Support and Safety Hubs Delivery model and approach to implementation

1. Support and Safety Hubs Delivery model and approach to implementation

2. Why establish the Hubs?

3. FSV and Hubs The Royal Commission into Family Violence and Roadmap for Reform confirmed we needed to redesign our service system to ensure that women and children are safe from harm and families can easily access the supports they need. • Ending Family Violence: Victoria’s Plan for Change (November 2016) committed to establishing Support and Safety Hubs. • The 2017-18 State Budget allocated $448.1 million over four years for the establishment of the Hubs, including a physical site in each of the 17 DHHS areas across the state by 2021. • A new agency, Family Safety Victoria, was set up on 1 July 2017. It is dedicated to leading the establishment of the Hubs as well as other key reforms. • Support and Safety Hubs: Statewide Concept was released on 5 July 2017. It describes the intent and purpose of the Hubs, sets out government’s approach and outlines the principles for the design.

4. The Statewide Concept • TheStatewide Concept was informed by: • the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence • research into hub-like models in Australia and overseas • forums across Victoria in October 2016 which were attended by over 700 people • four expert design workshops with practitioners and leading thinkers from across the health, community and justice service systems • input from the Family Violence Steering Committee, Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council, Aboriginal Co-Design Forum, Diverse Communities Intersectionality Working Group • small group discussions with people who have experienced the service system, including victim-survivors and families engaged with children and family services • a Project Control Group including relevant departments from across the Victorian government.

5. Key features of the Hubs

6. The Hubs will be transformative • The Hubs will deliver a fundamental change to the way we work with women, children and families. They will provide: • a more visible contact point so that people know where to go for support • help for people to identify family violence and child wellbeing issues • advice based on the latest risk assessment tools • specialist support and tailored advice for victims, families and children, and perpetrators • an approach across the spectrum of prevention, early intervention and response • connection and coordination of access to support • a system-wide view of service capacity, client experience and outcomes • The Hubs will support the agency of women, children and families, to ensure that the services they receive meet their needs and their goals. • The Hubs will help to maintain a focus on perpetrators, so the risk they pose can be assessed, and they are held to account for their behaviour.

7. The Hubs will provide integrated support and will provide a safe access point for the community • The Hubs are for: • women, children, young people and older people experiencing family violence, and • families in need of support with the care, wellbeing and development of children and young people. • The Hubs will also plan interventions for perpetrators that hold them to account, address the risk they pose and challenge their violence and abusive behaviour. • Police referrals (L17 forms) for male victims experiencing family violence will continue to go to the Victims Support Agency. • The Hubs will be safe and inclusive and be designed to meet the diverse needs of the community. • The Hubs will: • Actively tailor their services to the needs of CALD communities in their local area • Have the capabilities to recognise and meet the specific needs of people with disabilities, LGBTI people, older people experiencing violence, and adolescents who use violence in the home.

8. The Hubs will provide a safe access point People will access the Hubs in ways that are safe, accessible and convenient for them: • telephone and online access options, supported by local face-to-face after hours responses where required • a primary physical community-based Hub – which may include extended hours on weekdays and some availability on weekends – and, over time, spokes providing alternative locations • out-posted Hub workers based or hosted in other services, such as courts, health services or local government services • outreach or mobile Hub workers, who can engage with people where they feel comfortable, and • referrals from other professionals and community organisations, including police referrals (L17s). • The development of an access network for each area will be informed by the needs of each local area.

9. Our commitment to Aboriginal people • Aboriginal self-determination is a guiding principle in our approach. We are working in partnership with Aboriginal communities and services to: • ensure that support services best meet the needs of Aboriginal community members • ensure that the Hubs are culturally safe for Aboriginal people across the state • ensure that Aboriginal voices are heard in the Hubs governance and practice • continue to build on the policies and guidelines that have been developed with the Aboriginal community, including Victoria Police’s Koori Family Violence Police Protocols.

10. The Hubs will be phased in, with the first five launch sites providing fundamental supports • Initially, the Hubs will offer: • visible, non-stigmatising initial contact points: telephone, ‘walk-in’, police and other professional referrals • multi-disciplinary risk and needs identification: intake, screening and triage of risks and exploration of needs to determine urgency and type of response needed • coordinated engagement, initial service planning and allocation: collaborative service planning across agencies, building on initial risk and needs information through assertive outreach and other engagement approaches for some clients • brief interventions: brief interventions that may include outreach, therapeutic interventions, assessment and planning, practical support and flexible packages • service system navigation & monitoring to streamline the client experience and support access to services. The Hubs will initially be open during business hours with clear connections to after-hours services and supports.

11. Setting up the Hubs – the approach for launch areas • The Hubs in the launch areas will: • harness the strengths of government and non-government agencies • involve a partnership with community sector organisations that currently receive police referrals for women and children who are victims of family violence; receive police referrals for perpetrators of family violence (known as ‘Enhanced Intake Services’), and provide the Child FIRST service, coming together as the ‘Hub Team’ • be informed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations about the relationship between ACCOs and the Hubs • be staffed by community sector workers who will remain employed and supervised by their home organisations • provide resources, tools and support to help workers do their jobs • incorporate a small number of FSV staff in each area to facilitate operations, partnerships and connection to government and the broader service system • allow for some co-location with other organisations that deliver other relevant services.

12. Hubs Service Delivery Hub Leadership Group Hub Centre Manager The Hub Team (Supervisors & Workers) Key: The Hub Team • Services delivering functions as part of the Hub service offer. • Includesnew roles: • Integrated Practice Leader • Advanced Family Violence Practitioner • Aboriginal Services Specialist ACCOs Family Violence Services Community-based Child Protection ACCOs Universal services Family Services Other agencies Partner Services Men’s Services Services delivering core ongoing support services for Hub clients. Government agencies (eg. Child Protection, Victoria Police) Partner Services Other services that may wish to co-locate at the hubs Networked Services Services that play an important role in supporting victims of family violence and/or families Network Services

13. Setting up the Hubs – supporting system reforms • Other family violence system reforms will support Hub workers and the wider service network to more effectively respond: • New family violence information sharing regime • Central Information Point pilot • Revised multi-agency risk assessment, risk management framework, and supporting tools • Increased investment and enhanced service responses within family violence sector including refuge redevelopment, flexible packages, more consistent face-to-face after hours response and trailing new therapeutic and perpetrator interventions • 10 Year Industry Plan • The hubs operating model will support and connect to other service system reforms, including: • Reforms to the child and family services platform • Establishment of specialist family violence courts.

14. Setting up the Hubs – connecting to broader services • Referral pathways and processes will be in place for all sectors and agencies in launch areas from establishment. There will be a phased approach to formalising connections between Hubs and the broader system, with an initial focus on: • Integrated Family Services • Specialist Family Violence Services • Men’s Family Violence Services • Child Protection • Victoria Police • Magistrates’ Court and Specialist Family Violence Courts • Aboriginal services • Multi-disciplinary Centres and other Sexual Assault Services • Victim support programs • StatewideServices (such as Safe Steps & Men’s Referral Service and multicultural services).

15. Engagement to support further statewide design

16. There is a phased approach to design and implementation underway • Detailed design specification and implementation planning with continue through 2017, with hubs to commence operations from early 2018. • There will be opportunities for communities and organisations to be involved at statewide and local area levels Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March onwards Statewide service design Hubs service specs & priority service interface protocols complete • statewide service model & practice framework for consistency across all hubs • accountability & oversight mechanisms • enabling infrastructure including CRM • evaluation framework • service interface pathways & protocols Hubs service delivery commences and phases up over 2018 Local implementation planning & preparations

17. Next steps for engagement We will continue to engage with the sector, government agencies, services, community and experts. • Statewide engagement • At the statewide level, FSV will provide governance and facilitate the development of the Hubs model. This will include working with the: • Family Violence Steering Committee • Aboriginal Co-design Forum • Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum • Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council • Statewide Expert Design Workshops • Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator Interventions • Existing key sector and cross-sector forums • Engagement will focus on continuing to evolve the Hubs model, developing an integrated practice framework, building critical connections to the broader service system, the physical design of Hubs, branding and the development of an evaluation framework. • Local engagement • Locally, this includes working with: • Local Hubs Establishment Groups • Hub Leadership Groups • Local communities • Aboriginal services and organisations • Community service organisations • Existing regional committees and alliances • Engagement will focus on feeding local experience and intelligence into the statewide design process, implementation planning and establishment of the Hubs, testing and refining practice tools and guidance, and identifying local examples and opportunities to build on. • Launch area stakeholders may be brought together to address common issues and learn from each other.

18. Governance and engagement to support local planning and implementation

19. There will be strong governance and engagement with statewide and local area stakeholders Committees for change Family Violence Steering Committee Social Services Taskforce Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum Industry Taskforce Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council Family Violence Housing Assistance Implementation Taskforce Victorian Children’s Council Aboriginal Children’s Forum Diverse Communities & Intersectionality Working Group Chief Magistrate’s Taskforce Area & Regional Government presence FSV will work closely with area and regional state government offices and local government. Victorian Government Family Safety Victoria Hub Leadership Group Local Hub Establishment Group Hub Centre Manager Pre-existing local governance structures Existing statewide and local governance structures will be closely linked and feed specialist advice into each level of Hubs governance through the initial phase of Hub implementation. For example, the FV RIC, IFVRAG, Child FIRST Alliance and Child and Youth Area Partnerships.

20. Governance and engagement groups will support planning and design in each launch area Hub Leadership Group • Functions: • Provides strategic direction • Is accountable for integrated practice and service delivery • Oversees operations and performance of Hub, based on the statewide policy and design • Keeps FSV, DHHS and other stakeholders (as relevant) informed of issues and risks Hub Leadership Group Local Hub Establishment Group • Members: • Senior Executive of each Community Sector Organisation in Hub • Representatives from local Aboriginal communities and services • Senior government representatives from relevant departments • Hub Centre Manager Hub Centre Manager

21. Governance and engagement groups will support planning and design in each launch area Local Hub Establishment Group • Functions: • Supports establishment of the local Hub • Implements referral pathways between Hubs and services • Works with community, social, health and justice sectors • Creates a shared responsibility for outcomes • Contributes to monitoring, planning, tailoring and improvement of services • Informs a statewide approach Hub Leadership Group Local Hub Establishment Group • Members: • Senior Hub representatives • Government departments • Local Government • Agencies from across justice, health, social and community services, including universal services and tertiary prevention • People with experience using services, including those from Aboriginal communities and other diverse communities • Community representatives Hub Centre Manager

22. Governance and engagement groups will evolve and be reviewed in local areas Aboriginal communities and services will be part of the Hubs governance structures from the beginning, ensuring that Aboriginal community perspectives and the important insights, innovation and integrated ways of working demonstrated in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, inform governance as well as the design and operation of the Hubs. FSV will seek to build on existing local service user groups to ensure that victim survivors, vulnerable families and other community members are supported to participate in both statewide design of the Hubs and local implementation planning. Family Safety Victoria will establish these groups in launch sites over the next few months, beginning with a series of forums that will bring together a broad group of local area stakeholders to inform statewide design of the Hubs and contribute to local area planning. A review of the current regional governance will be completed over the coming months to identify opportunities to streamline arrangements. This work will inform the ongoing role of the LHEGs in each launch site as well as planning for the broader rollout of Hubs across the state.

23. Next steps for engagement We will continue to engage with the sector, government agencies, services, community and experts. • Statewide engagement • At the statewide level, FSV will provide governance and facilitate the development of the Hubs model. This will include working with the: • Family Violence Steering Committee • Aboriginal Co-design Forum • Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum • Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council • Statewide Expert Design Workshops • Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator Interventions • Existing key sector and cross-sector forums • Engagement will focus on continuing to evolve the Hubs model, developing an integrated practice framework, building critical connections to the broader service system, the physical design of Hubs, branding and the development of an evaluation framework • Local engagement • Locally, this includes working with: • Local Hubs Establishment Groups • Hub Leadership Groups • Local communities • Aboriginal services and organisations • Community service organisations • Existing regional committees and alliances • Engagement will focus on feeding local experience and intelligence into the statewide design process, implementation planning and establishment of the Hubs, testing and refining practice tools and guidance, and identifying local examples and opportunities to build on. • Launch area stakeholders may be brought together to address common issues and learn from each other.

24. Where to find out more • Our website is being updated with additional resources. • These will include: • Fact sheets and Frequently Asked Questions on a variety of Hubs-related topics • Supporting research and information • A dedicated page for sector partners • Opportunities to engage further with Hubs design • See: http://www.vic.gov.au/familyviolence/