Independent review of Ambulance Victoria
Ambulance Victoria requested an independent review by the Commission to assess workplace equality following reports of discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation, and bullying. The review resulted in 43 recommendations for improvement, with 25 prioritised. The Commission is conducting a progress evaluation audit of Ambulance Victoria’s implementation of these priority recommendations to support the organisation’s continued workplace and culture transformation.
Why is this review happening?
Ambulance Victoria has been confronted with strong evidence of discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation and bullying in its workforce. Ambulance Victoria has engaged the Commission to undertake a review to improve their understanding of these issues and the culture within Ambulance Victoria and to identify solutions to drive positive and enduring change.
The review has been informed by current and former Ambulance Victoria staff and first responders/volunteers who have experienced or witnessed discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation or bullying within Ambulance Victoria.
Is the review independent?
The Commission is an independent statutory body with the power to conduct independent reviews of an organisation’s compliance with the Equal Opportunity Act.
We must receive a request to conduct an independent review. This is what Ambulance Victoria has asked us to do. As part of the review, the Commission will collect and analyse evidence, determine findings, develop any recommendations for change, and develop and publish two volumes that will make-up the final report of the review.
The Commission is conducting the review independently of Ambulance Victoria and is not acting on behalf of Ambulance Victoria.
How is the review progressing?
The review has 3 phases.
Phase 1: the Commission spoke with as many current and former Ambulance Victoria employees, first responders and volunteers as possible. This assisted us in publishing our public report which detailed our findings and identified recommendations for improving workplace equality at Ambulance Victoria.
Phase 2: Ambulance Victoria commenced the implementation of the recommendations identified in the report, with ongoing support and expert guidance from the Commission.
We are now in Phase 3 of the review, where the Commission will gather data to review the implementation of the recommendations made in phase 1 of the review. This will be done through a review of policies and procedures regarding implementation, interviews with key stakeholders and focus groups with executives, managers and staff reference groups.
The progress evaluation audit will be finalised in late 2024 and the final report will be published shortly thereafter.
How can I stay updated on the progress of the progress evaluation audit?
As in the early stages of the review, the Commission will be publishing updates on the Independent review of Ambulance Victoria page of the website.
You can also sign up for direct email updates from the AV Review Team via the distribution list. If you would like to be placed on the distribution list, please email the AV Team at AVreview@veohrc.vic.gov.au.
Can I participate in the audit?
During the progress evaluation audit, the AV Team will be conducting a workforce survey (only available to current Ambulance Victoria employees and first responders/volunteers), 1:1 interviews with key stakeholders and focus groups with staff networks.
Current Ambulance Victoria staff members or volunteers can choose to complete the 20-minute online workforce survey. Information about the survey will be circulated to staff by Ambulance Victoria.
The Commission will also be holding confidential interviews with project leads and senior leaders at Ambulance Victoria. The Commission will be contacting these participants directly.
If you would like information about your eligibility to participate in the survey, an interview or focus group, the AV Team are available to discuss these queries directly by email at AVreview@veohrc.vic.gov.au.
Can I still make a written submission?
The Commission is not collecting written submissions as part of the progress evaluation audit, including relating to experiences of discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation or bullying at Ambulance Victoria.
These submissions were concluded in phase 1 of the review and informed the list of recommendations provided to Ambulance Victoria for implementation in phase 2.
Can I make a report to the Commission regarding discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation or bullying at Ambulance Victoria?
If you would like to make a complaint, please contact the Commission’s dispute resolution service or see the Complaints page of the website for more information.
The Dispute Resolution team can be contacted directly on 1300 395 727, select prompt 2 and leave a message for the Dispute Resolution team. They are available by email at Complaints@veohrc.vic.gov.au.
If you would like to make an anonymous submission to the Commission about unlawful behaviour, you can do so using the Community Reporting Tool on our website.
I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement – can I still participate in interviews or focus groups?
To enable as many people as possible to come forward and share their experiences through the review, Ambulance Victoria issued a limited waiver of confidentiality obligations in non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
How will my privacy be managed?
Your privacy is one of our key concerns. The Commission has strong experience in the sensitive, careful management of issues around discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation and bullying.
We have established processes in place to ensure only a small group of authorised Commission staff have access to names and contact details of individuals participating in the Review. No identifying details will be published.
We will collect and store all personal information in accordance with the information privacy principles contained in the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic).
We will seek your informed consent before publishing any de-identified quotes or case studies.