Prior to the Review, these staff and employees did not feel heard.
It was hearing these stories and experiences from their workforce that brought awareness to the Ambulance Victoria’s most senior leaders – of the breadth and depth of entrenched gendered attitudes and power imbalances impacting Ambulance Victoria’s workforce.
About half of people who responded to the Commission told stories of bullying and discrimination, more than a third had experienced victimisation and almost 20 per cent said they had been sexually harassed. Ambulance Victoria accepted the Commission’s 43 recommendations and committed to implement them to make the organisation safer, fairer and more inclusive.
In response time was taken to demonstrate people’s experiences had been heard, acknowledgement of their bravery in speaking up and apologising for the harm caused.
Taking the time to reflect on experiences right across the organisation, so that everyone from Board members to leaders and staff, could deeply feel and better understand the harm experienced by people, was an important foundation for healing, rebuilding trust and delivering meaningful change.
The voice and stories of the workforce were used to shape Ambulance Victoria’s official response to the Commission’s report and its forward reform plans.
‘Your AV Roadmap’ is a shared vision and a case for change which – in a first for Ambulance Victoria – was developed in consultation with the workforce to reflect their experiences and wishes, and shape reforms to deliver a better workplace.
The voice and stories of the workforce were harnessed to shape Ambulance Victoria’s official response to the Commission’s report and its forward reform plans.
The workforce and stakeholders welcomed a new level of radical transparency, with Ambulance Victoria launching a recommendation tracker where its workforce, stakeholders and community can monitor its reform progress on an ongoing basis.
Ambulance Victoria has successfully engaged staff and stakeholders to actively contribute to the reform program. The organisation has built the foundation necessary for long-term change.
what our clients say
“Creating meaningful connections to build safe, fair and inclusive workplaces is fundamental.
People need to feel heard. People need to have hope that change is possible. People need to be part of that change.
Strategic communication and engagement was at the heart of Ambulance Victoria’s response and approach to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s Independent Review into Workplace Equality at Ambulance Victoria.
Story Matters delivered a fully integrated strategic communication strategy that brought together the complex needs and expectations of our people, our leaders and stakeholders to build engagement, alignment and support for the reforms.
For the first time at Ambulance Victoria, Story Matters designed and delivered participatory processes to deeply engage our people in the development of the organisation’s official response to the Commission’s report and development of our forward plan: Safe, Fair, Inclusive – Your AV Roadmap 2022-27. This ensured the workforce owned the language, understood the vision and saw themselves in the future.
Story Matters’ contribution has helped Ambulance Victoria build the foundations for meaningful and lasting change, ensuring the experiences of our people is firmly at the centre.“
Simone Cusack, Executive Director Equality & Workplace Relations, Ambulance Victoria