Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence (CCR)

Wynnum Pilot Project

Is a Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence effective?

Can it strengthen links between services that respond to people affected by domestic violence?

Presenter: Pauline Eglington - Co-ordinator

How did the Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence

evolve?1994 /1995 Brisbane City Council• Establish Community Development Section• ? Can local Government get involved in issues like domestic violence?

1995 / 1996 Forums / Workshops• Meetings with Lord Mayor• Minister• Director General• Commitment - Senior workers across departments and relevant

community sector1998• Coordinated Response• Develop Model• Selection Criteria• Wynnum• Auspice

Auspice

Family and Community Support

Steering Committee Members• Brisbane City Council• Department of Families Qld• Department of Justice and Attorney General• Department of Corrective Services• Qld Police Service• Office of Women’s Policy• Family Court of Australia• Domestic Violence Resource Centre• Combined Women’s Refuge Group• Women’s Legal Service• Lord Mayors Women’s Liaison Group• Immigrant Women’s Support Service• Kinections• Combined Women’s Refuge Group

Aims and Principles1. To provide a co-ordinated response to people affected by domestic violence in Wynnum, with a specific focus on co-

ordination across the justice system.

2. To trial and evaluate a model of a co-ordinated community response which:

• informs the local community about the issue of domestic violence and encourages community involvement in responding to the issue;

• co-ordinates relevant social services and the justice system agencies within the local community;

• demonstrates a model of appropriate justice system responses to the aggrieved and to the respondent;

• promotes the utilisation of existing criminal law to respond appropriately to criminal violence in a domestic context;

• demonstrates the utilisation of the breach provisions of the Domestic Violence Act;

• advocates accountability to the aggrieved at every stage of intervention;

• demonstrates that those who perpetrate the violence accept responsibility for their behaviour;

• demonstrates a model of intervention which is empowering for the aggrieved;

• can be implemented in other communities;

• provides a basis for further policy and program development by state and local government and the community;

• includes culturally appropriate responses to domestic violence

Principles1 Domestic violence needs to be understood in the political, social, cultural and

economic structures and conditions that create unequal power between men and women.

2 Domestic violence is about the abuse of unequal power and control.

3 Safety of the victim is essential in all procedures.

4 It is recognised that domestic violence has a number of contributing factors, but that violence is ultimately a choice. Perpetrators are responsible for the violence.

5 There must be consistency of response from all agencies / departments who intersect with the parties and this will be reflected in the protocols.

6 The project needs to ensure that all key stakeholders from the diverse parts of the community are included. The stakeholders are those who are involved in the development and management of the project and on whom the project impacts.

7 Accountability is required at all levels.

8 Appropriate responses are to be devised for perpetrators of abuse.

9 Acts of domestic violence that constitute a criminal offence should be dealt with as a criminal offence.

10 Evaluation needs to be in place. Ongoing review will ensure flexibility.

Initial Model

• CO ORDINATOR Manage the day to day operation of the project. Facilitate development of protocols and community training.

• ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Provide administrative assistance to the Project Staff, and data collection and recording.

• SPECIALIST WORKER - AGGRIEVED (SWA) Provide an appropriate immediate and ongoing response to the victim of domestic violence.

• SPECIALIST WORKER - RESPONDENT (SWR)

Provide an appropriate immediate and ongoing response to the perpetrator of the domestic violence.

• PERPETRATOR PROGRAM

Provide assessment, monitoring, education and support to the perpetrator in consultation with the victim.

Funding

Brisbane City Council

Centrelink

Queensland Law Society

Families Youth & Community Care Qld

Additional Funds and small grants have been received from:

Gaming Machine Community Benefit Fund

Port of Brisbane

Rotary Club of Wynnum Manly

Zonta International Wynnum Redlands

Quota Club Wynnum

Adapted ModelCCR Staffing

Co-ordinator F/T Commenced May 1998

Administrator P/T Commenced July 1998

Specialist Worker Aggrieved F/T Commenced November 1998

Additional positions created due to identified need:

Facilitator - Women’s Group P/T Commenced June 2000

Project worker to connect with local Indigenous community

P/T Commenced November 2000

Kinections

Men’s Perpetrator Program P/T Commenced Feb 1999 for 12 months Recommenced September 2000

Envisaged response: all domestic violence incidents were reported to the Specialist Worker Aggrieved (SWA) and the Specialist Worker Respondent (SWR) and responded to within the 24 hour period.

Actual Response: Referral are made to the Specialist Worker Aggrieved who only responds when the aggrieved has requested assistance.

Local Focus Group

• Queensland Police Service Wynnum

• Community Corrections Wynnum

• Magistrates Court Wynnum

• Department of Families Wynnum Office

• Redlands Domestic Violence Service

• Centrelink Wynnum

• WINNAM Aboriginal Corporation Wynnum

• Kinections Wynnum

RANGE OF STRUCTURES/WORK ENVIRONMENT

Police Perspective: Law Enforcement

Work with in Operation and Procedures Manual

Administer Acts of Parliament

Court Perspective:

Aggrieved and RespondentImpartialSafety for all Victims

Range of understandings - workers value and belief systems- structures of Police, Courts (Justice Response - Philosophy), Community Corrections

Protocols Developed between the CCR project team and Police Service Wynnum, Wynnum Magistrates Court, Community Corrections Wynnum, Kinections Wynnum, Redland Domestic Violence Service and Centrelink Wynnum.

Impact of Changing Staff within the Justice Response

Officer in ChargeMagistratesDomestic Violence Liaison Officer (DVLO)Police OfficersGeneral staff

Fortnightly Local Focus Group Meetings

• Ensures issues are raised through open communication

• Protocols• Trust• Confidentiality• Highlights work well done

Limited Response

Crisis intervention model

Assistance with Protection Order applications

Court Support

Information and referral

Part-time response to Perpetrators by Kinections

WHAT DOES WYNNUM LACK?

•No community development function / infrastructure outside of BCC

•No Community / Neighborhood Centre

•Diverse Economics

•Poor Transport

•Low in Resources

•Low in DV Resources

•No Crisis Housing

•No women’s networks

•No DV children’s worker

•No Counseling service

•No refuge

•Long Public Housing wait (80months)

•High in Unemployment

•High ATSI Population

•High Youth Population

•High Elderly Population

•High in new housing estates

DEMOGRAPHICS

RESOURCES DEVELOPED BY THE CCR PROJECT

TEAM• HELP CARD

• INFORMATION BROCHURE FOR CLIENTS

• INFORMATION BROCHURE FOR ORGANISATIONS

• BI MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

• INDIGENOUS HELP CARD

• INFORMATION KITS FOR WOMEN & MEN EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Community Events

International Women’s Day Breakfast 1999 - 40 people attended

Domestic Violence Prevention Week 1999 - 500 people attended

International Women’s Day Breakfast 2000 - 150 people attended

Domestic Violence Prevention Week 2000 - 900 people attended

White Balloon Day Luncheon 2000 - 55 people attended

International Women’s Day Breakfast 2001 - 100 people attended

Domestic Violence Prevention Week 2001 “TIMEOUT” event – 600 attended

Community Mural Project Wynnum 2001 “Crossing Boundaries”

IT Systems within the Justice System

Police, Community Corrections, Magistrates Court

Lack of ability to interface - no accurate picture of response to individuals through the justice system.

Statistics are hard to obtain on Protection Order Applications, Orders and Breaches.

Emerging Data

21.5% of Women applicants have previous Domestic Violence Orders (abuse on contact)

:Independent Independent EvaluationEvaluation

An Independent Evaluation has

run parallel to the Project and has

identified the following

Coordinator position was seen as Coordinator position was seen as essential to the success of the essential to the success of the

CCRDV Project CCRDV Project and the role is seen as:.and the role is seen as:.

offering continuity and stability in a sector where people change positions frequently;

crucial in negotiating the introduction of protocols with other agencies;

crucial in establishing standards of best practice.

essential for the maintenance of the group

Members of the LFG identified:

• continuity the Coordinator brought to the project essential due to high turnover of personnel within agencies.  

• group would not be viable without support

• without Coordinator role the LFG would be “hit and miss” interagency.

•  Community Development work praised

• Community support for the CCR project was high due to the extensive community activities, information sessions and work with the schools by Coordinator

Local Focus Group.Local Focus Group.Attendance at the LFG represents a major

commitment. Most LFG members expressed:

personal and individual commitment to the project supportive managers. transient nature of members makes stability of LFG

difficult. the LFG was a positive experience. The LFG was a learning experience process has led to an improved service for women. Educational/information component produced a high

level of cohesion. Information sessions meeting a gap in the training

needs high level of community support for the CCR. Community attendance at public events impressive and

an indicator of community support.  

Achievements of the CCR as Achievements of the CCR as identified identified

by LFG members:by LFG members: more integrated services for women raised profile of domestic violence in the

community greater interagency cooperation agencies more accountable – both to other

agencies and the community improved experience of female aggrieved at

court issues raised dealt with appropriately ability to develop solutions to issues

Specific comment on LFG Specific comment on LFG and coordinationand coordination

“Project offers a forum – would not happen without it.

Provides structure for information flow – hit and miss before.

Important for victims to know there is communication between agencies.

Great for accountability.”

STEERING COMMITTEESTEERING COMMITTEE The membership of the Steering Committee has identified:problem solving; evaluation; resources ;informing policy; identification of emerging issues; and,development of a shared agency perspective as major roles of the committee with a continued focus on the criminal justice system.

Achievements of the Steering Committee

setting program up training for members success of CCR locally whole of government conversation on

issue (coordinated responses to domestic violence)

good relationships locally and across all levels 

Difficulties for the Steering Committee include:

piecemeal funding for project (model would have been more successful if all funding available at commencement of project)

inability to maintain diversity some members of Steering Committee

not at sufficiently senior level to make systemic changes

SURVEY DATASURVEY DATA- 63% of women assisted reside in Wynnum

- 6% of women identify as indigenous- 13% of women identify from diverse cultural background- 77% of PO applications are lodged by Aggrieved women- 19% of PO applications are taken out by Police- 72% identified Police as “first contact” agency- Rate of dissatisfaction with “first agency” response down from 7% to 1%- No unsatisfactory comment since January 2001- All clients satisfied with service by SWA.

FINDINGS FROM COURT SURVEYS

50% of women had no previous experience with justice system 100% of women indicated information accurate and appropriate 90% indicated Police involvement 70% Police Prosecutor assisted

Specific Comments By WomenSpecific Comments By Women

“The role the SWA played was excellent. It allowed me to know what I could do. This time I was more informed and confident

about the process”.

“The SWA was the person who mainly provided information on court proceedings.

The Police advised about safe practices such as taping phone calls [evidence for

breaches to Protection Orders] and what to do when arriving home”

SUMMARY of COURT SUMMARY of COURT FINDINGSFINDINGS

*80% of women appearing at Wynnum Court

are assisted by SWA

*Police and Court present bulk of referrals to

CCR

*71% of women assisted by SWA with PO

applications have dependent children

Perpetrator ProgramPerpetrator ProgramPerpetrator Program auspiced by KinectionsInitial 12 months funding Jan to Dec 1999(22 hours per week)

Second Program commenced August 2000(12 hours per week)

Service delivery provided:- face-to face counselling- voluntary perpetrator group- mandated perpetrator group- community education/training

ACHIEVEMENTSACHIEVEMENTS

- establishment of Perpetrator Group

- strong links with local agencies- provision of training to Community

Corrections staff- marketing of program/finding suitable men

to participate

- linkages with the Indigenous Men’s Group

- provision of one mandated perpetrator group

RESPONSE TO CHILDREN RESPONSE TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLEAND YOUNG PEOPLE

CCR have never been funded to respond to Children and Young People

Strategies to respond:

- Dept of Families Area Office involved

- training on the effects of domestic violence on children and young people- training on Child Support Agency and Family Court Process- awareness raising/information distribution- facilitate forum to identify gaps in service- participate in activities - Child Protection Week- involve children/young people in Domestic Violence Prevention Week- involvement in school based activities

RESPONSE TO DIVERSE RESPONSE TO DIVERSE CULTURAL GROUPSCULTURAL GROUPS

Connect with:- WINNAM Aboriginal Housing- Immigrant Women’s Support ServiceTraining and Related Activities- cultural awareness - Indigenous involvement in Staff selection - Police Liaison Officers involved in LFG- Active link with Stradbroke Island elders- Indigenous artists/performers in all Domestic Violence Prevention Week Activities- Joint project / submission writing

Other Outcomes

Employment of part-time project worker for 6 months has led to:* establishment of “Mirri Gimpa” Indigenous Women’s Group* development of Indigenous specific “Help” Card.

Information Sessions• Court Assistance Training (4 day seminar)• Domestic Violence Unit - Legal Aid• Immigrant Women’s Support Service• Children and Domestic Violence• Social Marketing• Family Law and Domestic Violence• Changes to the Domestic Violence (Family

Protection) Act 1989• Child Support Agency• Family Court of Australia• Defacto Legislation• Lesbian, Gay Bisexual & Transgender issues in

relation to Domestic Violence

CHALLENGES FOR THE CCR

- Lack of Funding for all components of Model- All funded aspects not operational at same time- Magistrate Court and Police new IT Systems- No support/counseling locally for women- Lack of follow-up for women- No counseling services for children- Continuous turnover of police officers

POSITIVE OUTCOMES

• Significant improvement in Police response• protocols developed and implemented• sense of trust between justice systems and community organisations• increase in communication• reported consistency in Police response• utilisation of specialised knowledge of individual agencies within Wynnum

“Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently,

but life itself would come to be different. Life would undergo a

change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change

of attitude.

By working together, supporting people, providing information I believe that attitudes can be influenced to create a safer environment for women and

children.

Katherine Mayfield