Better practice in responding to family violence

In all of our work on family violence we’ve drawn on the advice and resources from family violence experts. We’ve also drawn on the lessons of the water sector and other industries (not regulated by the commission) in developing and implementing their own family violence policies.

These experts include (but are not limited to):

Thriving Communities Partnership

The Thriving Communities Partnership is a central platform for collaboration, learning, research and projects that advance organisational contributions to combatting customer vulnerability and hardship. Bringing together thinking and practice from leading Australian organisations, the partnership hosts resources and information about initiatives addressing vulnerability and building inclusion (including initiatives responding to customers who have experienced family violence). The partnership also organises regular workshops and events and an online platform to drive collective insight and action.

Economic Abuse Reference Group

The Economic Abuse Reference Group is a network of community organisations aiming to influence (government and industry) responses to the financial impacts of family violence. The network includes family violence services, community legal services and financial counselling services.

The group’s work is focused primarily in Victoria but also extends to some national issues. They have written practice guides for businesses on making a start, staff training and referral lists.

Our Watch – Workplace Equality and Respect Project

Our Watch is the national foundation to prevent violence against women and their children. Its Workplace Equality and Respect Project builds on existing initiatives to develop evidence-based standards and tools that support workplaces taking action to prevent violence against women.

As part of this project Our Watch worked in partnership with No To Violence (Men’s Referral Service) – the peak body for working with men to end family violence in Victoria and New South Wales – to look at the issues in managing perpetrators of family violence in the workplace. The report suggests employers use a graduated model that enables them to take appropriate action while also taking into account factors for the individual organisation.

Gendered Violence Research Network

The Gendered Violence Research Network at the University of New South Wales has a Gendered Violence & Organisation project aimed at supporting organisations that are building strategies to address gendered violence. They have an implementation framework that outlines five areas for organisations to consider in effectively mitigating risk and fulfilling their duty of care to their staff.