Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Katrine Hildyard (second from left) upon the conclusion of the report in August. Photo: Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, South Australian Government.
The South Australian Government has released its response to the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, which concluded its work in August.
The royal commission’s report highlighted the complexity of domestic, family and sexual violence, indicating structural, social, cultural, psychological and economic factors contributing to the issue.
Since the report’s release, the government has been working on a response to the 136 recommendations across recovery, healing, prevention and intervention.
Over the next decade, the State Government will invest $674 million to address the safety needs of survivors and begin the process of sustainable reform in the long term.
Seven recommendations have already received a substantial response, with the formation of lived experience groups and networks, the appointment of a Government Steward, a five-year statewide domestic, family and sexual violence strategy and the creation of a domestic, family and sexual violence ministerial portfolio.
The government’s response includes:
New pathways established to find help:
- A new 24/7 central telephone and online support line to access trauma-informed care and to connect with support services. The existing Domestic Violence Crisis Line will benefit from increased funding while the new support system is being established.
- A new website with all the information relating to domestic, family and sexual violence and its impacts, and support services.
Creation of the SA Framework for Evaluating Risk (SAFER):
- SAFER is a new framework for identifying, evaluating and managing risks to individuals, especially children and young people.
- SAFER will be used by the child protection and family support system, as well as the state police and specialist domestic, family and sexual violence services, to identify and manage risks.
Integrated Response Teams:
- The establishment of multidisciplinary response teams in seven areas across the state.
- These will consolidate separate response teams, including the Multi-Agency Protection Service and the Child and Family Safety Networks.
South Australia’s police will also focus more on domestic, family and sexual violence, with a new service of more than 100 full-time employees by 2031-32, led by an Assistant Commissioner.
Other measures will include:
- Reducing red tape for service providers and providing longer-term funding so they can deliver frontline services.
- Increasing the ability to fund custom, tailored practical support packages for survivors, including legal advice, housing and employment assistance.
- Increased funding for the child protection and family support system to provide new services to families and children experiencing violence.
- Increased funding for the Safe at Home program, which supports survivors to remain in their own homes.
- Increasing the rent-in-advance funding available to survivors and waiving the means test for the Private Rental Assistance program so survivors can access private rentals more easily.
- Doubling the public housing properties specifically designated for those escaping violence.
- Increased funding for better access to forensic medical examinations and altering the law to allow midwives to conduct examinations.
- Waiving fees for those who don’t have access to Medicare, so that health services can treat survivors of sexual violence.
- Providing a new support service for victims in contact with the justice system for intervention orders, in addition to an online platform for survivors.
- Creation of a safe and secure vulnerable witness suite so that witnesses can attend and provide evidence at hearings and trials without having to come into contact with defendants.
- New laws implementing a minimum two-hour delay to prevent the rapid delivery of alcohol.
- Ongoing education and training for those working in the justice system to ensure that responses are inclusive, accessible and trauma-informed.
- Advocating for content related to domestic, family and sexual violence in schools and universities, as well as preschool staff training, that will support community awareness of the issue.
- Prevention activities, awareness raising and services for young people, with a focus on tackling sexual violence, including online occurrences.
- Expansion of prevention programs to support behavioural change for people using violence to break the cycle of violence and to advance community capacity to be involved in various activities relating to prevention and awareness raising.
The government hopes that the integrated support teams and SAFER framework will be fully up and running by 2030-31.
