Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inclusion Action Plan: The next step

The problem: at 0.5% of the Victoria Police workforce, 117 out of 22,500, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are underrepresented when compared to overall representation in the wider community.

What we’re doing: removing social barriers that are experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aspiring to obtain employment with Victoria Police.

How we will do it: we will review existing Aboriginal applicant attraction strategies and implement new employment preparation programs.

• Complete annual review of SBTP, YES and Graduate Programs to monitor progress and implement recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Implement two police employment preparation programs targeting First Nations applicants.
• Implement and review a mentoring program for participants in the Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program (Aboriginal stream).
• Prepare a business case for the police employment preparation program (Aboriginal stream) to continue to 2030.

HRC

The problem: there are limited opportunities for development or pathways to promotion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

What we’re doing: enhancing career experience, progression opportunities and providing support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

How we will do it: we will develop and implement a bespoke Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander police mentoring program.

• Review employee lifecycle and identify opportunities to include mentoring as part of the application process, training and ongoing career.
• Explore opportunities to develop VPS mentor program.

HRC

The problem: Aboriginal cultural awareness is limited across the organisation.

What we’re doing: building Aboriginal cultural capability and awareness through increased participation and strengthened training content.

How we will do it: by ensuring that ACAT is mandatory for all Victoria Police employees and working with Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers (ACLO) and Traditional Owner groups to identify opportunities to include localised content.

• ACAT is Self-determined by Aboriginal Justice Caucus and Aboriginal Portfolio Reference Group.
• Identify opportunities for areas to enhance the ACAT package with localised content.
• ACAT endorsed as mandatory training for all Victoria Police employees.
• Establish a process to ensure all Command participate in most updated ACAT.

CD

The problem: an evaluation of Victoria Police’s Aboriginal Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan 2018–2021 found that self-determination was the most significant gap relating to the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

Organisational decisions impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are not currently made with any consistency or reference to a Self-Determination Reform Framework.

What we’re doing: operationalising a Self-Determination Reform Framework guided by the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework and embedded into foundation elements of organisational decision making relevant to Aboriginal employees.

How we will do it: recognising that Victoria Police Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are a community with the right to make decisions that impact on them by incorporating self-determination guiding principles into all outcomes under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inclusion Action Plan.

• Support the AEN and AENC in their role in guiding how Victoria Police applies a Self-Determination Reform Framework. This may involve allies, champions and action owners.
• Framework is published and communicated to Aboriginal and
  Torres Strait Islander employees and
  the organisation.

HRC

The problem: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are widely distributed across Victoria.

They rarely have the opportunity to come together to share experiences and support, communicate their needs with each other and the organisation, and participate as a group in decision making and prioritisation of their needs.

What we’re doing: convening an annual forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

How we will do it: the location, timing, duration and frequency of the forum will be determined by a working group comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and supported by HRC.

Establish a working group to formulate an approach (timing, frequency, duration, location, funding).

HRC

The problem: ACLOs report to local workplace managers with different levels of cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Centralised coordination will provide consistency and support for ACLOs statewide.

What we’re doing: reviewing central coordination capacity to provide consistent support and resources for ACLOs and their managers statewide.

How we will do it: develop a proposal to establish a central coordination function for ACLOs.

Examine options for a centralised coordination function for ACLOs.

HRC

The problem: limited knowledge, understanding and awareness of diversity and inclusion amongst managers.

What we’re doing: enhancing diversity and inclusion capability in people managers.

How we will do it: by developing and promoting a diversity and inclusion resource hub targeted at leaders and people managers.

• Conduct a literature review of existing mandatory WoVG and other jurisdiction diversity and inclusion training packages, to inform the development of the resource hub.
• Review and identify gaps and opportunities in existing training/engagement programs.
• Develop the diversity and inclusion management resource hub.
• Diversity and inclusion management resource hub is integrated into existing people management training.

HRC

The problem: current Victoria Police induction and onboarding content lacks comprehensive information on employee networks and other employee diversity and inclusion information.

What we’re doing: ensuring that all new employees are aware of the organisation’s diversity and inclusion values, standards, resources and support.

How we will do it: a review of current induction and onboarding processes will identify opportunities to create and embed new materials addressing current gaps in diversity and inclusion.

• Review current police, protective services officers and VPS induction and onboarding content and identify opportunities to incorporate diversity and inclusion content.
• Implement recommended content changes to ensure there is consistency in how new employees across Victoria Police are introduced to diversity and inclusion.
• Establish a process of regular review that includes consultation with HRC and employee networks.

PDC

The problem: communications and engagement for diversity, equity and inclusion is limited and lacks an overarching strategy or plan.

What we’re doing: improving knowledge and understanding across the organisation of inclusion for employees with disability and culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and LGBTIQ+ employees.

How we will do it: by including active communications and engagement tactics.

Develop, execute and evaluate an organisational Diversity and Inclusion Communication and Engagement Strategy.

HRC

The problem: employee networks have different levels of influence, support and visibility depending on the rank and position of their members and their nominated champion’s level of involvement.

What we’re doing: strengthening employee networks and introducing consistency to support all groups to have greater strategic influence in Victoria Police.

How we will do it: by developing a consistent process of support and executive advocacy that will apply to all employee networks.

• Set benchmark requirements that all employee networks are entitled to.
• Review each group against benchmark requirements.
• Provide support to employee networks to ensure that all networks have an Executive Command Sponsor and a Command Portfolio Lead.
• Develop a process to ensure there is consistent support, influence and advocacy across all groups.
• Establish a formal consultation and feedback process.

HRC

The problem: insufficient governance or authorising framework to support and progress workforce diversity and inclusion.

What we’re doing: expanding and renaming the Gender Equality and Inclusion Outcomes Committee to include representation and support for implementing the diversity and inclusion strategy and action plans.

How we will do it: we will re-scope and expand the Gender Equality and Inclusion Outcomes Committee.

The committee will welcome new members and be responsible for monitoring and tracking progress against the inclusion strategies and action plans.

• Review Gender Equality and Inclusion Outcomes Committee membership and terms of reference (ToR).
• Develop a proposal in consultation with employee networks including new name, ToR, membership, and governance model.
• Obtain approval including endorsement from Gender Equality and Inclusion Outcomes Committee and approval from Safety, People and Culture Committee.

HRC

The problem: organisational response to workplace harm has been identified as an area of focus for improvement by all diversity portfolios.

What we’re doing: ensuring an intersectional lens is applied to workplace harm reporting and responses.

How we will do it: by developing, training and resources for Victoria Police units that respond to workplace harm and complaints.

• Develop targeted diversity and inclusion training.
• Rollout training to all employees managing incidents of workplace harm.
• Develop processes that ensure new employees engage in the training as part of their induction to workplace harm units.
• Develop and provide ongoing support/refresher training for existing employees.

HRC

The problem: complaint pathways and employee support services are not fully inclusive.

What we’re doing: ensuring that complaint processes and support services are safe, appropriate and inclusive for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD, LGBTIQ+ employees and those with disability and accessibility requirements.

How we will do it: we will conduct the review with an inclusive lens.

• Ensure all workplace harm systems capture employees’ diversity information where relevant to the complaint.
• Establish a review for workplace harm reporting and wellbeing services referral processes.
• Review opportunities within existing contract requirements to ensure EAP providers include culturally safe, accessible and inclusive support and referrals.

HRC/PSC

The problem: previous systems and processes developed for monitoring and evaluating strategies and actions have lacked robustness, creating difficulties in measuring and assessing progress.

What we’re doing: ensuring Victoria Police can sufficiently assess and monitor the organisation’s material progress towards a diverse workplace and inclusive organisation.

How we will do it: by developing KPIs for each action across the four strategies and action plans.

• Review relevant existing data and reporting mechanisms.
• Determine KPIs and processes to establish baseline data.
• Establish mechanism for monitoring progress.
• Develop processes to ensure regular review.

HRC