Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697631709242.pdf (Australia)
Your submission Please provide a brief summary of your experience and any relevant issues.

Your submission should respond to one or more of the terms of reference.

You may also wish to include any solutions, suggestions, or recommendations you have corresponding to the terms of reference.

Please note that content from this page onwards may be published.
I have worked in the field of Domestic Violence for over 27 years – specifically and only with Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (MWDVCAS).

In recognition of my work in this field I was awarded the Law & Justice Foundation’s Justice Medal in 2015, Camden Woman of the Year in 2018 and in 2020 I received an OAM for service to the community through welfare initiatives.

I am also currently the Chair for Women’s Safety NSW – the peak body for all WDVCAS’.
I am passionate about supporting women and being their voice when they don’t have one.

My job is to empower women so they can make informed choices.

Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (MWDVCAS) is one of 27 WDVCAS’ across NSW.

These WDVCAS’ cover all courts in NSW and work from the Safer Pathway model.
This model includes direct referrals from Police on any DV incidents attended – generating a referral to the relevant WDVCAS based on postcode through the Central Referral Point (CRP).

It also includes Safety Action Meetings (SAM) that are held fortnightly across NSW to identify and work towards making women and children safe who are assessed by the Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool (DVSAT) at “Serious Threat”.
To be deemed at Serious Threat the victim must answer ‘yes’ to 12 or more questions out of the 25 questions asked by both Police and then again by the local WDVCAS.

In the experience of MWDVCAS the Intake Workers escalate many matters to Serious Threat after engaging with the victim on the phone.

WDVCAS’ are usually the first service to call a victim survivor after a DV incident and their engagement with these women is critical.
Women are still stating they didn’t realise they were in a Domestic Violence relationship and that they didn’t know there was support out there locally for them.

Macarthur WDVCAS is one of only two WDVCAS’ statewide that have funding for case management specifically with WDVCAS’.

Case management with WDVCAS’ is vital to ensure immediate, effective, sustained and professional support from a DV specialist service.
Macarthur WDVCAS identified very early on that the case management needed to accommodate the cultural needs of it’s community.

To this end MWDVCAS created case management positions for the following community groups: 1.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander; 2.

Multicultural; 3.

Disability Focussed; 4.

Youth Focussed; 5.

Generalist.

These positions have been overwhelmingly accessed by the Macarthur area.
Data shows that from January to December 2019 MWDVCAS supported 2,430 women in case management specific supportwith 12,384 service events (ie: anything and everything done for the client) in this period.

To break this data down into community groups to show the need for the specific case management please see below: 1.

Aboriginal & TSI clients for 2019: 825 (this data includes an Aboriginal specific DV support group) 2.

Multicultural clients for 2019: 450 3.

Youth Focussed clients for 2019: 350 4.


Disability Focussed clients for 2019: 421 5.

Generalist clients for 2019: 357 There has not been a year since the inception of the case management where these statistics have decreased at all.

They increase every single year.

With the focus on working collaboratively with other service providers and ensuring there is a minimisation of the women having to retell her story, this should be best practice in supporting women around the complexity of DV.
I would submit that case management specifically for the WDVCAS’ would be the best model across NSW.

RECOMMENDATION: It is submitted that the Safer Pathway model and – specifically – the support offered by Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services is integral to women’s safety and is best practice in the collaborative work done across NSW.

WDVCAS’ are the only DV specialist service that works on a local level across the whole of NSW – no other states have a statewide program like this.
Every State and Territory should have a DV specialist service that works 3 Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violenceSubmission 217 on a local level across the whole State or Territory.

Macarthur WDVCAS submits that its collaborative work and immediate case management support ensures that women and their children have immediate supports.

They are not waiting up to 8 weeks or more for a service to be able to assist them.

They are supported on engagement.


They are supported not only in the day to day case management, but also at Court on the ADVO List Days, at hearings, at DCJ FACS case plan meetings and other relevant meetings and MWDVCAS advocate on behalf of the victim survivor with all stakeholders.
This support ensures that the “level and impact of coordination, accountability for, and access to services and policy resonses across the Commonwealth and state … governments, local governments, non government and community organisations, and business” are met.

This support is vital to ensure everyone is accountable in their level of support and also ensures that victim survivors have a voice in a complex environment.

WDVCAS’ are the voice of these victim survivors on every single level.
The case management component adds another level of support – particularly for the abovementioned community groups.

Ideally if MWDVCAS was funded with more $ it would also be able to access the LGBTIQ community – however resources do not allow that.

The Multicultural caseworker is also able to advocate for those women with temporary visas and make appropriate referrals for both legal advice/support and community support.

The same can be said for the Aboriginal, Youth and Disability caseworkers.
To specifically note, both women with Disabilities and Young Women are particularly disadvantaged in terms of DV specialist support.

Both of these positions are particularly busy as the mainstream services (eg: Disability services, Youth services) become aware of the expertise available through these caseworkers.

The caseworkers are also able to apply for financial support for victim survivors through Victim Services including the Immediate Needs Support Package (INSP).
The INSP has been instrumental to women being able to leave a violent relationship and relocate where otherwise they would not be able to due to the financial cost.

This also needs to continue – but it is acknowledged it is costly.

SUGGESTION/RECOMMENDATION: A negative from this case management is that every 12 months both Macarthur and Wagga Wagga WDVCAS have to lobby for the funding to continue.

This impacts on service delivery and is a significant stress for all employees.
The funding for this must be given with the same time period as the base funding – currently 4 years but should be increased to 5 years.

To expect a service to maintain staff and give effective client support with the complexity of DV when funding has to be begged for every 12 months is appalling.
The case management role ensures that a woman dealing with DV has longer term support with the service she starts engaging with and enables that caseworker to assess and refer to other services to work collaboratively with them.

This is done on a daily basis with MWDVCAS.

SOLUTION: Case management should be funded statewide with all WDVCAS’ and nationally through appropriate services.

There is a clear need.


Having case management available at the referral point for immediate support is vital to victim survivors.

Some women don’t have 8 weeks to wait for a worker to support them.

For some women it is literally a matter of life and death and their next step determines their level of safety.

Having immediate support for case management is absolutely essential and should not even have to be highlighted as a need – it should already be happening.
MWDVCAS has also been engaged with other services and businesses to ensure immediate support is available through the following support availability: 1.

2.

Immediate referrals to Macarthur Legal Centre – the auspice of MWDVCAS – for free legal advice from a Community Legal Centre.

Immediate referrals to South West Sydney Tenancy Advice Service – for free advice and support in relation to tenancy issues.

3.
3.

Outreach worker from Centrelink attends Campbelltown Court every Tuesday to immediately support women 4. around their Centrelink issues.

Immediate access to a SafeTCard Duress Alarm – 10 of which were donated by Campbelltown Catholic Club.

These Duress Alarms are also covered for 3 months of monitoring until the caseworker is able to apply for funds from Victim Services for the victim survivor to have her own device.

5.

Access to gift cards for Coles and Woolworths – these are not a funded support.
The money that is required to purchase these cards is donated by businesses across Macarthur.

6.

Access to clothes for court or for job interviews – provided by Dress for Success.

7.

Handbags provided by Share the Dignity and also locally by the community.

These bags have toiletries with them.

Some women have never owned a new handbag or wallet.

8.

Sanitary items – provided by Share the Dignity.


4 Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violenceSubmission 217 Of course, there is also the supports available through networking with key service providers in the Macarthur area such as Staying Home Leaving Violence, WILMA Women’s Health Centre, Macarthur Case Management and other stakeholders.
COVID-19: To highlight the level of work in the Macarthur area specifically during the Covid-19 period of (only) April and May 2020, the Central Referral Point (CRP) data shows the following referrals from Police: 1.

CRP referrals in April 2019 – 340 with 14 of those referrals being Serious Threat from Police.

* 2.

CRP referrals in April 2020 – 392 with 28 of those referrals being Serious Threat from Police.
*An increase of 15.2% in total referrals compared to April 2019 and an increase of 50% for Serious Threat matters.

1.

CRP referrals in May 2019 – 376 with 24 of those referrals being Serious Threat from Police.

* 2.

CRP referrals in May 2020 – 412 with 23 of those referrals being Serious Threat from Police.

* An increase of 9.5% in total referrals compared to May 2019.

* Note that the CRP is a live data platform.


NSW Police Force and other agencies continue to make contriutions throughout the reporting period.

Data is subject to change.

Figures current at time of extraction.

It is noted that in May 2020 the area covered by MWDVCAS was the highest in NSW for both CRP referrals and also for Serious Threat referrals by Police.

At the end of June 2020 it has been stated by all Intake Workers that the referals are continuing to increase.
Most noted are the increase of Serious Threat matters to MWDVCAS.

The level of complexity and seriousness of DV disclosed by victim survivors has increased significantly.

This is being heard across NSW from other WDVCAS Managers.

This is not specific to a few small areas – it is statewide.

Health Support: In order to effectively support women with the complexity of Domestic Violence the issue of women’s health must be taken into account.
On an almost daily basis women are disclosing that they have been the victim of strangulation or blows to the head (potential ABI).

Sometimes these women have not disclosed this to the Police.

An imperative role that MWDVCAS plays is informing her of the risks – particularly around strangulation.

To this end we are able to provide material/resources to her that highlight some symptoms, some physical signs (not usually obvious though) and potential impacts.
To properly do that the Health system must recognise the issue of the health risks to women.

An amazing initiative in NSW is a Forensic Unit that is in the Blacktown/Mt Druitt Health District.

This is the ONLY one in the entire state.

The Forensic Unit is run by Dr Maria Nittis – an exemplary Doctor with a passion for supporting victims of DV and Sexual Assault.
Her small team are able to do a forensic report, appropriate scans/tests, take photographs and write reports for Police evidence that are “expert reports” and ensure she has a professional medical overview of her injuries.

This should be funded in more than one Health district in the entire state of NSW and nationally.

This could literally save a victim from a longer term health impact, stroke or even death.

!
!

I have long advocated for this in the South West Sydney Health District and hope that – one day – it will happen.

Most women we speak to are totally unaware of the health risks they have – particularly those women who have lost consciousness.

They do not realise how close to death they really were.

RECOMMENDATION: The Govt fund Forensic Units across NSW and nationally to ensure that all women who are victims of such high level acts of violence are able to access specialist support.
It is also recommended that GP’s undertake mandatory training around the seriousness of strangulation and ABI to ensure that if a victim cannot access a specialist service such as the Forensic Unit, they will have a GP who realises – immediately – the risks she has and make the appropriate medical interventions for/with her.
There are significant gaps in service provision to particularly vulnerable community groups such as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander women, CALD women (particularly women on Visas), LGBTIQ women, women with a disability and young women.

MWDVCAS is able to fit a small gap in their case management provision to at least some of these community groups – but it is not enough.

It is noted that women with a disability are particularly vulnerable as in some cases the perpetrator is their partner/carer.
They may have no access to other services.

They may not understand what DV is.

We need to ensure that workers outside of the DV sector have access to affordable training on DV and it’s complexities.

Most disability, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, CALD, LGBTIQ, youth services are non-Government agencies.

They have limited funding and accessing specialist training is costly.
There must be affordable access to training so that they are more aware of the issue of DV – which enhances their specific role.

It is also important that they have access to information on DV specialist service providers, particularly WDVCAS’ because of their coverage of the whole of NSW.

5 Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violenceSubmission 217 Housing: MWDVCAS has an effective and positive relationship with our local FACS Housing office.

This support extends to the highest level.


Having a proactive relationship with them ensures that there is a level of accountability in supporting women with accommodation issues.

However, this has taken some time to develop and it is important to highlight that effective training with FACS Housing is the only way to work collaboratively.

Again – I would point out that the FACS Housing offices should be aware of their local WDVCAS and work proactively with them to support the victim.
Of course, the issue of housing for women leaving DV is a much bigger issue.

Affordable housing – particularly in the Sydney metro/outer metro area is very costly.

There should be affordable housing available to all women who have had issues around DV.

This shouldn’t be a dream – this should be a reality.

Legal: MWDVCAS is very lucky to be based with Macarthur Legal Centre – a community legal centre for Macarthur.

This legal centre auspice a range of services.


Having direct access for our clients to free legal advice and support is vital.

Community Legal Centres must be funded appropriately to ensure that this support is Australia-wide.

Funding should not be cut for them, funding should be enhanced.

SUMMING UP: WDVCAS’ statewide are a best practice model.

They are DV specialists.


They know what supports the victim/survivor needs – but sometimes cannot get that support for her immediately with relevant referring agencies in their areas because of waiting list/capacity to provide immediate support.

There also needs to be consideration for the vulnerable community groups already mentioned and also the children – who are usually the silent victims.

Children must never be forgotten in the cycle of violence.
Their development, capacity to thrive and ability to safely work through their own trauma is often forgotten because there isn’t enough funding.

With significant increases each year statewide, the Government has not increased funding to accommodate the extra work.
Data below from Legal Aid NSW (who administer the WDVCAS program): 2015/2016 : • Base funding was increased this financial year by 20% to all services, but it is also noted that the workload increased due to the rollout of the NSW DV Justice Strategy.

• 39,434 clients were supported statewide providing 145,341 services to these women.

An increase of 73% in clients and 42% in service provision from the previous year.
• Received 100,674 referrals from the NSW Police Force and NSW Local Courts through the Central Referral Point.

• Made 125,196 referrals to other services.

An increase of 47% from the previous year.

• 11.1% of clients identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

• 16.8% of clients were from culturally diverse backgrounds.

• 7.7% of clients identified as having a disability.

2016/2017 : • 43,006 clients were supported statewide providing 154,277 services to these women.
An increase of 9% in clients and 6% in service provision from the previous year.

• 11% of clients identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

• 18% of clients were from culturally diverse backgrounds.

• 7% of clients identified as having a disability.

• Macarthur WDVCAS total clients: 2,230 (increase of 3%) with 19,673 service events.

34.541 referrals made in the Macarthur area alone.


2017/2018 : • In 2017 Legal Aid NSW won the 2017 Premier’s Award for Public Service in the category of Reducing Domestic Violence.

This award was won in partnership with NSW Police, Women NSW & the Dept.

of Justice for the It Stops Here : Safer Pathway DV reforms.

• 43,947 clients were supported statewide.

Service events increased by 14.5% from the previous yar.

• 11.7% of clients identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
• 18.5% of clients were from culturally diverse backgrounds.

• 7.4% of clients identified as having a disability.

• Compared to the 2014/2015 year WDVCAS’ increased the number of women supported by 52%.

• Macarthur WDVCAS total clients: 2,438 (increase of 4.8%) with 25,592 service events (increase of 30%).

51,307 referrals made in the Macarthur area alone (increase of 48.5%).

6 Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violenceSubmission 217 2018/2019 : • 47,902 clients were supported statewide.
A 9% increase from the previous year.

• Service events increased by 20.5% from the previous year.

• 12.8% of clients identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

• 18.5% of clients were from culturally diverse backgrounds.

• 8% of clients identified as having a disability.

• 90% of the 47 clients who participated in an independent evaluation of the WDVCAS’ stated they felt safer after engaging with their local WDVCAS.
• Macarthur WDVCAS total clients: 2,665 (increase of 9.3%) with 27,880 service events (increase of 8.9%).

61,930 referrals made in the Macarthur area alone (increase of 20.7%).

So if the number of women supported by WDVCAS’ has more than doubled in 5 years – why isn’t there an increase in funding from State and Federal Governments to reflect the significant increase in workload/resourcing?

It is of great concern that such an important program does not increase in $ support with such an increase.
Specific to the Macarthur WDVCAS clients have increased by 16.4% between 2016/17 to 2018/19.

Specific to the Macarthur WDVCAS the case management of clients has increased by just over 43%.

Clearly the WDVCAS model works.

The number of women supported would be the most significant support rate for female DV victim survivors Australia wide – and all areas of NSW are covered.

In order for these vital DV specialist services to continue funding must be reflective of the need.
In order for case management to continue in Macarthur and Wagga Wagga funding must be longer than 12 months.

This case worker funding must be rolled out statewide – specifically to WDVCAS’ and nationally to appropriate services.

If there is insufficient room above to summarise your experience and relevant issues, please attach additional pages to this submission as required.

7 Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violenceSubmission 217