Northern Territory Workforce and Sector Development Plan
Responsible government
- Northern Territory
Fourth Action Plan actions
- Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children
- 7 Build the workforce capability to ensure delivery of high quality, holistic, trauma-informed and culturally safe supports that respond to the complex needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children.
- Improve support and service system responses
- 16 Enable workforces to provide trauma-informed support with a focus on safety and recovery to victims and survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.
What are we doing?
The Northern Territory Government has committed $6.49 million from 2019-20 ongoing for initiatives under Action Plan 1: Changing Attitudes, Intervening Earlier and Responding Better (2018- 2021) of the Northern Territory’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Reduction Framework 2018- 2028 Safe, respected and free from violence. This investment includes the development and implementation of the Northern Territory Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Workforce and Sector Development Plan (the Workforce Plan).
The Workforce Plan has been developed and sets out the Northern Territory Government’s goals and priority actions to strengthen and support the domestic, family and sexual violence workforce and sector.
The Northern Territory Government has committed $1 million per year to support the development of the domestic, family and sexual violence workforce and sector. This is complemented by increased investment in prevention, response, and enhanced specialist service provision.
What have we achieved so far?
The Workforce Plan has been released and was informed by an audit of available domestic, family and sexual violence training across the Northern Territory, a comprehensive consultation process, as well as research and an Advisory Group mechanism. The training audit included an analysis of existing training opportunities and identification of gaps to inform future training delivery and resourcing models.
The Workforce and Sector Development Plan and the Background Paper is now available on the Territory Families website. The Plan outlines key actions, including the development of service and practice standards for specialist services, and the establishment of a centralised Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Resource Centre to develop, deliver and coordinate training and practice support for workers across the sector.
Key actions under the plan, including the strengthening of sector involvement in policy development and the rolling out of domestic and family violence risk assessment and management training, have commenced.
The Northern Territory Government partnered with the Northern Territory Council of Social Services in 2020 to fund a domestic, family and sexual violence policy officer and training coordination project. This project is now being extended for a period of five years.
What is next?
- The Plan encompasses long- and short-term actions and will be reviewed after two years.
- Consultation on the establishment of a DFSV Resource Centre will commence in 2022.
- The development of practice and services standards for specialist services is planned to commence in 2022.
What difference will we make?
- Territorians at risk of experiencing violence are identified early and provided with effective interventions.
- People experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence are protected and helped to recover and thrive.
- Build a capable and responsive system and workforce.
- Build the capacity of universal services and the community to identify and respond to domestic, family and sexual violence.