Council to Homeless Person’s magazine Parity is calling for contributions under the theme “Safe at Home”, exploring the family violence response principles, policies and programs in which women and children experiencing family violence are able to remain safely in their home. CHP has developed a framework for discussion with guiding questions to support contributors. The content deadline is COB Friday 10 March 2023. Contributions can be up to 1,600 words. Submissions to be sent to [email protected]
Read more about the call for contribution here
This research project investigated the experiences of young people who had been abused by a partner when under the age of 18.
ANROWS recently ran a webinar, “Family law parenting orders, breaches and their impact on children”. If you missed attending the live webinar, or would like to revisit this important conversation, the recording is now available on the ANROWS website: anrows.org.au/event/webinar-family-law-parenting-orders-breaches-and-their-impact-on-children/
Family Safety Victoria is currently consulting on the design of a new program to target and evaluate intensive interventions for high-risk and high-harm perpetrators of family violence (‘the serious-risk program’), including strengthened family safety advocacy.
Family Safety Victoria is keen to engage with government and community services sector stakeholders (including front-line staff and practitioners who work with adults who use family violence and victim survivors) to ensure they get the design of this important program right for all participants of this program.
Family Safety Victoria is holding some virtual workshops to discuss key elements of the model in more detail. I encourage you to attend any of the following workshops, please register your interest by Monday 17 October 2022:
*Consultation sessions commence 19 October 2022
| Date and time | Virtual workshop | Description | |
| Wednesday 19 October 2022, 11am-12pm | Serious-risk program information session 1: overview | A one-hour information session on the proposed service model outlined in the discussion paper. There will be opportunity to ask questions about the discussion paper and consultation process. | |
| Thursday 20 October 2022, 11am-12pm | Serious-risk program information session 2: overview | A one-hour information session on the proposed service model. A one-hour information session on the proposed service model outlined in the discussion paper. There will be opportunity to ask questions about the discussion paper and consultation process. (This is a repeat of session 1 on Wednesday. You do not need to attend both) | |
| Tuesday 25 October 2022, 10am-12pm | Serious-risk program workshop 1: Collaboration across systems* | A two-hour workshop focused on cross-system collaboration required to deliver this model effectively. This includes exploring opportunities for proactive engagement and outreach, collaborative intake and assessment, and MARAM coordination. | |
| Wednesday 26 October 2022, 10am-12pm | Serious-risk program workshop 2: Enhanced family safety advocacy* | A two-hour workshop focused on enhanced family safety advocacy, including ensuring it meets the needs of children and young people as victim survivors in their own right. It will also include a discussion on workforce capabilities and considerations. | |
| Thursday 3 November 2022, 1pm-3pm | Serious-risk program workshop 3: Response to adult using family violence* | A two-hour workshop focused on the response to adult using family violence. This includes exploring the case management and responsive behaviour change intervention components of the model. It will also include a discussion on workforce capabilities and considerations. |
*Note, there are limited spaces in these workshops to facilitate discussion and collaboration. We may hold extra workshops if we receive significant interest.
- Written feedback on the discussion paper is also welcome by COB Friday 4 November 2022. Please send any feedback to [email protected].
Attachments
- A discussion paper and overview presentation that outlines emerging thinking on the target population and proposed service model, based on research and targeted consultation to date (attached to this email).
Background
- The Victorian Government has provided $3.234 million for a two-year (2023 and 2024) program to target and evaluate intensive interventions for high-risk and high-harm perpetrators (‘the serious-risk program’), including strengthened family safety advocacy.
- The serious-risk program seeks to keep victim survivors safe by joining up responses across the service system to keep serious-risk adults using family violence in view, disrupt their use of violence, change their behaviour, and lead them to accountability.
- Funding has been provided to deliver the serious-risk program in four areas across Victoria (covering regional and metropolitan areas, including one site intended to be led by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation).
- An evaluation of the effectiveness of the two-year program will be undertaken.
Further information
Coercive control is often a significant part of family and domestic violence. Coercive control involves perpetrators using abusive behaviours in a pattern over time in a way that creates and maintains power and dominance over another person or persons. Perpetrators may use physical or non-physical abusive behaviours, or a combination of both.
Coercive control is a pressing issue that requires a coordinated, national approach. The Australian Government and state and territory governments are working together to develop National Principles to Address Coercive Control.
The National Principles will help create a shared national understanding of coercive control, which is important for improving the safety of Australians, particularly women and children.
You can contribute to a shared national understanding of coercive control by providing your feedback on the Consultation Draft of the National Principles to Address Coercive Control using the survey link
Recent evidence shows the scale of sexual violence against women and children in Australia has been severely underestimated. Family violence is a key driver.
Yet, young women are currently invisible in responses to such violence. Our research sought to understand why young women’s experiences are so overlooked. We found that young women have typically been sidelined in approaches to family violence, and need to be given specific regard in any strategies to address it.
Access to The Orange Door across Victoria continues to grow with two new access points officially opened in August.
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Ros Spence opened the Hastings access point as part of the Bayside Peninsula network and launched the Echuca access point, which is an expansion of the Loddon Orange Door network. The additional sites provide further access to family violence support services for people in the Mornington Peninsula and Campaspe Shire. Statewide coverage of The Orange Door across Victoria will be completed by the end of 2022.
Family safety Victoria is surveying the family violence and sexual assault workforce throughout September to better understand workforce needs.
If you work in a role that provides services to clients of specialist family violence services (including services to victim survivors and perpetrators / people using family violence), sexual assault support services, Aboriginal family violence services and/or The Orange Door network, then we want to hear from you.
The survey should take no more than 15 minutes and does not need to be completed in one sitting. The survey is open until 5 October and is anonymous.
The fourth of seven Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor reports for 2021-2022 has now been published – Monitoring Victoria’s family violence reforms: Primary prevention system architecture