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Northern Integrated Family
Violence Services Partnership
For professionals supporting the
safety of victim survivors in Melbourne's
northern metropolitan region

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)

A new Family Violence Crisis Response Model is being implemented in Victoria. The model aims to improve the way the family violence service system works together to support victim survivors in crisis, and to ensure that victim survivors are supported through coordinated responses which are consistent, clearly communicated, and jointly managed by the services involved.

To support the sector to align its operations with the model, Safe and Equal has developed a series of Readiness Assessment Checklists for use by in-scope services including Local Family Violence Services and Family Violence Accommodation providers. The checklists are available on the Safe and Equal website and other helpful resources will be uploaded as they are developed.

(Source: Safe and Equal member Bulletin, 13.4.23)

Specialist family violence managers, senior workers and experienced practitioners in the specialist family violence sector who are looking to move into a leadership role are invited to apply for the Fast Track Leadership program to build their leadership and management capability. The course is being offered by Safe and Equal and will be delivered during 2023 and 2024.

If you would like to be notified when the next round opens, join the waitlist here.

(Source: Safe and Equal Members Bulletin, 3.3.23)

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

(Source: Whittlesea Community Connections email, 20.3.23)