Family Violence Reform Newsletter Edition 11: 26 February 2018 Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme begins todayNew legislation to allow greater information sharing will be in place from today to keep women and children safe and hold perpetrators to account for their actions. The laws allow for authorised workers to share information relating to safety, to be able to keep perpetrators in view and make more informed risk assessment and management. Central Information Point prepares to launchA new way of bringing data together to keep perpetrators in view will be available in Victoria from next month. The Central Information Point (CIP) is one of the most transformative parts of key reforms to help keep women and children safer. The CIP centralises key information held by government agencies about a perpetrator into a single report to support better risk assessment and management. Aboriginal Holistic Healing ThinkCamp turning insights into actionThe wisdom of Aboriginal storytelling was shared at a two-day intensive Holistic Healing for Aboriginal Communities ThinkCamp in Preston this month. Participants from Victorian Aboriginal communities and organisations, family violence services and government agencies came together for a series of co-design workshops, small group activities and to share stories of healing. Diversity and Inclusion Strategy work beginsMaking services accessible to all Victorians is a priority of key reforms to better address, prevent and respond to family violence and reduce child vulnerability. Work has begun at Family Safety Victoria to develop a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. The strategy will provide a framework which considers diversity and intersectionality across the family violence reform agenda. VSAC's Dr Keri Alexander welcomes funding to train MCH nurses in family violenceVictim Survivors’ Advisory Council member Dr Keri Alexander knows all too well the challenges a mum experiencing family violence faces. She has shared her story to help emphasise the importance of having maternal child health nurses trained in family violence. Last month the government announced $11 million funding to support mums and babies affected by family violence. Prevention strategy’s First Action Plan releasedIn an important step towards helping to stop family violence before it starts, and end all forms of violence against women, the Victorian Government has released its First Action Plan to support Free from violence: Victoria’s strategy to prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women. The release also coincided with two funding announcements in late January. Children Legislation Amendment introduced to ParliamentLegislation introduced to the Victorian Parliament in December 2017 will help ensure the safety of children by allowing health, education and family services to share vital details of those in their care. They will be allowed to request and share information with each other to respond to the needs of children and create a more collaborative, integrated service that can intervene earlier to prevent tragedy. The new measures will complement the new Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme and support the establishment of the Safety and Support Hubs that are being rolled out from March. New programs to support vulnerable familiesThe Victorian Government is trialling new ways to support vulnerable families at risk of becoming involved with child protection or out-of-home care. What's Ok At Home (WOAH) website launchesThe Domestic Violence Resource Centre has launched the What’s OK At Home (WOAH) website - an online space where children and young people aged 10-17 can seek help, learn to recognise what is family violence, and access practical guidance to support their safety, health and emotional wellbeing. Engine Room Wrap UpFamily Violence Steering Committee Industry Taskforce Diverse Communities and Intersectionality Working Group The Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum The Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator Interventions Meeting For the calendarBookmark the family violence reform events page and stay up to date with events in 2018. Follow us on TwitterFamily Safety Victoria has launched a dedicated Twitter account – you can find us using the handle @FamilySafetyVic. We want to hear from you!Send your photos, videos, key dates or any other information to share@familysafety.vic.gov.au |