What is NIFVS?
On this page you will find the following information:
The Northern Integrated Family Violence Services (NIFVS)
NIFVS structures
Where does NIFVS work?
What does NIFVS do?
The vision & mission of NIFVS
How does NIFVS relate to other family violence structures?
The Northern Integrated Family Violence Services (NIFVS)
NIFVS is Melbourne's northern metropolitan sub-region’s response to the Integrated Family Violence reforms introduced by the Victorian Government in 2005.
In 2006, a consortium of Anglicare Victoria, Berry Street, Elizabeth Hoffman House, and Women’s Health In the North (WHIN), successfully bid to lead the implementation of the family violence reforms in the northern sub-region. Crossroads Youth and Family Services, local Women's Refuges and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) have since become part of the partnership. NIFVS also has significant working relationships with Victoria Police, the 9 community health services in the northern region, local Courts and Men's family violence services.
The NIFVS partnership was funded to lead and coordinate the changes to family violence services in the northern region. It aims to strengthen and resource the response of a variety of sectors to family violence.
NIFVS Structures
The NIFVS Women & Children's Partnership Management Group (NIFVS PMG):
currently comprises of Anglicare Victoria, Berry Street, Crossroads Youth & Family Services, VACCA, local Women's Refuges and WHIN. It contributes to the NIFVS sub-regional action plan, oversees the day to day activities of NIFVS, and ultimately aims to facilitate the provision of integrated FV services in the northern region.
The NIFVS leadership & regional coordination role:
acts to lead the integrated family violence reform processes in the northern region. This role is based at WHIN, and filled by a team of three people, a project manager, a program worker and an administrative assistant. This role acts as a resource to regional integrated family violence services, structures and networks.
Local family violence networks:
have long been established in the northern region and are supported by the NIFVS leadership & regional coordination role. Current networks are Banyule / Nillumbik, Broadmeadows, Darebin, Moreland, Nillumbik, Sunbury, Whittlesea and Yarra.
The Northern Family Violence Strategic Network:
is convened by the NIFVS leadership & regional coordination role. This is a quarterly meeting which represents services in the northern region, and acts as an advisory body to the North West Metropolitan Integrated Family Violence Regional Forum. The network also acts as an information exchange for the community sector on family violence issues. The NIFVS PMG, and northern members of the North West Men's Family Violence Services Consortium and the North West Regional Action Group are all invited to participate in this network. Additionally, all service sectors who encounter family violence in their work are invited to have a northern region representative at this network.
The North West Men's Family Violence Services Consortium:
represents all Men's services in the North West Metroplitan region, and advises the North West Integrated Family Violence Regional Forum . The NIFVS PMG works closely with this group.
The North West Indigenous Family Violence Regional Action Group:
represents Indigenous Family Violence Services in the North West Metroplitan region, and advises the North West Integrated Family Violence Steering Committee. The NIFVS PMG is in the process of building a formal relationship with the Regional Action Group.
The North West Integrated Family Violence Regional Forum:
is convened by DHS and is a quarterly meeting. It aims to oversee the integration and implementation of family violence services in the North West Metropolitan Region. It feeds into the statewide structures amd government departments responsible for family violence services.
For more information, please see this chart:
 |
Download NIFVS sub regional structure july 2009 |
Where does NIFVS work?
NIFVS covers the DHS northern metropolitan sub region, which includes the councils of Banyule, Darebin, Moreland, Nillumbik, North Yarra, Whittlesea and Hume as shown on the map below.
What does NIFVS do?
NIFVS ultimately aims to ensure that women and children experiencing violence receive the best possible responses and services from all agencies in the northern region. NIFVS aims to achieve this through facilitating the development and integration of family violence services in the northern region, and supporting associated services to respond to family violence.
The NIFVS leadership & regional coordination role has specific functions in order to achieve this. WHIN employs a team of three people to deliver this: a project manager, a program worker and an administrative assistant.
This team:
• develops and co-ordinates the sub-regional integrated family violence action plan
• provides regional leadership to support program planning
• identifies and disseminates key information and learnings on family violence
• supports innovative projects around family violence
• identifies best practice models
• supports and resources local and regional family violence networks
including the Northern Family Violence Strategic Network
• integrates NIFVS within regional and state-wide structures
• publicises the work of NIFVS across the region and beyond
• liaises with generalist service providers
• coordinates and promotes community education and training around family violence
The Vision & Mission of NIFVS
Our Vision:
An integrated service system in Melbourne’s north delivering effective responses to women and children experiencing family violence.
To ensure that women’s and children’s rights to lead violence-free lives are voiced in decision-making and other arenas.
To ensure that service delivery models in Melbourne’s north are grounded in good practice and meet the diverse needs of women and children affected by family violence.
To sustain the intersectoral collaborations, agency partnerships and community engagements required for the ongoing integration of the family violence service system in Melbourne’s north.
To ensure that the subregion’s responses to family violence are continuously improved through monitoring and evaluation processes that are embedded in practice.
To facilitate the transfer of knowledge and the subregion’s contribution to the growing evidence base.
To progress a subregional family violence prevention agenda that conceptualises reduction strategies along a continuum: from universal approaches that seek to prevent violence before it occurs, to integrated crisis and recovery responses that seek to minimise the impacts of violence that has already occurred (and to stop such violence from happening again).
How does NIFVS relate to other family violence structures?
NIFVS sits within integrated family violence structures in the North West Metropolitan region, and within statewide structures. Members of the NIFVS PMG and the Northern Family Violence Strategic Network ensure communication and liaison with all relevant bodies, and representation of issues concerning services in the northern region.
For a detailed representation of these other structures, please see this chart.
|
Download Overview of Governance Structures for IFVS in NWMR May 09 |
|
