About Us
who we are
Family and intimate partner violence is a gendered issue. The crimes that occur are predominantly perpetrated by men.
Men’s use of violence perpetuates inequality, systemic oppression and is a violation of the human rights of women, children and marginalised families.
this can and must change.
our work
Working to provide a range of services in the areas of response and recovery to victim survivors of family violence, we are a not-for-profit organisation, primarily funded by the State Government of Victoria.
We also invest in prevention and education in order to stop family violence occurring in the first place. This work is made possible largely through partnerships, community and individual giving, grants and philanthropic support.
our theory of change
In order to achieve our aspirational vision, we developed a theory of change, to inform who and how we will work over the next 7 to 10 years and to track our progress towards the change we wish to see.
our Strategic plan
Our strategic ambition is to drive bold, innovative change and to break the cycle of family violence to ensure that victim survivors are safe and able to thrive.
We do this by working in partnership with victim survivors, the community and broader service system.
our values and guiding principles
Courage and Leadership
We are courageous in our pursuit of preventing family violence, leading and influencing change within the family violence and mainstream sectors and broader community that is focused on delivering positive outcomes for victim survivors. We do not shy away from challenging the status quo and doing things differently.
Intersectional Feminism
We understand that family violence and the abuse of power is multidimensional and that the impact of family violence is compounded by intersecting forms of oppression and inequality (e.g. gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation etc), creating overlapping forms of discrimination. This results in higher rates or more severe forms of violence, as well as greater barriers to accessing support and safety for some communities more so than others. We recognise the gendered nature of the drivers of family violence and how women and children are disproportionately affected by it, which is why we prioritise them in the work that we do.
Person-driven
We place victim survivors at the centre of all decisions. We listen and respond to their input and feedback on the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of our services and programs to ensure they remain client-centred.
Evidence Informed & Continuous Learning
Our work and approach is informed by evidence (noting that this evidence can come in the form of formal research or practice wisdom). We actively seek opportunities to continuously improve and innovate, including by piloting (and measuring the impact of) innovative models of service and program delivery.
Transparency and Accountability
We are transparent in our conduct and hold ourselves to account for delivering high quality services and programs. We seek to;
- challenge perpetrators to take responsibility for their actions and to change their behaviour and;
- engage organisations and communities to ensure that everyone is playing a role in preventing and responding to family violence (including addressing the drivers of family violence) and supporting the ongoing recovery of victim survivors.
Respect and Collaboration
We value and respect the expertise of victim survivors and our stakeholders, working with others to maximise the impact of our collective work through genuine and meaningful collaboration. We endeavour to strengthen our collaboration and integration with both existing and new partners.
committed to reconciliation
In 2023 we launched our first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan. We commit to the vision, principles and strategic priorities of Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way – Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families, the key Aboriginal-led Victorian agreement that commits Aboriginal communities, services and government to work together to ensure Aboriginal people can live free from family violence.
“Through the work our dedicated and passionate team have achieved over the past year, we are filled with optimism that we are making a measurable difference in working alongside victim survivors and their children to break the cycle, manage risk and enhance their safety. We also hold increasing hope that through the work we do in prevention and education that we are changing community attitudes and putting a spotlight on the drivers of gender inequality and family violence.”
— Chris Mathieson, CEO