The Big Picture Painting a vision of the future for women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence. Angela Spinney CHP 2013

Transcription

1 The Big Picture Painting a vision of the future for women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence Angela Spinney CHP 2013

2 Presentation Format Domestic and Family Violence Homelessness Prevention The White Paper on Homelessness Research Approach and conceptual framework Research Findings Policy and Practice Implications Barriers to changing practice Conclusion

3 Domestic and Family Violence (D/FV) Occurs in all cultures, races and religions Found in all communities and across all demographics Made up of many controlling behaviours Often these behaviours can be stopped by the relationship ending and by having a strong judicial system that removes the perpetrator from the family home and prevents him returning In these situations the abuse can be brought to an end without women and children having to leave their home

4 D/FV and Homelessness Prevention Domestic and family violence is a major reason why women and children seek assistance from homelessness support services in Australia Defined as measures that prevent women and children who are at risk of homelessness from becoming h less

5 The Road Home The Australian White Paper on Homelessness - Dec 08 D/FV is the main reason women with children seek assistance from SAAP services (55 %). 22% of people seeking help from specialist homelessness services do so because they are escaping violence 2013 interim target of increasing by 20% the number of families who maintain or secure safe and sustainable housing following D/FV

6 NPAH National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness Priority 17 (f) Support for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence to stay in their present housing where it is safe to do so Priority 17 (k) Legal services provided to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness as a result of legal issues including family violence, tenancy or debt Performance benchmark: The number of families who maintain or secure safe and sustainable housing following family violence

7 The AHURI research Policies to Prevent Homelessness Amongst Women and Children Who Have Left Violent Relationships 1. How and to what extent have innovative homelessness prevention measures introduced in Australia and England since the mid-1990s been successful in enabling women and children to remain in their homes and localities? 2. What are the implications of these findings for policy on housing and homelessness in Australia and for improvements to practice?

8 Research Approach International Comparative Study England and Australia England - Visited three Sanctuary homelessness prevention schemes Australia Homelessness prevention schemes were visited in New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria 45 semi-structured interviews were conducted Series of workshops was facilitated in five state capital cities, with policy makers, practitioners and researchers

9 Inter-related approaches

10 Research Findings The overall findings are that: Integrative approaches such as SHLV-type schemes have an important role to play in preventing homelessness for women and children who have experienced domestic and family violence, and that this is true for women living in very different situations in very different areas of Australia There is no evidence that women who stay at home with integrated support are more at risk than if they had left their home Australia should move to the provision of homelessness prevention schemes that are as extensive as the current provision of refuge and crisis accommodation

11 Policy and Practice implications Legislation, injunctions and orders and breaches, the role of the courts and police, and legal support can work to make homelessness prevention schemes less or more effective For schemes to be successful considerable importance must be attached to the provision of long-term welfare and support (as well as physical security) for women and children who have experienced D/FV and who seek to remain in their home following the exclusion of their perpetrator

12 Barriers to changing practice Greater consistency is needed in legal and judicial matters if uniform best practice is to be achieved throughout Australia Affordability issues for women (whether they stay or go) are real and pressing The evidence is clear that women want the opportunity to choose, and that schemes which are unrestrictive in their practices are popular and oversubscribed, regardless of the tenure they are living in

13 Thank you Acknowledgement and thanks to AHURI and FaCHSIA who funded the research