Other non-government organisations
A range of non-government agencies (not already mentioned above) provide services to women experiencing domestic violence, for example:
- Refuges
- Family support services
- Neighbourhood and community centres
- Church based organisations
Many more services come into contact with victims of domestic violence in the course of their work.
Non-government organisations are autonomous bodies. Although these Guidelines are not prescriptive, it is expected that most non-government organisations will support and work in accordance with the principles established in the Guidelines.
The role of the welfare worker
The roles of health and welfare workers in supporting victims of domestic violence is to:
- Provide an empathic and prompt response which conveys that she is not alone and that the violence is not her fault
- Validate her experiences and acknowledge the seriousness of her situation
- Ascertain details about the history of the violence
- Discuss immediate safety plans with the woman including AVOs
- Gain an understanding of how the violence is affecting her now and what she wants for herself and her children
- Respect her decisions
- Acknowledge the feelings she may still hold towards her partner
- Provide ongoing support based on empowering the woman to achieve her goals
- Provide access to services and accurate information about safety options that ensure the ongoing protection of the woman and her children
- Discuss any child protection concerns and help her to recognise the effects of domestic violence on her children
- Be an effective advocate to ensure she receives appropriate service from government and community sector agencies
- Assist in identifying and remedying systemic issues that impact adversely on women and children affected by domestic violence.
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When ongoing support cannot be offered by the first contact worker, it is important to ensure that appropriate referrals are made.
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