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Learn about the Support and Safety Hubs, a new way to access coordinated support for women, children, and families experiencing family violence. Discover the government's plan for reform and the establishment of the Hubs, which aim to ensure safety, accountability, and easy access to essential support services.
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Support and Safety HubsSector UpdateBriefing pack2 February 2018
Royal Commission into Family Violence The Royal Commission into Family Violence and Roadmap for Reform confirmed we needed to redesign our service system to ensure that women and children are safe from harm and families can easily access the supports they need.
FSV and Hubs 227 Recommendations of the Royal Commission Accepted • Ending Family Violence: Victoria’s Plan for Change (November 2016) committed to establishing Support and Safety Hubs. • The 2017-18 State Budget allocated $448.1 million over four years for the establishment of the Hubs, including a physical site in each of the 17 DHHS areas across the state by 2021. This is part of a $1.9 billion investment in 2017-18 budget and in addition to an investment of $572 million in the 2016-17 budget across the reforms. • A new agency, Family Safety Victoria, was set up on 1 July 2017. It is dedicated to leading the establishment of the Hubs as well as other key reforms. • Support and Safety Hubs: Statewide Concept was released on 5 July 2017. It describes the long-term plan, intent and purpose of the Hubs, sets out government’s approach and outlines the principles for the design.
The Hubs – the plan The Hubs will be a new way for women, children and young people experiencing family violence and families in need of support with the care, wellbeing and development of children and young people, to access coordinated support from justice, health and social services. It does not replace existing specialist services or responses but enables a new entry point. The Hubs will be accessible, safe and welcoming to people, providing quick and simple access to the support and safety they need. The Hubs will also focus on perpetrators of family violence, to keep them in view and play a role in holding them accountable for their actions and changing their behaviour. The Hubs will help tilt the focus of the whole service system towards tackling the source of the violence: the perpetrator. The Hubs will bring together access points for family violence services, family services and perpetrator/men’s services. Over the next four years, the Hubs will replace existing referral points for victims and perpetrators of family violence (including police L17 referral points) and children and families in need of support (Child FIRST). This will not prevent clients from exercising choice over service agency from doing so (see slide 28). The Hubs will work in partnership with Aboriginal communities and services to support Aboriginal self-determination and ensure that culturally safe responses are availablefor Aboriginal people across the state. The Victims Support Agency (VSA) will continue to provide a tailored access point for male victims of family violence (this means that police L17 referrals for male victims will continue to go to VSA and not the Hubs).
The first five Hubs Work is currently underway to establish the first Hubs in five launch site areas – Barwon, Bayside Peninsula, Inner Gippsland, Mallee and North East Melbourne. It is anticipated that the five Hubs will commence operations in the first half of 2018. To support the establishment of Hubs, FSV is: Leading statewide design and policy work to develop a model for the Hubs, governance arrangements, and policies and frameworks that will support integrated practice Working closely with local governance groups and stakeholders to undertake local area implementation planning, including physical infrastructure, IT requirements, workforce transition Developing key enablers for the Hubs (the Central Information Point and Client Relationship Management system) and undertaking related reform work (such as information sharing) Extensive engagement has been undertaken at statewide and local levels throughout the design and establishment of Hubs. This work will continue. FSV has also commenced planning for the future rollout of Hubs.
Who we’ve spoken to In consultation with the community sector and agencies across government, FSV has worked with key partners to: continue to develop the Hubs service model and an interim integrated practice framework to ensure consistency across all the Hubs and service delivery partners establish accountability mechanisms and systems for oversight and coordination of Hubs, and establish infrastructure including an effective client relationship management system. • Statewide engagement • Family Violence Steering Committee • Aboriginal family violence co-design forum • Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum • Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council • Statewide Expert Design Workshops • Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator Interventions • Diverse Communities and Intersectionality Working Group • Existing key sector and cross-sector forums, including with peak bodies • Local engagement • (to feed local experience and intelligence into the statewide design process) • Local Hub Establishment Groups • Hub Leadership Groups • Local communities • Aboriginal services and organisations • Community service organisations • Existing regional committees and alliances • People who have used services • Front-line workers
Putting people at the centre: a focus on client experience Client input into Hubs design The voices of people who have experienced the service system (including victim survivors, parents and children, and perpetrators) have been a critical input throughout the design of the Hubs. Key elements of the Hub service have been tested with these groups, providing insights about their experience that have been incorporated into the design and supporting documents. Ongoing measurement and improvement of the Hubs client experience FSV is also developing a process to enable ongoing monitoring and improvement of the experience of people who will access the Hubs. This client experience feedback and design process will: enable continuous feedback on and measurement of the client experience enable the iterative design, prototyping and testing of service elements to evolve the service model and improve the client experience complement other feedback processes (such as evaluation and performance monitoring) and service design processes (such as operational planning and improvement processes) draw on and build the capability of Hub and FSV staff to gather feedback on, measure and continually improve the client experience be inclusive, responsive and accessible for clients from all diverse backgrounds help to consolidate learnings from the launch areas. This process will be implemented in the first five Hubs.
Outcomes FSV is committed to an approach to outcomes measurement and monitoring against the Family Violence Outcomes Framework that is supplemented with outcomes aligned with relevant department frameworks, including DHHS, DJR, Victoria Police, Courts and DET This approach recognises that people who rely on services funded and delivered by FSV are also likely to engage with a broader range of services, including child and family services and the justice system Developing a consistent approach to measuring and monitoring outcomes for people who move through these intersecting systems is key to understanding the effectiveness of services that are funded and delivered by FSV Work is underway to develop an approach to client level outcomes measurement and monitoring for the Hubs and the core services that recognises and manages these service delivery intersections
Evaluation FSV will undertake an initial review of the effectiveness and fidelity of the Hubs service delivery model in 2018, with a view to providing options to enhance the model and inform the next phase of statewide roll-out. The Support and Safety Hubs: Framework for Initial Evaluation will provide the underlying framework and plan for assessing the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of Support and Safety Hubs in the five launch sites. • A more extensive Evaluation Plan is also being developed. This plan will include a proposed approach to the ongoing evaluation of the Hubs implementation and outcomes, that includes proposed data collection methods, timing and stakeholder roles
Governance Family Safety Victoria will establish and initially oversee management of the Hubs to ensure strong statewidefidelity and quality in the model, support the development of consistent integrated practice, and utilise government levers to ensure that the Hubs and community, social, health and justice services have the support they need to work together effectively.
The core Hub team and a broader network of services Partner services: These comprise the services in each area who are partnering to make up the Hub. Core services: These comprise all of the organisations and agencies that provide specialist family violence services, family services and perpetrator/men’s services in the area, including those who are partnering to make up the Hub. Broader network services: These comprise the range of health, justice, community and education services in the area. From the commencement of operations in the launch areas, the Hub team includes frontline staff, operational leadership and practice leadership. Refer to next slide.
The Hub Team * Previously known as Community based Child Protection practitioners, as based with ChildFIRST
Shared responsibilities All Hubs staff will be responsible for: administration, record keeping and data management supporting integrated approaches ensuring cultural safety, choice and self-determination for all Aboriginal clients ensuring accessibility, inclusiveness and responsiveness to diverse communities aligning work with the integrated practice framework, operating guidance and service requirements
The physical Hub A primary physical location is being established in each of the launch areas to support the operation of the Hubs. These sites will accommodate most of the Hubs workforce and will be accessible to the community for people who wish to self-refer by ‘walking in’. Design and branding of the physical sites has taken into account the need for the buildings to be: Welcoming and culturally safe, including for children and young people Accessible for all people, by incorporating physical access features and supporting information and communication access for people with disabilities or from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds Safe by embedding design features to enhance security and along with careful operational planning and security monitoring Comfortable with private spaces and rooms for client interviews and meetings and dedicated and secure working areas for staff • The safety of women and children is central to the design and operation of the Hubs, particularly the physical and face-to-face access methods. Strong safety measures in design and operation, along with careful operational planning and scheduling, will ensure risks posed by working with perpetrators are thoroughly managed. Deliberate use of the range of access methods (telephone, outreach, access points) will give professionals in the Hubs the tools to choose how they work with women and men.
Hubs Client Relationship Management System – CRM The Hubs CRM will be used to record client case records and information including risk assessments and safety plan, and support some reporting of client and service level outcomes and data. The roll-out of this infrastructure will form part of the phased implementation of the Hubs so that by 2021 there is a statewide Hubs CRM system. The CRM will ‘go live’ for the implementation of the first five launch Hubs and will evolve over time based on user feedback. Workers at launch sites will play a critical role in providing this feedback and testing iterations of the CRM. The CRM will have strong data security mechanisms to ensure client information is appropriately protected. All Hub staff will be trained in how to use the CRM prior to roll-out. The CRM will be integrated with Interim Comprehensive Risk Assessment Tool (ICRAT) and the Central Information Point (CIP) to support workers to carry out risk assessments and gather information in a seamless manner. Work on a revised Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management framework is continuing and will be able to be integrated within the CRM at the appropriate time. A screenshot of the ‘case overview’ page taken from the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment of the CRM.
Risk Assessment Tools and Frameworks The Victorian Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework (also known as the redeveloped common risk assessment framework, or CRAF) Redevelopment of Victoria’s Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission. An interim Comprehensive Risk Assessment Tool, informed by the Commission’s findings and analysis of relevant literature and best practice, has been developed to support the establishment of the Hubs and the roll-out of the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) from 26 February 2018. This tool will be developed in an online environment and will be linked to the Hubs CRM platform. Testing in the Hubs environment will support further refinement of the tool before it is rolled out more broadly across services as they are prescribed to use the revised Framework and FVISS. Operational practice guidance for the Hubs will be developed on the new Interim Comprehensive Risk Assessment Tool, particularly relating to new or changed risk indicators and the application of their assessment, including for diverse communities and at-risk age groups. Over the coming months, the broader suite of risk assessment tools (including self-assessment, screening, and perpetrator dangerousness) will be developed and tested with expert users and practitioners, for roll-out in the second half of 2018.
Information Sharing Information sharing is a key enabler for the Hubs. The Hubs will receive information from clients themselves, police, and other referrers. To undertake Hub functions (e.g. screening and risk and needs assessments) the Hubs will need information from external sources (e.g. CIP, information holders under the CYF Act), and workers will need to share information with their Hubs colleagues from other organisations. Hubs workers will also need to share information with external organisations when undertaking functions such as assessment and allocation or referral. The client record management system will facilitate information flow between Hubs workers. Hubs clients' information will be handled with care, and only shared in appropriate and lawful circumstances. The Hubs will operate in the context of an overlapping suite of relevant laws and frameworks in relation to information sharing and privacy, including: the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (including the Information Privacy Principles) (PDPA) the Health Records Act 2001 (including the Health Privacy Principles) (HRA) the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (CYF Act), and the new Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Part 5A) (including the Family Violence Information Sharing Regulations 2018 and Family Violence Information Sharing Guidelines). The application of each of these regimes will depend on the particular circumstances of a client. Client consent for information sharing will be a key aspect of the service model, but will not always be achievable, desirable or appropriate, and a thorough approach will be required whether or not consent is in place as outlined in the Ministerial Guidelines for Information Sharing. FSV and Hubs organisations will work together to ensure a careful approach to information sharing in the Hubs.
The Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) The new Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) will commence on 26 February 2018. The scheme, enabled by the new Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008, authorises a select group of information sharing entities (ISEs) to share relevant family violence risk information between themselves for risk assessment and risk management. The Act will also remove the requirement in existing Victorian privacy legislation that a serious threat to an individual must be imminent before information can be lawfully shared without consent. This will apply generally, not just in the context of family violence. The new family violence information sharing scheme does not interfere with existing legislation that allows information to be shared, for instance in the existing privacy legislation or children, youth and families legislation. A phased approach will be taken to implementing the information sharing scheme, with a select number of organisations prescribed from 26 February 2018 as Information Sharing Entities (ISEs) including the Support and Safety Hub launch sites. All Hubs workers will receive training regarding the FVISS as part of their induction.
The Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) Excerpt from the Family Violence Information Sharing Guidelines: Guidance for Information Sharing Entities
Central Information Point - CIP The Central Information Point (CIP) will provide timely access to critical information from Victoria Police, Court Services Victoria, Corrections Victoria and DHHS (Child Protection) to support effective risk assessment and management. The CIP will involve representatives manually searching and extracting information from their respective databases about an alleged perpetrator of family violence. The information is gathered and recorded in a single location and made available to the requestor through a link in the Hubs CRM. Initially, due to the manually intensive work, a limited number of CIP reports may be requested by the five Hub launch sites only. Requestors will be able to request and receive the CIP report via the Hubs CRM. However, Hubs can share this information with broader services in line with appropriate legislation, including the FVISS. Over time, with increased capability and efficiency, it is envisaged that the CIP will be able to respond to an increasing number of requests from a broader number of requestors. All Hub workers will be able to identify potential clients/cases where a CIP report would improve the accuracy and efficacy of risk assessment and management of family violence. Advanced Family Violence Practice Leaders will have authority to request and receive CIP reports and all Hub workers will have access to the information obtained from the CIP report. All Hub workers will be trained in requesting and utilising CIP reports, including accurate completion of request forms and understanding about the nature and content of CIP reports provided.
The initial CIP operating model for early 2018 The below table shows the initial manual operation of the Central Information Point. The CRM supports the functions of the Hubs and supports information sharing between the Hubs and CIP. Process begins with a request for a CIP report Support and Safety Hubs #2 #3 #5 #6 #4 #1 A Hub Practitioner requests a CIP report The CIP report is returned to the requestor CIP Operations Team The CIP coordinator reviews the collated report CIP Coordinator CIP coordinator prioritises and allocates requests to CIP data custodians The CIP aggregates inputs from each data custodian and populates this data into a CIP report CIP Data Custodians Corrections (PIMS, E-Justice) DHHS (CRIS, HiiP, Client Overview) CIP data custodians extract and input information from their respective databases into the CIP platform Courts (Courtlink) Police (LEAP) • Key features of the CIP operating model • A CIP operations team is comprised of four data custodians and one CIP coordinator • Initially operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm with four core teams and one backfill teams.
Meeting the needs of Victoria’s diverse communities A number of principles will underpin the Hubs’ commitment to providing inclusive and responsive services to diverse communities including: Access and equity - actively and systematically working to ensure that everyone has equal access and opportunity to utilise Hubs services and feel safe doing so. Inclusion– Hub services are underpinned by human rights and empathy to ensure that everyone is included. Hub attitudes, behaviours, policies and systems enable full and equal participation for everyone. Responsiveness– Hubs will be aware of and adaptive to the diverse and intersecting needs of all individuals and communities and will not be rigid or tailored to a single population group. Hubs will build relationships and pathways with local services and networks to support clients (e.g. Aboriginal services, disability services, services for older people, LGBTI networks, ethno-specific organisations and migrant resource centres) Empowerment and self-determination –Hub services will recognise the strengths and the lived experiences of clients and enable them to make decisions about how they engage with services. Hub workforce and governance structures reflect the diversity of the community. The Hubs will use an intersectionalpractice approach that: views a person, or a family as a whole recognises the many layers that make up a person’s needs, experiences and identity recognises the overlapping, intersecting forms of discrimination and stigma that they may be exposed to within our society and service system recognises that a person’s identity will affect the way they experience family violence or issues with the care, development and wellbeing of children, how willing they are to report it or to seek help and finally, what kind of support they require from a Hub recognises the multiple, overlapping, intersecting factors that contribute to the complexity of a child or family’s needs and issues The Hubs will act consistently with human rights and will make modifications and adjustments to meet the needs of people from diverse backgrounds and with different needs.
Purpose and Scope of the Service Model The Support and Safety Hubs (Hubs) Service Model builds on the vision and aspirations for the Hubs articulated in the Statewide Concept. It details the baseline requirements, processes and operational specifications for the foundational Hubs model for the five launch areas (Barwon, Bayside Peninsula, Inner Gippsland, Mallee and North East Melbourne). Elements of the Hubs service model will change over time. Future developments will be informed by evaluation findings, local practice and experience, and the process of continuous improvement as the Hubs are rolled out and mature to better meet community need. The Service Model is part of a suite of supporting documents and protocols, including: Service specifications, which underpin the Service Agreements and outline the requirements service providers must conform to in the delivery of the Hubs. Partnership agreements, which act as the legal mechanism for the collective leadership of the Hubs. Interim Integrated Practice Framework, which provides the foundation for a common language, shared understanding, and consistent approach to practice in the Hubs. Operational guidelines, which describe the operating procedures, processes, and protocols that safeguard, support and govern the operations of the Hubs.
Access Hub access points include: These channels will be used by a range of people, including: people self-referring concerned friends, family or community members referrals from other professionals and community organisations, including police referrals (L17s) and referrals from Child Protection, as well as universal services (e.g. GPs and teachers). If an individual ‘self-refers’ directly to a core service (i.e. rather than going to a Hub), the service may provide a direct entry point to the service system: where a client presents to one of the core services with an immediate need that must be assessed and managed (i.e. crisis or high risk), and/or where a client has expressed a preference to be assessed by that core service, rather than a Hub (e.g. if there is a pre-existing relationship, or the client is Aboriginal and wants to work with an Aboriginal service).
Screening, Identification and Triage The Hubs will determine whether: the enquiry is about something that the Hubs can help with (initial screening), and there are immediate safety issues, wellbeing issues or risks that need to be addressed, and the priority or urgency of the action required (triage). The Hubs will use a consistent process, and workers will be skilled in identifying family violence and child safety and wellbeing issues and will quickly determine the priority and urgency of people’s risks and needs. At screening, identification and triage, the Hubs will: identify whether an emergency response or Child Protection is needed and activate the response identify the affected adults and children connected to the initial referral to consider their risk and needs individually and in the context of their family determine whether the Hub is the most appropriate service to work with the person, child and their family prioritise the response required from the Hub or another service provide adults, children and families with information, resources and advice support people to make contact where they are referred to another service identify whether there could be underlying issues behind the ‘presenting need’ making each contact to support engagement of persons and families - to consider the long term goal of recovery, healing or doing well reaffirm that violence is not tolerated. Information may be gathered at screening and triage through: direct enquiries with the individual/affected family members (with consent where appropriate) information provided through a referral (L17 or professional referral) history of previous contact with the Hubs (from the Hubs CRM) discussion with another worker or professional (both within and external to the Hub) direct request for information from another agency (e.g. maternal and child health, information holders under the CYF Act) the Central Information Point (CIP).
Assessment and Planning Assessment will be built on the information gathered at screening and triage and further consider: the risks and safety of the person, child or family, including the risks posed by a perpetrator of family violence, and the impact of cumulative harm on children the family and social context, which may include direct observation (for example of children and families in the home environment) the holistic range of needs, such as housing, legal and financial, education and health, including those appropriate to a child’s age and development and need for stability the person or family’s strengths the goals and wishes of the person (where appropriate), the child’s best interests, or the person’s motivation and readiness for change (for perpetrators) the services and supports that have been or are being provided, across universal and specialist services Hub workers will tailor their assessment approaches to the needs of the clients and where appropriate utilise the skills and knowledge of their Hub colleagues and other professionals and agencies through: secondary consultation joint assessment (e.g. through joint visits or appointments) coordination of information gathering (e.g. including requesting and receipt of a CIP report) and seeking information from core services to help formulate risk and needs assessment multi-disciplinary analysis and assessment (e.g. through a case discussion or meeting) use of assessment tools and frameworks, including the interim common risk assessment tool (ICRAT) and application of the Best Interests Case Practice Model Initial planning for clients will identify: the presenting issue, risk or need to be addressed the proposed type of service(s), support(s) or action(s) to be implemented to address the identified issue, risk or need, including need for any case coordination/management the anticipated intensity of service response required to meet the need or address the issue the priority of provision of service response and identification of any critical risks should this response be unable to be provided within an identified timeframe. This information will be used to allocate, provide or refer women, children and men to a service response and will help form the basis for more detailed and comprehensive assessment and case planning to be undertaken by core or broader services.
Connecting people to the right services The Hubs will prioritise and match services to meet the needs of people and families as identified through screening, assessment and planning. The Hubs will connect people to services by:
Crisis response The Hubs will make sure that support is provided to meet people’s immediate safety and wellbeing needs in crisis situations. Hubs will not replace existing emergency services or Child Protection. Hubs will directly provide or facilitate the provision of practical help needed in the short-term to address immediate safety and wellbeing issues. For example: making repairs and improving security so that victims of family violence can stay safe in their homes facilitating transport and communication assisting with essential caring responsibilities and accessing medical treatment and care providing essential personal items, consumables or medical supplies. Hubs will facilitate access to crisis accommodation for victims of family violence to ensure their safety, as well as assisting with the identification of accommodation options for perpetrators where this helps victims to stay safe in their homes where possible. After hours responses will continue to be delivered or coordinated by the existing services. In most instances, Hubs workers will follow up with the person or family who received a crisis response once the situation has been stabilised to undertake further assessment and planning for the next stage of responses.
Targeted interventions Targeted interventions are relatively short-term service responses that are delivered directly by the Hubs to meet a client’s presenting needs. These interventions will be able to be provided to all Hubs clients – women, children and families, and perpetrators of family violence and will be largely dependent on the objective of intervention. Targeted interventions are delivered by Hubs workers and can be accessed via the primary physical Hubs, other Hub locations or as part of outreach. Possible interventions include: providing information and advice basic assessment and planning coordinating services for people who are generally able to self-support (e.g. navigating the legal system, making appointments, linking people to the universal service system, providing advice on local services) goal directed, discrete interventions that supports behaviour change and/or harm minimisation (e.g. a basic safety plan) material aid and supplies (SIM cards, toiletries, repairs). Help people/families self-manage Stabilise a situation Support and engage people
Brokerage Hubs will have access to a new type of brokerage, with two main functions: Immediate support – immediate brokerage funding of up to $1,300 to help people to stabilise and/or divert from the system that is not connected to a case plan. Brokerage support of more than $1,300 that is linked to the person or family’s case planning. Depending on the type, brokerage can be used to arrange specific supports as part of crisis and longer-term responses, including: Funding guidelines are currently being developed for Hubs brokerage. • Brokerage will be used to: • address the immediate needs of victim survivors, children and families • enhance their safety, stability and development • provide practical support earlier in the service delivery system, such as at access and intake • divert them from entering further into the service system if this is not needed • proactively engage them to enter the service system where required. • housing and accommodation, such as private rental assistance, relocation costs and furniture needs • safety and security supports, such as lighting, alarms, CCTV and mobile phones • health and wellbeing supports, such as counselling and medical costs • child development and safety requirements, including education items, school uniforms or books, therapeutic supports • independence support, such as education and training courses, care for dependents (including pets) and outings, financial planning and legal advice
Allocation into core services The Hubs will be the central entry point for family services, family violence services and perpetrator/men’s services. These services are often the core ongoing support services for women, children and young people experiencing family violence, perpetrators, and families in need of support with the care, wellbeing and development of children and young people. As the central entry-point for these partner services, the Hubs will be able to: identify the appropriate service and agree this with the person or family confirm that the person is eligible for the service and their access priority check the current capacity and availability of the service, and allocate the person into the service, for example, making and confirming an appointment with a worker, ‘reserving’ a place in a group session, or booking accommodation. Further work will be undertaken to work with CSOs to develop the required processes and mechanisms to support the allocation function.
Referrals to other services The Hubs will help people to navigate and connect with the broader range of services that may be required to meet the person’s needs. Some pathways will be developed and agreed at a statewide level, whilst others may be at an area level. Referrals will be facilitated by the Hubs where necessary by phoning the service for the person, explaining the situation (and passing on information to the service with the person’s consent), and in some cases where people need more support, helping them to navigate the service system. The Hubs will have clear pathways and arrangements with key services at statewide and local area levels, such as: • health services, including mental health, and drug and alcohol services, forensic services, community health, and hospitals • disability services • Centres Against Sexual Assault • Victims of Crime Helpline and Victims Assistance Program • schools • training and employment services • Centrelink • Consumer Affairs Victoria • services for older people • Corrections Victoria • services that support families where adolescents use violence in the home • early childhood, including maternal and child health services • Aboriginal community controlled organisations • courts and tribunals, including court programs such as Court Integrated Services Program, Koori programs and family violence practitioners in specialist family violence courts • legal services • financial counselling • multicultural services • homelessness and housing services • tenancy services • LGBTI services • youth services, including services that work with young people in contact with the criminal justice system
Review and monitoring The Hubs will have systems and functions that go beyond being merely a ‘front-door’ to a continually siloed service system. In partnership with other justice, health, social and community services, the Hubs will be a catalyst for more integrated and effective services throughout a person or family’s experience. The Hubs will contribute to effective services and ensuring that outcomes are achieved. In particular, the Hubs will: increase the information and understanding available about all family members and their needs and their previous or current engagement with services (especially perpetrators of family violence) provide a ‘feedback loop’ about people’s engagement with services in and beyond the Hubs to support continuous improvement at the practice, local area and system level identify barriers to achieving the client’s goals or sustaining engagement with services and strategies to overcome them bring services together so that clients have greater agency over the supports they receive, and provide clearer, more collaborative responsibilities for the different specialist services working with an individual or family. In tandem with the information sharing scheme, and new risk and needs assessment processes, the Hubs create an opportunity to improve the ways we collect, share and review information - including client and service data - to inform practice, service planning, policy and reform.
Interface with Child Protection Referral pathways Hubs will be supported by the Senior Child Protection practitioner* who will provide expert advice regarding the safety and wellbeing of children to the Hubs team, including assistance with determining whether a report to Child Protection needs to be made. In instances where the Hubs receive referrals directly that they believe constitute reports that should be made to Child Protection they will advise the referrer that they should make the report to Child Protection directly and support the referrer to do so, and/or consider whether they need to make a report on the basis of the information received (consulting with the Senior Child Protection practitioner as appropriate). Where Child Protection intake identifies that a report made to them is related to concerns about child wellbeing, they will make the referral to the Hub, and support the person or referrer to contact the area Hub directly. Information sharing Child protection practitioners may seek information from the Hub, for example during the process of investigation, or when preparing a case plan. Information sharing will be supported by the CIP, but can also take place through direct relationships and requests between the Hubs and Child Protection, including through the Senior Child Protection practitioner based at the Hubs. Case coordination Hubs and Child Protection will collaborate and coordinate responses where: referrals are received by both the Hubs and Child Protection simultaneously (e.g. L17 referrals following a family violence incident) Where Child Protection case planning identifies need for supports for a family accessed through the Hubs (e.g. family violence services, perpetrator services and family services). Where Child Protection has developed a case plan for a child, they will maintain responsibility for leading and managing its implementation. * Previously known as Community based Child Protection practitioners, as based with ChildFIRST
Interface with court system Referral and outreach Courts can refer people to Hubs before their first court date or at any other time during their experience in the court. The Magistrates’ Courts and Hubs in the launch areas will have nominated liaison points to facilitate these referrals. The Courts will be particular outreach point for Hub workers to engage with perpetrators face-to-face. Coordinated assessment and connections to services Hubs will coordinate connections to services, including legal services. Over time, local areas will consider the option of legal services co-locating with the Hubs. Hub workers will coordinate with court-based staff when undertaking risk and needs assessment, planning, and the coordination of supports and services when there are common or related clients. Information Sharing Hubs will be able to provide the court registry with information to support safety planning for court appearances. Court staff may share critical information and observations with the Hubs to inform risk assessment and management. Hubs will be able to access information about the outcomes of court proceedings. Information sharing will be supported by the CIP, but can also take place through direct relationships and requests between the Hubs and courts.
Interface with Victoria Police The Hubs will receive almost all police family violence referrals (except for male victims and reports to Child Protection, and where Koori Family Violence Police Protocols are in place for L17s). Hubs will work with police to: establish information feedback loops to ensure that when police make a referral, they know if and how the Hubs or a service has responded to it share information to ensure the Hubs risk management and safety plans are based on accurate and up-to-date police information undertake joint risk management and case coordination for high-risk or recidivist cases. Hub workers will encourage and assist victims (or potential victims) to report incidents of violence and breaches of intervention orders to police. Reporting will be centred on support rather than mandatory reporting.
Interface with Victims Support Agency Police referrals for adult male victims of family violence will be directed through the L17 portal to the Victims Support Agency (VSA). Associated referrals for the perpetrator of violence against an adult male and referrals for any children will be directed through the L17 portal to the Hubs. Wheremale victims of family violence directly contact the Hubs for support, or are identified through the work of the Hubs, Hubs will offer the choice to be connected to the VSA for support. Where this is not the choice of the client, the Hubs will seek advice and expertise from the VSA about working with male victims. The Hubs and VSA will share information and review individual incidents against the pattern of violence to inform identification of the primary aggressor. Where the Hubs and VSA are both involved with a family, they will share information and coordinate actions as required to avoid duplication.
Interfaces with Multi-disciplinary Centres and sexual assault services The Hubs, sexual assault services and multi-disciplinary centres (MDCs) will work closely to ensure that clients who have experienced sexual assault, family violence or both, have clear entry points into the service system, and receive timely and appropriate support. Hub workers will be trained in identifying and supporting victims of sexual assault. If it is identified that sexual assault has occurred, the Hubs will refer the client to the local sexual assault service and/or MDC where they exist in that area. In close consultation with specialist sexual assault services, Hub workers will encourage and assist victims (or potential victims) to report incidents of sexual assault. If sexual assault by an adult against a child under 16 years is identified or suspected, the Hubs will make a report to Police. Where both the Hubs and a sexual assault services or MDC are working with the same client, these services must work collaboratively to support the client. Co-case management and support arrangements will be determined on the basis of the preference and best interest of the client, and family members, where appropriate.
Additional products to support Hubs operations Family Safety Victoria is currently developing: Updated information will be provided to Hubs Leadership Groups and placed on the FSV website when finalised.
