About The Orange Door

About The Orange Door

The Royal Commission into Family Violence and Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families, Safe Children recommended the establishment of The Orange Door because:

• people often didn’t know where to go for help and feel that they’re bounced around the service system
• service responses were fragmented and uncoordinated, with people having to repeatedly tell their story
• children and families were not always getting the right support at the right time – services were overwhelmed and family violence was a major driver of child vulnerability
• efforts across the service system to hold perpetrators to account and keep them in view were insufficient, leaving victim-survivors with the burden of managing risk
• there was too little effort in preventing harm and intervening at the earliest possible opportunity
• practitioners undertaking risk assessments were not supported by the best available information or tools to adequately address the diversity of people’s experience of family violence and children’s wellbeing
• the type of response people received was often dependent on their point of entry to the service system and the capacity of that entry point to respond effectively

The Orange Door delivers a fundamental change to the way we work with women, children and families and men by providing:

• a more visible contact point so that people know where to go for support
• help for people to identify family violence and child and family safety and wellbeing issues
• advice based on the latest risk assessment tools and best available information
• specialist support and tailored advice for victims, families and children, and perpetrators
• a strong focus on perpetrator accountability
• 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 Orange Door supports the agency of women, children and families to ensure that the services they receive meet their needs and goals.

Governance

As articulated in the statewide concept, effectively establishing and operating The Orange Door requires a combination of specialist service delivery expertise from different workforces (maintained by discrete service sectors) and the capability for system planning, management and oversight (a core role of government).

FSV has established and is overseeing The Orange Door to ensure strong statewide fidelity and quality in the model, support the development of consistent integrated practice, and utilise government levers to ensure that The Orange Door and community, social, health and justice services work together effectively.

The governance model is supported by:

• a partnership agreement between FSV and the organisations that come together to form The Orange Door in each area
• changes to service agreements between CSOs and DHHS.
• These arrangements, and who takes the lead for what aspects of the work, may evolve over time, taking into account emerging capabilities, evaluation and effectiveness.
• This governance approach gives all parts of the system:
• a shared stake in the success of The Orange Door and service system
• responsibility for its establishment and implementation
• opportunities for collaborative reflection and further refinement as outcomes emerge

Family Safety Victoria

FSV was established in July 2017 and is Australia’s first government agency dedicated to preventing family violence. FSV is delivering key initiatives to help protect, support and identify risk for those affected by family violence and hold perpetrators to account. FSV is also coordinating access to services that support vulnerable children and families.

FSV is responsible for establishing The Orange Door, as well as:

• enhancing existing specialised services for victims of family violence (including children) so that the right assistance is available at the right time
• implementing the Family Violence Information Sharing (FVIS) Scheme and risk assessment and management framework, supported by a Central Information Point (CIP) connecting police, corrections, courts, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and services to keep victims safe
• delivering Building from Strength: 10-year industry plan for family violence prevention and response and housing the Centre for Workforce Excellence to build workforce capacity and capability in partnership with the sector
• building an understanding to embed responsiveness to diverse communities across the family violence reforms
• leading engagement with the sector, victim-survivors, diverse communities and the Victorian community as a whole across all reforms and initiatives.

The Orange Door statewide reference group

The Orange Door Statewide Reference Group was established to provide advice to the Family Violence Steering Committee and FSV on the implementation, evaluation and future evolution of The Orange Door. It has a view of The Orange Door network as it grows, with a focus on the learnings from The Orange Door in the first five areas and how that will translate to future roll out. Its membership includes government and sector stakeholders and service users.

Hub Leadership Group

A Hub Leadership Group has been formed in each of the areas where The Orange Door operates to:

• provide strategic direction
• be accountable for integrated practice and service delivery
• oversee operations and performance of The Orange Door based on the statewide policy and design
• keep FSV and other stakeholders (as relevant) informed of issues and risks

Each Leadership Group includes:

• senior executives from each Community Service Organisation (CSO) and Aboriginal services and organisations partnering within The Orange Door
• an FSV senior executive for the area
• senior government representatives from DHHS and Victoria Police
• the Hub manager.

The Hub Leadership Group is supported by Operational Leadership Groups who oversee and guide implementation and operational processes and service delivery.

Local Establishment Forums

Local Establishment Forums (LEFs) are held as The Orange Door is established in each area to bring together a broad group of local area stakeholders to cultivate an understanding of The Orange Door. Members include representatives from The Orange Door partner agencies as well as the wider service network.