Meet our new Staff Respect Consultant

Claudia Munnings has joined ANU as our new Staff Respect Consultant within the People and Culture Division.  

A new support service for staff, the Staff Respect Consultant provides a safe and respectful space for staff members that is judgement-free, trauma-informed, person-centred and confidential.  

"The main objective of my role is to connect with staffexperiencing concerns and work with them to help facilitate a more inclusive and respectful workplace at ANU," says Claudia.  

Claudia aims to achievethis goal through two methods.  

"I will support staff members who may be experiencing a range of concerns, including but not limited to, discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and racism, at ANU and will work alongside them to develop options for referral or to report issues. By working together, I will help empower staff to have autonomy and agency over their own decisions."

"I will also work with areas across the Universityto discuss staffing and inclusion approaches, providing aggregated, de-identified data to improve decision-making and working practices at ANU." 

Claudia can also provide external and internal referrals, as well as guidance in navigating support outcomes for staff members, including counselling and reporting support. She can connect staff with the right areas to ensure the best support is always provided. 

"I am always available to have a conversation if a staff member is unsure whether what they are experiencing constitutes discrimination or harassment. We will work together to explore options to create a safe and comfortable work environment." 

Claudia has extensive experience supporting individuals through a range of concerns in the tertiary education and not-for-profit sectors. 

"Throughout my career I have supported diverse communities through crisis support, financial access and general mental health and wellbeing triage. I am passionate about social justice and providing support to vulnerable communities." 

"I've been able to effectively provide immediate and ongoing support to thousands of students. I hope to reflect the techniques I have learnt connecting with students and provide this service to ANU staff." 

Claudia is complementing her work with a part-time Master of Social Work, where she utilises her disciplinary skills and directly aligns them with her approach to support and care. She is also trained in suicide intervention skills and Mental Health First Aid.  

At ANU, Claudia strives to create long-term impact in her role.  

"My vision is for all ANU staff members to have access to support, safety and awareness throughout their journey at the university." 

"I would love to see discrimination and harassment completely eradicated. In the meantime, I can help provide access to non-judgemental, safe and empowering support and education and assist with behavioural change to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at ANU". 

Going forward, Claudia will be providing communications across the University on what discrimination and harassment can look like,which will include the support channels available to ANU staff. She is also happy to speak to teams about her role and the support that she can provide to staff. 

To book in with Claudia, please email staffrespect@anu.edu.au, call 02 6125 6763 or book a confidential conversation through the online booking page. There is no obligation to identify yourself with any of these methods of contact. 

For more information about Claudia's role, please visit her webpage. Further support and resources are available via the Student Safety and Wellbeing team'sreference page. 

Claudia encourages all staff members to review the ANU sexual misconduct policyand the ANU code of conduct.