Respect at Work · NSW Parliament

NSW Parliament & Ministerial Workplaces

Building Respect at Work capability across NSW Parliament.

From review findings to leadership-led cultural reform.

Client Goals

The mandate

Following the Leading for Change: Independent Review of Bullying, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct in NSW Parliamentary Workplaces (2022), NSW Parliament faced clear and urgent reform priorities. The Broderick Review found bullying was 'systemic and multi-directional', sexual harassment occurred at 'unacceptable rates', and trust in reporting systems was low.

●Prevention and early intervention as a leadership priority
●Best-practice training on bullying, sexual harassment and misconduct
●Leadership development for MPs and senior staff
●A safe, human-centric, trauma-informed reporting environment

What We Did

Our approach

Leadership-Centred Design

●Positioned leaders as visible role models for respectful behaviour
●Embedded clear behavioural expectations and accountability
●Linked respect and safety to institutional credibility and public trust

Respect-Based, Prevention-Focused Training

●Shifted from compliance messaging to shared responsibility
●Explored power dynamics and hierarchical structures identified in the Review
●Equipped participants with practical bystander strategies

Trauma-Informed Capability Building

●Integrated harm-minimisation and survivor-centred response principles
●Built capability to respond to disclosures safely and without re-traumatisation
●Reinforced confidentiality and psychological safety

Experiential, Context-Specific Delivery

●In-person workshops to enable open dialogue
●Real parliamentary case scenarios
●Facilitated reflection on power, privilege and culture

The Outcome

What changed

Whole-of-Parliament capability uplift in Respect at Work and trauma-informed responding.

●Increased leadership awareness of cultural and statutory responsibilities
●Greater understanding of power imbalances identified in the Review
●Improved confidence in calling out inappropriate behaviour
●Strengthened trauma-informed responses to grievances
●Reduced reliance on purely compliance-based approaches

Key Impact Areas

Where it landed

Leadership Accountability

Reinforced the responsibility of MPs and senior leaders to model respectful behaviour.

Prevention Focus

Shifted narrative from reactive complaint management to proactive culture-building.

Trauma-Informed Practice

Embedded survivor-centred principles into grievance handling.

Cultural Shift

Moved beyond compliance toward shared responsibility for safe and inclusive workplaces.

Services Delivered

What we provided

✓Stakeholder Consultation
✓Program Co-Design Aligned to Independent Review Findings
✓Whole-of-Parliament Respect at Work Training
✓Trauma-Informed Responding Workshops
✓Leadership-Focused Facilitation
✓Evidence-Based Design & Delivery
✓Evaluation & Feedback Integration

Client Feedback

In their words

"Felicity, you are always excellent and have such a lovely way of running the workshops. You are the clear authority in the room and yet never make anyone feel wrong/uninformed — it's great to watch the way you manage the content and people."

— Rebel Neary, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Office of the President, NSW Parliament

"Over 100 RISE training sessions have been delivered in collaboration with you, and the feedback from participants has been consistently excellent. We are especially grateful for the role you have played in helping drive cultural change within NSW Parliament — enacting the Broderick Review Recommendations."

— Mary Coxton, A/Manager People Experience & Capability, Department of Parliamentary Services

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