A serious allegation has been raised. How you respond in the next 48 hours determines whether the matter is resolved defensibly or becomes a Fair Work claim. That’s why many employers engage an independent external workplace investigator. Every Brookvale HR Solutions investigation is conducted personally by Daniel Holbrook, a former Military Police Officer with a Certificate IV in Government Investigations.
When a complaint of bullying, harassment, or serious misconduct lands on your desk, the response that follows must be procedurally fair, demonstrably impartial, and methodically documented. The Fair Work Commission scrutinises that record, not the allegation itself.
Brookvale HR Solutions conducts independent workplace investigations on a fixed fee, led personally by Daniel Holbrook. The methodology meets the standard expected by tribunals and courts under the Fair Work Commission. The deliverable is a report you can act on, defend, and stand behind.
Not every complaint requires a formal investigation. These are the situations where one is the only defensible response.
Five stages, fixed sequence, no shortcuts. The methodology is built around the procedural fairness expectations the Fair Work Commission tests for.
Daniel meets with the employer to understand the allegation, determine scope, identify relevant parties, and establish terms of reference. Procedural fairness obligations are confirmed in writing before any interviews are scheduled.
Structured interviews with the complainant, respondent, and all witnesses, sequenced to protect the integrity of accounts. Documentary evidence is gathered, and credibility is assessed account by account.
Each allegation is tested on the balance of probabilities, the standard the Fair Work Commission applies. Findings are made allegation-by-allegation, with reasoning documented and traceable.
A comprehensive written report is delivered with findings, supporting analysis, and recommended actions: disciplinary, remedial, or preventative. The report is structured to be defensible if the matter proceeds.
Daniel remains available to guide implementation: disciplinary action, mediation, policy changes, training, or return-to-work planning. Tailored to your specific workplace context.
Brookvale HR Solutions conducts investigations across the full spectrum of workplace allegations:
Daniel has conducted investigations for government organisations and private sector businesses across dozens of industries including defence, education, manufacturing, professional services, not-for-profit, sports, and hospitality, among others. He brings the same structured methodology to every engagement, from workplace misconduct to sensitive matters involving Fair Work Act obligations. Based in Brisbane, Brookvale HR Solutions conducts workplace investigations across Brisbane, wider Queensland and Australia-wide, and is available for interstate matters, including in Sydney, with interviews conducted on site or by video.
No law requires an employer to bring in an external investigator, and many workplace complaints and grievances can be handled internally. A properly run internal process can be procedurally fair. What the Commission tests is impartiality, and that is where internal investigations come under pressure. An internal investigator sits inside the organisation’s reporting lines, knows the parties involved, and carries existing working relationships into every interview. None of that makes an internal investigation unfair by definition. It does make impartiality harder to demonstrate once findings are challenged.
An independent investigation consultant stands outside workplace politics. Daniel Holbrook is a former Military Police Officer and holds the Certificate IV in Government Investigations, the qualification recognised across federal and state agencies for conducting administrative investigations. He has no reporting line into your business, no place in its workplace culture, and no stake in the outcome, so evidence is gathered and analysed the same way whether the matter implicates a junior employee or the CEO. That structural independence is what makes an impartial investigation possible and its findings unbiased and defensible. It matters most in complex workplace matters: when complaints are serious or sensitive, when termination is a possible outcome, or when senior staff are involved.
Businesses searching for a workplace investigator in Brisbane are usually choosing between a law firm, HR professionals who handle employee relations broadly, and specialist workplace investigators. Brookvale HR Solutions specialises in this work: independent, impartial, methodical, and structured so the investigation report holds up if the matter is ever challenged. The same approach applies to sensitive investigations, from sexual harassment matters to misconduct in the workplace involving senior leadership.
Before founding Brookvale, Daniel spent years in a role where investigative procedure was the entire job. Two credentials make the difference:
Years of frontline investigative work under formal procedural standards: interviewing under pressure, sequencing witnesses, weighing evidence on the balance of probabilities. The methodology Daniel applies in your workplace was forged in environments where the record had to hold up under scrutiny.
The formal qualification recognised across federal and state agencies for conducting administrative investigations. Trains the investigator to the procedural standard the Commission expects: documented scope, structured interviews, traceable findings, and reports built to withstand challenge.
Every investigation, from initial briefing to final report, is conducted personally by Daniel. No handoffs, no juniors, no shared engagement teams.
Read more about Daniel's qualifications and experience on the About page.
“We engaged Daniel from Brookvale HR Solutions to conduct an independent workplace investigation after an incident at a staff event. He managed the process quickly and fairly, interviewing staff, reviewing evidence and delivering a clear report with practical recommendations within a week. Daniel then helped us put those recommendations in place, which reduced risk to the business and helped restore calm within the team. We were very happy with both the service and the outcome and would confidently recommend Brookvale HR Solutions to other businesses needing HR support.”
Fixed-fee investigation pricing means employers know the cost before the investigation begins. No hourly surprises. No scope-creep invoices after the report is delivered.
Single-allegation investigations are fixed at $5,000. Complex multi-allegation or multi-party matters are fixed at $12,500. Every scope is confirmed during the scoping discussion before any work begins.
For employers with a single complaint requiring independent external investigation.
For multi-allegation or multi-party matters with overlapping relationships and 5+ witnesses.
A workplace investigation with Brookvale HR Solutions costs a fixed $5,000 for a single-allegation matter or $12,500 for a complex multi-allegation or multi-party matter, confirmed before any work begins.
All prices exclude GST.
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Objections answered up front, so you can make a commercial decision without a sales call.
A proactive framework to reduce the risk of complaints arising in the first place. Assessment, policy development, and training designed to address psychosocial hazards before they escalate.
View the Psychosocial Safety GuardA rapid-response service for the first 48 hours after a complaint is received. Daniel assesses the situation, establishes procedural fairness, and provides a clear recommended course of action.
View the 48-Hour Workplace TriageWhen the outcome of an investigation indicates that a working relationship needs to be repaired, mediation provides the structured process to achieve that.
View Workplace Mediation30 minutes. No obligation, no sales pitch. A direct conversation with Daniel about your situation and whether Brookvale HR Solutions is the right fit.
