Certified Organisational Ombuds & Mediator
When a workplace issue lands on your desk and internal pathways aren't enough.
We're the call leaders make before it escalates.
Independent, confidential support that helps organisations in Australia and globally resolve conflict, transform culture, and build leadership capability — before issues become formal complaints, legal risk, or talent loss.
Trusted by organisations across corporate, resources, government and community sectors for over 20 years.
Credentials and accreditations
The issues that stay hidden are often the ones that cost the most.
Workplace conflict rarely starts as a legal problem. It starts as tension, avoidance, mistrust, poor communication, or a concern people don’t feel safe raising.
EquipMe helps organisations surface issues earlier, respond fairly, and build healthier systems before problems become entrenched.
Imagine if your organisation could surface these issues months earlier — before the resignation letter, the formal complaint, or the call from a lawyer. That’s what independent support makes possible.

“Australian organisations lose an estimated $36 billion every year to workplace conflict and poor culture – through absenteeism, turnover, reduced productivity, and legal costs.”
Conflict that escalates into formal complaints
Minor tensions left unaddressed harden into formal grievances, costing organisations $50K-$200K in legal fees, leadership time, and productivity loss.
Culture issues invisible to leadership
Leaders see the surface. Deep-seated cultural risks – bullying, exclusion, toxic norms – remain hidden until they cause significant damage or talent exodus.
Leaders avoiding difficult conversations
Without the right tools or confidence, leaders delay hard conversations. Poor behaviour becomes normalised. High performers leave. Culture erodes.
Employees who don't trust internal pathways
When internal channels feel unsafe or biased, employees leave silently — taking institutional knowledge, morale and trust with them.
Three ways we help organisations move from tension to clarity.
Most organisations contact us when an issue is already in motion. The earlier we engage, the more options you have.

External Ombuds & Conflict Resolution
Independent, impartial and confidential support to help people raise concerns, navigate conflict and resolve issues before they escalate.
- External ombuds support
- Mediation & facilitated conversations
- Conflict coaching
- Confidential reporting pathways
- Systemic issue analysis & reporting
- Employees:Trusted independent, impartial and confidential support when it matters most.
- HR & People Leaders:Earlier intervention. Better outcomes.
- CEOs & Executive Teams:Insight beyond formal reporting channels on emerging issues, hidden risks and organisational realities.
- Legal, Risk & Governance Teams:Fewer escalations, mitigate risk. Stronger compliance and governance.
- Boards & Governing Bodies:Independent insight. Better oversight and accountability.
- Organisational Value:Building trust, preserving relationships, strengthening culture and organisational integrity.
HR Directors, CEOs, Legal teams managing live conflict or building early intervention systems

Culture, DEI & Workplace Transformation
Transform inclusion from a standalone initiative into a lived, everyday experience. We help organisations shift from good intentions to measurable, sustainable change.
- Embedding inclusive systems
- Cultural Audits
- Shifting organisational norms
- Building DEI capability
- Strengthening psychological safety
- Organisations undergoing cultural change, mergers, or rapid growth
- Teams experiencing low trust, misalignment, or inclusion challenges
- Leaders wanting to embed DEI into strategy, not just training
- Workplaces needing systemic, long‑term transformation

Leadership Coaching & Development
Equip your leaders with the clarity, capability and confidence to navigate complexity while leading with empathy, authenticity and purpose.
- Executive coaching
- Leadership capability uplift
- Crucial conversation mastery
- Emerging leader development
- Strengths‑based performance coaching
- Career Coaching
- Executives seeking confidential, high‑impact coaching
- Leaders stepping into new or expanded roles
- Managers needing support with people leadership
- Individuals wanting to accelerate growth and performance
Complementary Advisory & Workplace Assessments
Policy development, workplace assessments and practical advisory support for organisations that need structure, clarity and implementation guidance.
Not HR. Not an EAP. Not a formal investigation.
Internal teams are essential, but some issues need a neutral pathway. EquipMe works alongside existing structures to create a safe, independent space for early resolution, insight and capability-building.
The question isn’t whether you need HR, an EAP, or an investigation. It’s whether you also need an independent pathway for the issues that don’t fit neatly into those boxes.
Internal HR
Compliance & policy enforcement
limited
Often engaged when issues escalate
Organisational risk management
EAP
Personal psychological support
Reactive (when distressed)
Individual wellbeing counselling
Formal Investigation
Fact-finding for policy breach
Late stage (after complaint)
Determining if policy was breached
EquipMe External Ombuds
Independent conflict resolution & systemic insight
Early intervention (before complaints)
Resolving issues early & building capability
A clear, confidential process — from first contact to lasting resolution.
Engagements are tailored to your needs. Some organisations start with a single facilitated conversation. Many leaders benefit from sustained systemic support over 3–12 months.
01
Listen
Understand the concern, context and desired outcome.
02
Diagnose
Identify whether the issue is interpersonal, systemic, cultural or leadership-related.
03
Facilitate
Create safe conversations and practical pathways for resolution.
04
Equip
Strengthen leadership capability, communication and conflict confidence.
05
Report & Improve
Provide de-identified insights, themes and recommendations where appropriate.
What happens after you contact us: Initial call within 24 hours → Confidential consultation (30-60 min) → Tailored proposal → Engagement begins. If EquipMe is not the right fit, we will tell you in the first consultation — no obligation.
Every engagement starts with a single conversation. No commitment required.
You've seen how we work. The next step is a conversation.
Most leaders who contact us wish they had reached out sooner. A 30-minute confidential call costs nothing and changes everything.
You've seen how we work. The next step is a conversation.
Most leaders who contact us wish they had reached out sooner. A 30-minute confidential call costs nothing and changes everything.

Janet Vantriet
Credentials and accreditations
Behind every engagement is someone who has sat where you sit.
EquipMe was founded by Janet Vantriet, a Certified Organisational Ombuds, Nationally Accredited Mediator, and ICF Certified Coach with over 20 years of experience in people and culture transformation.
The Advocacy Leadership Philosophy
Janet’s work is underpinned by the philosophy of Advocacy Leadership. Effective leaders don’t just manage people—they actively advocate for a healthy, fair, and high-performing culture. It involves surfacing hidden tensions, championing transparent communication, and equipping teams to navigate conflict constructively rather than avoiding it.
The outcome is not just fewer complaints. It is a healthier system.
“The organisations that thrive aren’t the ones without conflict. They’re the ones that handle it well.”
Testimonials
Questions leaders often ask before engaging independent support.
What is an organisational ombuds?
An organisational ombuds is an independent, impartial and confidential resource that helps people explore workplace concerns, conflict and options for resolution outside formal management or HR pathways. We provide a safe, neutral space for issues to surface early — before they escalate into formal complaints or legal matters.
What is the Advocacy Leadership philosophy?
Advocacy Leadership is the core philosophy underpinning our work. It’s the belief that effective leaders don’t just manage people—they actively advocate for a healthy, fair, and high-performing culture. It involves surfacing hidden tensions, championing transparent communication, and equipping teams to navigate conflict constructively rather than avoiding it.
We already have an internal HR team. Why would we need external support?
Your HR team is essential — and they’re also part of the organisation. Some issues need a pathway that sits outside the reporting structure entirely. An external ombuds gives employees and leaders a confidential space to raise concerns they wouldn’t raise internally. We work alongside your HR team, not instead of them.
How is this different from our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
EAPs provide personal psychological support for individuals. An external ombuds addresses workplace and systemic issues — conflict between people, cultural concerns, leadership challenges, and trust breakdowns. We focus on resolving the workplace issue itself, not just supporting the individual experiencing it. Both are valuable; they serve different purposes.
Is EquipMe part of our internal HR team?
No. EquipMe works as an external, independent support layer that complements your HR, legal, leadership and wellbeing functions. Our independence means employees and leaders can raise concerns confidentially, without fear of bias or organisational consequences.
Can EquipMe support employees confidentially?
Yes. EquipMe provides a confidential space for people to raise concerns, explore options and understand constructive next steps. We only report de-identified themes and systemic issues to leadership — individual conversations remain confidential unless there is an imminent risk of serious harm.
Does EquipMe conduct formal investigations?
EquipMe focuses on early intervention, mediation and conflict resolution — not formal investigations. If a formal investigation is needed, we can support workplace assessments and advisory work, but we will clearly scope this with you first.
Who usually engages EquipMe?
Senior HR leaders, executives, legal teams, CEOs and organisations seeking independent support with conflict, culture transformation and leadership complexity. We work with corporate, resources, government and community sectors across Australia and internationally.
How quickly can EquipMe respond to a live issue?
We typically respond to enquiries within 24 hours. For urgent matters, we can often arrange an initial consultation within 1-12 hours. Our goal is to help you address issues before they escalate further.
What does a typical engagement look like?
Engagements are tailored to your needs. Some organisations start with a single facilitated conversation. Others need ongoing systemic support. The minimum period to fully assess an organisation’s culture, practices and trends is 6–12 months. Janet typically works on a retainer basis for 12 months, though workplace assessments and specific projects may be shorter. After an initial confidential consultation, we provide a tailored proposal outlining scope, timeframes and investment.
Is this suitable for small organisations or only large ones?
EquipMe partners with organisations at every stage of growth. Whether you’re a startup, a mid‑sized team or a multinational enterprise of 100,000 people, workplace conflict and culture challenges demand the same level of care, independence and expertise. We tailor our approach to your scale, complexity and budget.
The best way to find out if we can help is a conversation.
The issue on your mind right now — let's talk about it.
Your enquiry is confidential. There is no obligation. If EquipMe is not the right fit, we will tell you.
We work with a limited number of organisations at any time to ensure quality and availability.
Join organisations across Australia and internationally who chose independent support before issues escalated.






















