Victoria Police has matured its LGBTIQ+ employee inclusion since 2018.
The 2018–2021 LGBTIQ Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan helped lay the foundation for a more diverse and inclusive organisation with progress made through the delivery of key initiatives such as the publication of Proud, Visible, Safe in 2019.
In 2019, then Chief Commissioner of Police Graham Ashton AM delivered a formal apology to LGBTIQ+ communities. The apology acknowledged how policing workplace cultures have caused harm to Victoria Police’s LGBTIQ+ employees and the Victorian LGBTIQ+ community. With the apology came a commitment to create a more inclusive workplace for LGBTIQ+ employees and a better future for LGBTIQ+ Victorians.
In 2019, Victoria Police was recognised in several categories of the Victorian Public Sector Pride Awards including Best Community Initiative and Best Executive Champion was awarded to Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson APM. VP Pride received runner up in the Best Pride Network category.
Victoria Police has been a member of Pride in Diversity since 2015. Pride in Diversity conducted an independent evaluation of our performance against the 2018–2021 strategy and action plan. The evaluation resulted in a commendation for progress made with some notable achievements.
Notable achievements
Progressed towards becoming an employer of choice
Victoria Police achieved silver status in the Australian Workplace Equality Index and was recognised as a sliver employer at the 2021 Australian LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Awards.
This result shows year-on-year improvements, from inaugural participation in the index in 2017 and recognition as a bronze employer in 2019.
Introduced paid gender affirmation leave
A gender affirmation leave clause was included in the Victoria Police Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2019 and work is underway to translate the clause into organisational policy.
Guidelines for paid gender affirmation leave for employees undergoing gender reassignment or affirmation process were published on the intranet.
Improved workplace harm data capturing
Categories to report instances of LGBTIQ+ workplace harm were added to the OneLink case management system.
Training and education
During 2018, all decision makers (VPS3 and above) at Recruitment and Deployment completed unconscious bias training and 84 employees undertook awareness sessions delivered by Pride in Diversity.
In 2020 more than 400 employees participated in LGBTIQ+ awareness sessions.
On our way to making policies and training all gender inclusive
Respectful Workplace training content was reviewed to ensure gender inclusive language and to include case studies of LGBTIQ+ relationships.
An audit of all human resources policies to ensure LGBTIQ+ inclusive language is yet to be finalised.
LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers
LLOs are LGBTIQ+ employees and allies who voluntarily take on LGBTIQ+ portfolio roles.
LLOs assist LGBTIQ+ people who report crimes to police, and they provide a contact for LGBTIQ+ community members to provide advice and feedback to Victoria Police on the policing needs of LGBTIQ+ people.
The number of Victoria Police LLOs grew from approximately 270 in 2018 to approximately 450 in 2022.
This growth is a positive indicator of growing support for LGBTIQ+ people within Victoria Police and a growing understanding of the importance of this support to serving the needs of LGBTIQ+ people in the community.
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