace equality at Ambulance Victoria.

Yesterday the Victorian Government announced that it will consult on the establishment of a restorative engagement scheme for Ambulance Victoria – one of the key recommendations from the first phase of our review. This is welcome news and a vital step towards continuing to reform the organisation’s workplace culture.

In our Phase 1 report, we recommended that Ambulance Victoria establish an independent restorative engagement scheme for current and former employees who have experienced past discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and victimisation in the course of their work at Ambulance Victoria.

We developed this recommendation in response to the stories shared by many current and former staff and first responders about unlawful and harmful workplace conduct that had not been believed by Ambulance Victoria or had been left unresolved. We recommended the establishment of a restorative engagement scheme as part of steps to acknowledge significant past harms and to restore trust within the workforce.

Restorative engagement schemes are typically overseen by an independent provider and are intended to provide victim-survivors with:

• a safe avenue to share their personal account of unlawful conduct in a forum that mitigates the power imbalance between themselves and their employer
• an opportunity to have a senior representative of the organisation acknowledge and respond to their story.

The main intention of restorative engagement schemes is to provide a valuable outcome and experience for victim-survivors. However, they can also benefit the organisation by providing an important forum for leaders to bear witness to harms experienced by staff, rebuild working relationships and facilitate organisational learning.

At the Commission, we’ve had the opportunity to see the impacts of restorative engagement first hand – during the Independent review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour, in Victoria Police, we administered an interim restorative engagement scheme for current former Victoria Police members. The feedback we received from participants in the scheme demonstrated that when done well, a restorative engagement process can be profoundly beneficial and therapeutic. At the conclusion of the interim scheme, a long-term restorative engagement and redress scheme for police members was established within the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS).

If the Ambulance Victoria scheme delivers the results we anticipate, my hope is that it will help resolve past harms for many employees and first responders. For those who have left the organisation because of past experiences of harm, I hope it will demonstrate Ambulance Victoria’s commitment to cultural reform and create the right conditions for them to consider returning.

What happens next?

Starting this month, DJCS will commence work on developing options for a restorative engagement scheme for Ambulance Victoria. In line with our recommendation, DJCS will work closely with employees and volunteers as well as their unions, professional associations and the Department of Health.

The scheme will be launched in 2024 and will offer a range of possible outcomes to current and former employees and volunteers, including individual apologies, statements of regret, and financial compensation, as well as restorative sessions with senior leaders.

Where can I go if I need help?

We acknowledge that this announcement may bring up strong feelings including distress for some readers.

Appendix A of Volume I of our report identifies a range of support services that are available for those who need it.

If you wish to enquire about, or make a formal complaint of discrimination or sexual harassment, you can also contact us:

• Call 1300 292 153 or (03) 9032 3583
• NRS Voice Relay  1300 555 727 then quote 1300 292 153
• Find out more about making a complaint

Warmly,

Ro Allen
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner

 

Media contact

Peter Davies
Mobile: 0447 526 642
Email: peter.davies@veohrc.vic.gov.au

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