Key messages
- Training is essential to raising awareness, promoting positive behaviours in the workplace, and building the skills and knowledge to prevent and manage inappropriate behaviour.
Training principles
The Department of Health and Human Services' Workplace culture and bullying, harassment and discrimination training: guiding principles for Victorian health services establish a minimum standard for training across the health sector.
The guiding principles support health services to build awareness, promote positive behaviours in the workplace, and increase the knowledge and skills of staff to prevent and manage inappropriate behaviour. Compliance with the guiding principles will ensure that training is delivered consistently and is based on best practice.
Preventing and managing inappropriate behaviours in healthcare 2018
The department hosted a forum titled 'Preventing and managing inappropriate behaviours in healthcare: Board chairperson, director, and CEO roles in positive culture and complaints management' on 23 August 2018 at Etihad Stadium.
The forum was well attended, with over 200 people attending in person and via live webcast on the day.
The forum was designed to strengthen the understanding of how to manage inappropriate conduct in the workplace, for board chairpersons, directors and CEOs.
Forum videos
- by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Ms Kym Peake
- The prevalence of inappropriate behaviour in healthcare and your - Paul Grimes, Victorian Public Sector Commissioner
- Facilitated discussion on inappropriate behaviour in the - Rose Bryant-Smith, Worklogic
- Panel - facilitated by Fran Thorn
For further information, email board.appointments@dhhs.vic.gov.au.
Leading a Safe and Ethical Workplace Culture in Health 2016
On 12 July 2016, as part of the Victorian Government's commitment to build a positive workplace culture in healthcare services, the former Minister for Health the Hon. Jill Hennessy MP opened the Leading a Safe and Ethical Workplace Culture in Health forum. The forum was well received, with around 200 people attending in person, plus many watching the live webcast on the day.
All board members of public hospitals (including multi-purpose services), public healthcare services and other health boards (such as Forensicare and Ambulance Victoria) attended the one-day event, where experts explored how boards can lead the way on improving the culture in their organisations.
This forum built on the department's anti-bullying strategy, which outlines actions necessary to prevent, manage and respond to inappropriate behaviour in our public healthcare system.
The forum presentations are available below. For more information contact the department's Health Service Governance Unit.
Presentation videos
- by the Hon. Jill Hennessy MP, Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services
- Surgeons behaving badly: what can we learn about effecting culture change in the health - Mr Rob Knowles AO (Chair, Royal Children's Hospital)
- Leading a safe and ethical culture in - Ms Maxine Morand (Chair, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) and the Hon. Judith Troeth AM (Chair, Austin Health)
- Monitoring workplace culture and - Professor Helen De Cieri
- The standards of behaviour expected of - Ms Belinda Clarke, Victorian Public Sector Commissioner
- Bullying and bad behaviour in - panel discussion
Reviewed 28 August 2023