CALD Inclusion Action Plan: The next step

The problem: CALD employees are currently underrepresented at senior leadership level across Victoria Police. There are limited opportunities for development or pathways to promotion for CALD employees.

What we’re doing: increasing opportunities for leadership, development and pathways to promotion for CALD employees.

How we will do it: HRC will develop a career support program with a focus on mentorship exclusively for CALD employees.

• Develop 12-month pilot mentoring program with the Victoria Police African Employee Network.
• Establish how to guide, templates, communication and training for mentors and mentees.
• Quarterly review and monitoring of the pilot program to determine amendments to program.
• Conduct evaluation of pilot program and utilise findings to establish mentoring program across all CALD groups.

HRC

The problem: the number of Victoria Police employees that are from CALD backgrounds remains low (15.5% across the organisation) compared to their representation in the general community.

What we’re doing: increasing employment opportunities for CALD community members to ensure Victoria Police better reflects the community it serves.

How we will do it: by implementing new employment programs targeting CALD applicants.

• Implement five police officer employment preparation programs targeting CALD applicants.
• Monitor and increase CALD participation in the school-based traineeship program and the Youth Employment Scheme.
• Prepare a business case for the police officer employment preparation program (CALD stream) to continue to 2030.
• Implement and review a mentoring program for participants in the Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program.

HRC

The problem: there is no access to an organisational support network that is sensitive to barriers and challenges experienced by CALD employees.

What we’re doing: enhancing the safety and support of CALD employees and increasing confidence to seek support and report discriminatory workplace harm.

How we will do it: by establishing a program with an objective of providing peer to peer support and allyship to Victoria Police CALD employees.

• Conduct literature review of existing CALD peer support programs.
• Survey CALD employee networks to determine existing numbers of police officer, protective services officers and VPS peer support officers in each group.
• Establish working group with key stakeholders to determine program requirements.
• Develop project and implementation plan.
• Commence pilot program.

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.

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

• Review GEIOC 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 GEIOC 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