The Family and Domestic Violence Unit delivers a range of policy and community engagement programs that address family and domestic violence in Western Australia.

Contact details
Dumas House
Level 7, 2 Havelock St
WEST PERTH WA 6005

Telephone: 6217 8300
Fax: 9481 0445
Email: info@communities.wa.gov.au

This email address is for general inquiries only.  If you need urgent assistance please contact either the Police or Crisis Care

Vision
To reduce the incidence of violence and abuse in the family and intimate relationships by an across government and community partnership approach to prevent violence and abuse being entrenched in WA society.

Purpose
Identify, inform and monitor the development of government policy on family and domestic violence, coordinate a central and regional across government approach and facilitate community partnerships in addressing the issue of family and domestic violence.

Current functions provided include:

• Providing advice to government;
• Supporting regional coordination;
• Setting directions/decision making on funding allocations for projects, including for prevention and public awareness programs;
• Collect, monitor and evaluate evidence on research, practice and emerging themes and approaches;
• Developing a policy framework that will support regional coordination of services.

The work of the Family and Domestic Violence Unit contributes to the overall vision of the Department for Community Development as it works towards the prevention and reduction of family and domestic violence that will contribute to the social well being of Western Australians.

Government and community coordination
Enhancing coordination across and between government and community sectors is a priority for the Family and Domestic Violence Unit.

The Western Australian Family and Domestic Violence State Strategic Plan 2004-2008 identifies three priority areas which underpin its strategic framework – Prevention, Protection and Provision.

The plan recognises that breaking the cycle of family and domestic violence must be approached in a holistic way and that a range of responses need to be developed across Government and across the community.

The Unit works with several government agencies including the Department of Education and Training, Department of Health, Disability Services Commission and Western Australia Police, and has undertaken a number of prevention initiatives:

• resourced four primary schools and one senior high school to undertake prevention initiatives within their schools;
• produced resources for young people experiencing abuse in partnership with the Office for Children and Youth;
• targeted General Practitioners with training and resources on how to respond to family and domestic violence;
• developed a model for screening for and responding to domestic violence in the obstetric and other clinics of the Women and Children’s Health Service;
• consulted and contributed to research on Hospital Admissions due to Intimate Partner Violence in Western Australia 1994-2003;
• held a forum with the Department of Health to consider the linkages between family and domestic violence, mental health and drug and alcohol issues;
• established a departmental Family and Domestic Violence Consumer Advisory Committee of women who have experienced family and domestic violence, to provide advice on policy direction;
• established an Aboriginal Reference Group to provide advice to the Unit’s Executive Director on addressing Aboriginal family violence in culturally appropriate ways.
• undertook a pilot project with WA Police in the Joondalup region to offer information and support to women whose partner had been removed from the house on police order.