Macarthur domestic violence: Greg Warren, NewsLocal campaign secures 12-months funding
Fears caseworkers would have to stop supporting domestic violence victims in southwest Sydney have been quelled after the NSW Government issued last-minute funding to vital services.
Macarthur
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Hundreds of women suffering from domestic violence would have been “completely let down by the system” if funding to employ specialist caseworkers in southwest ran out on July 1.
However, demands by Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren and the Macarthur Chronicle to secure funding for the Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service resulted in an eleventh hour victory.
The much-needed southwest Sydney domestic violence support service — which sees caseworkers handle massive caseloads of up to 50 clients each week — was facing imminent financial threat after pleas for a continuance on funding to Attorney-General Mark Speakman went unanswered.
But after being questioned by NewsLocal about the lack of security for the vital service, Mr Speakman surprised the court advocacy service today with 12-months of further funding.
Service co-ordinator, Tanya Whitehouse, said if Mr Speakman didn’t renew funding on July 1, local domestic violence sufferers would have been left without vital support services.
“We have five specialist case workers whose roles were developed through analysis of the community’s needs,” Ms Whitehouse told NewsLocal.
“We specialise in disability, youth, Aboriginal, general and multicultural focused support and employ the only disability and youth domestic violence specialist caseworkers in the state.”
Ms Whitehouse called on the government to provide certainty for domestic violence victims across southwest Sydney by securing future funding through a different module.
“Every 12 months we are at risk of closing and having to plead for funding to continue,” she said.
In 2019, there were 2430 Macarthur WDVCAS clients that required case management by the court advocacy service.
Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren said he wrote to Mr Speakman in May in an attempt to secure ongoing funding, however, he was told by Attorney-General Parliamentary Secretary Natalie Ward MLC, that the government couldn’t guarantee the cash.
“These case managers provide an extremely vital service to assist victims of domestic violence during their time of need,” Mr Warren said. “These services are not a luxury — they are an absolute necessity for our region.”
Mr Speakman on Thursday said he had now approved the funding.
“I am pleased the Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) will continue to receive funding to deliver case management services,” he said.
”This will ensure domestic violence victim-survivors get the help they need to access a range of services and other supports.
“This funding is in addition to the recent NSW and Commonwealth investment of more than $21 million to boost frontline domestic and family violence services across the State in response to COVID-19, including WDVCAS providers in NSW.”