❓ Hon Adele Farina asks about family violence services in the South West region, wait times, staffing, and actions taken on Law Reform Commission recommendations. The Attorney General details services available, wait times, staffing, and the government's response through the Freedom from Fear Action Plan and legislative reforms.
AnsweredQoN 4020Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What services are offered by the Family Violence Service in the South West Region? (2) What is the average wait time between the time of contacting the service and receiving services from Family Violence Service in the South West region? (3) How many people, by FTE and head count, operate in the Family Violence Service in the South West Region and where are they located? (4) What action has been taken in relation to the reforms recommended by the Law Reform Commission Final Report into Family and Domestic Violence , tabled on 25 June 2014?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 June 2016
Response time
77 days
(1) The Family Violence Service is based only in metropolitan Perth. Victims of family violence in the south-west where an offence has been committed are referred to the Victim Support Service (VSS) in Bunbury.
Children affected by family and domestic violence related incidents and required to give evidence in court are assisted with non-evidentiary court preparation by the Child Witness Service also located in Bunbury.
(2) The Bunbury VSS responds to all referrals with a letter or telephone call. When victims contact the service through self-referral or in response to an offer of service, there is no wait time to receive services.
(3) The South West region is serviced by both the VSS and Child Witness Service located in the Bunbury Courthouse. These services are delivered under contract with the Department and a non-government provider.
(4) The Government has comprehensive response to strengthen the whole of government and community sector response to family violence in Western Australia: the Freedom from Fear Action Plan 2015 – Working towards the elimination of family and domestic violence in Western Australia.
The Freedom from Fear Action Plan affirms the State Government’s commitment to tackling this insidious problem, states the important milestones that have been achieved so far, and articulates a cohesive and comprehensive set of actions to strengthen interventions targeted at perpetrators and increase the safety of victims.
Increasing the capacity and authority of the service system to stop perpetrators of family violence when they are identified is a priority action under the Freedom from Fear Action Plan . As set out in the Action Plan, the Government is working to improve access to, and the effectiveness of, the Western Australian legal system for victims of family violence.
The Government is in the final stages of drafting a Bill to overhaul the Restraining Orders Act 1997 and related legislation, including to introduce a dedicated new category of ‘Family Violence Restraining Orders. This Bill has been informed by the Final Report that the Attorney General had requested from the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia on Enhancing Laws Concerning Family and Domestic Violence . The Bill is now close to introduction.
The Law Reform Commission of Western Australia (LRC) was also asked to report on measures that would enhance the State’s family violence response. Responses in relation to “non-legislative” recommendations either has occurred – or is occurring – in areas as diverse as policing, victim of crime support, court practice and residential tenancy. A sample of these responses includes:
• Ongoing review of Western Australian Police practice and policy regarding family violence; • development of new court listing practices to support integrated service delivery responses to family violence, to facilitate information sharing - particularly around agency knowledge of risks to victims; • the Supreme Court and District Court of Western Australia have issued or updated practice directions regarding victim impact statements; • new data collection and publication is occurring regarding family violence by the Office of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Assessors; and • examination of the LRC Recommendations by Department of Commerce with regard to Residential Tenancies Act 1987.
The State has also committed to introducing legislation to enact the ‘National Domestic Violence Order Scheme’ (NDVOS) in Western Australia, which was agreed at COAG in December 2015. The NDVOS scheme will enable the automatic recognition of interstate restraining orders and will enhance the legal protections to be provided to victims of family violence as outlined above. Again, the introduction of specific ‘Family Violence Restraining Orders’ as part of the Government’s legislative overhaul will enhance Western Australia’s participation in the NDVOS.
Children affected by family and domestic violence related incidents and required to give evidence in court are assisted with non-evidentiary court preparation by the Child Witness Service also located in Bunbury.
(2) The Bunbury VSS responds to all referrals with a letter or telephone call. When victims contact the service through self-referral or in response to an offer of service, there is no wait time to receive services.
(3) The South West region is serviced by both the VSS and Child Witness Service located in the Bunbury Courthouse. These services are delivered under contract with the Department and a non-government provider.
(4) The Government has comprehensive response to strengthen the whole of government and community sector response to family violence in Western Australia: the Freedom from Fear Action Plan 2015 – Working towards the elimination of family and domestic violence in Western Australia.
The Freedom from Fear Action Plan affirms the State Government’s commitment to tackling this insidious problem, states the important milestones that have been achieved so far, and articulates a cohesive and comprehensive set of actions to strengthen interventions targeted at perpetrators and increase the safety of victims.
Increasing the capacity and authority of the service system to stop perpetrators of family violence when they are identified is a priority action under the Freedom from Fear Action Plan . As set out in the Action Plan, the Government is working to improve access to, and the effectiveness of, the Western Australian legal system for victims of family violence.
The Government is in the final stages of drafting a Bill to overhaul the Restraining Orders Act 1997 and related legislation, including to introduce a dedicated new category of ‘Family Violence Restraining Orders. This Bill has been informed by the Final Report that the Attorney General had requested from the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia on Enhancing Laws Concerning Family and Domestic Violence . The Bill is now close to introduction.
The Law Reform Commission of Western Australia (LRC) was also asked to report on measures that would enhance the State’s family violence response. Responses in relation to “non-legislative” recommendations either has occurred – or is occurring – in areas as diverse as policing, victim of crime support, court practice and residential tenancy. A sample of these responses includes:
• Ongoing review of Western Australian Police practice and policy regarding family violence; • development of new court listing practices to support integrated service delivery responses to family violence, to facilitate information sharing - particularly around agency knowledge of risks to victims; • the Supreme Court and District Court of Western Australia have issued or updated practice directions regarding victim impact statements; • new data collection and publication is occurring regarding family violence by the Office of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Assessors; and • examination of the LRC Recommendations by Department of Commerce with regard to Residential Tenancies Act 1987.
The State has also committed to introducing legislation to enact the ‘National Domestic Violence Order Scheme’ (NDVOS) in Western Australia, which was agreed at COAG in December 2015. The NDVOS scheme will enable the automatic recognition of interstate restraining orders and will enhance the legal protections to be provided to victims of family violence as outlined above. Again, the introduction of specific ‘Family Violence Restraining Orders’ as part of the Government’s legislative overhaul will enhance Western Australia’s participation in the NDVOS.
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