Something happened to me
Support available
If something has happened to you in a Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (CPW) that has caused you harm, whether physical or emotional, the PWSS can provide trauma-informed support, early intervention options and resolution pathways.
If you work or volunteer now, or did in the past, in a Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (CPW), we can provide you with free, confidential support and help you access other services that can help.
You can contact the PWSS and speak to a case coordinator. They will give you immediate support and work with you to understand your wishes going forward.
You will continue to receive support from a single case coordinator so you don’t need to retell your story multiple times.
We will treat your information confidentially and you will remain in control of any action taken. You can choose to remain anonymous when you contact us.
You can bring a support person with you to any meetings with us. This could be a friend, family member, partner, an advocate or counsellor, a union representative or legal professional.
Your case coordinator will give you support, work with you to understand your wishes and give advice on your options going forward. Your case coordinator will explain what each option means for you, including the process and possible outcomes.
You can decide what will best support you and how you want to address what you have experienced.
We can connect you with specialised counselling, depending on what you have experienced.
We can also help with managing the impacts of what has happened in your workplace, for example speaking with your manager or supporting you to have a conversation with them.
If you tell us about an incident that is potentially criminal, we can help you make a report to police – if you want to – and we will continue to support you through that process.
How we can help
We can support you and connect you to other support services.
You can contact a PWSS case coordinator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Phone: 1800 PH PWSS (1800 747 977)
Email: Support@PWSS.gov.au
Text: 0487 112 755
In person: The PWSS office is located in M2.105 at Parliament House. The PWSS office is staffed from 8:30am-5pm on non-sitting days and from 8:30am-8pm on sitting days. PWSS case coordinators are available to meet with you face-to-face or virtually at a time that suits you.
Meetings can be arranged either at Parliament House or offsite.
Help from other places
There are other organisations to help you and provide you with support. We can connect you with a range of other services such as:
- Rape Crisis Lines
- Sexual Assault Counselling Australia
- 1800RESPECT
- Domestic Violence Impact Line
- LGBTIQ+ Violence Service
- Lifeline
- BeyondBlue
- MensLine Australia
- Police
The Australian Human Rights Commission has a list of national sexual assault support services, mental health support services, support services and information for bullying victims if you would like to contact a service directly.