❓ Ms. Rowe asks about the Safe at Home program, its value, and federal funding certainty. The Minister clarifies the state and federal programs, highlights the state program's impact, and expresses concern over the federal program's funding ending, urging continued advocacy.
AnsweredQoN 672Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SAFE AT HOME PROGRAM
672. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I
refer to the Safe at Home program that does great work in preventing
homelessness for women and children affected by family and domestic
violence. Can the minister outline to the house why this program is so
valuable; and, can the minister advise the house on whether the federal
government has provided funding certainty for this program?
672. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I
refer to the Safe at Home program that does great work in preventing
homelessness for women and children affected by family and domestic
violence. Can the minister outline to the house why this program is so
valuable; and, can the minister advise the house on whether the federal
government has provided funding certainty for this program?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Belmont for
her question, and also her passionate advocacy on behalf of this important
policy area. Sadly, not a week goes by that we are not reminded why we need to
pay attention to this important issue throughout this state.
There is a distinction between two
programs. One, Safe at Home that the member asked about, is a program funded by
the state government; another program with a similar name, called Keeping Women
Safe in Their Home, is funded by the federal government, but they do a similar
thing. When victims of domestic violence—usually women with children;
sometimes they have children—need some advice about how to deal with
the dangers they are confronted with, they might come into a women's
refuge, for instance, and get advice from one of those services. Keeping Women
Safe in Their Home or Safe at Home—either of those programs—does
a risk assessment of the circumstances for those women and sometimes children,
and might advise that in fact it is useful for those women and children to stay
in their house. So it might, for instance, be ensured that there are active
restraining orders in place and a safety plan, and there might be added
security—CCTV and the like—and ongoing monitoring, depending on
the result of the risk assessment undertaken. The state government puts about
$1.8 million a year into that program, and from the state government point of
view in 2018–19 we assisted 842 people through it. In fact, it is
really heartening to see how many people have been able stay in their home,
particularly for children being able to stay at their local school and people
being able to keep up their work commitments, and keep in touch with families
and colleagues and the like and their support networks.
However,
funding for the federal government Keeping Women Safe in Their Home program
will come to an end on 31 October. Despite me writing to both the
Minister for Women and the Minister for Families and Social Services about this
issue, we have had no assurance that money will be provided in the future. I think
that is an absolute shame. In fact, the Western Australian Council of Social
Service and the Women's Council for Domestic and Family Violence
Services are also concerned, and have written to both of those ministers and
members throughout the federal Parliament advocating for the continuation of
that funding.
Services that have received federal
funding through that program include Pat Thomas House in Peel; the Patricia Giles
Centre, which covers the Joondalup, Mirrabooka and Midland areas; the Pilbara
Community Legal Service; Starick, which covers the south-east metropolitan
corridor including Midland and Perth; the Lucy Saw Centre; and, Wungening
Aboriginal Corporation, which is doing a pilot for Aboriginal women and their
children. That is all important work, member, as I hope most members in this
chamber would agree. It was heartening, after the spate of very tragic
homicides that this state has endured, that the Premier received correspondence
from the current Prime Minister offering assistance. We hope he is true to his
word on that offer, and we might be able to get some assurances about this
program. I really hope that we can continue to advocate for not only an
extension and a better understanding of the multitude of services that we need
to provide for victims of domestic violence—often women, sometimes with
children—but also that we can provide safe havens in refuges, and, when
we can, keep women and children safe in their homes through proper risk
assessment. I really hope we can continue to do that work.
her question, and also her passionate advocacy on behalf of this important
policy area. Sadly, not a week goes by that we are not reminded why we need to
pay attention to this important issue throughout this state.
There is a distinction between two
programs. One, Safe at Home that the member asked about, is a program funded by
the state government; another program with a similar name, called Keeping Women
Safe in Their Home, is funded by the federal government, but they do a similar
thing. When victims of domestic violence—usually women with children;
sometimes they have children—need some advice about how to deal with
the dangers they are confronted with, they might come into a women's
refuge, for instance, and get advice from one of those services. Keeping Women
Safe in Their Home or Safe at Home—either of those programs—does
a risk assessment of the circumstances for those women and sometimes children,
and might advise that in fact it is useful for those women and children to stay
in their house. So it might, for instance, be ensured that there are active
restraining orders in place and a safety plan, and there might be added
security—CCTV and the like—and ongoing monitoring, depending on
the result of the risk assessment undertaken. The state government puts about
$1.8 million a year into that program, and from the state government point of
view in 2018–19 we assisted 842 people through it. In fact, it is
really heartening to see how many people have been able stay in their home,
particularly for children being able to stay at their local school and people
being able to keep up their work commitments, and keep in touch with families
and colleagues and the like and their support networks.
However,
funding for the federal government Keeping Women Safe in Their Home program
will come to an end on 31 October. Despite me writing to both the
Minister for Women and the Minister for Families and Social Services about this
issue, we have had no assurance that money will be provided in the future. I think
that is an absolute shame. In fact, the Western Australian Council of Social
Service and the Women's Council for Domestic and Family Violence
Services are also concerned, and have written to both of those ministers and
members throughout the federal Parliament advocating for the continuation of
that funding.
Services that have received federal
funding through that program include Pat Thomas House in Peel; the Patricia Giles
Centre, which covers the Joondalup, Mirrabooka and Midland areas; the Pilbara
Community Legal Service; Starick, which covers the south-east metropolitan
corridor including Midland and Perth; the Lucy Saw Centre; and, Wungening
Aboriginal Corporation, which is doing a pilot for Aboriginal women and their
children. That is all important work, member, as I hope most members in this
chamber would agree. It was heartening, after the spate of very tragic
homicides that this state has endured, that the Premier received correspondence
from the current Prime Minister offering assistance. We hope he is true to his
word on that offer, and we might be able to get some assurances about this
program. I really hope that we can continue to advocate for not only an
extension and a better understanding of the multitude of services that we need
to provide for victims of domestic violence—often women, sometimes with
children—but also that we can provide safe havens in refuges, and, when
we can, keep women and children safe in their homes through proper risk
assessment. I really hope we can continue to do that work.
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