- Cook Labor Government invests $6 million over three years to establish WorkforceFDV delivering on priority to build safe and inclusive communities
- WorkforceFDV to enhance knowledge, skills and capability of frontline workers identify risk, support victim-survivors
- Perpetrator accountability being strengthened with strong, consistent approach to responses and interventions
The Cook Labor Government has launched a new $6 million WorkforceFDV entity to strengthen Western Australia's responses to family and domestic violence (FDV).
The WorkforceFDV investment will be established over three years and will enhance the existing training and professional development opportunities offered to Western Australia's family and domestic violence workforce.
WorkforceFDV is being delivered by the Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing in partnership with Stopping Family Violence, Council of Aboriginal Services WA, Aboriginal Health Council WA, Community Skills WA, Professor Donna Chung and WorkUP.
The launch coincides with the release of reforms improving responses to FDV perpetrators, marking a significant step towards greater accountability.
For the first time, WA has a dedicated Perpetrator Response Framework, setting a clear State-wide approach for how government agencies, community services and specialist providers work with perpetrators.
Released alongside updated Practice Standards for Perpetrator Intervention, the reforms are designed to ensure victim-survivor safety remains at the centre of every response while improving the consistency, quality and effectiveness of perpetrator interventions.
The Framework recognises that ending family and domestic violence requires more than supporting victim-survivors. It also requires a co-ordinated response that identifies, challenges and addresses the behaviour of perpetrators.
The updated Practice Standards have been comprehensively reviewed to reflect significant changes in legislation, policy, evidence and practice. The revised Standards place a stronger emphasis on victim-survivor safety, perpetrator accountability, cultural responsiveness and interagency co-ordination.
Since 2017 the WA Labor Government has invested more than $817.5 million in new funding to respond to family and domestic violence across Western Australia.
The Framework and updated Practice Standards can be read here:
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/perpetrator-response-framework
As stated by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski:
"Safe and inclusive communities need a strong and skilled frontline workforce equipped to respond to family and domestic violence.
"WorkforceFDV will boost the capability across the sector providing a dedicated focus on consistent, quality service provision to victim-survivors and perpetrators.
"The new perpetrator resources will help provide strong, consistent responses to strengthen accountability and protect victim-survivors."
As stated by Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing CEO Alison Evans:
"Strengthening the capacity and capability of the people who work to prevent and respond to family and domestic violence is critical to the reform's success.
"We know that to deliver sustainable long-term reform we must develop the specialist family and domestic violence and prevention workforces and grow the family and domestic violence capabilities of the broader workforces that intersect with family and domestic violence."
As stated by Stopping Family Violence CEO Damian Green:
"We acknowledge the launch of WorkforceFDV alongside the Perpetrator Response Framework and updated Practice Standards for Perpetrator Interventions as important stepsforward.
"We hope to connect these important pieces of work in implementation, ensuring we have the right foundations to embed high-quality, evidence-based responses for all workforces supporting families impacted by family and domestic violence in Western Australia."
