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Submission to the Commonwealth Finance and Public Administration References Committee re Domestic Violence Improving safety, wellbeing and justice outcomes Author Janine Mahoney Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 Message from the CEO… We have heard so often “Why didn’t she just leave?” This question reflects the communities thinking that family violence is a danger to women and children that can be easily seen and avoided.
In reality family violence often has a slow, chronic onset where it is difficult to establish where the violence begins.

Small changes in a relationship such as ongoing criticism and questioning of ability turn into behaviours that create isolation and dependence.
Add threats of harm and the use of physical violence resulting in women and children living in constant fear for their lives, robbed of self-confidence and social supports and you see the picture of a family struggling to escape the cycle of violence.

The community often has stereotypical beliefs of the families that live with family violence.

Strong women, working women, educated women, women from all socio economic and cultural and diverse backgrounds fall victim to family violence.
Importantly, women that each of us know and respect have fallen victim to the cycle.

The question of “Why didn’t she just leave?” turns into “It’s a miracle she survived”.

The community then needs to ask “Why do we not challenge and stop men who use control, abuse and violence?” The Safe Futures Foundation believes all children, young people and adults have the right to live safely in their community.

We understand violence in the home to include control, abuse and physical assault.
Engaging and partnering with those that can influence and create change, the Foundation is committed to building understanding on the long term impact and cycle of violence, creating solutions to protect those at risk or experiencing control, abuse and violence, and to have a community united in their commitment to ensure a safe future for all.
We believe that a response ensuring those first to know are also those first to act is central to a solution that provides safety and support at the earliest possible time.

We are committed to providing every child, young person and adult with choices and opportunities to holistically heal the mind, body and soul and to reach their potential after the trauma of control, abuse and violence.
We invite those who have gained strength and resilience to walk with others and inspire them to become empowered and self-determining.

Janine Mahoney CEO Safe Futures Foundation Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 1.

Context A Global Health Epidemic Family violence harms individuals, families and communities and presents immense social and economic challenges for governments across the world.
In 2013 the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced findings from an extensive global study, indicating some 35% of all women will experience either intimate partner violence or non-partner violence.

The study found that intimate partner violence is the most common type of violence against women, affecting 30% of women worldwide.
The United Nations has determined that violence against women and children has now reached epidemic proportions and continues to be one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the world.

It severely impacts survivors and comes at tremendous emotional, social and economic costs for families, local communities and the wider society.
In Australia Domestic violence is the leading cause of death and injury in women under 45, with more than one woman murdered by her current or former partner every week.

Currently one murder per week in Australia is attributable to family violence.

“These findings send a powerful message that violence against women is a global health problem of epidemic proportions,” Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General (World Health Organisation, 2013b).
Increasing Demand Crime statistics show family violence offences are spiralling out of control and place immense demands on the community and health sectors, emergency services, the justice system and corrections.

In the past ten years, cases of family violence related crime against the person have increased by nearly 400% in Victoria.
In financial year 2012-2013, family violence offences increased by 21.6% and police attended almost 61,000 family violence incidents, about 49,000 of these resulted in a person being charged (Bucci, 2013).

In 2012-2013 SFF supported 689 vulnerable individuals through more than 6210 client contacts, including 221,000 nights of crisis accommodation.
Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 The interesting thing for me is understanding that a woman or child is more likely to get assaulted in their home than they are on the street,” Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Ken Lay (Le Grand, 2011) Root cause of individual, community and societal dysfunction Numerous international research studies have recently identified that the experience of control, abuse and violence as a child significantly increases the likelihood of long term impacts on mental and physical health, social, sexual and interpersonal experiences and functioning.
It also significantly increases the likelihood of involvement in criminal activity and incarceration.
Alarmingly the following statistics are some of the many that identify the long term cost to the individual and the community of childhood experiences of control, abuse and violence: • A National study by the Crime Victims Institute at Sam Houston State University in the USA based on a national sample over a twenty year period identified: o 3 of 4 children who experienced control, abuse or violence as a child ended up victims as adults o 4 of 5 children who experienced control, abuse or violence as a child ended up becoming perpetrators as adults • In a further study the Crime Victims Institute at Sam Houston State University also identified that 33% of male and 40% of female gang members experienced or witnessed control, abuse or violence as a child.
• The University of Alaska identified that 80% those incarcerated in prisons experienced childhood control, abuse or violence.

These statistics are duplicated in numerous studies of those incarcerated in the USA.

Economic Cost Beyond family violence’s terrible physical, psychological, emotional and social impact on individuals, the economic costs are huge – estimated at more than $3.4 billion per annum in this State alone (Victorian Government, 2012).
In Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 2008-2009 the estimated economic cost of violence against women and their children in Australia was approximately $13.6 billion of which approximately $3.4 billion was the cost to Victoria.

In 2013 the cost of violence against women and their children to the Australian economy reached $14.7 billion.
KPMG has calculated these costs to include pain and suffering, health costs, medical treatment, police and judicial services, housing, child protection and a range of other services.

It also includes the productivity cost, including absenteeism, lost productivity related to use of sick leave, underperformance, poor workplace relationships, and access to employment support services, replacing staff, and lost unpaid work.
Without appropriate action to address violence against women and their children, it is estimated the national figure will rise to around $15.6 billion, by 2021–222, with Victoria’s share of that cost around $3.9 billion (Office of Women’s Policy 2009).

The cost to the Australian economy is expected to rise to $15.6 billion by 2021.
Advocacy & Media Agenda Some recent tragedies have received extensive media coverage, including the deaths of 11 year old Luke Batty, 3 year old Savannah and 4 year old Indiana Mihayo, and mother of four Fiona Warzywoda.

Advocacy and awareness campaigns from public figures such as the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Ken Lay, and news media such as the Herald Sun, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald have increased the profile of family violence in the public eye.
Sector Reform “Service integration has been a major plank of policy directions in all Australian jurisdictions.

Both service users and providers want it…Integration needs to be based upon a range of public service agencies working in partnership with both generalist and specialist providers…To date, six multi-disciplinary centres have been funded in areas of high need.

Initial evaluation suggests positive outcomes,” (Professor Shergold AC, 2013).
Government is reforming the way it delivers human services in response to spiralling demand and recent high-profile examples of systemic failures.

This reform is driven by a number of national and state reform strategies, many of which target or intersect with family violence issues.
The Shergold Report Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 (Service Sector Reform: A roadmap for community and human services reform) will guide reform in Victoria alongside other existing plans including Victoria’s Action Plan to Address Violence Against Women & Children.

“Our plan involves a more co-ordinated and integrated approach by government and other agencies to helping these women and children.
It recognises that research, education and early intervention are vital to ensure long lasting change across the community,” (Victorian Government, 2012).

The Victorian Government is likely to announce changes to contract structures and tender specifications in 2014 based on Professor Shergold’s report.
Government may open community services sector contracts – traditionally funded by public dollars – to competition from the market (private sector), which could include large private health providers and international competitors beyond the existing competition from large charitable organisations.

The Victorian State election in November 2014 will have implications on funding arrangements and reform across public services, as will the Commonwealth and State budgets.
Information Communication Technology State and Federal Governments are committed to implementing information communication technology (ICT) and becoming better at sharing data within and between departments and the public, to digitalise and streamline systems in health, aged care and human services.
The Victorian Government ICT Strategy 2013-2014, DataVic Access Policy and the Australian Public Service Information and Communications Technology Strategy 2012-2015 set the immediate priorities for this work (Australian Government, 2012; Department of Treasury & Finance, 2012; Victorian ICT Advisory Committee, 2013).
2. Who we are Safe Futures Foundation (SFF) is a nationally awarded innovator providing specialist family violence responses whilst also advocating for safety, wellbeing and justice to all who experience control, abuse and violence.

SFF formed in 2013 from the merger of Brenda House and Maroondah Halfway House.
Since formation it has continued to grow with two subsequent acquisitions resulting in more staff and resources to become one of the largest Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 family violence organisations in Victoria.

The organisation has won national awards for innovation, quality of its services and workplace arrangements for employees.
SFF is recognised within the sector for its client work, particularly for the outcomes it achieves with individuals who have complex and specialist needs due to diversity in culture, language, age or physical ability.

SFF is growing and developing rapidly to serve contemporary community, government and legislative needs in the face of a problem that the United Nations regard as so catastrophic as requiring a global commitment to the elimination of its root cause, violence in the home.
It delivers strategic solutions for community sector challenges within a reform environment.

Recognising the urgent need to abolish service ‘silos’ and achieve better outcomes for users with a system-wide, ‘joined-up’ approach (Professor Shergold AC, 2013), SFF focuses on ensuring those first to know are also those first to act which is central to a solution that provides safety and support at the earliest possible time.
The response is premised on a triage approach with comprehensive assessment of risk, safety and support requirements, and direct accesses to responses and resources ranging from safety strategies and immediate necessities through to therapeutic, educational and wellbeing programs.

Increased safety, security and support is provided for those able to remain in their own homes and communities.
For those where no intervention will provide the safety they require, support is provided to relocate and create a safe and stable life in a new community.

Respect for the clients connection to their community, culture and spirituality is of paramount importance.

Accessing specialist support for those with a disability, physical or mental health diagnosis, substance addiction or no permanent residency is a priority.
The Foundation’s services are based on a more strategic approach than existing community service models in this area.

SFF’s work focuses on instigating social change through prevention and early intervention work, alongside its crisis responses for family violence.

SFF’s expertise was recently recognised globally with an international contract awarded to conduct research in Timor Leste.

The research is concerned with both community perceptions of family violence and current responses to the issue.
The impetus for this research is fundamentally based on the needs of family violence victims.
By providing a deeper understanding of how communities perceive and choose to address family violence, this research will Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 inform future planning and decisions of implementing partners, local service providers, international donors and state actors regarding how to best direct funds in the design, plan, implementation and delivery of efforts to prevent and reduce family and community violence in Timor Leste.
A number of other governments from the Asia Pacific region have approached SFF to work collaboratively to inform the development of family violence responses.

3.

What are the objectives of the SFF model SFF has developed a model of response to serve contemporary community, government and legislative needs and challenges facing first responders (public and private) in the face of a worldwide family violence epidemic (World Health Organisation, 2013a).
The foundation has designed, successfully implemented, and is enhancing an alternative service model with an integrated, family focused and client-centric approach featuring a range of specialist responses.

The model is derived from SFF’s commitment to improving outcomes for individual clients and systemic outcomes for government by breaking the broader family violence cycle.
SFF model refers to the systems and process required to enable the delivery of coordinated, integrated and interoperable responses to individuals and families experiencing control, abuse and violence in Victoria.

SFF is proposing a model that will: • • Improve the safety, care, support, recovery and long term outcomes for survivors.

Identify those at risk at the earliest possible time.

• Address and reduce violent behaviour.


• Deter and make accountable those that use control, abuse and violence with increased capacity to progress criminal justice responses.

The purpose of this document is to provide a high level outline of the model, including what is being proposed and the key features and benefits of the new model.

Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 The key objectives of SFF’s model are to: 1.
Ensure that individuals and families who experience control, abuse and violence are provided with the most appropriate response, at the earliest possible time and in the most appropriate setting to meet their safety, wellbeing and justice outcomes.

2.

Provide a discreet, effective, multi-agency, joined-up response that co- locates safety, wellbeing and justice responses in community hubs, linked satellite sites and virtual settings.

3.
3.

Implement targeted early intervention and prevention strategies to equip families and their communities with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to effectively ensure the safety, care, well-being, development and education of their children and to break the intergenerational cycle of violence.

4.
4.

Improve emergency services (Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria) ability to meet all 000 callers needs in the most efficient and operationally effective way, better identify risk, triage responses and increase the range of response options or services available via targeted referral pathways (ie.

to be effective from an operational and financial perspective) 5.
Strive to ensure that all children and young people in Victoria live, learn and play in an environment where they are safe, recognising the primary role of parents and the importance of supporting the development of positive parenting competencies.

6.
6.

Increase detection and accountability in relation to perpetrators, and improve the prospects of conviction in cases of intervention order breaches, thus improving police ability to prosecute intervention order breaches through the deployment of cost-effective CCTV monitoring and SafeTcard audio / visual equipment.

7.

Provide justice responses in high security specialist courts with judiciary who are highly trained and experienced in family violence and family law.
Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 4.

Challenges The existing family violence system has developed historically as a ‘one size fits all’ service system and is primarily focused on a crisis response that requires women and children experiencing family violence to fit into specific time limited responses.

Inconsistent responses across the service system at a state and national level have led to many women experiencing barriers, limited outcomes, escalated risk and homelessness.
Too many women and children have paid the ultimate price and lost their lives due to systemic weaknesses and failure to protect.

The system requires the woman to identify her experiences as family violence although the broad definition of violence remains mostly misunderstood within the community.

Few in the community, including the majority of professionals, fail to understand that control and abuse are equally as part of the cycle of violence as physical assault.
This has resulted in many women, and those within their communities, not recognising their experiences as family violence and thus not accessing family violence responses for support.

Most clients of the existing family violence service system have reached the point of crisis and imminent risk before the system responds.

The existing service system also frequently impedes women and children remaining within their own home and community, and accessing the existing supports available.
This inevitably leads to women’s economic disempowerment and results with children commonly disengaged from education with academic outcomes well below those of their peers.

SFF has identified eight critical challenges which need to be addressed to decrease the incidence of violence in the home and the subsequent community issues i.e.
community / street violence; workplace violence / bullying; sexual assault; elder abuse; human trafficking; drug and alcohol abuse; mental health issues; homelessness; and crime.
The eight challenges include: • Meet rapidly rising demand efficiently and effectively within an environment of resource constraints; • Implement cross sector internal, external and emergency communication strategies to ensure risk and duty of care are addressed Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 at the earliest time with the most appropriate response to provide optimum individual and community safety; Improve emergency communication and response times; Increase engagement, educational outcomes and opportunities for all children who have experienced control, abuse and violence to reach their potential; • • • To provide men with responses that address and support their personal challenges, build father child relationships, teach them about respectful relationships and stop their use of violence; • To increase the level of education, engagement, capacity and resourcing of the cross sector workforce to increase successful safety, wellbeing and justice outcomes for women and children experiencing control, abuse and violence: • To meet growing community expectations; • To improve financial performance, public value and viability of cross sector responses utilising technology and cloud based digitalisation.
5.

What are the key features of the SFF response model?

The key features of the SFF base response model to address violence in the home: • Has the capacity to be globally scaled whilst remaining locally relevant to the needs of diverse communities.

• Fosters a collective culture across sectors whilst enabling high potential for individual agencies to operate autonomously.

• Promotes a cross sector culture of excellence and high performance.
Responses are supported by world leading quality improvement systems incorporating policies that are enduring yet agile and open to revitalisation.

Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 • Determines the most appropriate safety and support response through a process of triage for better identification of the client’s level of risk (high, medium or low) supported by clearly identified targeted referral pathways.
SFF response model compliments and supports the proposed Ambulance Victoria’s revised operating model and multidisciplinary referral call centre.

The model will triage and better align safety and support options so that police and paramedics are available to concentrate on high-risk clients requiring an immediate 000 emergency response (the most costly response).
It facilitates triaging others to be managed by qualified and expert professionals in the family violence sector to provide appropriate and less costly services such as the ‘Safe in the Community” outreach response and 1800respect’s 24 hour / 7 day counselling and support.

• ‘Safe in the Community’, ‘Community Connect ‘ and ‘Safe Children, Bright Futures’ response programs are designed to result in best possible client outcomes.

Individualised ‘Circles of Support’ C.A.R.E.


(client advocacy, resilience and education) plans offer a comprehensive suite of responses supporting those experiencing control, abuse and violence with access to immediate options for safety, stability, recovery and opportunities to reach their potential.

A national partnership with 1800respect ensures every client has 24/7 professional telephone support and immediate access to a face to face response when required.
‘Circles of Support’ also offer those perpetrating violence a comprehensive suite of responses in recognition that a significant proportion of offenders were themselves the victims of abuse, control or violence as children or young people and require support to minimise feelings of anger and break the cycle of violence.

Specialist responses are designed to respond in a culturally and spiritually sensitive way.
The National award winning integrated, cross sector disability response ensures women and children of all abilities have access to a suite of tailored responses.

The newly developed elder abuse response is the first integrated response of its type in Victoria.
• Promotes education, engagement, collaboration and communication within and across diverse professions to equip front line workers that Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 are ‘first to know’ of the control, abuse and violence with the knowledge, resources and referral pathways to offer earliest possible ‘first to act’ responses.
• Comprehensive client, perpetrator, property, cyber and cultural risk assessments combined with a streamlined triage and referral system identifies the potential lethality of perpetrators and identifies women and children most at risk of serious physical assault and homicide.

The model compliments and supports the Victorian Risk Assessment Management Panel (RAMP) response model that brings together agencies to manage the highest risk cases.
The agencies, including family violence services, Victoria Police, Corrections Victoria, child protection services, hospital, Centrelink and others, meet monthly to share information about these cases and create collaborative action plans.

• Child safety, wellbeing and connectedness is embedded as a collective and shared responsibility of all individuals, families and communities.
The ‘Safe Children, Bright Futures’ response provides pathways and immediate access to a suite of options that promote and safeguard the wellbeing of children and support families in fulfilling their responsibility for the care, upbringing, development and education of children.

The outcomes achieved by the ‘Safe Children, Bright Futures’ satellite classroom have gained local, National and International acclaim.
• Acknowledges that those who have experienced control, abuse and violence require access to highly visible holistic multidisciplinary wellbeing hubs that embrace cultural and spiritual diversity.

Place based and virtual responses will position the responsibility for safety, stability, healing and support at the centre of every community.
A partnership with the International Family Justice Centre Alliance ensures global support to establish ‘Community Connect Hubs’ (Family Wellbeing and Justice Centres) in relevant locations with satellite centres and virtual responses to isolated individuals and communities.

As the Australian representative on the International Alliance the SFF CEO has direct access to global research and resources, and input into recommendations for the United Nations.
Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 • Specialist Family Violence Courts will ensure the best possible justice responses are provided in a safe, timely and sensitive manner.

• To achieve best client outcomes and public value, ICT strategies and software have been developed by SFF to deliver multi- agency interoperability and coordination whilst supporting the capability for agencies to operate autonomously.
SFF has guided the development and implementation of a client centred, family focused ‘cloud’ solution that is maximum security, low cost, efficient, scalable, integrated and interoperable.

The system captures and makes accessible client data and risk profiling across sectors that is currently not available.
• The use of world leading accredited technology (CCTV camera’s, secure storage for live streamed audio and visual admissible evidence, SafeTcard -personal safety technology) is utilised to improve the safety of those at risk, deter perpetrators from offending and provide admissible evidence to ensure appropriate justice responses.

In all cases clients are educated to call 000 when able, in all such cases 000 remains responsible for ensuring the client receives the most appropriate response.
When a client is unable to access 000 the technology provides access via a A1 Telstra approved security call centre to a 000 co-ordinated response.

All audio and visual data is live streamed via Telstra emergency services band to secure storage for retrieval by police when required.

• A highly skilled and committed workforce is essential for guiding clients along pathways to healing, resilience and self-determination.
SFF has committed to further design and implement a community sector human resources strategy to an employer of choice standard.

The strategy will ensure the right people are in the right positions, have the highest regard for workplace safety, training, health and wellbeing, and offers flexibility, career opportunity and reward to staff.
• On-going sustainability and growth will be delivered via communications, community investment, and marketing plans; prudent financial, risk and operational management; compliance to relevant industry legislation and standards; a commitment to environment; and best practice governance.

Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 • For communities to assume responsibility and take action to ensure a safe future for all, they must first be educated and engaged.
SFF is committed to conducting broad ranging community consultation and design thinking research to inform the development of local, national and international policy and advocacy positions.

Recent research conducted in Timor Leste has introduced a highly acclaimed methodology that will have applicability for all nations.

6.

BENEFITS Revising Australia’s family violence response model will be a complex process that will take a number of years.
However, it is expected that implementing this change will provide significant broad ranging and long term benefits to those living with control, abuse and violence, local communities, emergency services, the community and health sectors, justice, corrections, and Government.

Benefits to individuals, families and the community: Implementing and scaling the model will ensure that: • The safety and experience of the individual and family would be improved through more timely and responsive service provision.
Individuals are directed to the most appropriate service or response to provide safety and stability at the earliest possible time.

This is particularly important for high risk individuals and families experiencing complex circumstances whose case management will be optimised if there is a “continuum of care” • Men are offered support to address their experiences and the trauma related impact of control, abuse and violence.
The model provides case management support, building of father child relationships, education on respectful relationships and personal coaching.

• Children who have experienced control, abuse and violence are offered a suite of responses to build literacy and numeracy, encourage educational engagement and promote resilience to enable all to have every opportunity to reach their potential.
Families are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively care for the wellbeing, development and education of their children.

Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 • Improved services to regional Australian’s offer a broader range of response options in those areas.
Benefits to cross sector organisations: From an organizational perspective, the response model will: • Reduce demand for Police and Ambulance emergency services and Family Violence sector emergency accommodation and support and hence improve emergency availability and response times for the highest risk and most urgent clients; • Improve staff morale across all sectors as they will have greater opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to provide clients with the best possible safety and support outcomes; • • Improve financial viability and public value, as a more cost efficient service delivery model will be introduced; Improve relationship, communication and interfaces between emergency services, community and health sector organisations, child protection, justice and corrections.
• Improve the ability to share and transfer data about individual clients and their risk across different cross sector organisations.
Benefits to Government: From an overall Government perspective, the response model will: • Provide a more appropriate targeted service to meet community needs; • Better co-ordinate and integrate family violence responses; • Provide a more effective “000” service model to meet growing demands; • Provide a client centred, family focused ‘cloud’ software solution that is maximum security, low cost, efficient, scalable, integrated and interoperable.
The system captures and makes accessible client data and risk profiling that is currently not available.

• Better utilise private sector resources in terms of service provision capability and capacity Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 • Better utilise highly trained professionals skills / resources to meet needs of high risk clients in a more timely way resulting in better safety wellbeing and justice outcomes for the most at risk clients.
• Significant cost and resource savings and increased public value in a move from crisis driven to deterrent and early intervention response models.

• Meeting community expectations for a safer community and providing hope for a brighter future for all.

7.

NEXT STEPS SFF is able to provide detailed specifications on all recommended responses, the majority of which have already successfully been trialled, implemented and evaluated.

8.
8.

CONCLUSION The ability of the Australian cross sector to respond to those experiencing control, abuse and violence in the home is critical, failure ultimately results in a tragic and unnecessary loss of life.

The priority nature and high cost of effective emergency / crisis responses to violence in the home, an increasingly complex service delivery environment combined with rapidly escalating demand has resulted in a system that is failing.
Overall system ability to meet that demand relies in large part on how well we meet and manage demands associated with those that have not yet reached the point of critical harm, homelessness or intervention by Child Protection.

This is the fundamental principle behind the SFF model.

The current emergency / crisis responses cannot continue to operate under the current structure given the already stretched resources and forecast increase in demand.
The revised SFF model provides a sustainable and viable approach to triage responses and deliver sector reform at an affordable cost - at point of first identification - to the safest and most appropriate response pathway.

This will ensure appropriate individual safety and support is provided but at an affordable and sustainable cost to the government.
Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150 Communication is essential in its broader education and policy leadership agenda, and strategic engagement with partners, including government agencies, corporate sponsors and researchers.

Domestic violence in AustraliaSubmission 150