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NIFVS was initiated as a result of the Integrated Family Violence reforms, brought in by the Victorian government in 2005.
Prior to the reform process, family violence was addressed through network of community agencies and refuges. Whilst individual agencies and workers were highly dedicated and with a great deal of experience, the overall response was often fragmented and inconsistent.
In an attempt to address this, since 2006, the Victorian Government has committed over $100 million to deliver a new approach to family violence services in Victoria - Integrated Family Violence Services.
This response stemmed directly from the Women’s Safety Strategy, which was a whole of government policy commitment to develop the first integrated and consistent system for addressing family violence in Victoria.
The Victorian Law Reform Commission was asked to undertake a full review of Victoria's laws on family violence, and their report Review of Family Violence Laws was published in 2006. A key recommendation of the report was the introduction of new legislation and as a result the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 was developed and became law in November 2008.
Also, as part of the reform process, the Government has devised a Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework was developed and a statewide training program been initiated.
For more information about the Government's actions on family violence please see the Office of Women's Policy website.
As part of this approach local service systems are being asked to work together to respond more effectively to family violence. Regional and sub regional committees have been created to drive and monitor implementation of the new approach at a regional and local level. NIFVS is the northern metropolitan’s sub-region’s response to these reforms.
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