Safer Families

We are determined to ensure that women and children are afforded their right to live in a safe community, free from harm and violence. The Government's focus is to achieve an integrated and collaborative single service system for families experiencing domestic violence, and to respond to those who perpetrate violence.

The ACT Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children Strategy 2011-17 articulates the Government’s commitment to end violence against women and children. The ACT Strategy recognises that domestic and family violence and sexual assault affects people’s ability to participate actively in their communities. The Strategy is consistent with renewed efforts across Government to ensure that people receive the services they need at the right time and for the right duration.

1. New initiatives

Recent reports commissioned by the Government demonstrate that the service system has not kept pace with the needs of victims of family violence and their families. The service system must also hold perpetrators to account.

Laurie Glanfield AM in his review of the service system in the ACT noted that, ‘There is remarkable agreement on the challenges facing the family violence sector and what needs to change.’

The 2016-17 ACT Budget is a catalyst for the next phase of reform in the family violence service system. The $21.42 million package, over four years, includes funding for:

• A full-time Coordinator-General for Family Safety and a dedicated safer families team to lead the whole of government effort to improve outcomes for victims and their families through collaboration, information sharing, awareness raising and working in partnership with the community.  A key priority for the Coordinator-General will be to work with community and government partners, including with members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to ensure that services provided are culturally appropriate.
• Strengthening integrated case management and coordination of services for victims of family violence.
• Enhancing the quality assurance and support improved decision making of child protection services.
• Training for frontline staff right across Community and Emergency Services, Health and Education to support identification of family violence and early intervention.
• Increasing the capacity of specialist drug treatment services to deliver programs that integrate best practice in family violence.
• Much needed investment in translation and interpreting services in ACT Courts and Tribunal and family violence specialist services.
• A brokerage and bond fund to assist victims of family violence with immediate expenses.
• The Domestic Violence Crisis Service and the Canberra Rape Crisis Service for the vital work they do to support people affected by family violence.
• An innovative residential behaviour change program for men who use or are at risk of using violence.
• ACT Policing to assist victims to apply for Domestic Violence Orders on behalf of victims.
• Support for the first stage of implementation of the Joint Australian Law Reform Commission and NSW Law Reform Commission Report Family Violence – A National Legal Response.
• The Director of Public Prosecutions to strengthen criminal justice responses to alleged perpetrators of family violence.
• Legal Aid to improve access to legal services for victims of family violence.
• The Tara Costigan Foundation for the establishment of the Tara’s Angels Service to provide a free caseworker service that supports victims as they rebuild their lives and break the cycle of violence.
• A Reportable Conduct Scheme to be operated by the ACT Ombudsman to improve the oversight of how organisations with a high level of responsibility for children respond to allegations of child abuse.

The Confiscated Assets Trust Fund (CAT Fund) allows proceeds of crime forfeited to the Territory to be used for priority criminal justice initiatives. The Attorney-General is directing these funds to key initiatives under the Justice Reform Program:

• $850,000 will be used to support a Justice Reinvestment trial that targets services and support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to improve life outcomes and reduce or prevent contact with the justice system. The funds will be directed towards Aboriginal run organisations, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, and ACT Policing to build engagement with the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander community. It will also provide funding for brokerage, transport and other supports. The 2016-17 Budget also provided $76,000 to employ a trial coordinator, based in the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, to oversee the operational and evaluation requirements of the trial. A key priority for the trial will be to examine how the services and supports delivered can impact on the incidence of family violence.
• $400,000 will support a trial bail support service to coordinate and facilitate access to appropriate support services in the community, including emergency accommodation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be a key focus for the trial. By reducing barriers to the grant of bail the trial will allow individuals to remain part of the community. This is vital in maintaining family ties, promoting continued employment and supporting long term rehabilitation.
• $50,000 will be used in a trial of specialist reports prepared for sentencing courts aimed at shedding light on the cultural and social issues confronted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Attorney-General will also utilise the CAT Fund to partner with Our WATCh in the 2016-17 financial year to help drive nationwide change in the culture, behaviours and power imbalances that lead to violence against women and their children.

2. Building on past work

The ACT continues to work with the Commonwealth Government and all States and the Northern Territory to raise awareness about violence against women and their children, and progress the key Actions under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. We are also working with stakeholders to implement recommendations from the Australian and New South Wales Law Reform Commissions Report: Family Violence – A National Legal Response.

Domestic and family violence, including sexual offences, cannot be addressed with legislation alone. This is why the Government takes a holistic approach by working with service providers, experts and the community to provide a broad range of responses. The Government:

• Established in June 2015 the position of Coordinator-General for Domestic and Family Violence in the ACT which oversees strategic efforts in this area and drives the Second Implementation Plan for the ACT Prevention of Violence against Women and Children Strategy 2011-2017.
• Reformed the victims of crime assistance scheme to make it easier and faster to get financial help and counselling services.
• Established in 2014 the Crisis Services Scheme for women with disability, following a collaboration between the ACT Disability and Community Services Commissioner, Women with Disabilities ACT, the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service and the Victims of Crime Commissioner and developed an e-learning training package on Disability Awareness for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Workers.
• Established a special domestic violence leave provision in the ACT Public Service Enterprise Bargaining Agreement. Employees experiencing domestic violence or providing personal care, support and assistance to a member of their immediate family or household because they are experiencing domestic violence may apply for flexible work arrangements. Up to an additional 20 days leave is available to employees who are experiencing domestic violence, or who are supporting a person experiencing domestic violence, to allow them to be absent from the workplace to attend counselling appointments, legal proceedings and other activities related to domestic violence.
• Supports detainee participation in rehabilitative programs in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) to assist with reintegration into the community. ACT Corrective Services facilitate offence specific and related programs designed to assist offenders to address the causes of their offending behaviour. These programs include the Domestic Abuse Program, Cognitive Self Change Program, Anger Management Program, Harm Minimisation Alcohol and Other Drug Program, Violence Intervention Program and various sex offender programs.
• ACT Corrective Services (ACTCS) facilitates life development programs designed to assist detainees to manage in the community.
  • ‘Self Care for Women’ is a Marymead program co-facilitated by ACTCS designed for women in custody. It focuses on learning strategies to cope with stress, and looks at mental health, mental illness and physical health.
  • ‘Out of the Dark’ is a program for women who have experienced domestic abuse as victims. It is designed to help participants identify issues around domestic violence, as well as identifying options and supports available.
  • ‘Being a Man and a Dad’ is a Marymead program co-facilitated by ACTCS. It is designed for men in custody with parenting roles, with a focus on managing strong emotions in a positive way to build resilient and healthy relationships with their partners and children.
• Is developing an ACT domestic violence data framework, funded women’s safety grants and supported the Domestic Violence Prevention Council with $300,000 from the Confiscated Assets Trust Fund (2015-16 Budget).
• Responded on 10 August 2015 to the Domestic Violence Prevention Council’s April 2015 Extraordinary Meeting highlighting current and future actions to respond to family violence.
• Developed reporting guidelines on violence against women for journalists and embedding respectful reporting into the University of Canberra curriculum on Journalism and Society.
• Has assisted more than 900 women through the Return to Work Grants, approximately half of whom have experienced domestic violence.
• Has provided $615,000 in funding for school Social and Emotional Learning programs over 2015 and 2016. This funding amounts to $2,500 per school per year. The funding is part of the Government’s early intervention and prevention approach to address domestic violence, by enhancing the skills of children and young people to engage in respectful relationships. Forty four ACT public schools have applied for these grants to support a variety of programs. Social and Emotional Learning programs are typically run by teachers as part of the student regular curriculum throughout the year.
• Supported the Working with the Man program provided by EveryMan Australia. Working With the Man (WWM) is a specialist behaviour change program for men who have been violent to women, working to effect long-term change and reduce reoffending. The program is voluntary and applicants are assessed by EveryMan violence prevention workers in relation to their capacity to acknowledge and take responsibility for violent and dominating behaviour before being accepted into the program.
• Supported the annual Partners in Prevention Awards where efforts to reduce violence against women and children are recognised and valued.
• Funded vocational training for victims of domestic violence through the 2016 ACT Adult Community Education Grants (ACE) Program. The training is delivered by Domestic Violence Crisis Service Incorporated.
• Supported the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, and Perinatal Mental Health Consultation Team who undertook staff training in identifying and responding to domestic family violence. In October 2015 the Government implemented a routine screening tool   for domestic violence for all who engage with the service.

 

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