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Centralise management of family and sexual violence services within the Department of Communities Tasmania

Responsible government

  • Tasmania

Fourth Action Plan actions

  • Improve support and service system responses
    • 17 Collaborate across services, sectors and workforces to ensure responses to women affected by domestic, family and sexual violence are coordinated, meet women’s needs, avoid women having to retell their story and promote their recovery.

What are we doing?

Under this action, the Tasmanian Government will work with government and community-based specialist family and sexual violence services to standardise reporting and data collection to ensure ongoing best practice, compliance with National Standards and evidence-based service delivery that responds to demand.

What have we achieved so far?

The first step in delivery of this project involved centralising management of services contracted under Safe Homes, Families, Communities with the area responsible for delivering community-based family and sexual violence service contracts. This occurred between July – December 2019, following the launch of Safe Homes, Families, Communities.

In November 2020, a Consultation Draft was circulated to specialist family and sexual violence services for development of a Family Violence Program Framework and Sexual Assault Service Program Framework. The frameworks outline the Government’s purpose, objectives and expectations for funded community-based family and sexual violence support services, the principles and standards to be adhered to by services providers, and the desired individual and community outcomes of the programs.

The frameworks were developed in partnership with the sector to ensure that the services provided are of the highest quality, forward looking, trauma-informed and evidence based. They provide a transparent basis for monitoring performance against objectives and desired outcomes. Application of the Frameworks on service delivery has been incorporated into community based specialist services new funding agreements in July 2021.

What is next?

The next stage of this project will be to improve data reporting and capability across the services. A dedicated project officer commenced in August 2021 to progress this project element alongside development of a standardised risk assessment tool.

What difference will we make?

Safe Homes, Families, Communities represents the next stage of the Tasmanian Government’s long term commitment to preventing and responding to family violence and a new response to sexual violence. It is the vision of the Tasmanian Government that all Tasmanians are safe, equal and respected and that our homes, families and communities are free from all forms of family and sexual violence.

The Tasmanian Government is committed to ensuring actions informed by evidence and best practice, and to monitoring, evaluating and reporting on efforts.

Implementation of actions under Safe Homes, Families, Communities is guided by an implementation plan developed by responsible agencies. The Tasmanian Government will monitor implementation of each action under Safe Homes, Families, Communities and undertake ongoing evaluation to inform future delivery. As part of the Tasmanian Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, annual progress reports are being publicly released each year.

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