Page 1969 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
to challenges in the system. A try and test and learn approach will be used to test new ideas, acknowledging that good ideas do not always work as well as expected in practice and that adjustments may be required to achieve the best outcomes.
Under the leadership of the ACT Coordinator-General for Family Safety work has commenced to bring about the changes we seek in the system. The focus for the first challenge is women and families during pregnancy and early parenting. This recognises that pregnancy and early parenting are periods of increased risk for exposure to domestic and family violence.
Implementation will focus on building a shared understanding across the service system so people get the right responses wherever they seek help; building capability to integrate services for clients; and alternative pathways to safety that meet diverse needs. Implementation of the family safety hub will include a robust evaluation of both the process and outcomes. It is anticipated the first phase will provide valuable learnings for the next and subsequent phases of the family safety hub.
Implementation of the family safety hub will be supported by the delivery of training to front-line workers across the health, education, community services and justice sectors. A front-line worker training strategy will be implemented to build enduring core capability to expand on rather than displace existing training.
To commence in 2018-19 the front-line worker training will equip workers to sensitively inquire about domestic and family violence and provide the skills needed to deliver basic support to reduce the impact of domestic and family violence across the community. Training of front-line workers such as midwives and librarians recognises the valuable role that ACT government employees can play as a first responder for people who may not otherwise seek support.
During the past 12 months we have learnt more about the impacts of domestic and family violence upon children as a result of research published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and work undertaken by the Domestic Violence Prevention Council.
The AIHW reported that 68 per cent of women surveyed who had children in their care when they experienced violence from their previous partner said their children had seen or heard the violence. It also reports that one in six girls and one in nine boys experienced physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 15. Children exposed to domestic, family and sexual violence can experience long-term effects on their development and have increased risks of mental health issues and behavioural and learning issues.
The Domestic Violence Prevention Council held an extraordinary meeting in April this year to further explore the impacts of domestic and family violence on children and young people. This meeting was attended by members of this Assembly, senior executives from ACT government directorates and the community sector. The government will work with the Domestic Violence Prevention Council to respond to the recommendations from the Domestic Violence Prevention Council extraordinary meeting. It is expected the recommendations will seek improvements to service and
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video