The NIFVS team are announcing the third session of the Lunch & Learn!

Lunch & Learn – Elder Abuse will be delivered on Tuesday 11 June from 12-1 pm by Mandy Strange, Clinical and Program Lead Elder Services at Better Place.

Following a 30-minute presentation, participants will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A to unpack how this applies to practice.

The Lunch & Learn session are free, 1-hour sessions aiming to strengthen the practice skills and confidence of professionals to safely and effectively respond to family violence.

Register now for the session.

Registrations are now open to attend the Building Bridges Forum on Wednesday 5 June, an online event featuring a panel discussion in the morning and three case study workshops in the afternoon. The forum will open up conversations around collaboration and the practicalities of how the Information Sharing Schemes can strengthen service responses across the sector in the Northern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne.

The morning panel will explore service mapping with adults using violence services and the afternoon workshops will cover three core area of interest:

• Deep dive: Information Sharing Schemes
• Embedding cultural safety and respect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Culturally-informed care for migrant and refugee women

All levels of the workforce in prescribed settings who engage with victim survivors of family violence and/or people using violence are encouraged to attend.

Visit the Building Bridges Forum website for more information, and register now via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/building-bridges-forum-3285189

The NIFVS team are excited to announce the second session of the Lunch & Learn.

Lunch & Learn – Working with Young People Using Family Violence will be delivered on Tuesday 7 May from 12-1 pm by Youth Junction.

Following a 30-minute presentation, participants will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A to unpack how this applies to practice.

The Lunch & Learn are free, 1-hour sessions aiming to strengthen the practice skills and confidence of professionals to safely and effectively respond to family violence.

The sessions will feature sector experts speaking to vital learning areas. Designed for both specialist and non-specialist family violence practitioners, Lunch & Learn particularly focuses on professionals who may want to learn more about navigating specialized areas of family violence in their roles.

Following sessions will address key learning areas including Elder Abuse, Complex Mental Health & Family Violence and Inclusive practice when working with people with disabilities. 

Register on Eventbrite here.

NMR Group Work Calendar, Term 2 2024.

Each school term, the Northern Integrated Family Violence Services (NIFVS) partnership produces a calendar of family violence support groups run by organisations in the northern metropolitan region. Support groups include therapeutic groups for victim survivors, supported playgroups, parenting groups and perpetrator intervention programs. Some groups are ongoing and some are shorter term.

This calendar includes groups being run in Term 2, 2024.

NIFVS are planning a full-day forum to strengthen connection and collaboration between victim-survivors and people who use violence services in Melbourne’s North under the MARAM Framework and Information Sharing Schemes.

Stay tuned for more details!

Make it Mainstream is a Community of Practice for family violence practitioners who want to build expertise and confidence in delivering and championing safe, inclusive support to people experiencing family violence within the LGBTIQA+ community. 
Sessions will be delivered online via Zoom. Members will be required to commit to at least 4 out of the 6 scheduled sessions.

Outcomes: 

• Members will have an increased understanding of the systemic barriers and considerations required when working with people from LGBTIQA+ communities.
• Members will have improved practical skills and knowledge to work inclusively with people experiencing violence in the LGBTIQA+ community. 
• Members will have improved confidence to apply and embed learnings into the culture and daily practices of their service setting.
• Members will be a part of a support-base of allies, providing peer-support, resource sharing and motivation to continue to engage in gender-transformative work in the family violence space.  

Membership:
This CoP is seeking specialist family violence practitioners in mainstream services across the Northern Metropolitan Region. If you are not a specialist worker, but your work regularly engages with people experiencing family violence, please submit an Expression of Interest. 
The CoP will be a closed group, with a capped number of participants. 

Please complete this form to express your interest.
If you have any question regarding this CoP or the completion of this form you can contact NIFVS MARAMIS & Workforce Development Coordinator, Katrina on katrina.d@whin.org.au. 

NIFVS welcome EOIs from people of all backgrounds and identities. 
Expressions of Interest will close on EOD 4 April 2024.

The NIFVS team are excited to launch the Lunch & Learn pilot project.

Lunch & Learn will be delivered as free, 1-hour sessions throughout 2024, to strengthen the practice skills and confidence of professionals to safely and effectively respond to family violence.

The sessions will feature sector experts speaking to vital learning areas. Designed for both specialist and non-specialist family violence practitioners, Lunch & Learn particularly focuses on professionals who may want to learn more about navigating specialized areas of family violence in their roles.

The first session is on Wednesday 13 March from 12-1pm and will be led by Jackson Fairchild who will speak to LGBTIQA+ Safe and Inclusive Practice within the family violence context. Following a 30-minute presentation, participants will have the opportunity engage in a Q&A to unpack how this applies to practice.

Following sessions will address key learning areas including Elder Abuse, Working with Young People Using Violence, Complex Mental Health & Family Violence and Inclusive practice when working with people with disabilities. 

Register on Eventbrite here.

About Jackson:
Jackson Fairchild (they/them) is one of Australia’s leading voices in LGBTIQA+ inclusion in family violence primary prevention and response. They are a qualified counsellor and clinical supervisor with a background in facilitation, research translation, policy advocacy, governance and organisational change. Jackson has held senior roles at Rainbow Health Australia, No To Violence and Thorne Harbour Health, and they are currently working with the Zoe Belle Gender Collective on the prevention of cis men’s violence against trans women. 

No To Violence (NTV) has announced that MARAM training is now available for practitioners who need to have an applied understanding of MARAM and Information Sharing in their roles when working with adults using family violence.

NTV works with Family Safety Victoria (FSV) to deliver the training in 2024. There are three levels of training available:

• Identification: focussed on working with adults using family violence, this training is suitable for all professionals who may identify family violence is occurring and who engage with people in a one-off, episodic or ongoing service. You can find available dates and link to register here.
• Intermediate: suitable for all professionals who have an intermediate role when working with adults using family violence in both non-specialist and specialist services. You can find available dates and link to register here.
• Comprehensive: suitable for professionals requiring a specialist level of skill, knowledge and expertise in family violence practice with adults using family violence. Professionals who should attend this training include those providing specialist adult using family violence intervention services and programs. Examples include adult using family violence case management, behaviour change programs, crisis response services, specialist targeted programs, The Orange Door, or any other response that works with adults using family violence in a specialist capacity. You can find available dates and link to register here.

People are encouraged to attend the MARAM Victim Survivor training first. All training is currently offered online, but you can contact NTV at MARAM@ntv.org.au if you require in-person sessions.

(Source: No To Violence website)

Welcome to the NIFVS newsletter – the first for 2024.

Happy New Year to you all. May the year ahead provide opportunities for achievement and change.

Women and gender diverse people are still experiencing violence perpetrated against them. They are still battling financial crises with cost-of-living challenges and a lack of affordable housing. And, they experience multiple barriers to accessing the services they require.

As a sector, we embark upon many challenges in 2024, including to our service delivery, our funding and within our workforces.

We are lucky to work within a highly capable, experienced and dedicated sector here in the northern metro Melbourne.

Following the development and final approval of the NIFVS Strategic Plan for 2023- 26 last year, the Regional Integration Family Violence Services Committee will meet in early 2024 to confirm a new governance structure for the year ahead.

I am excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to working with our dedicated Family Violence service sector to address family violence and it impacts on victim survivors.

I wish you all the best for the coming year.

Kind regards,

Helen Riseborough
Chairperson
Northern Integrated Family Violence Committee

“The Northern Integrated Family Violence Service (NIFVS), though the Regional Integration Committee, provides family violence system leadership across Melbourne’s NMR (Northern Metropolitan Region) to increase the safety of victim survivors, accountability of people who use violence, and strengthen Victoria’s family violence reforms.”

Dear All

What a huge year 2023 has been and we now find ourselves at that time of year where we sit back and reflect on the time that has passed: the successes, the achievements, the lessons learned.

2023 has been a fruitful year for the Northern Integrated Family Violence Services (NIFVS) partnership, starting from the formation of a new team; we welcomed a new MARAMIS and Workforce Development Coordinator and Communications and Program Support Officer.

As a new team we have worked hard to achieve many of the priorities identified across both the 2022.23 and 2023.24 NIFVS Annual Action Plans in 2023.

Some highlights from this year include:

• Development of the new 2023.26 3-year NIFVS Strategic Plan (to be launched in 2024) that aligns with the latest Family Violence Regional Integration Committee guidelines and five statewide strategic family violence priorities.
• Launch of the Regional Victim Survivor Experience Mapping Report and the ‘Turning Input into Action’ Forum held on 30 March 2023 and attended by 60 organisational leaders from across the NMR. The report ensures that victim survivor’s voices are heard and has informed all key decision making undertaken across the region by NIFVS in 2023.
• Continued roll out and delivery of NIFVS training, including MARAM Collaborative Practice and delivery of ‘Introduction to Family Violence Sector’ sessions to a wide range of prescribed Tier 3 and 4 workforces and non-prescribed organisations who regularly work with and support victim survivors (including children) experiencing or recovering from family violence.
• Delivery of the 2023 Family Violence and Sexual Assault Graduate Program in partnership with Kids First Australia.
• Implementation of system responsive changes to NMR Counselling Support Alliance enhancing referral pathways, therapeutic recovery responses and outcomes for victim survivors of family violence across the region.
• Bringing together the Family Violence Networks across the NMR to better understand common themes and issues across the region at a local area level.
• Supporting system changes to adopt practices that align with the new Family Violence Crisis Response Model that ensures that crisis responses are consistent, clearly communicated, and jointly managed by regional family violence services.
• Supporting system changes and adopting the ‘no wrong door’ approach opening referral pathways for victim survivors of family violence.
• Recently undertaking the first NMR MARAMIS Survey for prescribed practitioners. Report and findings will be launched in early 2024.

We would like to acknowledge the incredible work that is undertaken by all our family violence and sexual assault partners and workforces across the NMR. Without your dedication to the work the system would not be as agile and responsive to the needs of victim survivors of family violence.

Looking forward into 2024:

• Launch of the MARAM Alignment Survey Report and the Strategic Plan 2023-2026.
• Launch of the 2024 annual MARAMIS Alignment survey which will be open for 6 weeks as of March 2024. All family violence and sexual assault workers are encouraged to participate in the survey as the outcomes will allow the building of an evidence base for practice, advocacy, and regional service system reform.
• Commencement of planning for ‘Phase 2’ of the Victim Survivor Experience Mapping for the NMR.
• Innovative and exciting changes to the approach in which the NIFVS Team records and disseminates information to enhance the accessibility of information to all workforces working with victim-survivors and people who use violence.

The NIFVS Partnership and team would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas and safe New Year and we look forward to working with you all in 2024.

Warm regards,

Veronica Hunt

Principal Strategic Advisor
Northern Integrated Family Violence Services

The MARAM Collaborative Practice training is for all professionals who respond to family violence in the northern metropolitan region. The training builds on the foundations of MARAM to explore how practitioners can work collaboratively across the service system and apply the MARAM Framework and Information Sharing Schemes.  This training is delivered online across two half days. Check out our website for upcoming dates and to register via Eventbrite.  
If you have any enquiries, or would like to request an internal training session, please contact the NIFVS team at info@whin.org.au.

Safe and Equal are recommencing the Practice Lead Community of Practice (CoP). This CoP is intended for practice leaders, or anyone undertaking similar duties, who are responsible for supporting MARAM best practice. The renewed focus of the CoP will be implementing recent or upcoming MARAM work.

Please see the flyer which includes further information and a member registration link. Contact the facilitator with any further questions.

Download the flyer here Facilitator and contact: Liz Yared, Practice Development Advisor (MARAMIS), elizabethyared@safeandequal.org.au.

Safe and Equal are supporting businesses and workplaces to meet their OH&S and Fair Work obligations in relation to domestic and family violence.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, employers must provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of employees. This includes putting in measures to eliminate or control the risk associated with family violence in the workplace.

Organisations can work with Safe and Equal to meet their OH&S and Fair Work obligations by, for example:

• Helping staff understand why family violence is a workplace issue
• Developing appropriate workplace policies and procedures
• Providing staff with training to raise their awareness, understand effects in the workplace and how to manage risks
• Ensuring information is handled correctly
• Consulting workers about work arrangements and managing risks to health and safety
• Ensuring staff supporting those who are experiencing family violence are aware of the support options available to them
• Providing a safe, secure and accessible reporting mechanism within the workplace.

To find out more about how Safe and Equal can assist, contact Robyn Stone, Business Partnerships & Engagement Advisor, at robynstone@safeandequal.org.au.

(Source: Safe and Equal Members Update, 31.5.23)

The NIFVS team have developed a new webpage, Criminalised Victim Survivors, with resources to assist practitioners respond to victim survivors who have been criminalised. Victim survivors who have experienced criminalisation, may encounter discrimination in the family violence service system, which can impact on their risk and access to safety and support.

Recently, Flat Out and Safe & Equal developed a resource, Providing safety and support for criminalised victim survivors about what to take into consideration when supporting a criminalised victim survivor.

Flat Out launched the resource with a recorded panel discussion: Resisting Systemic Collusion with Criminalised Victim Survivors.

Building on the work of program lead healthAbility, Baby Makes 3 has received $1.2 million from the state government for this innovative, evidence-based program for new parents, delivered across more than 40 health services in Victoria.

Funded by the state government since 2017, Baby Makes 3 has been adapted to support diverse families including those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, rainbow families and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island families.

The program builds mutual understanding, appreciation and respect among first-time parents and supports the capacity of local governments, maternal and child health and maternity services to promote gender equality and challenge traditional gender stereotypes. Baby Makes 3 works to build equal and respectful relationships for families who are becoming parents for the first time, and highlights its focus on challenging the rigid gender stereotypes and social norms associated with parenting.

In 2022, the program won VicHealth’s prestigious Outstanding Health Promotion Award for making a tangible difference in improving Victorians’ health and quality of life.

(Source: Premiers’ Media Release, 13.5.23)

The Escaping Violence Program (EVP) has recently introduced an agency fast-track application process that aims to streamline and expedite the financial support clients can receive. A worker can apply on behalf of an eligible client. EVP works directly with agency workers and has no contact with the client.

Support workers will need to:

• Fully complete and submit the EVP application on behalf of the client with their consent.
• Commit to continuing to work with the client while EVP process the payments (five business days).
• Support the client to identify their goals, the path toward them, and how the EVP package can assist with the achievement of these goals.
• Inform EVP within 24 hours if the client disengages with the referring agency or if the agency closes the engagement episode.  

The EVP program offers financial assistance and support to help eligible people move forward and establish a home that’s free from violence with individualised packages of up to $5,000 that are tailored to enable choice and autonomy. 

( Source: EVP email, 4.5.23)

The NIFVS Team is excited to be welcoming Katrina Dickinson to the role of MARAMIS and Workforce Development Coordinator. Katrina will formally start her role in mid-May.

Katrina (she/her) brings a range of experiences across the family violence sector, trained as a Social Worker and having worked extensively across response and prevention. Katrina has worked for Doncare, The Orange Door, The Salvation Army and most recently at WHIN as Preventing Gender-Based Violence and Gender Equality Health Promotion Officer, with a focus on Workforce Capacity Building. Katrina also has worked in Graphic Design and in Communications at No to Violence.

Katrina is a passionate intersectional feminist who also happens to enjoy the world of art and design in her personal time.  

On 30 March 2023, organisational leaders across the northern metropolitan region progressed recommendations arising from the Victim Survivor Experience Mapping report, a qualitative piece of research which highlights victim survivor experiences of the service system.

Forum participants heard from those involved in the Mapping, gained insight into the Victoria Police Predominant Aggressor Project, and developed collaborative plans to contribute to the next NIFVS Regional Integration Committee’s Strategic Plan.

Read more information about the Turn Input into Action Forum, including a forum summary and view presentations from the day.

The Federal government has announced changes to ‘non-judicial’ evidence requirements for temporary visa holders, who seek assistance as victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.

From 31 March 2023, a new instrument under the Migration Regulations 1994—Specification of evidentiary requirements—family violence will be in place that reduces the burden placed on victims of family and domestic violence seeking a visa.

The new measures include adding midwives to the list of medical professionals who can provide evidence; adding risk assessments and reports as types of evidence in lieu of statutory declarations; adding additional advocacy and crisis service providers who can provide evidence and removing the statutory declaration requirement for some healthcare professionals.  

The new instrument improves accessibility to the family violence provisions in the Migration Act by increasing flexibility around the evidence that applicants must provide in order to make a non-judicially determined claim of family violence.

Read more in this Explanatory Statement.

(Source: Victorian Family Law Pathways Network Bulletin, April 2023)

The Victorian Government is providing 30-day Travel Passes free of charge to eligible Victorian school students, such as those experiencing homelessness or escaping family violence. The passes can be distributed through schools and can be used by eligible students on all public transport services across Victoria.

(Source: Family Safety Victoria eNews, April 2023)

The NIFVS multi-language Family Violence posters have been updated to reflect the change to Merri-bek City Council.

These posters inform community members, victim survivors and adults using family violence about support services that are available in the northern metropolitan region. The poster for adult victim survivors and the poster for adults using family violence contain information in English, Arabic, Assyrian, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi and Vietnamese. They can be displayed in waiting rooms, on the back of toilet doors, or anywhere it might benefit community members.

The new Multi-Service Coordinated Family Violence Response Project (MCFVRP) aims to support Multicultural community at risk or experiencing family violence and/or sexual assault by reducing barriers to accessing the Family Violence and Sexual Assault service system. The project will target women and children from the South Asian community in the City of Whittlesea by outposting Bilingual Family Violence System Connectors at key locations and mainstream services across the local government area, who will support and provide guidance to the community member in navigating this service system.

The project also seeks to capacity build Family Violence and Sexual Assault practitioners in responding to the complex needs of Multicultural community and to improve service provision, so their service response is culturally safe. A Community of Practice between Bilingual FV System Connectors and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Specialist practitioners will be established to achieve this goal.

The MCFVRP has been funded as part of the ‘Working Together Grant’ by Family Safety Victoria.

Program eligibility criteria

• Women and children
• Residing in City of Whittlesea
• From a South Asian and/or Multicultural background
• Experiencing or at risk of family violence and/or sexual assault.

How to refer a client

• Complete a Referral Form.
• Email fvsupport@whittleseacc.org.au with completed referral form
• Alternatively, practitioners can call one of the Bilingual FV System Connectors on 0467 952 657 / 0497 032 439.

(Source: Whittlesea Community Connections email, 20.3.23)

Berry Street’s therapeutic service, Take Two has received long-term funding to continue their work providing whole-of-family services for families with young people using violence in the home in the northern metropolitan region.

The Wattle Project offers support to young people (12-17 years) and their families, who are concerned about a young person’s use of unsafe behaviour at home.

The goal of the Wattle Project, in collaboration with the young people’s families, is to see improvements in safety, communication, and relationships for both the young person and their families. The service delivers a trauma-informed whole-of-family response to increase safety and improve relationships within the family home, while also meeting the young person’s developmental and therapeutic needs.

The program recognises the many overlapping intersections leading to a young person’s use of unsafe behaviour in the home including experiencing family violence themselves, intergenerational trauma, disability or developmental delays, and other factors related to the family’s circumstances.

Services including counselling, therapy, case management, creative arts groups, caregiving workshops, as well as financial assistance. To make a referral, please email: thewattleproject@berrystreet.org.au.

The role of Senior Clinician in the team is being advertised. Find out more.

Why is it called The Wattle Project?

Trees symbolise life, growth, change and transition. Wattle trees are known for their healing properties and represent strength, resilience and a fresh start. The Wattle Project recognises that like tree roots, our history and past experiences often go unseen. Experiencing hard times is like stormy weather, affecting how young people deal with overwhelming feelings and stress. It’s important to know that survival and even growth is always possible when facing these storms. At times a young person may need some extra support to cope, in the same way a tree may need extra care to protect it from a storm. Just like a tree that requires water, soil and sunlight to allow it to flourish, the Wattle Project works with young people to find new directions for growth.

(Source: Take Two email, 20.2.22)

You can now register to attend Collaborative Practice Training on Tuesday 30 April & Wednesday 1 May 2024.

Register here.

NIFVS February 2024 eNews

NIFVS March 2024 eNews

NIFVS April 2024 eNews

Swinburne University of Technology and Safe and Equal have been contracted by Family Safety Victoria to develop evidence-based child and young person victim survivor and young person using family violence risk identification and assessment tools, as part of the Child and Young Person-focused Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) practice guides.

All MARAM prescribed workers are invited to respond to two surveys that will inform the development process:

• The first survey focuses on risk factors for children and young people. Estimate duration: 45-60 minutes. You can access the survey here.
• The second survey asks about observable signs of family violence, protective factors and wellbeing for children and young people.Estimate duration: 30-45 minutes. You can access the survey here.

For more information, contact the project’s Lead Investigator,  Dr Rachel Burgin CYPMARAM@swinburne.edu.au or to Co-Investigator Ellen McGregor ellenmcgregor@safeandequal.org.au.

(from Safe and Equal Member Bulletin, 21 March 2024)

Researchers from the University of Melbourne would like to speak to mothers or caregivers from migrant backgrounds whose families have experienced domestic and family violence (DFV).  

This project aims to strengthen service system responses to families in this situation. Participation is completely voluntary. The researchers are interested in talking to mothers from migrant and refugee backgrounds who:

• Have experienced DFV within the past 10years
• Had children in their care at the time of experiencing DFV  
• Are not currently experiencing DFV or any other crisis that would place them at increased risk by participating in this research.

Interviews will take approximately 60minutes at a location convenient to participants. Participants will receive a $50 gift voucher to value their contribution.

If you know of any potential participants or would like more information please contact Jess Kirwan j.kirwan@student.unimelb.edu.au or call 0434504083 by 30 April 2024.