Recommendation 41: Board learning through reflective practice

As at 1 May 2023, the AV Board of Directors completed a series of four reflective practice dialogues, facilitated by an independent, expert consultant. This was supported by a reflective practice framework developed for the Board and AV. These dialogues have enabled the Board to reflect on the findings of the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission. This included reflecting on the key drivers of workplace harm in AV, engaging in sense-making, and reflecting on how AV is developing and embedding new ways of working that support good governance of AV’s work to create and maintain a safe, fair and inclusive organisation for AV’s people and patients. The Board has also embedded reflective practice into the structure of all its meetings, annual planning days and strategic review days, and developed a Board Leadership Charter.

AV will now evaluate the impact of this work and apply any learnings as reflective practice begins with the Executive Committee and other senior leaders. (AV is addressing reflective practice at the Executive Committee level through Recommendations 1 and 42 and will therefore report separately on progress in implementing that aspect of Recommendation 41).

• The Board has engaged in further reflective practice workshops on 8 December 2022 and 6 February 2023. These workshops are facilitated by an independent consultant to enable reflection on the key drivers of workplace harm in AV, sense-making of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s findings, and ownership of new ways of working. AV is progressing work to roll out reflective practice to the Executive Team from March 2023, informed by a developed reflective practice framework, aligned with the Board approach.

• In mid-2022, AV engaged an independent expert to develop a framework to support regular and ongoing reflective practice at a Board and organisational level.
• On 8 September 2022, the independent expert commenced a series of reflective practice workshops with AV’s Board, to enable reflection on the key drivers of unlawful and harmful workplace conduct in AV, sense-making related to the Commission’s findings and ownership of new ways of working to ensure a safe, fair and inclusive organisation going forward.

• In mid-2022, AV engaged an expert to develop a framework to support regular and ongoing reflective practice at a Board and organisational level, to enable reflection on the key drivers of unlawful and harmful workplace conduct in AV, sense-making related to the Commission’s findings and ownership of new ways of working to ensure a safe, fair and inclusive organisation going forward.
• In addition to starting work to deliver the framework, the consultant is preparing to facilitate a number of individual discussions and joint Board workshops to enable reflective practice.