Family and Domestic Violence “One Stop Hubs”
Responsible government
- Western Australia
Fourth Action Plan actions
- 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 Western Australian Government’s Path to Safety Western Australia’s strategy to reduce family and domestic violence 2020-2030 includes a priority action to ensure victims have immediate, early and ongoing access to safety and are supported to recover.
Supporting earlier intervention includes identifying touch points in the community and ensuring a no-wrong-door approach to safety and support. The Government is piloting a model of a one stop hub to make it easier for family and domestic violence victims to access services.
The pilot has established two hubs to assist victims to get help sooner by providing integrated, wrap around services from a specific location. In 2021, the Western Australian Government committed to delivering two additional one stop hubs, bringing the state’s total to four by 2023.
What have we achieved so far?
A comprehensive co-design process from December 2019 to February 2020, involved more than 130 participants, including service users, community members, people with lived experience and service providers. The resulting reports informed the model design and procurement.
In October 2020, the Government entered into contracts with two community service organisations to deliver the metropolitan and regional hub models. The two specialist family and domestic violence One Stop Hubs were officially launched by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk in December 2020. A phased roll out of the two Hubs was carried out and both are currently fully operational.
Naala Djookan Healing Centre: Mirrabooka
Located in Perth’s northern metropolitan corridor, the Naala Djookan Healing Centre is providing culturally safe and trauma informed services and supports for people from all backgrounds. The City of Stirling is delivering the integrated service in partnership with 10 specialist organisations including health, mental health, counselling, alcohol and other drug, legal, housing and financial counselling services. Family and domestic violence support and services for men will also be provided off site.
Partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse services are ensuring supports are tailored for people from these communities, and partnerships with Aboriginal organisations will allow for the provision of Aboriginal-led services for Aboriginal people.
The Naala Djookan Healing Centre will also have an important role in raising awareness of family and domestic violence through engagement and education sessions that seek to ‘change the story’ about family and domestic violence locally and in surrounding areas.
Mara Pirni Healing Place: Kalgoorlie
Located in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, the Mara Pirni Healing Place is being operated by HOPE Community services as part of an alliance with five partner agencies. Services include alcohol and other drug counselling, mental health support, housing, legal and financial support, family and domestic violence education and awareness activities, parenting support services including counselling and a creche, and community activities including education workshops and yarning circles.
A ‘satellite’ service of Mara Pirni Healing Place will also operate in Laverton and a Men’s Healing service will also be delivered off site.
What is next?
A university has been engaged to evaluate the hub models. The final evaluation will be delivered in 2022, which will inform the development and implementation of the two additional one stop hubs.
Service design workshops in the two additional locations, are due to commence in February 2022. These workshops will be facilitated by an external consultant to design a placed-based service model for their region.
What difference will we make?
The one stop hub pilot is intended to trial a softer entry point for victims that is culturally safe, able to guide victims to supports and services through a trauma-informed approach and is delivered in a welcoming physical environment.