Strengthen the capability of the primary prevention, disability and social service workforces
Strengthen the capability of the primary prevention, disability and social service workforces in disability-inclusive primary prevention activity through the Women with Disabilities Victoria’s Gender and Disability Workforce Development Program.
What we have done:
- Supported the development of resources, which build on the evidence for preventing violence against women with disability and support the design and delivery of prevention projects, which address the gendered drivers of violence and ableism.
- Supported Women with Disabilities Victoria to deliver a range of training to strengthen the prevention of family violence sector capability to address the gendered drivers of violence and ableism.
What we will do:
Through the program until 2027:
- Continue to build the evidence base for addressing the gendered drivers of violence against women and ableism. We will do this through resources that support organisations to develop primary prevention projects with an intersectional lens.
- Continue to deliver learning and development approaches to strengthen the capability of the prevention of family violence sector in addressing the drivers of violence against women with disabilities, including in disability, and social service settings.
- Support Women with Disabilities Victoria to provide strategic advice to the family violence and violence against women sector on policies and programs to prevent violence against women with disabilities.
Lead division: Family Safety Victoria
Roll out family violence and disability practice leader roles
Roll out family violence and disability practice leader roles in eight departmental areas from 2021 and 2023.
What we have done:
- We have so far funded eight practice leader positions to build the capacity of family violence and sexual assault services to provide inclusive support to people with disability. This includes building stronger links and referral pathways across service systems including disability services.
What we will do:
- An evaluation of the program will inform future family violence and sexual assault systemic capacity building. This will improve outcomes for people with disability at risk of family or sexual violence.
Lead division: Family Safety Victoria
Continue to build professionals’ understanding of different risk factors
Continue to build professionals’ understanding of different risk factors for people with disability experiencing or at risk of family violence. This is part of rolling out the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework.
What we have done:
- The MARAM practice guides, tools and resources for professionals include detailed information about applying an intersectional lens when identifying and responding to family violence.
- Training to support department-prescribed workforces in understanding and applying the MARAM Framework, victim survivor practice guides and supporting resources is available to all departmental workforces. This includes training on understanding how workforces can identify and respond more effectively to people with disability.
- MARAM also encourages voluntary alignment where departmental workforces are not currently prescribed. This includes access to resources, guidance, advice and peer support such as communities of practice.
What we will do:
- Family Safety Victoria is finalising three training packages on working with adults using family violence. These packages will help departmental staff in responding to family violence and support the recent practice guide’s release. This includes specific information about responding to people with disability whether a victim survivor or a person using family violence. This includes non-collusive practice and misidentification where people with disability may be more at risk.
- Family Safety Victoria is developing MARAM practice guides that focus on children and young people. The guides continue to emphasise using an intersectional analysis including people with disability.
- Family Safety Victoria is also working with Safe and Equal on training for policy leaders. The training covers understanding MARAM and applying it to policy and projects managed across the department.
Lead division: Family Safety Victoria
Identifying and responding to family violence risk
Explore the role of disability service providers in identifying and responding to family violence risk as part of implementing the MARAM Framework.
What we have done:
- Forensic disability services and programs managed or funded by the Victorian government departments are subject to the MARAM and information sharing reforms and prescribed under regulation. Disability service providers are not currently prescribed under MARAM phase 1 or 2 but have been identified as a gap in the current reform.
What we will do:
- If work is approved to scope further prescribing services, we will look more closely at disability services. We will do this in consultation with sector stakeholders (subject to ministerial approval).
- Consideration will be given to any findings and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability noting that the 2019 MARAM Framework and practice guides are currently under five-year evidence review. We will note any findings from this review.
Lead division: Family Safety Victoria
Continue to implement the Family Violence and Disability Crisis Response initiative
Continue to implement the Family Violence and Disability Crisis Response initiative.
What we have done:
- The Disability Family Violence Crisis Response Initiative has provided immediate practical help to 302 victim survivors with disability in crisis over 12 months (2022–23). Victim survivors have accessed more than $150,000 in disability-related supports to remain safe and/or escape family violence. This has included funding for:
- personal support workers and carers
- disability aids
- assistive technologies
- accessible transport options.
What we will do:
- Continue to provide disability family violence crisis response brokerage and secondary consultations.
- Continue to build capacity in services that support victim survivors living with disability.
Lead division: Family Safety Victoria
Continue to inform, shape and improve family violence and sexual assault policy
Continue to inform, shape and improve family violence and sexual assault policy and practice to include adults, children and young people with disability.
What we have done:
- Developed the Everybody Matters Statement. This statement supports a family violence service system that is:
- strengths-based
- human rights–focused
- inclusive.
What we will do:
- The statement will continue to be used to support the application of an intersectional lens and consideration of people with disabilities experiencing or using family or sexual violence. This will apply to:
- designing the Serious Risk Pilots
- developing the Victorian sexual violence abuse and harm strategy
- more broadly across policy and program development.
Lead division: Family Safety Victoria