Implemented
Who is leading the change
Family Safety Victoria
The Victorian Government ensure that, pending the implementation of an expanded range of perpetrator interventions, funding for men’s behaviour change programs is sufficient to meet demand from those required to attend under a counselling order issued under Part 5 of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) and those who volunteer to attend such programs.
Family Safety Victoria is working with government partners to strengthen perpetrator accountability and develop and implement a range of perpetrator interventions.
Perpetrator specific practice tools, guidance, training and embedding strategies have been developed as part of the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework. These tools are critical for strengthening perpetrator accountability, by supporting improved practice across the system for working safely with perpetrators in order to increase the safety of victim survivors, including children. The Victorian Government is also working with No to Violence and the sector to boost workforce capacity and supply and develop a longer-term perpetrator workforce strategy.
Since 2016-17, government has allocated $114.7 million to perpetrator interventions and a further $30.1 million in the 2022-23 Budget.
Further, $40.1 million was provided to fund court ordered Men’s Behaviour Change Program’s (MBCP’s) places from 2019-20 through to June 2024-25.
The Victorian Government has committed $8.5 million to the Department of Justice and Community Safety to deliver MBCP’s and Individual Case Management (ICM) to perpetrators in Corrections Victoria over four years, until 30 June 2023.
The government has developed improved data collection and demand modelling capabilities to support implementation of this additional funding and inform future investment decisions.
Additionally, the range of perpetrator interventions has been expanded and diversified since the Royal Commission into Family Violence as a mechanism to support tailoring of interventions to address a range of needs. These new interventions include MBCP’s targeting cohorts for whom a mainstream MBCP is not appropriate, perpetrator accommodation initiatives for those engaged with the system to keep perpetrators in view and post participation follow up for MBCP participants.
The 2022-23 Budget has also funded a new initiative to develop and implement specific interventions for working with high risk perpetrators. The 2022 release of the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework perpetrator guidance also strengthens the response to perpetrators and guides agencies in their risk management of perpetrators and helps to inform decisions about the timing and nature of interventions. The release of this perpetrator MARAM guidance also helps agencies to accurately identify the predominant aggressor and address misidentification where it does occur.
There are a number of initiatives underway that were funded in budgets since 2020-21 to attract, recruit and retain specialist family violence workforce including the 2020-21 Budget outcome of $8.1 million over three years to support the coordination of up to 240 traineeships within family violence and sexual assault services. A new Family Violence Graduate Support Program has been implemented to create up to 100 graduate jobs in the family violence sector, supporting the delivery of family violence services, including perpetrator services, and addressing unprecedented demand. These initiatives complement funding provided to No to Violence to support workforce development for MBCP’s and case management practitioners.
Implemented.
Updated