Family violence resources

Visit the Safe and Equal website online servicees directory of a range of services available to families and individuals experiencing or escaping from family violence, including:

• 1800RESPECT
• safe steps Family Violence Response Centre
• in Touch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence
• Women's Legal Service Victoria
• Men's Referral Service
• w I respect
• Women's Information and Referral Exchange.

The Safe and Equal website does not have all the referral services listed. For a full list, please see page 18 of the Family Violence Framework for Emergency Management.

Note: All practitioners are able to make referrals to specialist family violence services.

Gender and Disaster Australia (GADAus)

The GADAus has produced a wide range of resources since they began the first Australian research on domestic and family violence in disasters in 2009.

Relevant resources include:

• The Disaster is no excuse for family violence postcard, which uses 4-steps to deal with the issue, with current referral options
• A 2-minute video - Actions and Support - to raise awareness
• The Community Service Announcement produced in collaboration with 1800 RESPECT.

A further key resource is the National Gender and Emergency Guidelines. The guidelines are high level and strategic, and devised specifically as a gender-sensitive approach to planning and providing for disaster relief and recovery.

One of the 3 focus areas is: Addressing domestic violence before, during, and following an emergency. Specific examples are provided to indicate ways that states and territories can make them operational within their own context.

You can access resources on the Gender and Disaster Australia website.

You can access the National Gender and Emergency Guidlines on the Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub.

Prevention of Violence Against Women in Emergencies Action Plan - Macedon Ranges Shire Council (2019–20)

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council's action plan identifies a range of multi-agency actions that aim to prevent violence before it occurs in the context of emergencies.

You can access the plan via the Macedon Ranges Shire Council website.

1800 Respect Frontline Workers Toolkit

The 1800RESPECT Frontline Workers Toolkit, developed in collaboration with the GAD Pod, has resources for workers who come into contact with people affected by sexual assault, domestic and family violence in the course of their day-to-day work. The toolkit provides good practice resources for organisations and workers in a variety of sector,  including:

• Apps
• Videos
• Digital content.

You can access the toolkit via the 1800RESPECT website.

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)

ANROWS is a national, independent research organisation established to produce research and resources on violence against women and their children for uptake into policy and practice. Their research and resources can be accessed at the Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety website.

Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against women and their children (MAEVe)

MAEVe is an initiative of the University of Melbourne that brings together researchers from across the University in partnership with community, industry and government agencies, to undertake research regarding violence against women and their children. Further information regarding the wide range of current research projects into violence against women can be accessed at the University of Melbourne website.

Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (DVRCV) now called Safe and Equal

Safe and Equal is a state-wide resource centre working to prevent and respond to family violence, with a particular focus on men’s violence against women in intimate relationships. It provides cross-sector training to ensure that workforces associated with responding to family violence have the requisite skills to perform the roles required of them under Victoria’s Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (MARAM).

To access the training, visit the Safe and Equal website.

Working in family violence resources

An online information hub developed by Safe and Equal with funding from the Victorian Government as part of its commitment to addressing violence against women and children. The website provides a training directory, a service directory, information, evidence-based resources and tools for both family violence workers and other professionals in universal and mainstream services to help them respond to family violence.

For more information, visit the Safe and Equal website.

No to Violence (NTV)

The NTV is the peak body for organisations and individuals working with men to end their violence and abuse towards family members in Victoria and New South Wales.
The Men’s Referral Service is a men’s family violence telephone counselling, information and referral service operating in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania and is the central point of contact for men taking responsibility for their violent behaviour. NTV also provides support and referrals for women and men seeking information on behalf of their male partners, friends or family members, and workers in a range of agencies seeking assistance for their clients who are men.

The NTV provides resources and opportunities for service providers to enhance their capacity to successfully engage with men who use violence and to work with men to prevent further violence.

Resources, publications and toolkits regarding men who use family violence, and the Men’s Referral Service can be accessed via the No to Violence website.

Blue Knot Foundation

Blue Knot Foundation is the National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma. The foundation provides trauma-informed, vicarious trauma and complex trauma training and resources. Training and resources are targeted across sectors for all staff and practitioners working with victims of family violence in specialist family violence services or within generalist services to which people with experiences of interpersonal violence present for support.

For more information, see the Blue Knot Foundation website.

The Women’s Chainsaw Program

The Women’s Chainsaw Club Program is an initiative of Macedon Ranges Shire Council, following funding from the Victorian Government’s Safer Together Program. The Women’s Chainsaw Program provides women with the opportunity to build skills in chainsaw use, safety, design and carving, and emergency preparedness. In addition to chainsaw skills, the program aims to build the confidence and independence of women.

Further information regarding the program can be accessed via the Macedon Ranges Shire Council Prevention of violence against women webpage, or directly from Macedon Ranges Shire Council by phone on 03 5422 0206.

The rural challenge

The Rural Challenge Gender Equality Leadership Program worked with rural institutions such as CFA brigades and sporting clubs to embed principles of gender equality and help to prevent violence against women. Participants attend a gender equality workshop where they are supported to develop resources to meet the needs of their organisation including a member survey, gender equality checklist and Gender Equality Action Plan. Post-program support was also provided by the program. The program was originally developed by the Macedon Ranges shire Council is now led by Women’s Health Loddon Mallee. It has been running in the Bendigo and Macedon Ranges regions free of charge since 2016 with the support of the Victorian State Government. For more information regarding the program, see the Women's Health Loddon Mallee website.

For a list of other research, resources and training material, see 'Further reading' on page 21 of the Family Violence Framework for Emergency Management.