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Women’s Council for Domestic &Family Violence Services (WA)

Women’s Council for Domestic &Family Violence Services (WA). STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-11 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS. Vision Statement. To ensure that all women and children live free of domestic and family violence. Women's Council for Domestic & Family Violence Services (WA). PEAK BODY

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Women’s Council for Domestic &Family Violence Services (WA)

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  1. Women’s Council for Domestic &Family Violence Services (WA) STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-11 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  2. Vision Statement • To ensure that all women and children live free of domestic and family violence Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  3. Women's Council for Domestic & Family Violence Services (WA) PEAK BODY Sector Development Policy Development Projects Research Information & Referral MEMBERSHIP Women’s Refuges Domestic & Family Violence Services DV Regional Committees Associate Members STAFF Executive Officer Project Officers Administration Consultancy & Contracts COMMITTEES Executive Sub-Committees Reference Groups Taskforce WOMEN AND CHILDREN PARTNERSHIPS Government Non Govt Agencies Strategic Alliance National /International Corporate FUNDING Government NGO Membership Sponsors Donations COMMUNITY Women Children Young People Men Metro Rural/Remote UNIFIED VOICE Co-ordination Collaboration Inclusiveness Engagement Background Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  4. Strategic Directions • Effectively represent the Non-Government Domestic and Family Violence sector; • Provide a valuable service to WCDFVS members, including policy advice, advocacy and public profile; • Improve sector capacity and effectiveness; and • Ensure sustainability of the peak body and its membership Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  5. To strengthen our unified voice on domestic and family violence issues • Membership Satisfaction Surveys were conducted in 2008/9 and 2010/11 • The WCDFVS provide policy advice on a range of advisory bodies and committees such as: • Australian Services Union (SACS Division) • Australian Women Against Violence Alliance • CEWA • Community Sector Roundtable • Family & Domestic Violence Unit, SOG • WACOSS Peaks Forum • WESNET (Women’s Services Network) Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  6. Workforce Planning & Capacity • Increase Refuge and DFV staff wages by 30% over the next three to enable the sector to attract and retain experienced staff • National Days of Action (ASU) at Parliament • Pay Equity Case to Fair Work Australia • Lobbying MPs and Premier • CEWA, ASU & WACOSS meetings and lobbying State Government for additional funding for wage increases Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  7. Increase number of Refuge-based Advocacy & Outreach DFV staff • Monitor efficacy of pilot programs and where successful advocate for on-going funding. Eg DV Police Outreach Pilots (POPs) • Over the last couple of years WCDFVS received funding to work in partnership with DCP to build on the good work of the POPs to develop and implement a Safe at Home and DV Outreach model for WA to support the development of six SAH and six DVO programs (includes Breathing Space with state-wide perpetrator response) funded through the National Partnership Agreement (NPA) on Homelessness Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  8. Safe at Home and DFV Outreach • South East Metro: Ruah Community Services • South West Metro: Lucy Saw Centre • North East Metro: Stirling Women’s Refuge • North West Metro: Pat Giles Centre • Wheatbelt: Waminda House • South West: South West Refuge • Peel: DVO: Pat Thomas Memorial House • Pilbara: DVO: Community Legal Service • Murchinson: DVO Chrysalis Support Services • Goldfields: DVO Goldfields Women’s Refuge • Great Southern: Albany Women’s Centre • Communicare’s Breathing Space (perpetrator response) Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  9. Funding for Children’s Workers in Women’s Refuges • Secure funding for a minimum of two FTE Child Support Workers and Child Advocates for Refuges to provide individual case management support programs to children traumatised as a result of DFV. • Has been a key Recommendation within WACOSS pre-budget submission to the State Government for the last three years • Funding has been provided for the WCDFVS for a Children’s Policy Officer position until end of 2012 • Child Support Worker position funded for Albany Women’s Centre and Manager for Pat Giles CCS • Keeping Kids Safe Project has held regular meetings with CSWs and is working towards developing Good Practice Standards for Working with Children in Refuges Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  10. Increase core funding for designated Policy Officer • Due to the increase in projects, training and initiative that the WCDFVS have been delivering over the last three years, the need for designated funding for a designated Policy Officer to enable the WCDFVS to prepare briefing papers, policy advice and submissions to both state and national consultations. Has been raised in Service Reviews with DCP • THIS STILL NEEDS TO BE ACHEIVED Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  11. Housing options to attract/retain staff in rural and remote regions • To offer as salary packaging incentives for DFV workers in rural and remote regions, similar to Government Regional Housing scheme • A couple of initiatives have been operating in Broome and Port Hedland • Requires localised lobbying and negotiation as well as peak body advocacy • MORE WORK REQUIRED ON THIS PRIORITY Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  12. Appropriate/affordable housing options • Increase the safe and affordable public and private rental options for women and children escaping DFV; Priority Housing through DoH with housing for larger families • Submission to Social Housing Taskforce • Green Paper on Homelessness • Submission to Parliamentary Inquiry into the adequacy of social housing in WA • National Homelessness Partnership Agreement (Homeless Accommodation Support Workers; DVO and SAH programs; Street to Home) • Quarterly meetings between metropolitan Refuge and DoH Managers Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  13. Other immediate issues • A Safe House for young women aged 14-18 and their children who are homeless or escaping DFV: We now have KIRA HOUSE now operating! • Damara House purpose built premises is still yet to happen due to hold ups with DoH and allocation of land for the building. Damara House operating out of temporary premises for the last few years Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  14. Greater level of support required • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to address family violence and child sexual abuse, particularly in remote regions of WA • Advocate for the needs of women and children escaping DFV with temporary visa status, (457, 422 and NZ visas) who are ineligible for government services and income support: Letter from State Minister, Robyn Sweeney to Federal Minister for Immigration; A key recommendation from WCDFVS for the WACOSS pre-budget submission Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  15. Continued • Increase support provided to women escaping domestic and family violence who require drug and alcohol counselling and programs • Supporting Women with Complex Needs (SWCN) Roundtable at Parliament House • A two day joint training for AOD and DFV sector workers held at Subiaco Arts Centre which was attended by approx 70 workers. Included keynote presentation from June Oscar, from Fitzroy Crossing who play a lead role in bringing about ‘alcohol bans’ within the community • SWCN Resource developed by WCDFVS and WANADA and made available to DFV and AOD sector workers as a training resource Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  16. WA Refuges On-line • Implement the WA Refuges ‘online’ state-wide bed count system through the WCDFVS website. • Funding was secured from Lotterywest to develop and implement the WA Refuges On-line which was launched in October 2009. • Up-graded to an IT system which replaced the previous metropolitan Refuge Roster and included the ability for rural and remote services to log in and record their available beds each day • DCP are now keen to expand the model to include youth and general homeless sectors and will work with the WCDFVS on shell design and appropriateness of relevant information as will become a sector wide on-line system managed by DCP and WCDFVS will have access to view bed counts each day Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  17. Meetings and Workshops • Executive Committee meetings (10 per year) • Bi-monthly Refuge Managers • Quarterly Training Workshops (DV Legal Unit) • Quarterly Refuge and DoH Managers • Quarterly SAH Meeting • Children’s Workers Meetings • Annual General Meeting • Special Meetings and Forums Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  18. Workforce Development • Conferences • Supporting Children and Young People experiencing DFV (Burswood On Swan) 3 days included: • Showcasing of good practice models for by Refuge and DFV Services for working with children and young people • Impact of trauma and abuse on brain development of children: Australian Childhood Foundation • Australian Domestic Violence Clearinghouse, Good Practice Officer, Ludo McFerran, Safe at Home forum • Response-Based Practice (Tompkin on Swan) 2 days Drs Allan Wade, Cathy Richardson and Linda Coates Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  19. Projects • FFF (Funds for Freedom) • HURT (interactive website, DVD and training guide) • Keeping Kids Safe • Safe at Home • Safety and Security for Women • Skills Recognition ($20,000 from DCP for 50% enrolment subsidies/ airfares to R & R services from 1 Jan 11-31 Dec 2012) • Speak Out (Peer Education) • Supporting Women With Complex Needs Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  20. Explore partnerships with service groups and businesses • Karrakatta Club • Momentum Women’s Forum • Soroptimists International • The Body Shop • Variety WA (TOYBANK) • WOW (WA Airport Corporation, Women’s Committee) Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  21. Advisory Groups and Committees • Australian Services Union (WA Branch) • AWAVA (Australian Women Against Violence Alliance) • Case Management Coordination Services (CMCs) • Community Sector Roundtable • Senior Officer’s Group for Family & Domestic Violence Unit • National Plan Implementation Panel (NPIP) • WESNET • Women’s Advisory Network of WA Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  22. Ensure a gendered analysis is maintained • WCDFVS Position Paper on the Intimate Partner Abuse of Men Research Report commissioned by the Men’s Advisory Network (MAN); Attendance at the MAN workshop • Ensure policy advice and advocacy is relevant to women and children experiencing domestic and family violence • Operate from a feminist perspective and challenge gender neutral positions as it applies to policy and programs for victims and perpetrators Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  23. Rural & Remote • Promote good practice pilots, projects and initiatives in rural and remote areas to receive on-going funding eg. ‘Stronger Women’s Group’ and ‘Safe Children are Strong Children’ (Roebourne Safe House) • Explore opportunities for face-to-face consultations and develop a model that provides intensive support • The Skills Recognition Project has worked with staff from Pat Thomas House in Mandurah, Albany Women’s Centre, Goldfields Refuge in Kalgoorlie and in 2011 will work with staff from Derby and Port Hedland re: Certificate III & IV in Community Service Work Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  24. Royalties for Regions • Chrysalis Services in Geraldton has received funding for building up-grade • Is a pocket of funding for rural and remote services to consider applying for it they have a need that meets the criteria • Safety and Security for Women grants are available to women and children from rural and remote services to access. Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  25. State and National Plans • WA Strategic Plan for Family & Domestic Violence 2009-2013 and Annual Action Plans • National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children (2022) and three year Action Plans • The Road Home A National Approach to Reduce Homelessness (2020) • The WCDFVS have representatives on all of the relevant advisory groups and committees to have input into the planning and implementation processes Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  26. Concluding Statement • The WCDFVS as the non-government peak body for Women’s Refuges and Domestic and Family Services in WA has a key role in providing a voice on DFV that facilitates and promotes policy, legislative and program responses relevant to women and children who have experienced DFV. • As we move into the next decade of the 21st century it appears that the community has the opportunity to build a strong systemic response within laws and social policy that opposes violence against women and children in all its forms and challenges violence-supportive attitudes. • . Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

  27. See our new website www.womenscouncil.com.au Review of Key Acheivements Strategic Plan 2008-11

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