OUR WORK

Family Violence

We support women and their children who want to be safe from family violence. Our support includes case management and accommodation, including specialist support for infants and children. 

We operate refuge accommodation for women and children escaping family violence. The women needing our support have experienced, or are at immediate risk, of serious harm through physical and emotional violence, threats, sexual assault, and stalking.

Our refuge is staffed 24/7 and provides secure accommodation for women and their children for up to two months.

We also provide outreach support and case management to women and children living in the community in a range of settings, including public and private housing.

Our support is child focused, keeping children in view and recognising their needs and trauma as unique to that of their mother.

 

Need immediate help?

If you are, or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000

Family Violence Crisis Support

Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre: 1800 015 188
24/7 phone and webchat support to help you explore options, develop a safety plan and link you to crisis support

 

Our family violence work in action

 

Turning the lights back on

Living with violence can distort reality, making everything seem terrifying and unsafe.

A victim survivor explains how the right help can 'switch the lights back on' in a home that has...

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‘The hardest time of my life’

A young mum and her daughter are now safe together after family violence and mental health challenges.

Security, independence and stability – they're the words that 21-year-old Bella* uses to...

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‘My own place’: Alice’s new beginning

In 12 months, Alice has rebuilt her life and is now in brand new, and permanent, accommodation built by McAuley.

Sitting in her brand-new, light-filled apartment Alice looks back on the last 12 months and says...

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Yasmin’s story: ‘Baby steps’ to a new beginning

Alone in a new country, Yasmin feared for her life after family violence.

While her new home is a 'dream' there were years when Yasmin's life, marred by family violence,...

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Escaping was Jenna’s plan; what came next would take a team

Crisis support helped Jenna and her children make it safely home

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Megan’s story

‘There’s always been a piece of the puzzle missing’

It might have seemed that the worst moments in Megan’s journey to escape a violent...

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WEstjustice partnership leads to alleviation of crippling debts

Financial abuse is common in violent relationships, and can hold women back from leaving and establishing new lives.

The WEstjustice community legal service has achieved amazing outcomes in working with women to...

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Vivid portraits of the emotions of women and children who have experienced family violence

'Smarty pants, kitty or tiger?' is a powerful insight into the impact of family violence.

The book is a compilation of artwork created by women and children living at our family violence...

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One in four women are affected by family violence.

One woman a week on average is killed by her partner.

Eight women a day are hospitalised because of family violence assaults. One in 12 of these is pregnant.

In Victoria, in the past 5 years, the total number of incidents of family violence has increased by 19%

For women aged 25-44 family violence is their greatest health risk factor - greater than smoking, alcohol, or obesity.

65% of women with children in their care reported that the children had seen or heard the violence.