The Chief Victims Advisor says former Victim Support staff need to be spoken to as part of an investigation into its workplace culture, confidence in leadership and workplace complaints processes.But Victim Support said that won't be happening and only current staff would be involved.The external review comes after reporting by RNZ over claims of a "toxic" and "bullying" workplace culture, four years after an investigation into similar allegations.RNZ spoke to several current and former workers who raised concerns about the culture at Victim Support. One person described it as a "very unsafe environment".The agency's chief executive James McCulloch earlier said the agency "does not accept that these claims reflect Victim Support today".Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nzHowever, on Thursday, McCulloch told staff the leadership team and Board had recently agreed "in consultation with our main funder Ministry of Justice" to undertake another independent external review of the agency's workplace culture.He said the reviewer would speak one-on-one with a random sample of people across the organisation.There would also be an opportunity for anyone currently working at Victim Support to request a meeting with the reviewer. Participation would be "voluntary and confidential," he said.Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money told RNZ on Friday she was happy to learn a review had been agreed to between Victim Support and the Ministry of Justice.Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money. (File photo)NZME / Alex Burton"The terms of reference will be key to ensure that those who have left during the last 18 months are also included as their feedback will provide relevant information for the independent review"I wish to acknowledge the bravery and resilience of those who have spoken to RNZ to highlight these important issues and ensure that victims across New Zealand get the best support possible from a team who are well supported themselves."A former Victim Support staff member told RNZ they knew of at least six former staff who wanted to speak as part of the review.Another former staff member welcomed the review, but said if it only focused on current employees it "risks missing the very people whose experiences prompted the review in the first place"."Many former staff left because they believed they could no longer work in the organisation. Their experiences are critical if the review is to provide a genuine assessment of Victim Support's culture," the former staffer said."If those voices are absent, the review cannot claim to present a complete or balanced picture."Victims advocate Claire Buckley said she believed the review should include former staff.Victims advocate Claire Buckley. (File photo)Supplied"It needs to focus on the last 12 to 18 months of staff leaving, otherwise... we are wasting taxpayer money on yet another review to confirm what is already known."She repeated her earlier calls for the tender process to be open to the public for another organisation to put in a bid.In response to questions about whether former staff would be included a Victim Support spokesperson said the review was focused on the agency's current workplace culture, confidence in people leadership, and how well our processes for raising and resolving concerns are working."For that reason, it will involve current staff."The detailed terms of reference will be agreed with the Ministry of Justice and are designed to give us a clear picture of the organisation as it is today. It will also build on previous work, including the independent 2024 culture check-in, which captured the views of staff at that time."The reviewIn a statement to RNZ on Thursday, Victim Support confirmed it had agreed to commission a review of the organisation's workplace culture, confidence in people leadership and the processes for resolving workplace concerns."The review has been discussed with the Ministry of Justice and will build on previous independent work, including the 2024 culture check-in."Evidence from the past three years - including independent reviews, audits and staff surveys - has consistently indicated that we have a positive workplace culture."Getting robust, independent information is already a normal part of how we assess and strengthen our organisation. Being wellbeing-first means we take concerns raised by our people seriously, including those reported through media. With that, now is an appropriate time to get further independent assurance about what is working well and where improvements may be needed."Victim Support said an independent reviewer would speak one-to-one with a random sample of people across Victim Support."Staff can also request an interview. Participation will be voluntary and confidential. The review is expected to begin in August, with the final report anticipated before the end of the year."Victim Support will publicly share a summary of the findings and carefully consider any recommendations. To protect people's privacy, findings will be reported in themes rather than attributed to individuals."In a statement, McCulloch said the team at Victim Support had made "big strides in recent years"."And I am determined that we all continue strengthening a workplace where people feel respected, supported and able to do their best work for victims. We will continue to seek robust, independent evidence and feedback to help us understand what is working well, where we can improve, and how we can continue to best support victims of crime."