Women’s Health Grampians Local Update Grampians Community of Practice for the Prevention of Violence against Women Darlene Henning-Marshall Program Manager 7 and 9 June, 2016

1.An overview of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence 2.An overview of the Grampians Regional Strategy: Communities of Respect and Equality Overview

4.8kg ! 227 Recommendations

Royal Commission into Family Violence Report – March 2016 Highlighted the strong foundations that exist and should be built upon – eg: regional integration committees, regional partnerships Need to transform our response – new ways of thinking and collaborating Foster collaboration between different service systems Recognised the importance of primary prevention

3 recommendations focused on primary prevention Rec 187 That the State wide FV Action Plan include a primary prevention strategy (within 12 months) 3 year action cycles Include actions and performance measures Be guided by the Vic Gov’s Gender Equality Strategy Be supported by dedicated funding for FV primary prevention

Rec 188 That a Prevention Advisory Body to be established (within 18 months) Oversee prevention activities in Vic Provide policy advice etc Provide technical advice re operationalising primary prevention in organisations and communities Coordinate research Oversee accreditation for workforce training

Rec 189 Respectful relationships in schools Whole school approach Best practice

RCFV – Rural, Regional, Remote Recognition of higher prevalence and risk in these areas (data shows this…) Priority to reducing FV in these communities Better service access Need to build capacity of universal services to deliver FV programs

RCFV – Prevention/Workplaces Policies for FV victims Build skills in taking bystander action Workplace programs in all public sector to build respectful and gender equitable cultures Accredited workforce development training in primary prevention available through RTOs

RCFV- Local Government Rec 94 That Councils be required to report on the measures the council proposes to take to reduce family violence and respond to the needs of victims – within 12 months

That was a very quick summary – obviously the report covers a lot more! We will provide more information in our newsletters, once the details become available. To access the full report:

A Grampians regional strategy Background 1.All WHS were funded by the Victorian government over 2014 – 16 to develop regional plans 2.In 2016, WHG convened a Reference Group with 25 significant organisations from across the Grampians – to develop a Regional Plan

Communities of Respect and Equality: A plan to prevent violence against women and their children in the Grampians Region Launched 20 May, 2016 Over 100 senior representatives from organisations in the region

The CoRE video respect-equality

Why a CoRE plan? The CoRE Plan has been developed to guide resources, activities and priorities to ensure all interested organisations are working in the same direction. The Plan: Reflects and supports a collective impact approach Promotes a shared understanding of the underlying causes of violence against women and children Facilitates the adoption of evidence based strategies and actions to address it

Any organisation, business or club that would like to work towards this vision, is invited to join the Communities of Respect and Equality (CoRE) Alliance. The Alliance will be a partnership of organisations working collectively, to action the CoRE Plan.

The premise is that by uniting on this one issue, by incorporating one or more of the essential actions needed for change, into everyone’s core work as a single activity; a stand alone plan; a component of a broader plan; or an overlay to all core business we can start to make a difference.

The vision is for A safe, equal and respectful society for everyone

The CoRE Plan provides a framework: listing 4 common goals for us to work towards The first 2 focus on transformative change 1.Improved systems, structures, policies and practices that address gender equality in organisations and collectively 2. Increased ability to challenge the drivers of gender inequality and violence in our social and professional settings, including sexism, discrimination, and stereotypes

The second 2 focus on what we need to support our work 3. Stronger partnerships that include a broad range of participants, united to address the drivers of violence against women 4. Better shared information about what works and what doesn’t, to inform and encourage continued action

Why form an Alliance? 1.By forming an Alliance we are building a community from which to work together to create change 2.As an Alliance we will have more influence to challenge violence against women and children in public discourse 3.As part of the Alliance we can support each other in the efforts we make to build communities of respect and equality

Membership To be a member of the CoRE Alliance requires completion of a membership form where an organisation commits to meaningful participation in line with the vision and principles outlined in the CoRE Plan. There are many simple actions organisation can do that will start to make a difference

Member organisations are responsible for operationalising the CoRE plan as it relates to their principal (core) business and in line with the principles and commitments outlined in the CoRE Plan. They do not need to do everything! Together we will make a difference.

Support for members Women’s Health Grampians is able to support CoRE Alliance members in many ways: Advice on potential actions relevant to each organisation (via individual meetings or membership on committees or working groups) Leadership briefings to senior staff, councils, boards or committees Appropriate, relevant and topical written resources ‘Community of Practice’ sessions to build capacity of staff working on actions and providing a platform for sharing local stories and information Support with workplace based programs such as

Is your organisation a member?

CoRE resources respect-equality

For more information on joining the CoRE Alliance please contact Womens’ Health Grampians T E W

Darlene Henning-Marshall - Program Manager Regional Liaisons Carolynne Hamdorf – Yarriambiack; Hindmarsh; West Wimmera; Horsham Kate Souter – Northern Grampians; Ararat; Pyrenees; Dee Micevski – Ballarat; Hepburn; Moorabool; Golden Plains

Any Questions?