Work is ready to start this month to establish a new workplace for Ambulance Victoria, rebuilding trust, strengthening safety and respecting and improving its culture as recommended by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) in 2020.
VEOHRC’s Independent Review into Workplace Equality found in that year that Ambulance Victoria outlined behaviour and a culture that was unacceptable in any organisation, let alone one that was tasked with caring for Victorians.
According to the Minister for Ambulance Services, Gabrielle Williams, the new restorative process will be about listening, acknowledging and responding to the harm caused to anyone who was discriminated against or who experienced sexual harassment, bullying and victimisation.
“The kind of behaviours we heard about through VEOHRC’s investigation are completely unacceptable and there is no place in Ambulance Victoria for those who engage in or seek to protect, harmful or unlawful conduct,” Ms Williams said.
“The scheme will be carefully designed and in place next year – it will help to rebuild trust, strengthen safety and respect and improve the culture at Ambulance Victoria.”
She said that under the new work to be conducted by an independent restorative engagement scheme, Ambulance Victoria’s dedicated employees and volunteers will be heard and their experiences in the workplace acknowledged.
The work is to begin establishing a new scheme as part of its review into workplace equality, recommended by VEOHRC and establishing a scheme for current and former employees and volunteers who had experienced discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and victimisation at Ambulance Victoria.
As part of its review into workplace equality, VEOHRC recommended establishing a scheme for current and former employees and volunteers who had experienced discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and victimisation at Ambulance Victoria.
Ms Williams said the Department of Justice and Community Safety is to explore options as the work commences and will work closely with employees and volunteers as well as their unions, professional associations and the Department of Health.
Once established, the scheme will offer a range of 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.
All outcomes will be focussed on what matters most to the participant and consideration will be given on how to best support each participant through the process.
The Government is expected to receive advice by the end of the year on options for the scheme, which will launch next year and run for at least 18 months. An allocation of $8 million will be provided to support the delivery of VEOHRC’s recommendations, which have all been accepted in full.
Ambulance Victoria has released an implementation plan – Safe, fair, inclusive: Your AV Roadmap 2022-2027 – with work well underway to implement all its recommendations.
The AV Roadmap can be accessed at this PS News link.
