Child Protection Workers to Rally in Mt Druitt for Critical Family and Domestic Violence Services 听
A domestic violence service which saves hundreds of women鈥檚 lives a year is one sick day away from closing, unless the NSW Government take urgent action to address a critical staffing shortfall.
The Mt Druitt Family Violence Service provides 鈥榝irst contact鈥 services to women who have just fled violent partners but is so short staffed it might have to close its doors without urgent action.
The unique facility, which has been operating since 2006, provides the most frontline assistance to women who have literally just walked out of violent relationships, like tinned food, feminine hygiene products and the use of a phone so they can arrange to stay at a friend鈥檚 place.
The service should have seven case workers, they currently have two, with one trainee.
Former Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice, Michael Coutts-Trotter, held up the service as the 鈥済old standard鈥 for family violence support provision and a model which should be emulated throughout NSW.
Women who walk into the service have literally just walked out of the most horrifically violent situations, said Stewart Little the General Secretary of the Public Service Association.
鈥淭oday a woman who鈥檚 just walked out on a violent partner will walk through the door of the Mt Druitt Family Violence Service to use a phone to find a friend鈥檚 couch to sleep on, get some tinned food, soap and tampons,鈥 said Mr Little.
鈥淭he next day the service will assist with referrals to police, housing and health services, often women will have little ID as they鈥檝e left in a hurry so the service will go to the bank with them so they can access their own money.
鈥淭hey also help women navigate the family law court system, help them get escaping family violence grants, as well as looking after their immediate basic needs like food, food vouchers, and even clothing because they鈥檒l often leave a violent partner with just the shirt on their back.
鈥淭he Mt Druitt Family Violence Service has helped women escaping violence for 18 years, they鈥檝e saved hundreds and hundreds of lives.
鈥淭his service is at the front line of helping women escape being punched, bashed or killed in their homes, I鈥檓 sorry to use that language but it鈥檚 the brutal reality,鈥 said Mr Little.
鈥淭hey are one sick day away from closure, if one of the few staff that are there had a sick child to look after, or broke an ankle, that would be it, they would have to shut their doors.
鈥淎lready when staff have been sick we鈥檝e seen the service have to shut its doors temporarily.
鈥淭his service has saved hundreds of lives since it opened, just stop and think about that for a second, this service literally stops women being killed in their own homes, and it might soon close.
鈥淭he issue is the Mt Druitt Family Violence Service gets their staff from the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) from the pool of child protection caseworkers.
听鈥淏ut the DCJ are so short staffed they can鈥檛 release any child protection caseworkers to work for the service, so the potential closure of this service is driven by the chronic shortage of child protection caseworkers.
鈥淲hen you read in the paper this service has closed, don鈥檛 say you weren鈥檛 warned,鈥 said Mr Little.
Event Details
听What: Child Protection in Crisis 鈥 Campaign Event
When:听 12.30pm Wednesday, 10 July 2024
Where: 5 Mount Street, Mt Druitt