Introduction

In 2006 the Tweed Valley Committee Against Domestic Violence (TVCADV) recognised the need for an integrated approach to address the issue of domestic and family violence in the Tweed Shire and initiated this project.

There is growing evidence worldwide to suggest that integrated service systems can improve outcomes for people affected by domestic and family violence.

One of the aims of an integrated service system is for clients to receive consistent attention across all agencies including specialist domestic and family violence services, police and courts and mainstream community and health services.

Tweed Shire Integrated Response to Domestic and Family Violence Project 2008 ­ 2009

Family violence devastates individuals, families and communities at enormous social, economic and health cost.

Family violence harms 1 in 5 women and is associated with more than half of the child abuse reports in the Tweed Shire.

The Tweed Shire Integrated Response to Domestic and Family Violence Project was initiated in early 2007.  In July 2007 a community forum was held to discuss the issue of domestic and family violence and develop strategies to address the problem in our community.  From the Forum a committee was formed to progress the ideas raised in the Forum.  There was strong agreement among the Forum participants that an integrated family violence service system with a shared understanding of the complexity of family violence and common standards and practices among service providers would provide a consistent approach to managing family violence and increasing victim and community safety.

The committee is made up of Senior Regional Managers from Government and Non-Government agencies including: 

  • NSW Police Service, 
  • DoCs, 
  • Local Court, 
  • Department of Health, 
  • Tweed Shire Women’s Service, 
  • ACON, 
  • Womens DV Court Assistance Scheme, 
  • Centrelink, 
  • Probation and Parole and 
  • The Family Centre.  

These agencies have signed a statement of commitment to progress the following project aims:

For the Tweed Shire to have an integrated multi-agency response to domestic and family violence that:

  • Prioritizes the safety of victims of domestic and family violence and their children
  • Holds perpetrators of domestic and family violence accountable for their behaviors
  • Reduces secondary victimization and coordinates service systems responses to domestic and family violence
  • Enhances and promotes the development of violence prevention strategies
 

In August 2008, the Committee was successful in obtaining funding of $16,000 from the Community Development Support Expenditure Program.  This funding will enable the committee to commence work on the development of an effective and consistent multi agency response that addresses domestic and family violence in the Tweed Shire through the provision of:

  • The development of a risk identification tool, safety planning protocol and a referral and information sharing protocol
  • Service provider training
  • Increase consistent and current awareness / information of family and domestic violence in the community through community education, resources, web and brochures
 

Agreed Definition of Domestic and Family Violence

Domestic and family violence is abusive behaviour by one person to control and dominate another person within a relationship. It may include physical assault, sexual assault, psychological abuse, social abuse, economic abuse or emotional abuse

This definition adheres to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 that everybody in NSW has a right to receive a service which is free from discrimination based on age, disability, homosexuality, marital status, race, sex, transgender status and carer’s responsibilities.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this project is to develop and implement an effective and consistent multi-agency response that addresses domestic and family violence in the Tweed Shire.

Why Develop and Integrated Response in the Tweed Shire?

To improve responses to domestic and family violence within the Tweed Shire by working together to provide coordinated, appropriate, and consistent responses to domestic and family violence within a criminal justice response.

This will rely on the commitment of key community agencies and departments within the Shire to adopt a proactive and collaborative approach in responding to domestic and family violence with the aim of enhancing victim’s safety, and holding perpetrators accountable for their violence.

Establishment of the Working Party

An Integrated Response Working Party has been established through the Tweed Valley Committee against Domestic Violence (TVCADV) to co-ordinate work towards developing a draft model of Integrated Response in the Tweed Shire.

The working party hosted a half day key stakeholders meeting on 29th June 2007 to develop an integrated response to domestic and family violence in the Tweed Shire. Senior Managers from Police, Courts, DoCS, Probation and Parole Aboriginal Health, Legal Aid, Centrelink, The Family Centre, Tweed Shire Women’s Service, Majella House, NRWDV Court Assistance Program and ACON attended the meeting.

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The meeting was addressed by Ms Donna Justo, Director of the Gold Coast Domestic Violence Prevention Centre and representatives from the Queensland Police Service and the QLD Department of Probation and Parole, who talked about the success of the Gold Coast Domestic Violence Integrated Response (GCDVIR).

The GCDVIR has been very successful in bringing government and community agencies in their region together to talk about ways of working together, identifying gaps in services and developing strategies that increase the safety of victims and hold perpetrators accountable for their violence.

The participants of the forum overwhelmingly supported the establishment of a committee to develop an integrated response to domestic and family violence in the Tweed Shire.