Gold Centre Against Sexual Violence director Di MacLeod says the service is struggling to cope

A perfect storm of increasing demand, a lack of qualified counsellors and stagnant funding has left one of the city’s largest sexual violence services struggling to cope.

Portrait of Di Macleod who has 29 years in sexual assault prevention and support field, who is campaigning for criminal justice system reform. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

A perfect storm of increasing demand, a lack of qualified counsellors and stagnant funding has left one of the city’s largest sexual violence services struggling to cope.

The Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence has been struggling with demand unable to find a suitably qualified counsellor to fill a role vacant since the end of last year.

The vacancy has compounded issues at the already slammed centre which has been struggling to cope with demand.

Gold Centre Against Sexual Violence director Di MacLeod says that just nine years their client base seeking help has doubled from 2742 seeking help in the 2013-2014 financial year.

That compares with 5575 in the 2021-2022 financial year.

Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence director Di MacLeod talking at the Red Rose Rally at the DV memorial, Norm Rix Recreation Park, Labrador. In memory of Kelly Wilkinson and Lordy Ramadan. Picture: Jerad Williams

Over the same nine years the number of rapes and attempted rapes reported to Gold Coast police increased 108 per cent.

Ms MacLeod says in that time the funding to the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence had “limped along” with CPI despite the increased demand.

“All the services are saying the same thing – the demand is outweighing the resources available,” she said.

Ms MacLeod said compounding the lack of resources was also a lack of qualified counsellors.

“We don’t have enough funding to meet the need anyway and it’s amplified when we’re one person short and can’t get someone for that,” she said.

She said one counsellor would see between four and five patients a day – that means being down one counsellors means about 20 people a week are missing out on an appointment.

That has also pushed weight lists to about a four to five week wait.

Ms MacLeod said anyone in crisis would be seen but having such a long wait list for those not in crisis was less than ideal.

The difficulty in finding a counsellor is because there are few suitably qualified for the job and those who are often attracted by the private sector who can offer more.

It is not the first time the centre’s funding has come under threat.

In March 2021 the centre was considering turning to corporate sponsors to help continue giving services when some short term funding was due to run out.

Portrait of Di Macleod who has 29 years in sexual assault prevention and support field, who is campaigning for criminal justice system reform. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

That funding was extended meaning centre could keep two of their counsellors on.

Ms MacLeod said the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence and other services had been getting some bouts of short term funding but nothing long term.

“They reality for services trying to meet demand at the front line, whilst that short term funding is certainly welcomed, it actually creates more issues when that funding comes to an ends because it means positions attached to that funding ends,” she said.

Ms MacLeod said what they ultimately needed was certainty of funding.

A spokesman for Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said the government was aware the pressure services were under and “had increased funding for specialist sexual assault services and women’s health and wellbeing services by 95 per cent since 2015”.

“An additional $30 million has been provided over four years since 2021 to support frontline services, which includes an uplift to Sexual Assault Services and is based on a preliminary review of demand,” he said.

“As part of this ongoing work, and in response to the recommendations of the Women Safety and Justice Taskforce, the Department of Justice and Attorney-General is developing of a whole-of-government domestic, family and sexual violence service system strategic investment plan, which will ultimately inform future investment priorities.”