ACU

Australian Catholic University’s Institute of Child Protection Studies

CIP

Central Information Point

CRM

Client Relationship Management system

CSO

Community Service Organisation

DHHS

Department of Health and Human Services

FSV

Family Safety Victoria

FVISS

Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme

HLG

Hub Leadership Group

LGBTIQ

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and gender diverse, Intersex and Queer

MARAM

Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management framework

OLG

Operations Leadership Group

PIC

PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting

PwC

PricewaterhouseCoopers

VAGO

Victorian Auditor-General Office

Family Safety Victoria (FSV) commissioned an independent evaluation of The Orange Door, as part of our commitment to continually improve and apply key insights from early implementation to ensure we are making a difference and delivering better outcomes for people who need help and support.

The scope of the evaluation focused primarily on systems, practices and processes in the first 4 areas where The Orange Door has been established. FSV is committed to applying the key findings and opportunities identified in the evaluation, in partnership with community service organisations and Aboriginal services who partner to form The Orange Door.

The evaluation acknowledges the significance of The Orange Door in addressing family violence and child wellbeing and vulnerability in the broader service system, and the challenges of implementing large, complex reforms on an unprecedented scale. The evaluation commends FSV’s commitment to quality improvement at the very early stages of the implementation of these reforms.

The evaluation found strong commitment to The Orange Door vision and service model and positive practices around collaboration (including multi-disciplinary working) and information sharing. FSV will leverage these key findings to address related opportunities for improvement including:

• improving shared understanding and implementation of integrated practice
• improving monitoring of client outcomes and experience of the service system
• acknowledging the role of the Central Information Point in improving information-sharing, risk management and client safety
• application of client-centric approaches, more seamless service delivery and continued commitment to self-determination, choice and cultural safety for Aboriginal people

The evaluation identified key opportunities for improvement related to operational and implementation considerations for The Orange Door in both existing and new areas, including:

• operationalising aspects of The Orange Door in practice including key concepts, tools and processes
• continued strengthening of change management processes for establishment activities and broader implementation
• enhancing the integration of all services within The Orange Door, particularly men’s/perpetrator services

A comprehensive overview of actions and initiatives undertaken by FSV in response to the evaluation’s findings and opportunities for improvement are outlined in the key themes section below, and is summarised in an acquittal table at Appendix 1.

The evaluation was undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting (PIC) and the Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) Institute of Child Protection Studies.

Related reviews

This first independent evaluation of The Orange Door is a critical part of FSV’s broader commitment to continuous improvement. The evaluation is one of a number of interrelated reviews and assessments which are contributing to the ongoing design, development and evolution of The Orange Door.

This includes:

1. a preliminary review of operations in the first four areas[1] (August-September 2018), conducted by FSV
2. 3 in-depth independent evaluations (2018 – 2021), the first of which is this evaluation that has been conducted by PwC
3. annual reports, undertaken by the Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor (2017 - 2020), with The Orange Door[2] forming a priority area in the 2018 report
4. the Victorian Auditor-General Office (VAGO) audit of The Orange Door (2019 - 2020)

FSV conducted an Initial Operations Review of the first four areas which focused on early operational progress. The preliminary findings were instrumental in refining action plans and future project plans for The Orange Door. This review is scheduled to take place in each new area of The Orange Door as they become operational.

Two further in-depth evaluations of The Orange Door are scheduled for 2020 – 2021. They will include, where possible, evaluation of client and system outcomes. The scope of these evaluations will be refined in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience.

The Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor is legislated to report to Parliament annually on the implementation and effectiveness of the family violence reforms currently underway in Victoria. The first annual report (as at 1 November 2017) focused on the initial implementation of the reforms including planning and coordination, while the second report (as at 1 November 2018) looked specifically at The Orange Door and incorporating the voice of victim survivors across the reforms.

The Victorian Auditor-General is an independent officer of the Victorian Parliament and provides assurances on how effectively public sector agencies are providing services and using public money. The objective of the upcoming VAGO performance audit (2019 - 2020) of The Orange Door is to determine whether Support and Safety Hubs are providing effective and efficient service coordination for women and families.

[1] This has also now been completed in The Orange Door in the Inner Gippsland area.

[2] Referred to as the Support and Safety Hubs in the 2018 Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor annual report.

This evaluation

The scope of 2018 evaluation of The Orange Door centred on establishment, operations and initial service offering.

FSV recognises that the evaluation was undertaken during early implementation of The Orange Door when many related key reforms were being rolled out concurrently. This shaped the parameters of the evaluation approach, the key findings, and our related responses. The iterative design of The Orange Door means many of the findings and opportunities for improvement identified by the evaluators have already been addressed and/or work that has been planned and prioritised by FSV.

In interpreting the findings and recommendations, FSV acknowledges that the evaluation:

• focused on implementation; establishment activity; and initial service operations only
• undertook a developmental evaluation approach with a focus on systems, practices and processes in the context of a significant and complex reform
• included fieldwork findings gathered between October - December 2018 and data from July – December 2018
• cannot make conclusions about longer term objectives for The Orange Door but can provide early indications about progress towards the reform’s key objectives
• was not conclusive about the extent to which The Orange Door initial service offering is contributing to improving client experience and outcomes due to the small sample size of clients and limited qualitative data available

The scope of the evaluation was developed by PWC in collaboration with FSV and focused on the following five key questions which addressed systems, practices and processes at The Orange Door:

1. What changes can be made to establishment approaches to strengthen future implementation and operations.
2. Intended operations, systems and processes at The Orange Door.
3. The impact of the initial service offering for improving client experience and client and system outcomes[1].
4. Ensuring The Orange Door workforce has the resources, capacity and specialist expertise to undertake key functions.
5. Supporting better integration and coordination at the local level.

FSV notes the overarching evaluation findings and key opportunities for improvement cover a range of cross-cutting themes. In addition, responsibility for many of the opportunities for improvement are shared between FSV and the partner agencies of The Orange Door.

In considering its response, FSV acknowledges the interconnected nature of the evaluation findings and has grouped its response by the following ten themes:

• The Orange Door foundational model
• Client experience
• Governance
• Connection with the broader service sector
• Establishment preparation
• Demand management
• Workforce
• Risk assessment, management and information sharing
• Physical infrastructure
• IT systems

At Appendix 1, a breakdown of FSV’s response in respect of the individual findings is also provided.

The Orange Door foundational model

The evaluation identified that clearer operational guidance is required for The Orange Door workforce to better understand and operationalise the foundational model. The workforce would benefit from refinement of practice guidance and foundational documents which were intended to support commencement of The Orange Door and initial steps towards achieving the reform intent described in the Support and Safety Hubs Statewide Concept.

In addition, ongoing development of consistent tools, practices and processes would support implementation

While The Orange Door was designed to improve perpetrator accountability within the family violence system, the evaluation found there was a need to strengthen integration of perpetrator services into The Orange Door. Although men’s/perpetrator services is a comparatively less mature sector, the evaluation identified the potential to leverage the skills and experiences of Aboriginal services to build workforce capacity in more integrated, holistic ways of working to better keep perpetrators in view.

Assist the workforce to understand and operationalise the model.

To strengthen the understanding of key foundational concepts and their practical application amongst The Orange Door workforce, FSV is undertaking a range of practice development activities to embed consistent and effective practice within the operational model. These include activities focusing on specific areas of practice (e.g. assessment and case closure) and working with practice and team leaders to support ongoing implementation. The latter will occur through establishment of a Practice Development Working Group.

The induction program for The Orange Door workforce has also been refreshed based on initial feedback from practitioners, with expanded modules and further opportunities for practical learning tailored to The Orange Door service context and operational priorities. This has been developed with input from peak bodies and sector experts.

Greater need to focus on the integration of perpetrator services into The Orange Door.

The Orange Door enables a more comprehensive ‘view’ of the perpetrator than has previously been available to inform risk assessment and risk management across the family violence system. FSV is taking a number of steps to support the ongoing integration of perpetrator services into The Orange Door including:

• developing a perpetrator accountability plan as part of responding to the Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator Interventions Final Report. The perpetrator accountability response will be underpinned by the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework and its supporting tools and resources.
• leveraging existing skills and experience in some areas, such as the holistic healing and integrated approach used by Aboriginal services when responding to people who use violence to better keep perpetrators in view, and
• trialling several perpetrator interventions projects to provide an evidence base to support the development and maturation of this sector

Governance

While partnership formation and governance arrangements in the early implementation stage were found to be contributing to positive practices such as information sharing to support service delivery and risk management, the evaluation also identified inherent complexities around collective leadership. This included challenges associated with bringing together numerous partners who may have competing interests, different practice philosophies and expectations.

Developing a shared vision and collective accountability within a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency setting.

FSV is committed to embedding collective leadership within governance arrangements in each of the areas and continues to work with sector representatives and peak bodies at a statewide level to support a collaborative approach to meeting the stated aims of The Orange Door. Delivered in partnership between government, community services organisations (CSOs) and Aboriginal services, the partnership approach is formalised through a Partnership Agreement.

As part of the planned review of the Partnership Agreement, FSV has undertaken significant consultation with Hub Leadership Groups (HLGs) and Operations Leadership Groups (OLGs) in each area to discuss the effectiveness of the partnership approach, governance structures and the terms of the Agreements which has informed revised Agreements for operational areas and new Agreements for the next areas to be established.

Work is underway to more clearly articulate accountability within the governance structures for The Orange Door and the relationship with pre-existing local area governance structures.

FSV is also developing Quality Governance guidance for The Orange Door to provide structured operational guidance and to support the effective implementation of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Community Services Quality Governance Framework. The Framework outlines key features of quality governance to better ensure consistency across the sector and applies to all community services that are delivered, funded or regulated by DHHS.

Work with partner agencies to define a practical shared measurement/performance framework for The Orange Door.

Although the Partnership Agreement outlines the commitment to developing shared performance and accountability measures for the governance of The Orange Door, FSV recognises the need to better align the outcomes expected of the partner organisations with the outcomes of The Orange Door.

Work is currently underway to develop an outcomes-oriented performance framework for The Orange Door, core and partner services delivering family violence and family services. The new performance framework will be oriented towards the achievement of outcomes for people and the service system and promote collective accountability and integrated service delivery. It will be aligned with the whole of Victorian government Family Violence Outcomes Framework and other relevant government frameworks.

Establishment preparation

The evaluation found the scale and complexity of the family violence reforms and the associated roll out of The Orange Door had significant impact on the ‘volume of change in practice’ for the workforce and recommended that the sequencing of implementation and culture change required greater consideration prior to operational commencement.

Improve the sequencing of activities required for the establishment of The Orange Door prior to service commencement.

FSV has since updated its ‘pre-conditions’ for service commencement of The Orange Door in new areas to reflect the workforce, infrastructure and IT requirements identified in the evaluation. Implementation planning for the next areas has also considered the lessons learnt in relation to time needed for critical establishment activities such as recruitment and infrastructure fit out. In order to address the significant change in practice for The Orange Door workforce, FSV is developing a change strategy to better support implementation, which will focus on supporting individuals to successfully transition to the new model.

Co-development of practical operational procedures in conjunction with practitioners.

FSV is working with partners to strengthen consistent alignment across workflows, processes and practice in The Orange Door. To support this, a Practice Development Reference Group has been established, with membership including practitioners, team leaders and practice leaders from The Orange Door as well as managers from partner agencies.

Workforce

The evaluation identified a need for greater clarification around the standardisation of roles and responsibilities across partner agencies at The Orange Door. This was particularly in relation to the matrix management model and the associated decision-making and accountability considerations.

Given the variation in pre-existing skills, knowledge and training across workforce, multi-disciplinary training and professional development were also identified as critical for establishing a level of consistency in integrated practice at The Orange Door. FSV has started to address these issues through The Orange Door workforce strategy.

The workforce desires clearer guidance on roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.

FSV is currently developing an accountability framework that aims to clarify roles and responsibilities for the key functions of The Orange Door. Furthermore, a specific review of Practitioner and Team Leader roles is planned as part of the workforce strategy to support greater consistency in role descriptions across partner agencies. Providing clearer guidance on roles, responsibilities and accountabilities will also be supported through implementation of the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) and supporting practice guides

More training and development opportunities, tailored to the context of The Orange Door, are needed.

FSV continues to work with relevant peak bodies and sector experts to develop comprehensive foundation training, including evidence-based theoretical frameworks and best practice principles in the context of The Orange Door. To increase awareness across sectors and encourage opportunities for integrated practice, foundational training for practitioners on each of the three specialisms has been expanded (specialist family violence, child and families and men’s/perpetrators). The Inclusion Action Plan and the Workforce Strategy for The Orange Door will include commitments to training The Orange Door workforce in working with clients with diverse needs.

The workforce strategy[2], developed in consultation with peak bodies and partner agencies, will also support partner agencies across the employee ‘life-cycle’ of recruitment, training and development, retention and exit. The Orange Door workforce will also be supported in aligning family violence risk assessment and management practices to MARAM through rollout of the MARAM training modules.

Physical infrastructure

Physical infrastructure issues impacted the initial commencement of operations and colocation at some of The Orange Door areas.

A range of physical infrastructure issues impacted operations.

Since the commencement of operations, FSV has continued to assess and rectify physical infrastructure issues identified and has revised its pre-conditions for service commencement to reflect the lessons learned in establishing and fitting out the physical premises. Plans for the physical design of premises in the new areas have been updated with the operational experience gained in the first four areas.

FSV engaged expert advice to inform the security infrastructure and design in the operational areas and is currently reviewing implementation of these elements. Security assessments were undertaken pre and post-service commencement and a number of improvements have been implemented to ensure client and staff safety, with continued improvement of security policy, practice and infrastructure planned.

Client experience and outcomes and related data quality.

Although the evaluation was unable to assess client outcomes and experiences in depth due to a lack of data collected directly from clients, it was able to draw findings around client choice and agency through interviews with a limited number of clients. Direct consultations with practitioners and their engagement with clients also informed this area of the evaluation.

Overall, practitioners demonstrated a strong commitment to a client-centric approach to practice, and this was particularly apparent in allowing for the voices of Aboriginal clients to determine service choice and support options.

It was recommended that future evaluations use direct client feedback to determine client experience and outcomes, including the need to consider how responsive and accessible The Orange Door is for diverse client groups and whether the workforce has the skills, resources and capacity to meet these needs.

Client choice and agency is at times limited by a range of factors.

FSV is building on its current program of work relating to client experience and bringing the voice of clients into The Orange Door through the development of a client partnership strategy which will work in partnership with clients across design, development and operations. FSV is also currently introducing a client voice process to collect and analyse feedback from clients on their experience of The Orange Door.

Improved data collection and reporting in the Client Relationship Management (CRM) system is required to monitor accessibility and responsiveness for diverse communities.

FSV is committed to the collection and use of high-quality data, and to the development of a strong evidence-base that will enable us to better understand the impact of our services for clients and the service system. To enable this, FSV is identifying ways to improve data collection, access, relevance and reporting processes across The Orange Door, specialist family violence and sexual assault services and perpetrator interventions, in alignment with work led by DHHS for child and family services.

The Orange Door was designed to meet the needs of people from diverse backgrounds and be safe and accessible for both clients and the workforce. Since it was established, FSV has implemented some and will implement a further range of initiatives and strategies to meet the intersectional needs of clients and improve related data collection, including:

• the Intersectionality Capacity Building Project for family violence and universal services workforces
• development of an Inclusion Action Plan to embed inclusion, access and equity in The Orange Door services and policies

FSV continues to make enhancements to the CRM system to enable improved reporting. Work is underway to produce clearer reporting guidance to improve the completeness and consistency of data collected through the CRM.

Connections with the broader service sector

While this initial evaluation focused on partnerships within The Orange Door, it identified that further work needed to be done on the connections between The Orange Door, clients and the broader service sector. It also recognised that the establishment of these connections would remain a long-term activity and that FSV was taking steps to facilitate this through the development of roles such as the Service System Navigators.

Connection and networks with the broader service sector could be strengthened.

As part of the establishment of these connections, FSV is taking a phased approach to developing interfaces with other services at a statewide level, with some already in place, such as those with Victoria Police, Child Protection and Family Services, and some are currently in development, including legal services and housing and homelessness services.

The roles of Hub Managers and Service System Navigators have also been appointed in the next areas at an earlier point ahead of commencement to support the development of connections with existing area-based services, networks and groups, and referral pathways ahead of rollout.

In recognition that a strong service system is required to support the successful implementation of The Orange Door, Service System Networks are also being established in operational areas. These provide a mechanism for local services to engage with The Orange Door to support service delivery tailored to local needs and will help to support shared responsibility for interfaces.

Perception that The Orange Door is not sufficiently focused on child wellbeing and development.

FSV is working with stakeholders to address perceptions that The Orange Door is disproportionately focused on family violence services, including through communications, cultural change and practice development.

The implementation of The Orange Door is supported by the ‘Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families,

Safe Children’, the strategy for the reform of children, youth and family services in Victoria. Messaging about The Orange Door is regularly updated to reflect these reforms as they continue to be rolled out.

Build on existing systems and processes such as those currently in place in Child FIRST alliances during the establishment phase of new areas.

FSV is committed to building on the significant work Child FIRST/Family Services Alliances and other networks have already achieved to support good service linkages, appropriate information sharing and timely referrals. Implementation managers for new areas of The Orange Door are engaging early with Family Services and Child FIRST Alliances, Family Violence Regional Integration Committees and Dhelk Dja Action Groups in relation to:

• access and understanding existing arrangements
• workforce readiness to inform The Orange Door establishment

The early recruitment of Hub Managers and Service System Navigators in new areas will further support opportunities for strengthening the networks within areas as they transition to The Orange Door.

Determine if any clarification or awareness raising of The Orange Door is required within the community.

FSV pursued a strategy of not undertaking widespread public promotion of The Orange Door during the implementation phase to ensure partners could embed new processes and arrangements while managing demand in a gradual and sustainable manner. There were also considerations to ensure The Orange Door brand was visible but discrete for the safety of clients. Communications targeted key stakeholder groups and existing referrers to support transition.

The Orange Door website – www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au – was introduced to make it easier to find engaging, clear and easy-to-understand information about the service. It provides information about where and how to seek help, including for people who face particular barriers to getting help.

Development of the website was supported by rigorous user research and informed the language, tone, content and accessibility of the website.

Demand management

The evaluation found that a combination of high demand, lower than expected staffing (i.e. due to recruitment difficulties), high administrative burden of a new IT system and a lack of clarity about how to operationalise some processes initially resulted in significant wait times for some clients.

Other qualitative data from practitioners indicated there are variations between family violence services and family services in service provision and this was impacting on demand management. However due to the limited availability of data in CRM the evaluation was unable to verify this variation.

Addressing constraints that are impacting on demand and client wait times.

FSV is developing a demand management framework to consolidate and improve current practices across The Orange Door, family violence services (including specialist family violence services and perpetrator services) and family services. It will provide guidance on basic principles underpinning equitable access to services and will identify strategies to manage demand, supporting client pathways from initial contact to exit from the service system. It will encourage shared responsibility, open and transparent decision making and meaningful demand management collaboration across service delivery agencies and sectors.

Workflow processes are being refined through practice, data and system capability improvements. System enhancements and regular upgrades to CRM have, and will continue to, reduce administrative burden for practitioners and impact on demand management.

In areas that have experienced significant demand, specific strategies have been implemented to reduce waiting time, including use of dedicated teams. This has had a significant impact in reducing the number of cases awaiting assignment to practitioners in The Orange Door.

Provide guidance to practitioners on appropriate time-length for cases to better manage demand and projections for new areas.

There is an opportunity to consider variations for different client cohorts at The Orange Door and the demand management framework will support this. FSV is currently considering the most appropriate mechanisms for monitoring service intensity and duration within The Orange Door – such as analysing hours of client-related service delivery. This data will provide detailed information about the amount of time taken to support different client cohorts and may provide a foundation for guidance to practitioners. However, this must be balanced with qualitative data about client experience, which may indicate client preferences to continue engaging with The Orange Door rather than transition to other services.

To better plan for initial workflow, FSV to provide expected mix of demand sources prior to commencement.

FSV used existing data to inform initial planning however, given the significant change in the system introduced by The Orange Door, the ability to accurately apply this was limited. FSV will explore providing the OLGs in new areas with access to historical information on service demand from sources such as L17s, third-party referrals and direct contact, as well as support planning and implementation activities. Although, this information should be treated with caution as trends in service access are likely to change with the introduction of The Orange Door in areas.

Risk management and information sharing.

While the evaluation recognised that The Orange Door practitioners have access to a range of tools to assess and manage risk, there was still a need for better alignment of the MARAM framework with The Orange Door and broader services to improve consistency and the integration of risk assessment and management. The evaluation recommended that future evaluations look at the adequacy of risk assessment and risk management for clients over time. It also noted that a standardised assessment tool for child wellbeing was not yet available across The Orange Door areas.

Risk and needs assessments are undertaken inconsistently within The Orange Door.

The continued implementation of the MARAM and practice development activities are expected to improve the consistency of risk assessment and risk management within The Orange Door and beyond.

FSV is undertaking a range of work to support The Orange Door to further integrate and align their policies, procedures practice guidance and tools to the MARAM framework. Guidance to further clarify the expectations around completion of assessments has been provided and will be further supported through the release and ongoing implementation of the MARAM Framework practice guides.

A MARAM alignment strategy specific to The Orange Door is currently being developed. The strategy will support the embedding of MARAM in The Orange Door – across policies, procedures, practice guidance, tools and training.

To support child wellbeing practice, DHHS continues work to redevelop the Best Interests Case Practice Model to better align with the child and family and family violence reforms and consider the need for additional resources and tools to support the broader workforce in their work with children and families.

Ongoing evaluation and review processes across the broader service sector.

FSV will continue to review implementation of the MARAM and the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVIS Scheme) across all prescribed services, including The Orange Door through the MARAM and FVIS Scheme contracted evaluations. FSV will also continue to review The Orange Door change strategy to ensure that MARAM alignment and information sharing is effectively implemented.

IT Systems

There were functionality challenges associated with the establishment of key systems used at The Orange Door, and the first iteration of the CRM was found to be difficult to operate, burdensome and impacted negatively on service delivery. The evaluation recognised that the first iteration of any new IT system often poses challenges for users and that practitioners had reported that ongoing upgrades were already improving functionality. However, it also noted that further adaptations were required, specifically for data collection, monitoring and reviewing.

While the Central Information Point (CIP) also had minor initial establishment challenges, the general feedback was related to the positive contribution the system was making to information sharing for risk assessment and management at The Orange Door.

The CRM system could benefit from improvements to useability and functionality,

Updates are released approximately quarterly and are informed by practitioner feedback. The changes implemented through CRM Release 6, which commenced on July 2019, included:

The CRM system could benefit from improvements to useability and functionality,

Updates/improvements to the CRM are released approximately quarterly and are informed by practitioner feedback. The following changes have been implemented through CRM Release 6, which commenced on July 2019, and Release 7 which commenced in November 2019:

Release 6

• enhanced reporting capabilities,
• updates to minimise data entry and improve access to information, and
• updates to CIP requests and reports to improve information sharing between The Orange Door and CIP Operations. Release 7
• introduction of notifications being sent to practitioners (CRM Dashboard and email) including:
• a TRAM assessment is due to expire in 3 days
• a new screening record has been created for an existing case - delivery of a CIP report,
• greater integration with other systems to minimise duplication of data entry
• enhancements to the layout of fields to improve the usability of the system
• ability to share activities, risk assessments and close cases across multiple cases within a case group • spell check functionality
• improvements to the CIP request form

Comprehensive training, support and guidance materials are provided to The Orange Door workforce to support their use of the CRM system at induction and following the deployment of incremental system changes. These supports have been welcomed by practitioners.

[3] While the first evaluation was unable to draw conclusions on client experience and outcomes due to limited data during the early stages of implementation, it is expected that these areas will be addressed in future evaluations.

[4] The Orange Door workforce strategy is designed to complement and align with broader workforce development strategies.

Evaluation question 1: What changes can be made to establishment approaches to improve future implementation and operations of [The] Orange Door?

Line of Inquiry 1: To what extent have establishment planning and operationalisation activities enabled implementation of The Orange Door foundational service model?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

• 1A. Planning for future areas of The Orange Door could consider:
• A revised ‘go live’ criteria including 75 per cent staffing contingency
• Sequencing of implementation of key roles and capabilities
• Additional time for The Orange Door workforce to embed processes and
• systems prior to service delivery commencing
• The different staffing/workforce needs for the first 6 months of operation compared with ongoing needs

FSV response

Agreed.

Based on the implementation experience and insights from the first 5 areas, FSV has significantly revised the sequencing and timeframes for end to end implementation of The Orange Door. This reflects the significant interdependencies across elements of this work, in particular infrastructure delivery, and the timeframes required for critical activities such as workforce recruitment.

This has informed the approach to delivery in the next 3 areas, where there is a significantly longer lead time factored in between the announcement of the implementation of The Orange Door in the area and when services are planned to commence.

FSV has also strengthened the ‘pre-conditions’ for service commencement of The Orange Door in new areas to reflect the lessons learned in relation to critical areas such as workforce, infrastructure and IT requirements identified in the evaluation.

Finally, FSV is taking a staged approach to budget allocations, where initial annual budget allocations are adjusted at 6-monthly intervals in response to demand and other operational data.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

1B. That FSV lead a process to co-develop with practitioners, practical operational procedures at The Orange Door that define which functions and processes across The Orange Door areas require statewide

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV is working with partners to strengthen consistent alignment across workflows, processes and practice in The Orange Door. To support this, a Practice

Development Reference Group has been established, with membership including practitioners, team leaders and practice leaders from The Orange Door as well as managers from partner agencies.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – to continue through 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

Standardised processes and which can be adapted in response to local needs. For functions that are determined to require statewide consistency, define process and procedures and how integration is to be operationalised.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

1C. That FSV lead a process with partner organisations to develop a change management plan for The Orange Door that aligns with this initial evaluation and strategically moves the workforce and sector towards the vision outlined in The Orange Door concept.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

Further work is required to fully realise some aspects of The Orange Door concept.

In order to address the significant change in practice for The Orange Door workforce, FSV is developing a change strategy to better support implementation, which will focus on supporting individuals to successfully transition to the new model. However, the scale of The Orange Door and the broader family violence reforms means that change strategies also need to be considered at the sector, area and organisational levels.

Across the implementation of the next three areas, practice leadership positions will be recruited early providing an opportunity to build the practice leadership team and deliver more tailored workforce learning and development opportunities ahead of the transition to The Orange Door. Additionally, there is an increased focus on strengthening early communications to agency workforces in each area and building a foundational understanding of the service model. This includes activities such as targeted information sessions and joint learning and development opportunities across agencies.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – further development in 2020.

Substantially complete

Line of inquiry 2: To what extent have establishment planning and operationalisation activities enabled implementation of The Orange Door foundational service model?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

2A. Consider methods to expedite the collective ‘functioning’ of HLGs for new areas of The Orange Door. This may be through mechanisms such as:

• Developing a ‘virtual HLG’ prior to operations commencing.
• Establishing shared priorities prior to implementation.
• Hosting representatives from the first 4.
• HLGs to ‘share’ lessons learnt.

FSV Response

Agreed.

HLGs were established for the first five areas ahead of commencement.

We have allowed for a longer lead time in the next 3 areas, where HLGs have already been established and have more time to develop their understanding of The Orange Door, build their capability as a governance body and work through strategic issues.

Implementation activity across the next 3 areas has embedded a stronger focus on early establishment of the partnership and understanding the collective accountabilities of partner agencies. This has included an initial governance establishment workshop to establish a shared local vision for The Orange Door and scope the implementation program of work, and a second workshop focusing on establishing decision making processes and confirming the governance role of the Hub Leadership Group.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

2B. That FSV work with partner agencies to define a practical shared measurement/performance management framework for The Orange Door. The shared measurement framework will define the performance indicators to align the outcomes expected of the partner organisations with the outcomes of The Orange Door. We understand that FSV is underway with work to develop a performance management framework

FSV response

Agreed.

Work is currently underway to develop an outcomes-oriented performance framework for The Orange Door, core and partner services delivering family violence and family services. The new performance framework will be oriented towards the achievement of outcomes for people and the service system, and promote collective accountability and integrated service delivery. It will be aligned with the whole of Victorian government Family Violence Outcomes Framework and other relevant government frameworks.

FSV Priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – Interim framework due for completion in 2020, with final framework due for completion in 2021

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

2C. Refine partnership and/or service agreements to include:

• Performance monitoring frameworks.
• Clarification of accountability and decision making within The Orange Door operations.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV is conducting an annual review of The Orange Door Partnership Agreement and has prepared revisions to the Agreement based on feedback from partner agencies, evaluation and review findings, and lessons learned from establishment and operations.

The proposed revisions include improving governance provisions, clarifying roles and responsibilities of FSV, DHHS and partner agencies, and clarification around functions and decision-making processes of the leadership groups.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

2D. Clarification be provided to The Orange Door workforce regarding decision making and accountability within governance structures, management, and practice lines in their area.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV is undertaking an accountabilities project to support practitioners, managers and operational governance understand roles and responsibilities across key functions of The Orange Door. The project seeks to consolidate and clarify roles and responsibilities identified across the range of foundational documents already in place and aligned with the key functions within The Orange Door.

Further, FSV’s work with partner agencies to strengthen consistent alignment across workflows, processes and practice in The Orange Door will clarify roles and responsibilities for statewide consistency.

Principles for workforce accountability are proposed to be included in the revisions to the Partnership Agreements. Providing clearer guidance on roles, responsibilities and accountabilities will also be supported through implementation of the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) and supporting practice guides, which provide detail on the MARAM Framework roles and responsibilities for professionals across the entire service system.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Evaluation question 2: To what extent is The Orange Door operating as intended by the initial service offering?

Line of inquiry 3: To what extent is The Orange Door operating as intended, and making use of systems and processes?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

3A. FSV consider regularly providing guidance to the workforce on:

• the processes to determine when a CIP should be requested
• any restrictions or time delays in CIP report requests for each area

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

The CRM Induction Handbook provides overarching guidance about how to request a CIP, however, more guidance is needed on when to request a CIP report. The newly established Practice Development Reference Group will look to strengthen consistent practice across The Orange Door.

CIP Coordinators have developed relationships with The Orange Door to support the ongoing understanding of CIP by practitioners.

FSV Priority

Low

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – continues through 2020

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

3B. FSV to update demand projections for the next areas of The Orange Door based on the experience of these four areas, and also consider caseload and staffing with reference to:

• specialty mix across the three client streams needed with The Orange Door workforce
• different time/volume of resources needs of cases from different client streams

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

Work on a demand management framework and capacity monitoring tool is in development.

Budget modelling has informed the initial workforce build and will continue to evolve over time.

FSV is looking to strengthen its approach to demand modelling and forecasting over the 2019-20 year – this will necessarily include projections for The Orange Door.

FSV Priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

3C. FSV consider investigating the extent to which child wellbeing cases take longer to progress through The Orange Door than family violence-related cases. Following from this, provide communication to practitioners regarding the time-length appropriate for different types of cases. This will assist in demand management processes as well as workforce need projections for subsequent areas.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV is currently considering the most appropriate mechanisms for determining service intensity and duration within The Orange Door – such as counting hours of client related service delivery. This data will provide information about the amount of time taken to support clients by The Orange Door and may provide a foundation for guidance to practitioners.

It is anticipated that in the longer term the roll-out of the demand management framework and demand management strategies will assist with managing service delivery.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – due for delivery in 2020.

Line of inquiry 4: To what extent are clients connected to the right services at the right time?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

4A. FSV to investigate and communicate the expected mix of demand sources (L17s, third-party referrals, direct contact) for new areas prior to their commencement to allow The Orange Door OLG to plan for workflow in the first months of operations.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV provided the Operational Leadership Groups with historical information on service demand to support planning and implementation activities, however this information could not adequately reflect the impact of the significant change introduced by The Orange Door. Data will be provided to the next areas ahead of establishment, along with information about anticipated trends and impacts based on the experience in the first 5 areas.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – expected delivery in 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

4B. FSV explore how data reporting from CRM can show ‘tracking’ of clients’ pathways through The Orange Door from initial contact through to case closure. This could provide insight into potential causes of demand pressures within the overall system.

FSV response

Agreed.

The Reporting Project, in development, will develop a systems solution to enable CRM, CIP and TRAM data to be extracted into a reporting data source which can produce reports/dashboards for operational, analytical, audit and regulatory obligations.

FSV Priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – development to continue through to 2021

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

4C. FSV prioritise providing guidance to The Orange Door workforce about the interventions and active engagement and risk monitoring appropriate for different types of cases (notwithstanding noting that each case and client is unique).

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV is developing further policy advice around the allocation mechanism and delivery of Targeted Interventions within The Orange Door, both of which inform and support approaches to active engagement and risk monitoring by The Orange Door and core services in an area.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

4D. In line with existing upgrades planned for the CRM, FSV to explore how real-time data may be collected and displayed for use by The Orange Door management and governance to allow them improved visibility of demand and service outcomes.

FSV response

Agreed.

The Reporting Project included the rollout of a systems solution with data dashboards for use by The Orange Door to inform service delivery decisions. Since the evaluation was undertaken, work on improving the quality of data and the functionality of the reporting system has continued.

FSV Priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – development to continue through to 2021.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

4E. Subsequent evaluations of The Orange Door could investigate the impact of the introduction of The Orange Door on the referrals from The Orange Door.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV will be undertaking another 2 evaluations of The Orange Door. The focus of these next two evaluations will be scoped in consultation with key stakeholders and will consider this opportunity.

FSV Priority

High

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress - to be undertaken in 2020.

Line of inquiry 5: To what extent is The Orange Door effective in assessment and management of risk and need?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

5A. FSV consider undertaking further research to understand further the characteristics of and reasons for clients not engaging with The Orange Door.

FSV response

Agreed in principle

This is not currently part of FSV’s work plan but will be considered through the next phase of planning for The Orange Door project.

Through the quarterly reporting process we are getting a deeper understanding of the characteristics of clients that do engage with The Orange Door, and can compare these results to population level data to start to understand where we are performing well or where more work is needed.

FSV priority

Low

Response progress as at November 2019

Not started

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

5B. FSV to implement guidance on requirements and activities to align with the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework to assist with reconciling local innovation approaches with the need for state-wide consistency.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV is developing a MARAM Alignment Plan for The Orange Door. This will provide a roadmap for building on existing projects and plans within The Orange Door to support the implementation of MARAM.

FSV Priority

Medium

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – due for delivery in 2020

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

5C. FSV to develop and implement an assessment tool for use in child wellbeing cases (with or without family violence) to assist with reconciling local innovation approaches with the need for state-wide consistency

FSV response

Not agreed.

FSV is working with the Department of Health and Human Services on the reforms to the Children and Families service system, including consideration of policy guidance and tools which support this reform intent at a statewide level.

FSV Priority

Low

Response progress as at November 2019

In progress – work continues through 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

5D. The Orange Door include a focus on aligning MARAM within The Orange Door and with local service integration in order to integrate and improve risk assessment and management across the service system.

FSV response

Agree in principle.

FSV is developing a MARAM Alignment Plan for The Orange Door. This will include a roadmap for improving collaborative practice and linkages with the local service network as per MARAM responsibilities.

FSV Priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for delivery in 2020.

Evaluation question 3: To what extent is The Orange Door initial service offering contributing to improving client experience and client and system outcomes?

Line of inquiry 6: To what extent is The Orange Door visible, accessible and safe (including culturally safe) at each site?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

6A. FSV to consider physical safety assessments (for clients and for the workforce) for each site independently. There are safety benefits and disadvantages of each site that may need to be balanced in considering how to improve safety for clients and the workforce, or in selecting a location. For example, a main street increases access for clients but also visibility of the workforce.

FSV response

Agreed.

The physical premises and branding have been carefully developed to balance safety, discretion, approachability and accessibility of services.

FSV has continued to maintain a focus on enhancing the security elements of The Orange Door and ensuring that these remain appropriate to the purpose and intent of the service. Security assessments have been completed across physical sites post-service commencement and recommendations are currently being implemented to ensure optimal client and staff safety, with continued improvement of security policy, practice and infrastructure planned.

The design specifications for The Orange Door have been updated to reflect adjustments to work spaces and security based on operational experience and the outcome of these reviews.

FSV engaged expert advice to inform the security infrastructure and design in the operational areas and is currently reviewing implementation of these elements. In addition, The Orange Door will be part of a forthcoming Safety and Security Audit undertaken by DHHS which will also provide standardised remediation findings across the DHHS portfolio.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

6B. FSV to prioritise development of an overflow phone message system during business hours so that clients unable to contact The Orange Door via phone can be responded to.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV is currently undertaking an upgrade to the call management system.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

6C. FSV (in collaboration with partner agencies) to develop and deliver workforce cultural diversity and inclusion training to ensure consistent baseline skills across the workforce.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV is developing an Inclusion Action Plan for The Orange Door which supports the direction of Everybody Matters.

The Workforce Strategy for The Orange Door, developed in consultation with peak bodies and partner agencies, identifies key focus areas or priorities, including developing the capabilities of the workforce to deliver evidence informed, inclusive and responsive practice in The Orange Door service context.

FSV priority

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Substantially complete.

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Substantially complete.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

6D. FSV provide further operational clarity to The Orange Door workforce regarding the role of outreach in assessing and responding to risks for child wellbeing, victim survivor and perpetrator responses.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

Outreach is an expected part of The Orange Door service model to maximise accessibility. The newly established Practice Development Reference Group will further explore the provision of outreach and how to support this practice.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

Not yet commenced

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

6E. That FSV monitor community awareness of the role of The Orange Door over the first 12 months of operations of the first 4 areas to determine what, if any, clarification or awareness raising within the community might be needed.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV will continue to monitor community awareness of The Orange Door as implementation progresses. Initial implementation included a ‘soft’ launch and careful branding development which balanced community accessibility and awareness with broader considerations, including but not limited to safety and management of demand for services.

FSV also continues to monitor engagement with The Orange Door website through the associated data analytics.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – work continues through 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

6F. Higher quality data should be collected and reported in CRM on the access and use of The Orange Door by diverse client groups.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV is aligning the data collected through the CRM with associated data frameworks, including the Family Violence Data Collection Framework which is currently in development and will guide the collection of family violence related data by Victorian government departments, agencies and service providers.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Line of inquiry 7: To what extent has The Orange Door ensured clients receive information and options that respond to their needs and enable informed choices?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

7A. Future evaluations could investigate perceptions and understanding of the role of The Orange Door by the broader community (including potential referrers).

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV will be undertaking another 2 evaluations of The Orange Door. The focus of these next 2 evaluations will be scoped in consultation with key stakeholders and will consider this opportunity.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due to be undertaken in 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

In progress – due to be undertaken in 2020.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV will be undertaking another 2 evaluations of The Orange Door. The focus of these next 2 evaluations will be scoped in consultation with key stakeholders and will consider this opportunity.

These may also be informed by the current program of work relating to the client experience through the Client Voice Data Collection that has been recently introduced.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due to be undertaken in 2020.

Line of inquiry 8: How is The Orange Door working to keep perpetrators in view to keep women and children safe?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

8A. Future evaluations could invite direct client feedback to help investigate the extent to which The Orange Door is keeping women, children and other people experiencing family violence safe, and perpetrators in view.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV will be undertaking another two evaluations of The Orange Door. The focus of these next two evaluations will be scoped in consultation with key stakeholders and will consider this opportunity.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

8B. FSV and partner agencies could leverage the skills and experiences of Aboriginal services involved in The Orange Door to improve the capacity of the rest of the workforce to work in an integrated way to keep perpetrators in view.

FSV response

FSV along with our Aboriginal service partners is considering how to further leverage these skills and experience

Evaluation question 4: To what extent does The Orange Door workforce have the resources, capacity and specialist expertise to undertake the full range of functions articulated in the initial service offering?

Line of inquiry 9: To what extent is the integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to service provision at each Orange Door site working to support better outcomes?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

9A. Building on the Interim Integrated Practice Framework, FSV lead a process to co-design state-wide operational guide for integrated practice with practitioners across the disciplines and/or relevant state-wide experts at The Orange Door. The operational guide could include:

• Defined current and future state (vision).
• Scope and timing initiatives/projects to define integration for each function of service delivery including performance indicators.
• Approach to engagement with staff.
• Structured approach for movement toward service integration for each existing area and future areas of The Orange Door including a clear change management strategy and plan (building on their current strengths identified in this report and addressing key challenges).
• Definition and practice examples of what integration means in the context of The Orange Door for practitioner training and capability.

FSV response

Agreed.

To strengthen the understanding of key foundational concepts and their practical application amongst The Orange Door workforce, FSV is undertaking a range of practice development activities to embed consistent and effective practice within the operational model. These include activities focusing on clarifying specific areas of practice (e.g. assessment and case closure) and working with practice and team leaders to support ongoing implementation of the model, including through the establishment of a Practice Development Reference Group, with membership including practitioners, team leaders and practice leaders from The Orange Door as well as managers in partner agencies.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due to continue through 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

9B. That The Orange Door provide regular time for practitioners to develop and improve practice through:

• Shared reflective practice across teams.
• Presenting shared approaches to practice across teams.
• Engaging in trans-disciplinary training.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV has created role descriptions for each of these roles and provided it to HLGs for their use and to support recruitment. These role descriptions have also been provided to the next 3 areas.

HLGs are considering mechanisms to have consistent processes and shared expectations of these roles.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

9C. That FSV work with practitioners and/or state-wide peak bodies/relevant experts to define the minimum standard of training and education to support ‘integrated practice’ that could include:

• Identifying appropriate existing training available.
• Include concept and guidance on integrated practice and working with diverse client cohorts in an induction program for new staff.
• Developing and delivering ongoing training on integrated practice.
• Training in MARAM and information sharing.
• Training in The Best Interests Case Practice Model (BICPM).
• Training relating to current practice and frameworks for working with perpetrators.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

The priorities outlined in the Workforce Strategy for The Orange Door, developed in consultation with peak bodies and partner agencies, include supporting staff to work in the new, unique and evolving service model, and developing the capabilities of staff to deliver evidence informed, inclusive and responsive practice in The Orange Door service context.

In the first annual action plan FSV will support this by identifying the particular training needs for staff working in The Orange Door and the suite of relevant training available to meet these needs, refining The Orange Door workforce profile survey tool (developed to support us to and use it to develop a more granular understanding of training and development priorities) to identify priority training and development needs for an integrated service context, and exploring options to use an online Learning Management System to provide further training options.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Line of inquiry 10: To what extent does The Orange Door workforce have the resources, capacity and specialist expertise to undertake the full range of functions articulated in the foundational offer?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

10A. That FSV clarify and communicate to the existing and future areas the purpose and responsibilities of the following roles:

• Integrated Practice Lead, including their intended interaction with family violence-focused practitioners, and guidance about when practitioners should seek advice and accountability for decisions.
• Service System Navigator.
• Advanced Family Violence Practice Lead (particularly as it relates to leadership in practice for working with perpetrators).
• Hub Manager.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV has created role descriptions for each of these roles and provided it to HLGs for their use and to support recruitment. These role descriptions have also been provided to the next three areas.

HLGs are considering mechanisms to have consistent processes and shared expectations of these roles.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

10B. That FSV consider providing further operational clarity around core roles. This might be through working with partner agencies to agree on standardised position descriptions for all roles (including existing areas) for all partner agencies to use as the basis for recruitment

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

The first annual action plan of the Workforce Strategy for The Orange Door includes that FSV will work with partner agencies to develop standardised components for team leader and practice leader roles, to promote role clarity and consistency across employing agencies.

FSV is undertaking an accountabilities project to support practitioners, managers and operational governance understand roles and responsibilities across key functions of The Orange Door. Further, FSV’s work with partner agencies to strengthen consistent alignment across workflows, processes and practice in The Orange Door will clarify roles and responsibilities that should be consistent statewide.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Line of inquiry 11: To what extent does The Orange Door workforce have the skills to recognise and manage signs of family violence, including perpetration, and child vulnerability

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

11A. That Orange Door partner agencies consider rotation of staff between client interaction functions of intake, triage and assessment. This can develop competence and helps to transfer knowledge between The Orange Door and employing agency.

FSV response

Not agreed. FSV with our partner agencies will consider whether this recommendation can be achieved through the implementation of the Workforce Strategy, and the annual action plans.

FSV priority

Low

Response progress as at 2019

Not yet commenced.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

11B. That FSV and partner agencies explore ways to enhance leadership in practice with perpetrators.

FSV response

Agreed.

The foundational training modules delivered as part of the induction program includes specific training on responding to men who use violence. The Workforce Strategy Action Plan (to December 2020) includes an action to identify options for training and development for practice leader and team leader roles in working with perpetrators.

FSV also notes recommendation 5 from the Expert Advisory Committee on Perpetrator Interventions ‘in line with the implementation of the next Indigenous family violence 10-year plan, Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way—Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families, strengthen relationships between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal services for people who use violence. This should include learning from Aboriginal services’ approaches to working with people who use violence to improve responses for community and ensure greater victim survivor safety’.

Implementation of this recommendation provides further opportunity to improve practice with perpetrators (this is subject to funding being available).

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Under consideration.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

11C. That FSV include the need for professional development to be tailored to the background skills of practitioners in its workforce strategy. For example, training in identifying and responding to child wellbeing risks in the absence of family violence for practitioners who have previously worked predominantly in family violence.

FSV response

Agreed.

A Workforce Strategy has been developed which will provide a level of consistent knowledge and background for integrated practice approaches. In addition to feedback on the induction that FSV conducted, a survey of practitioners to help identify areas for development has been conducted and shared with partner agencies.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

Based on feedback from practitioners, FSV has worked with the peak bodies to expand foundational training for practitioners on the 3 specialisms (specialist family violence, child and families and men’s/perpetrator) operating in The Orange Door to one day each, to increase awareness across sectors and encourage opportunities for integrated practice.

Line of inquiry 12: To what extent does The Orange Door workforce have the skills to meet the needs of diverse client groups (e.g. Aboriginal, CALD and LGBTIQ clients)?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

12A. FSV develop and deliver across The Orange Door workforce training on responding to clients with diverse needs (including disability, aged or LGBTI) to ensure consistent baseline skills across the workforce.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

FSV is developing an Inclusion Action Plan for The Orange Door, consistent with Everybody Matters, to identify a range of actions to support working with clients with diverse needs.

Both the Inclusion Action Plan and the Workforce Strategy for The Orange Door will include commitments to training The Orange Door workforce in working with clients with diverse needs.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

12B. Additional training is needed on data recording for specific fields/issues where data quality is currently inadequate to meet service delivery and performance monitoring needs such as: • disability status • Aboriginal status • multicultural background • client access method.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

Comprehensive training, support and guidance materials will continue to be provided to The Orange Door workforce to support their use of the CRM system at induction and following the deployment of incremental system changes.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – development continues through to 2021.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

12C. FSV to consider introducing reporting for the following data fields in the CRM: • Age brackets of client • LGBTIQ status

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

This opportunity will be considered through the CRM enhancement process.

FSV priority

Low

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for completion in 2020.

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

12D. Future evaluations or current FSV program of work on client experience could investigate through direct client feedback whether services are provided in a way that meets client’s diverse needs.

FSV response

Agreed.

The Client Voice Data Collection was introduced into The Orange Door on 1 July 2019 through surveys designed to measure the client’s experience of the service and record key respondent demographics related to diverse needs.

FSV will be conducting another 2 evaluations. The focus of these next 2 evaluations will be scoped in consultation with key stakeholders and will consider this question.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – continuing through 2020.

In progress – due to be undertaken in 2020.

Evaluation question 5: To what extent is The Orange Door supporting service integration and coordination at the local level?

Line of inquiry 13: To what extent are mechanisms in place to ensure information is shared and used?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

13A. FSV continue to make iterative upgrades and improvements to the CRM in response to feedback from practitioners. This will allow the CRM to become more fit for purpose to share information among The Orange Door practitioners.

FSV response

Agreed.

FSV has developed an engagement approach to facilitate the identification, prioritisation and solution design of CRM enhancements with practitioners throughout this process as well as provide an opportunity for them to participate in user acceptance testing.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete

Line of inquiry 14: To what extent is information sharing contributing to effective assessment and coordinated response to family violence risk?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

14A. FSV to consider building systems into CRM or other processes to enable the tracking/communicating of outcomes of referrals made to or from The Orange Door.reed in principle.

FSV response

Agreed in principle.

As part of the CRM enhancement program of works, the functionality to capture referral outcomes will continue to be monitored and improved. Consideration of further opportunities for expanding this functionality to other services and sectors beyond The Orange Door is underway, aligned with the evolution and scaling up of The Orange Door service model over time.

Over the longer term, FSV (and DHHS) is committed to embedding client outcomes measurement and monitoring in The Orange Door, specialist family violence and sexual assault services, perpetrator interventions, and family services, to help understand the impact of our services on clients.

FSV priority

High

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – work continues through to 2021.

Line of inquiry 15: To what extent have The Orange Door systems and processes supported system integration and resulted in better collaboration between services?

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

15A. FSV to monitor emerging ‘capacity gaps’ in the various areas of the service system to which The Orange Door refers.

FSV response

Agreed in principle. FSV is developing a capacity monitoring tool that will provide greater visibility of the capacity of family violence and child and family services within DHHS areas.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

In progress – due for delivery in 2020

Opportunities identified in the evaluation report

15B. FSV (and in collaboration with future area HLGs) can specifically build on existing systems and processes of collaboration and information sharing currently in place in Child FIRST alliances during the establishment phase of new The Orange Door areas.

FSV response

Agreed in principle. FSV and partner agencies will build on area-based mechanisms already in place in the next three DHHS areas.

FSV priority

Medium

Response progress as at 2019

Substantially complete.