Respect at Work Training Case Study: NSW Parliament

developing capability in Respect at Work and Trauma-Informed Responding

In 2023, Culture Plus Consulting was engaged by Parliament NSW to facilitate Respect at Work training for all Parliamentary workers including departmental leaders and staff, members, and members staff. Subsequently in 2024, Culture Plus Consulting was engaged by Parliament NSW to deliver Trauma-Informed Responding training for all departmental leaders and members.

Background

The Leading for Change: Independent Review of Bullying, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct in NSW Parliamentary Workplaces (2022) (The Broderick Review) highlighted the urgent need to address workplace misconduct and foster respectful workplace cultures. These findings built upon the recommendations of the 2021 Goward Review into Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct, which called for leadership-driven cultural change to eliminate bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct in NSW Ministerial Workplaces.

In response, Culture Plus Consulting partnered with NSW Parliament to design and deliver targeted training programs for NSW Parliamentary workplaces. This initiative aimed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to foster respect, prevent misconduct, and respond effectively to grievances, ensuring a safer and more inclusive work environment.


Objectives

The training program sought to achieve:

  1. Cultural Transformation: Shifting the workplace culture from a compliance-driven approach to one centred on respect and inclusion.
  2. Leadership Empowerment: Engaging leaders as role models for respectful behaviours and agents of cultural change.
  3. Practical Skill Building: Providing employees with actionable tools to identify, prevent, and address workplace misconduct.
  4. Trauma-Informed Responses: Ensuring grievance handling minimised harm and supported victims effectively.
  5. Sustainable Change: Embedding respect and inclusion into the organisation’s culture for long-term impact.

Program Design

The program was strategically designed to integrate evidence-based best practices with the specific needs of NSW Parliamentary workplaces. Its key components included:

1. Respect-Based Framework

  • Focused on fostering a culture of respect, civility, and collaboration rather than relying on punitive compliance models.
  • Encouraged participants to view themselves as cultural carriers, with shared responsibility for creating a safe and inclusive workplace.

2. Experiential and Interactive Training

  • Delivered through in-person, extended workshops to enable deeper engagement.
  • Featured interactive methods like role-playing, group discussions, and real-world scenarios tailored to the dynamics of NSW Parliament.

3. Leadership Engagement

  • Leaders were involved in the design and delivery of the program, modelling the desired behaviours and reinforcing their commitment to cultural change.
  • Positioned leadership as central to driving and sustaining respect in the workplace.

4. Empathy-Driven Activities

  • Incorporated victim-survivor narratives and perspective-taking exercises to evoke empathy and drive behavioural change.
  • Helped participants connect emotionally with the consequences of misconduct, fostering greater understanding and accountability.

5. Bystander Strategies

  • Equipped participants with practical tools to safely and effectively intervene in instances of misconduct.
  • Positioned participants as allies, fostering a collective sense of responsibility for workplace safety.

6. Trauma-Informed Practices

  • Integrated harm-reduction strategies into all aspects of grievance handling to prevent re-traumatisation.
  • Addressed the psychological safety of victims by empowering them and creating trust in grievance processes.

Delivery

Culture Plus Consulting conducted in-person workshops facilitated by Felicity Menzies, an experienced facilitator in trauma-informed and DEI learning. These workshops:

  • Provided an immersive learning environment for participants to practice and apply skills.
  • Fostered open dialogue, allowing participants to explore complex issues in a safe and supportive space.
  • Ensured relevance by incorporating examples and scenarios reflective of the parliamentary workplace context.

The training also positioned leaders as active participants, ensuring they could model respectful behaviours and support cultural transformation.


Outcomes

Participant feedback from the workshops was collected, which indicated

Increased Awareness and Empathy

Participants reported greater understanding of the impact of workplace misconduct and the importance of respectful interactions. Empathy-based exercises, such as victim-survivor case studies, were particularly effective in shifting mindsets.

Enhanced Leadership Engagement

Leaders demonstrated greater commitment to fostering a culture of respect. Their visible support reinforced the importance of the training and encouraged employees to align with organisational values.

Improved Confidence in Grievance Processes

Trauma-informed practices boosted trust in organisational processes, increasing victims’ willingness to report incidents without fear of retaliation.

Strengthened Workplace Culture

Respect-based interventions created a more collaborative and inclusive environment, reducing backlash often associated with traditional compliance training.


Testimonials

The training received high praise from participants:

“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. You are very generous and create a great space. Thank you!”
– Rebel Neary, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Office of the President, NSW Parliament

“Hi Felicity, a big thank you for yesterday’s RISE training. It was really insightful and made me reflect on my current practice and what I can do better as a leader to create a better culture.”
– Janson Hews, Director of Communications, Engagement and Education, NSW Parliament


Lessons Learned

The success of the training program highlights several key insights:

  • Customised Approach: Tailoring training to the unique dynamics of an organisation enhances relevance and effectiveness.
  • Leadership Commitment: Cultural transformation is driven by visible and engaged leaders who model the desired behaviours.
  • Focus on Respect: Shifting from compliance to respect-based training reduces resistance and fosters genuine engagement.
  • Trauma-Informed Practices: Supporting victims through sensitive grievance processes builds trust and encourages reporting.
  • Empathy as a Catalyst: Emotional engagement through empathy-focused activities drives meaningful behavioural change.

Conclusion

The NSW Parliament training program delivered by Culture Plus Consulting demonstrates how a strategically designed, respect-based approach can transform workplace culture. By integrating experiential learning, leadership engagement, and trauma-informed principles, this initiative provides a model for fostering respect, preventing misconduct, and creating inclusive workplaces that thrive on safety and collaboration.

This case study illustrates the critical role of tailored training in achieving sustainable cultural change, setting a benchmark for addressing workplace misconduct effectively.

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Stakeholder Consultation

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Pilot Workshop

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Evidence-Based Design & Faciliation

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Evaluation

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