Family Safety Victoria has engaged Swinburne University of Technology and consortium partners, Uniting Vic/Tas and Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service (BWAHS) to undertake the development of non-accredited MARAM training for working with adults using family violence. No to Violence will also be involved in the development of the training programs in a key subject matter expert role.  

The training package will be designed to embed Aboriginal cultural safety to ensure that it is culturally appropriate for Aboriginal workers and communities.  

The consortia will develop three non-accredited courses, one for workforces with identification responsibilities, one for workforces with intermediate risk assessment and management responsibilities and one for workforces with comprehensive MARAM responsibilities to work with adults using family violence. It is anticipated that the training will be finalised in mid-2022.  

(Source: Family Safety Victoria email, 16.2.22)

The Victorian Government has announced it will provide a further $4 million in funding from the Dhelk Dja Family Violence Fund to deliver Aboriginal-led family violence prevention and response initiatives under the Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way Agreement.  

The Dhelk Dja Agreement ensures Aboriginal services and government work together and are accountable for ensuring Aboriginal people, families and communities are stronger, safer, thriving and free from family violence.

All eligible Aboriginal organisations and community groups are invited to apply for funding through the 2021-22 Dhelk Dja Family Violence Fund to develop and deliver a range of Aboriginal-led family violence responses and initiatives.

The Dhelk Dja Koori Caucus has identified and endorsed three priority funding streams for this funding round – Aboriginal frontline family violence services, working with male victims of family violence and preventing the cycle of violence – strengthening Aboriginal families.  

Applications for funding are open to eligible Aboriginal organisations and community groups until 3 March 2022. To apply or find out more visit tenders.vic.gov.au/tender.

(Source: Premiers Media Centre, 16.2.22)

Good Shepherd has established a Financial Independence Hub that supports victim survivors who have experienced financial abuse to feel more confident with money and plan for the future. 

This innovative program is available across Victoria and provides one-on-one financial coaching to build financial independence, manage everyday finances and work towards goals.

The program is open to victim survivors of financial abuse through domestic or family violence who are in the recovery phase and over 18 years of age.

(Source: Good Shepherd website, 9.2.22)

After a short hiatus in 2021, the Safe & Together Implementation Community of Practice (CoP) is starting up again on 24 March 2022.

If you’ve attended Safe & Together training in the past, we’d love to have you along! New members are also welcome. Click here to register for membership.

The NIFVS Team, Berry Street and Anglicare Victoria are jointly coordinating the quarterly CoP. The CoP aims to provide an opportunity for workers in the northern metropolitan region (NMR), who have attended the four-day or overview Safe & Together training to meet, share, learn and reflect on implementing the Safe & Together Model into their practice.

On 15 February 2022, The Orange Door in Hume Moreland opened its doors and has commenced having walk-ins at its largest site, Hume Global Learning Centre, Broadmeadows and at its Coburg access point at Merri Health, 21 Victoria Street.

The Sunbury access point will be open to walk-ins in mid-March, at Sunbury Community Health Centre. Work is still being done with DPV Health to look for a site in Craigieburn.

The Orange Door in Hume Moreland is a partnership between Berry Street Victoria, DPV Health, Uniting (Vic-Tas), Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, Victoria Aboriginal Community Services Association and the Victorian Government. 

Find out more about the Hume Moreland Orange Door.

(Source: Premiers Media Centre, 15.2.22 and Regional Integration Committee meeting, 9.2.22)

• NIFVS eNews November 2022
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• NIFVS eNews February 2022

Northern Community Legal Centre (NCLC) have set up the Safe Landing Project, which is an integrated service delivery model responding to women on temporary visas who are experiencing family violence in Melbourne’s northwest.

Working collaboratively with family violence services, police and courts, the Safe Landing Project provides wrap-around, culturally sensitive, and appropriate family violence and migration legal services to streamline safety pathways for highly vulnerable women and children. 

Eligible clients include women who are on partner visas, and women on other forms of temporary visas such as student or visitor visas, who live in City of Hume, Moreland and Mitchell Shire, and are experiencing or have experienced family violence.

For more information and a referral form, workers (only) can contact Yoko Kamada at 0491 086 3535 or email ykamada@northernclc.org.au.

The Safe Landing Project follows on from the piloted Indian Women’s Family Violence Project. The Project developed a model of integrated legal, migration and family violence support, combined with community education and engagement for migrant women from India.

(Source: Northern Community Legal Centre email, 10/12/21)

The Implementation Monitor has released an Accurate Identification of the Predominant Aggressor report that examines the progress that has been made to support key workforces – including police, Child Protection practitioners, specialist family violence practitioners and magistrates – to accurately identify the predominant aggressor in family violence situations. It explores the reasons for victim survivors being misidentified as perpetrators and assesses how well the system responds to this misidentification.

Family Violence Implementation Monitor Jan Shuard PSM stated, ‘Our investigation found that … misidentification continues to occur, and rectification is extremely challenging.’

This review has identified an urgent need to address misidentification and the report provides a suite of proposed actions for government to address the issues identified, including close collaboration with Koori Caucus and Aboriginal organisations to ensure that these solutions adequately address the high rates of misidentification among Aboriginal women. 

(Source: Family Violence Implementation Monitor website, 17.1.22)

On 1 July 2021, the Victorian Government introduced the new Mandatory Minimum Qualification policy for workers who enter the family violence sector as specialist family violence practitioners, which is being delivered over a five-year transition period. All specialist family violence practitioners employed before the transition phase starts are exempt from the requirement for the duration of their continuous service.

Family Safety Victoria has worked in partnership with the Higher Education sector to map available qualifications against the seven equivalency principles as outlined in the Mandatory Minimum Qualifications policy.

This mapping demonstrates the breadth of disciplines and qualifications that may partially or fully meet the equivalency principles, and highlights the variety of alternative qualifications to the Bachelor of Social Work, that prospective practitioners, or practitioners who are working towards equivalency can undertake. The Qualifications Mapping document can be found under Resources.

Employers will be supported through the five-year transition period with advice from Safe & Equal through the appointment of an 18-month Sector Development Advisor position, and a range of resources and information forums.

(Source: Family Safety Victoria, 15.12.21)

The State Government has announced reforms to overhaul the way sexual offences are currently reported and dealt with. In response to key recommendations from the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s (VLRC) report ‘Improving the Justice System Response to Sexual Offences’, the Government will adopt an affirmative consent model.

As part of the initial response, the State Government will provide $5.2 million in funding to specialist sexual assault services, to help respond to increasing reporting and demand. The funding will allow services to hire extra staff and provide more specialist support sessions to women and children.

(Source: WIFVS eNews, 15.12.21)