❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks data on the capacity and demand for women's refuge services in Perth, specifically regarding bed numbers and instances of women and children being turned away. The Minister acknowledges the issue but cites data collection limitations.
AnsweredQoN 148Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REFUGE SERVICES
148. Hon ALANNA CLOHESY to the Minister
for Child Protection:
I refer the minister to the report
in yesterday's The West
Australian regarding the domestic violence crisis in Perth.
(1) How many beds were in the Perth
women's refuge system at 1 January 2015 and 31 December2015?
(2) How many
women and children were turned away from refuges in Perth between 1 January
2015 and 31 December2015, and 1 January 2016 and 19 February 2016?
148. Hon ALANNA CLOHESY to the Minister
for Child Protection:
I refer the minister to the report
in yesterday's The West
Australian regarding the domestic violence crisis in Perth.
(1) How many beds were in the Perth
women's refuge system at 1 January 2015 and 31 December2015?
(2) How many
women and children were turned away from refuges in Perth between 1 January
2015 and 31 December2015, and 1 January 2016 and 19 February 2016?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question.
(1) As at 31 January
2015 and 31 December 2015, through services contracted by the Department for
Child Protection and Family Support, accommodation for over 100 families and 50
single women experiencing family and domestic violence was available on any
given night. I am advised that family and domestic violence services do not
report their data based on beds. This is because the composition of families
and individuals accessing these services varies considerably and services need
to operate flexibly to be able to accommodate the complex needs of individuals
and families accessing these supports. What I can tell the member is that the
services report information on the number of people who access the family and
domestic violence refuges. This information is collated on behalf of the
department by the specialist homelessness services collection through the
Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing and will be accessible for the
month of January 2015. However, the December 2015 information will not be
available until the end of April 2016, as the information will not yet have
been fully provided by services to the AIHW for this period.
(2) I am advised
that data regarding the number of women and children who are unable to access
accommodation in a particular refuge for the periods requested cannot be
provided as the information is reported quarterly and is still being collated
and analysed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. I request that
the member place the question on notice. It is important to note that if women
and children are unable to access support through a specific refuge service,
assistance can be provided through the department's Crisis Care unit to
link the individual or family to another refuge service or other temporary
accommodation options.
of the question.
(1) As at 31 January
2015 and 31 December 2015, through services contracted by the Department for
Child Protection and Family Support, accommodation for over 100 families and 50
single women experiencing family and domestic violence was available on any
given night. I am advised that family and domestic violence services do not
report their data based on beds. This is because the composition of families
and individuals accessing these services varies considerably and services need
to operate flexibly to be able to accommodate the complex needs of individuals
and families accessing these supports. What I can tell the member is that the
services report information on the number of people who access the family and
domestic violence refuges. This information is collated on behalf of the
department by the specialist homelessness services collection through the
Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing and will be accessible for the
month of January 2015. However, the December 2015 information will not be
available until the end of April 2016, as the information will not yet have
been fully provided by services to the AIHW for this period.
(2) I am advised
that data regarding the number of women and children who are unable to access
accommodation in a particular refuge for the periods requested cannot be
provided as the information is reported quarterly and is still being collated
and analysed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. I request that
the member place the question on notice. It is important to note that if women
and children are unable to access support through a specific refuge service,
assistance can be provided through the department's Crisis Care unit to
link the individual or family to another refuge service or other temporary
accommodation options.
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