Staff shortages close family violence centres for 39 days

State-funded Orange Door family violence centres had to close for a combined 39 days in Victoria last year due to staff shortages, while demand led to delays in people being connected to support services.

Ararat in the state’s west was the worst-affected area. That outpost, for appointments only, closed for a total of 20 days in 2023-24.

The temporary closures were revealed by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, of which Orange Door is part, in written answers to parliament’s public accounts and estimates committee.

Orange Door, which operates during business hours, links victim-survivors, affected children and perpetrators with appropriate services after conducting a risk assessment. Most of its clients are referred by police.

The Safe Steps crisis service, which is also state-funded, is available 24/7 Victoria-wide.

Orange Door outposts in Seymour, Hepburn, Bannockburn, Collingwood and Kerang also had to temporarily close because staff were unavailable, as did an access point at Yarra Junction for walk-in help. No primary site closed in 2023-24 because of staff shortages.

During the same period, Orange Door took longer than seven days to complete risk assessments for a third of all victim-survivors.

The figure was an improvement on 2022-23, and the state government noted people were often receiving support during their assessment, which includes gathering information from third parties such as schools and child protection. Almost a quarter of people did not need further support.

Ninety-three per cent of police referrals to Orange Door were triaged within seven days. But the department was unable to confirm if further action was taken within seven days.

Two per cent took longer than 14 days to be triaged and one took 177 days in 2023-24. Demand, administrative errors and incomplete referrals were the main reasons for delays.

The Orange Door in southern Melbourne received the most police referrals in 2023-24, followed by bayside-peninsula, western Melbourne and north-east Melbourne.

Safe Steps chief executive Dr Chelsea Tobin said staff shortages were a persistent issue in the sector.

“I think that reflects the really intense nature of the work and the really high level of commitment and vicarious trauma,” Tobin said.

She said Safe Steps had a low vacancy rate and took calls 24/7 within 30 seconds.

The service takes and makes about 130,000 calls and provides about 40,000 nights of crisis accommodation a year. Demand spikes between the AFL grand final and Australia Day.

Tobin said demand for Safe Steps surged 38.7 per cent in November 2024 compared with the same time the year prior.

“That’s a huge jump for us,” she said. “It’s been a really tough year for family and domestic violence. The crime stats are going the wrong way.”

There were more than 100,000 family violence incidents recorded in Victoria in the year to September, the highest number on record, Crime Statistics Victoria said last month. Police responded to a call related to family violence every five minutes during the year.

Thousands protested around the country following a spate of high-profile killings of women.

Safe Steps chief executive Chelsea Tobin.Credit: Eddie Jim

Tobin said the cost of living would be driving some of that increased demand for services, but she believed more people were also asking for help.

“I think more people are seeking help, and that’s a good thing. However, it’s been a horrific year for family and domestic violence. We all have to hold the mirror up and say, ‘What else can we do?’”

Tobin said the Sanctuary model of emergency accommodation, which about 97 per cent of people exited in a safe and sustained way without returning to violence, needed more funding. Putting people in motels had poor results, she said, with about 35 per cent of people leaving in what is deemed an unsafe exit. This could include returning to the perpetrator.

The Sanctuary site launched as a pilot in late 2023 to provide tight security along with health, legal and financial services. It strives to give women the connections required to start new lives and not return to violent partners.

“We would be really keen to see more investment in the Sanctuary type set-up where we can get 97 per cent safe and sustained exits,” Tobin said.

Safe Steps group director Suzanne Paynter said a lot of good work had been done since the family violence royal commission, but there was a continuing need for investment in frontline services.

A government spokeswoman said the Orange Door network, rolled out statewide to 60 locations, had helped more than 500,000 Victorians, including more than 200,000 children.

“When women and children are still dying at the hands of men – we must do more. From prevention, to response, to seeking justice, we are targeting family violence at every stage,” she said.

“We know that rural and regional victim-survivors of family violence face additional barriers in accessing support, which is why when an outpost is unexpectedly closed we offer outreach via phone, email, a visit at an Orange Door primary site or the option to reschedule appointments.”

The government said initiatives were in place to attract and retain workers.

An access point in Coburg permanently closed on December 20 because the site was not fit for purpose or meeting health and safety needs. The department said work was under way to find an alternative site in Craigieburn.

It said some networks, particularly those in rural and regional areas, were considering launching virtual outposts, a system already used in Wimmera.

Victoria’s 24/7 family violence response line Safe Steps: 1800 015 188. National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). In an emergency, call 000.

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