BACKGROUND NSW 1983 Victoria 1987 domestic

BACKGROUND • NSW (1983) & Victoria (1987) domestic violence legislation • By 1987 only 3. 2% of orders made in NSW excluded the offender from the family home • 1990’s survey of magistrates • 1996 Womens Safety Australia survey • 1997 WESNET policy

BACKGROUND 2 • • • Pilots in Port Lincoln and EDVOS Integrated model in ACT Robyn Edwards research 2004: DOCS funds 2 NSW Pilots Test conditions for women and children to stay home safely • Two year pilots • 2007 NSW Labour Government commitment

What happens at SHLV • • Referral (can be self referral) Doesn’t need an exclusion order/AVO Risk assessment Security audit of house Safety plan developed with client Security installed within 24 -48 hours Can stay with family/friends/refuge while upgrade occurs • Ongoing support: initially intense/reduces

Community Campaign • • Positive message Need support of family/friends/work colleagues Need to respond to needs of excluded partner Media campaign Mail information card to all households Cinema/TV/Radio Information Forum

DEMOGRAPHICS • • May 2005 -January 2007 37 women and 63 children 37% with teenager or grown-up children 68% were in 30 s and 40 s.

Demographics 2 • 75% of clients were employed (despite only 51. 6% of BVS working age population being in workforce) • Over one third of referrals were self, with only 6 coming from police • Accommodation was evenly distributed between private rental, public housing and home ownership. • 15 cases remained open. • Access to program: Indigenous families, rural isolation?

Eastern Sydney Demographics In 1 st 12 months of operation: • 107 referrals of women seeking information and support • 38 referrals for women wishing to remain in their own homes; • 28 women became long term clients of the service, • Of the other 10 women, 7 chose to return to their relationships and 3 were unsuccessful in gaining an AVO to exclude their partner from the home. • Support periods have ranged from 2 to 12 months SHLV Eastern Sydney

Eastern Sydney Demographics Of 28 case managed clients in 2006, • Their average was 40, ranging from 22 to 56 • 13 living were in public housing, 8 in private tenancies and 7 in privately owned homes • 14 were employed either full or part time • 3 are indigenous women • 9 are women from CALD communities • 5 are women living with disabilities • 3 were using alcohol or other drugs • 10 have previously stayed in SAAP accommodation • 15 have previously used a domestic violence support service. SHLV Eastern Sydney

MOU with Police A non negotiable essential

Specifies role and responsibilities of both agencies • • How, who and what Communication: Information sharing Data Confidentiality Complaints and disputes Monitoring of MOU (managers, crime coordinator, VAW specialist)

3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR ATTENDING POLICE 1. 2. 3. 4. Inform women about the SHLV option (provide card) Police encouraged to seek exclusion (TIO) Keep the woman informed after event Consent and Referral to SHLV • • SOPS Proactive policing: repeat offenders monitored COPS entry (warning on location) Locations discussed at Tasking and Deployment

How to get a MOU • • • Negotiate What’s in it for the police Leadership Training Monitoring

OTHER MOUS • • • HOUSING (upgrades, waiving debt) COMMUNITY TENANCY DOCS (referral) COURT ASSISTANCE COURTS (access to information/referral)

Eastern Sydney MOU with Police • • Police provide victims of DV with information card and ask consent to make a referral to SHLV makes preliminary assessment, provides information and referrals Where women wish to remain in their homes they become long term case managed clients of SHLV Police are encouraged to apply for TIOs with exclusion conditions. DVLOs update officers on victim location and other issues SHLV provides police with training 57% of clients have been referred by police under the MOU SHLV Eastern Sydney

Risk Assessment • Need for risk assessment that focused on women who were staying in their homes • Different assumptions • Developed with assistance from the Australian DV Clearinghouse SHLV Eastern Sydney

Risk Assessment Issues • • Which kind of assessment is appropriate? When do we assess risk? What happens if we assess the risk as high? Women’s own assessments of risk? • How does risk assessment inform our actions and decisions? SHLV Eastern Sydney

Risk Assessment Risk of lethal violence • Decision Making Other risks • Case Planning • History of abuse in the relationship • Potential for serious injury or death • Escalation • Safety of remaining in the home • Perpetrator history , D&A use, MH, Criminality • Homicide or suicide threats • Risk of harm to children • Perpetrator characteristics and behaviour, • Financial issues • Tenancy and housing • Support needs • Legal issues and family law • Health and mental health • Children support needs Safety Planning • Security upgrade • Safety strategies • Emergency plan • Safety in the home, at work, in public, with children. • Opportunities for abusive contact SHLV Eastern Sydney

Safety Planning Key Questions • Are the children at risk? • To stay or flee? • Is she able to contact police at all times? • Is she able to wait safely while waiting for a police response? (Issues for rural women) Key Strategies • Security upgrades • Safe room strategy • Emergency planning • Informing police of the safety plan • Ensure safety plan addresses the needs of the children, and is age appropriate. SHLV Eastern Sydney

Safety Planning Strategies • • • Vitalcall alarms, attached to landline telephone in the client’s home. The client wears a pendant with an alarm button, and when activated the automatic dialling unit contacts a call centre, who check the response required and call the police. Mobile phones, Replacement locks, Screen doors, where permissible by fire codes Other hardware, including security chains, peepholes, window locks. High volume personal alarms, for attracting attention in the event of an emergency in public. SHLV Eastern Sydney

Worker safety • • Risk assessment is completed before any home visit is undertaken Home visits are conducted by two staff, or with Police Before all visits, workers phone the client to ensure that the abusive person is not present Mobile phones Vehicles Initial phone contacts Location of the offices SHLV Eastern Sydney

WORK and HOME • When you are employed, especially if you have children, routine is everything. If I went into the refuge, I would lose my routine and would have to give up my job, and I didn’t want to give up my job. • (Bega ex-client, in conversation with author 12/12/06)

EXCLUDED PARTNERS • Accommodation • Counselling • Finances • Only a tenth of the funding allocated by Safe At Home for accommodation brokerage for removed offenders has been used.

SUSTAINABILITY • Victims Compensation systems could be more aggressively targeted to support housing sustainability. • Family Law settlements could be more rigorously challenged: the WA Women’s Legal Referral Service links women to pro bono lawyers and financial advisers to help them get a fair financial settlement. • A more systematic provision of no interest loans could be negotiated with the banks.

EVALUATION • • • Chose action research 3 stages Client demographics Client Outcomes: four possibilities Data from Police Court Data: 75% reduction in final orders

FUTURE • • • What sort of program? Outreach gap-service specifications Train mainstream domestic violence agencies? Part of a complimentary program? Central support unit to implement specialist areas and NSW advisory committee • Statewide integration • Role of VAW • SOPS and Generic MOU

COMMUNITY ATTITUDES • If a random sample of 2000 Victorians is a fair indicator of Australian attitudes, then the Australian community now expects that it is the physically violent partner who should be made to leave the family home. (Vic. Health, 2006: 91% of respondents). • This is excellent progress from the 1990’s, when, perhaps with the exception of the ACT, Australians generally, and the legal and support system particularly, expected the victims to leave.