Page 2592 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 August 2015
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In addition government reforms and initiatives have been developed to align with the government’s commitments outlined in the second implementation plan for the ACT’s prevention of violence against women and children strategy, which is being launched by me and the Minister for Women in August. The second implementation plan articulates the government’s commitment to end violence against women and children. It also provides a whole-of-government policy framework for addressing domestic and family violence in the ACT, and reflects the territory’s commitments under the national plan to reduce violence against women and children.
The governance group for the second implementation plan has recognised the importance of using the DVPC’s recommendations. As a result many of the recommendations have been directly referenced, addressed and progressed in the second implementation plan. This is noted in the government’s response where relevant.
The government agrees with 20 recommendations, agrees in principle with 12 and agrees in part with one. Many of the recommendations are consistent with existing practice, and the DVPC report makes a valuable contribution to ongoing work undertaken by the government to ensure that domestic and family violence is being addressed. The government response provides an important opportunity to briefly highlight and reflect on some key issues that were raised in the DVPC report and what the government is doing in response.
The first of these issues is outlined in recommendation 8 of the report, which is that the government consider establishing a high-level policy and programs unit to ensure a whole-of-government approach. The government agrees that there is a need for stronger coordination of policy and programs for domestic and family violence, including sexual assault. Therefore on 1 June this year Minister Berry and I announced the establishment of the office of Coordinator-General for Domestic and Family Violence, who takes responsibility for oversighting the implementation of the government response and ensuring that the government meets its responsibilities and actions set out under the second implementation plan.
The coordinator-general role sits with the Deputy Director-General (Justice) in the Justice and Community Safety Directorate. Although the coordinator-general is overseeing domestic and family violence work in the ACT, the current accountability and reporting models within directorates are unchanged. The governance group for the second implementation plan, which includes government and non-government officials, continues to be a key group for coordination as well. The coordinator-general has started working with directorates and key stakeholders such as the Victims of Crime Commissioner and the DVPC to ensure that responses to domestic and family violence are effective, innovative and as integrated as possible.
Another key issue identified in the report was the need to view all the supports and systems related to domestic violence along a continuum from early intervention, through crisis, to sustained safety and security. The government’s position is that the first step in creating a truly integrated whole-of-service system response is to identify those areas or places where women and children are falling through the gaps and not receiving the full range of services they need.
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