Forum tackles hard truths on abuse
Politicians from all tiers of government were brought together by the Nepean Domestic Violence Network last week, to hear about the direness of the Nepean-Blue Mountain’s domestic violence problem.
Penrith
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SHE has mental health, she has intellectual disability, and she is a victim of domestic violence — the perpetrator is her adult son.
He lives with her, and he’s her carer.
He constantly abuses her physically.
But not one Penrith service can help her — not this week, they’re all at capacity.
“We referred her to a (Penrith domestic violence) case management program ... they were looking to try and get her into a space where maybe she could look at moving away from her son, and even getting some support to live independently,” court advocate Cheryl Alexander told a group of aghast Western Sydney politicians, brought together last week by the Nepean Domestic Violence Network to hear about the direness of the Nepean-Blue Mountain’s domestic violence problem.
“We also referred her into (disability welfare agency) Community Options,” Ms Alexander said.
“Sadly, both of those referrals have been de-funded and we know that we’re going to get another call for her because we know it’s going to happen again, so where do we go with that?” she asked.
“There’s is no where to refer women.”
Not only are the services are at capacity, but the local refuge service has had to knock back 1286 women and children in the Nepean-Blue Mountains in the past year and is also currently at capacity.
“That’s 515 women and 771 children,” West Connect Domestic Violence Services’ Sandy Brabin said.
She said in 72 per cent cases they were unable to help because there was no accommodation available.
WCDVS covers four local government areas, including Penrith.
“In the old days we would have seen maybe 1400 clients with maybe 2500-3000 service events,” said Ms Alexander, who is the co-ordinator of the Western Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service which helps women navigate the at times confronting court process after reporting domestic violence to the police.
The service also makes contact, by phone, letter or text message, with victims of abuse referred automatically to them by police following a change to legislation in 2015.
“So far this year we’ve seen just under 3000 clients with 5000 service events, so it’s a massive massive change for us,” Ms Alexander said.
“It’s a brilliant change though ... we’re actually reaching into that women’s life within 24 hours ideally of a domestic violence incident happening.
“Great project ... but they didn’t fund the back end of it.
“So how has that impacted on us as workers? We’ve not been able to do the work we used to for DVCAS. No more support letters for housing, no more victims services applications ... no more preparing women for hearings.
“We just don’t have the time because we have this avalanche of referrals coming through.
“It’s been really heartbreaking and really hard for workers.”
She said workers were taking more sick days and she worried about their mental health and the “vicarious trauma” of dealing with so many extra clients.
CLICK TO WATCH TRISH DOYLE MP’s MAIDEN SPEECH
But Penrith City’s frontline family and domestic violence workers have long been crying out for more workers with the appropriate expertise to support children and families devastated by abuse and family violence, and now are pleading with the State Government to reinstate funding for Penrith Women’s Health Centre’s only domestic violence case manager.
“I’m hopeful that will be resolved in the near future,” Penrith state Liberal MP Stuart Ayres told the Penrith Press prior to the forum, adding “it will probably be another block of funds”.
Mr Ayres, in China on business, was represented at the meeting by his staffer Rhonda Handbury.
Also present were Penrith mayor Karen McKeown, Londonderry state Labor MP Prue Car, and federal Labor MPs for the Blue Mountains (Trish Doyle), Lindsay (Emma Husar), Macquarie (Susan Templeman) and Penrith Council’s assistant general manager Craig Butler.
The Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Pru Goward did not attend last week’s Penrith domestic violence forum.
“I want to personally ear every time the books are closed by any of the services,” Ms Husar told the attendees on the day.
“I will hassle the people with the keys to the (money) safe, to properly fund these services.”
Citing figures that show one woman is killed by her partner in Australia every week, Cr McKeown observed: “I’m quite sure if we had one man falling out a window every week, we’d have every window shut.”
According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, for the 12 months to September 2015 the Penrith local government area recorded the second-highest number of domestic violence-related assaults in NSW, a total of 1027 incidents.
Ms Alexander said case management is key, to keep women moving from service to service, to ensure they don’t give up.
“I’m amazed at the number of women who will actually ring back ... (one) waited 10 months,” she said.
“She’s ready now. She rings up, luckily we were able to get her into some services.
“It’s all about the timing. When is the woman ready?
“She may not be at that point, but she will be later on. That’s where it’s so vital to have those services with capacity when she’s ready.”
■ If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency, call triple-0.
West Connect Domestic Violence Services Funding Boost
Penrith RSL Club has donated $2250 to West Connect Domestic Violence Services (WCDVS), as part of its Staff Giveback Program.
“We are very proud to be able to give to such a worthwhile cause,” said club chairman Frank Portelli.
While accepting the donation on July 13, WCDVS Penrith branch manager Vanessa Donald-Smith commented: “Our staff focus on empowering women so that they can work towards an independent life free from violence.”
They do this by providing crisis accommodation for female victims of domestic violence in the Nepean, Blue Mountains, Blacktown and Hills districts, including women in transgender and same-sex relationships.
Services include temporary housing, counselling, legal aid, and transitional accommodation (for up to a year) for women needing additional support following the initial crisis period.
WCDVS’s refuges are in secure buildings with 24-hour staff support.
Two cater for women with children, one is for women without children and there is a specialist Aboriginal women and children’s refuge.
Each women is allocated her own support worker.
■ Tonight’s White Ribbon night raises public awareness of male-perpetrated violence against women. Event details: whiteribbon.org.au/updates
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