Evaluating the Domestic and Family Violence Response and Engagement Pilot

Investigators

Associate Professor Tim Moore, Dr Vicky Saunders, Dr Emma Hussey (Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University)

Funding

ACT Government

Aims

To evaluate a co-designed domestic and family violence (DFV) pilot program in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and ascertain if the model:

• assists staff to make decisions which are informed, consistent, valid and transparent where DFV is a key risk to children and their family
• is aligned with the Children and Young People Amendment Act 2023
• is aligned with other planned amendments, including concepts of abuse and neglect toward an overarching concept of significant harm and explicitly enabling consideration of cumulative harm.

Background

This project aims to understand the effectiveness of a domestic and family violence pilot program that aims to complement, test and strengthen Safe and Together practice. Community Services Directorate in the ACT has begun this pilot program to respond to the needs of a significant number of families experiencing DFV. These families are being referred to Child and Family Safety Services despite not meeting the threshold for statutory intervention.

This evaluation will help us to understand how effective the DFV pilot is in enhancing safety, wellbeing, and outcomes for families experiencing DFV, and assess the following elements:

• how well DFV-informed practices are applied
• how well the pilot strengthens the safety of children and non-offending parents
• how well it improves perpetrator accountability.

Project details

The evaluation project will be conducted over 18 months and will involve community and sector stakeholders and families engaged in the program.

We will apply a developmental evaluation methodology that will throw light on any benefits in the following factors

• enhanced knowledge and skills of DFV for practitioners
• effectiveness of practice in reducing risk and enhancing safety for children and non-violent parents
• impact on perpetrator accountability and visibility
• service coordination and integration of government and NGO sectors
• reduction in need for statutory responses
• opportunities for sustainable change.

Projected community impact

We expect that the findings will identify successes, gaps, and opportunities for improvement, while informing evidence-based recommendations for a more coordinated, sustainable, and impactful DFV response in the ACT. Ultimately, the evaluation will ensure that services are meeting the complex needs of families and fostering long-term safety, healing, and systemic change.

ACT Government and sector stakeholders will be able to use the findings to inform policy and funding decisions, enhance service delivery, promote accountability and enable continuous improvement.

We anticipate that the evidence-based insights will, in the long-term, support the development of long-term strategies and resource allocation for DFV services, improve perpetrator visibility and accountability, and contribute to safer outcomes for families.

Links

ACT Community Services Directorate, Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Office

Safe and Together Institute

Ethics

TBC

Project timeline

December 2024 - March 2026

Contact

For more information contact Dr Vicky Saunders.