An innovative new research initiative aims to drive systemic change and better support victim survivors of family violence across the country.
Launched today, Safety Measures will measure specialist domestic and family violence service need, accessibility and effectiveness.
Every person experiencing domestic or family violence in Australia should be able to access the support and safety that they need, when they need it.
But no government, entity or agency currently has a full, accurate sense of the scale and nature of support needed across the country or the service system's capacity to meet this.
Recent reports to Parliament, including the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's first yearly report and the Australian Government's Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches, highlighted how critical service measurement and data capability are to driving policy reform, strengthening system accountability and directing investment where it is most needed.
In an Australian-first, Safety Measures will develop and test approaches for measuring the need, demand, supply, capacity and impact of specialist domestic and family violence services, using the data collected to tell a more nuanced story of what people experiencing family violence need from specialist services.
The program will also help create an evidence-base for governments to better invest in specialist services, who do the critical work of keeping families safe from violence.
Created by and for the specialist domestic and family violence sector and funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), the program is represented by a partnership between six organisations across the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria: Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory, Elizabeth Morgan House, Embolden South Australia, Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council, Northern Territory Council of Social Services, and Safe and Equal.
These organisations represent more than 100 specialist domestic and family violence service providers, which employ more than 1200 practitioners and support thousands of women, children, families and communities each year.
Described as a 'stepping-stone' initiative, the approaches developed in the program will be able to be expanded across the country to form a national picture.
"Domestic and family violence is experienced by Australians from all walks of life, from all corners of the country – and yet, there is no full, accurate picture of the scale or nature of support needed by people experiencing violence, or the service system's capacity to meet this," said Mary Leaker, General Manager of Embolden South Australia.
"While we know that support services are stretched and overwhelmed, and victim survivors are waiting weeks for a response in some regions, we don't have the clear data and evidence to improve system and service design on a large scale," said Tania Farha, CEO of Safe and Equal.
"We can't properly address what we can't accurately measure – which is why the Safety Measures program is critical," said Ms Farha.
"Nationally, data collection in this space has been siloed and fragmented, and doesn't articulate the true number of how many women and children are experiencing family violence, or specifically how they are impacted," said Kalina Morgan-Wyman, CEO of Elizabeth Morgan House.
Three of the program's participating organisations are Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and three are non-Aboriginal peak bodies, representing a diverse range of services.
"Each state and territory has different policy landscapes, government structures and service delivery contexts, so to make sense of data across jurisdictions has always been a challenge. This is the first time Australia has had a program like this, led by the family and domestic violence sector and spanning across jurisdictions, which is really exciting," said Dr John Paterson, Chair of the Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT Aboriginal Corporation (APONT).
"It's vital the Northern Territory is included. Our service landscape and community contexts are unique, and national solutions must reflect that. Safety Measures will help ensure the realities of the NT inform policy, investment and responses that lead to lasting, meaningful change." said Claire Pirrett, Policy Manager at the Northern Territory Council of Social Services (NTCOSS).
"Through this important initiative, we are strengthening Australia's data and evidence base to ensure future funding decisions are better targeted and more impactful for families," said PRF CEO Professor Kristy Muir. "Safety Measures will give us a clearer picture of what's really happening and lay the groundwork for smarter investment in this critical area."
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About Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory
Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APO NT) is an alliance of eight Aboriginal-led entities working together to address key issues affecting Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory.
About Elizabeth Morgan House
Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women's Services is the peak body in Victoria for Aboriginal women, advising peak Aboriginal organisations, governments and non-government.
About Embolden
Embolden is South Australia's peak body for domestic, family, and sexual violence services representing 28 member organisations.
About Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council is an Anangu led organisation delivering health, social and cultural services across 26 remote communities in the cross-border region of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
About Northern Territory Council of Social Services
The Northern Territory Council of Social Services (NTCOSS) is the peak body for the social and community sector in the NT representing around 110 member organisations across diverse service areas.
About Safe and Equal
Safe and Equal is Victoria's peak body for organisations addressing family and gender-based violence across prevention, intervention, response, and recovery, representing around 70 specialist service providers.
