All In is about being present, listening deeply, and recognising the responsibility we hold in this work.

All In is both personal and professional.

The Reconciliation Week theme this year called for us to reflect on what it means to be All In. It means so much more than recognition; it means action, accountability and a genuine commitment to walking alongside our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It asks us to listen more than we speak, to centre community voice, and to ensure our services are not only accessible, but culturally safe and responsive.

For me, All In is both personal and professional.

Professionally, it speaks to the way we show up in our work every day. It’s about going beyond process and stepping into purpose. It’s the collaboration between teams, the willingness to act quickly, and the shared commitment to ensuring that when someone reaches out, they are met with care, coordination and expertise. The stories in this edition bring that to life, particularly the example of our teams coming together to support a client at high risk. That kind of response doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people are aligned, connected and fully committed.

This edition also gives me a wonderful reason to pause and celebrate someone who embodies All In more completely than almost anyone I know. This year marks 30 years of Thi with JSC; three decades of showing up with her whole heart for women and children who needed someone in their corner. Since 1996, Thi has quietly and consistently dedicated herself to this work, helping thousands of families find safety, strength and a path forward. She is the living definition of what it means to be All In, not for a season, but for a lifetime. Thi, on behalf of everyone at JSC and the many women and children whose lives you have touched, thank you. We are so fortunate to have you.

Personally, All In is about values. It’s about being present, listening deeply, and recognising the responsibility we hold in this work. It asks us to lead with empathy, to stay grounded in respect, and to remain open to learning, even when that learning is uncomfortable.

Every week, women and children contact us seeking safety, legal support and a path forward. The reality is that demand for our services continues to grow, and we are supporting more families than ever before. If you are in a position to do so, I encourage you to support our end of financial year appeal  which invites you to be the reason we answer and follows my message below. Your donation will help ensure that when the next woman reaches out for help, we have the resources to answer that call.

Across the organisation, I continue to be encouraged by the way my teams show up: for each other, for our partners, and most importantly, for our clients. The work is not always easy, but it is deeply meaningful.

Thank you to you, our community, for being All In with us along the way.

Melanie 

Sara* reached out to us frightened and exhausted.

“When I first reached out, I didn’t know where to turn or how I was going to keep my children safe. My caseworker changed everything..."

Be the reason we answer.

What came next was: 

• A caseworker who listened without judgement and stayed by her side.  
• A safety plan the same day.  
• Emergency supplies - food, warm clothes and toiletries.
• Support to apply for a protection order so she didn't have to face court alone.
• Family law guidance when she had to think about parenting orders and property.

And a team that kept walking with her, week after week, long after the immediate crisis had passed. 

"This service didn’t just help me - it gave me back my confidence and my future. I’m so grateful for everything the team did for me and my family.” Sara

Dancing together in healing and culture

Across our services, staff continue to create spaces where culture is not only acknowledged, but actively lived, shared and celebrated alongside clients.
One powerful example of this is the work being led through cultural healing and community connection by our AFW worker at the Sydney CAS.

In my role as the AFW worker at the Sydney Cas, I decided to use my community development time to focus on offering therapeutic healing through culture.

I have always been blessed that traditional dance was something I grew up with my matriarchs learning. I learnt song, dance, weaving and language on Country at a young age and I have always wanted to bring it into my work with clients.

I have taken clients to Mujin Gals 100 Women Dance that is led by Aunty Rayma for the past two years. I dance alongside women that are accessing my support, and my own daughter is a member of Aunty Rayma’s dance clan, Bujja Buja Butterfly Dancers, and also attends.

This allows me to have solidarity with Mujin Gal who lead this event every year and allows me to literally dance into a healing space with clients who access my support.

I believe that this is the most important part of my work. It keeps me culturally connected to Aboriginal women from this community and offers my clients more than just the western style of case management. Most importantly, it keeps me strong in spirit and that is what helps me to navigate and support clients through the complex system that often harms our people.

Natalie, SYD WDVCAS 

Culturally safe spaces where healing, identity and community can walk alongside practical support are so important for holistic healing. We thank our staff for the care, strength and unique cultural leadership they continue to bring to this work every day.

*Photo used with permission

When collaboration drives real outcomes

Recently, a high-risk referral from Fairfield SAM highlighted the strength of collaboration between our DFV Casework team and SWS WDVCAS.

What does it mean to be All In for our clients? It means showing up together, acting quickly, and working as one when it matters most.

Recently, a high-risk referral from Fairfield SAM highlighted the strength of collaboration between our DFV Casework team and SWS WDVCAS. In a short space of time, teams came together to ensure a client had the safety supports she needed; coordinated, prepared and delivered without delay.

Safety devices, including an SOS mCare watch, Eufy cameras and a SHLV welcome pack, were organised and made available immediately through close coordination with police and frontline services. The following day, the client was supported through in-person safety planning, had her device set up, and was welcomed into ongoing case management.

For the client, the experience was simple: support was there when she needed it.
Behind the scenes, it was anything but simple; it was the result of strong relationships, clear communication, and a shared commitment to act.

This is what All In looks like in practice.

It’s not just about individual effort, but collective action. It’s teams working across services, responding with urgency, and staying focused on what matters most: safety, dignity and support for people navigating domestic and family violence.

Moments like this remind us that when we work together, we can move quickly, respond effectively, and make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.

Safety, healing and moving forward

We recently had a client who was referred to our service through Housing after relocating to a new property in the Bankstown area.

With support from her allocated caseworker, she was assisted with a referral to the legal team for Victim Services application and was successful in receiving $1,500 recognition payment. She was also assisted with NSW Local Victims Program (LVP) and successfully received $5,000. The client was also supported through court proceedings, resulting in a 2-year Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) being granted. To further enhance her safety, security upgrades were installed at her new home.

As part of her healing and closure she provided us with a beautiful artwork…

Creative Healing – client artwork blurb

“Doing the gemstone art has been therapeutic while doing it and going through the domestic violence trauma. It’s a mockingbird. It is beautiful and I mixed it with rhinestone colours, some beans, and purple roses. It’s colourful to brighten my day. I at times listen to the birds outside for self-therapy too. It’s self-care and helps with the trauma of domestic violence. Thank you to all the ladies that supported me as a victim. I am survivor, this makes a difference”

Close collaboration across teams

Recent highlights from the Legal Team reflect both strong advocacy outcomes and the value of close collaboration with everyone “All In” across teams.

Successful negotiation in a DOLS matter

In a recent Driving Offences Legal Service (DOLS) matter, our Solicitor represented a Chilean client charged with driving without a license, despite holding a valid Chilean license. Through negotiation with the prosecution, the charges were successfully withdrawn, avoiding potentially serious criminal and immigration consequences.

Recognition payment for Victim Services client

Another significant outcome was recently achieved for a Victim Services (VS) client, Audrey* (name changed for privacy), who had experienced prolonged domestic and family violence, including serious physical assaults that resulted in injuries to her eyes.

This was a complex and intensive matter requiring coordinated support across multiple areas of assistance. Through the combined efforts of the Bankstown Domestic Violence Service (BDVS) Casework team and our Legal team, sufficient evidence was gathered to support several Victim Services applications and related supports.

As a result, Audrey was approved for more than $10,000 in assistance and compensation, including:

• a $5,000 recognition payment
• $2,000 through the Immediate Needs Support Package (INSP) for personal security cameras
• reimbursement of ambulance expenses related to the violence
• $1,200 for economic loss relating to specialist glasses required because of the violence, and
• assistance to secure a Legal Aid grant for representation in ongoing Family Law proceedings.

This outcome reflects the importance of integrated, trauma-informed support and the significant impact that coordinated legal and casework advocacy can have for victim-survivors navigating complex system

Generous community grant of $30,000 supporting the work of SWS WDVCAS

We’re proud to acknowledge the power of collaboration and community support in helping keep women and children safe. Recently, members from our SWS WDVCAS team attended Revesby Workers Club to receive a generous community grant of $30,000 supporting the work of SWS WDVCAS.

Through the funding, $15,000 will go towards providing home security cameras for vulnerable clients, while a further $15,000 will support a partnership with StandbyU to fund personal safety devices for high-risk women and children.

These resources will make such a meaningful difference for clients experiencing domestic and family violence, helping them feel safer, more supported, and better connected to practical safety measures during incredibly difficult times.

We extend our sincere thanks to Revesby Workers Club for their support, and to the teams involved for their continued commitment to working collaboratively to improve safety outcomes for our community.

Acknowledgement of Country

Justice Support Centre proudly acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we operate, the Cabrogal Peoples of the Darug nation, the Gadigal Peoples of the Eora Nation, as well as the Tharawal and Gandangara Nations. We acknowledge their continuing connection to the land, waters and community and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We extend this respect to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Peoples.