Funding for collaboration between specialist family violence and sexual assault services

Our response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence has supported greater collaboration and better coordination between family violence and sexual assault services across a number of areas of reform. Key areas of focus include:

• identification of interdependencies and opportunities to strengthen collaboration through mapping and consultation with family violence and sexual assault services
• implementation of the Family Violence Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework, considering the interrelated roles and responsibilities of sexual assault services
• reform of the information sharing regime with sexual assault services as a prescribed organisation within the legislation
• development of The Orange Door network with opportunities to build greater understanding about the occurrence of sexual assault in the context of family violence.

Work undertaken to support this recommendation has established a strong foundation for collaboration and alignment between specialist family violence and sexual assault services. A range of reforms will continue to strengthen and build on the foundational work done in response to this recommendation, including:

• development of a 10-year whole of Victorian government strategy to prevent and address sexual violence, abuse and harm
• development of training for specialist family violence workers that will improve their capacity to identify and respond to sexual violence
• development of tools and resources to support shared approaches where family and sexual violence co-occur
• strengthening the interface between sexual assault services and family violence services including The Orange Door network
• strengthened shared risk assessment, information sharing and joint case work practice between family violence and sexual assault services.

Sexual Assault Services Victoria and Safe and Equal, as the peak bodies for specialist sexual assault and family violence services, will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that this focus is sustained over time.

Implemented.