- The first meeting
of the historic new family and domestic violence special taskforce was held
today
- The taskforce brings together leaders of State Government agencies and peak
community organisations and an academic expert
- One of the first
actions of the taskforce is to undertake steps to establish a lived experience
advisory group
A special taskforce formed to
help guide the next phase of the State's commitment to address family and
domestic violence (FDV) met for the first time today.
Announced by the Cook Government
on 12 September, the new taskforce was a key request of the recent family and
domestic violence forum organised by the Centre for Women's Safety and
Wellbeing.
Since the announcement, Minister
for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Sabine Winton has worked
with the co-chairs to determine the peak community organisation representatives
for the taskforce.
Today's
taskforce meeting was co-chaired by senior Noongar woman Professor Colleen
Hayward AM, and Department of the Premier and Cabinet Director General Emily
Roper.
It brought together leaders of State Government agencies, peak community
organisations and an academic with expertise in family and domestic violence.
The Government representatives are
the Directors General of the Departments of Communities, Justice, Education, Treasury
and Health along with the Commissioners for the Western Australia Police Force
and the Mental Health Commission.
The non-government leaders are:
- Dr Alison Evans,
Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing;
- Damien Green,
Chief Executive Officer, Stopping Family Violence;
- Professor Donna
Chung, Curtin University;Barbara Henry,
Executive Officer, Noongar Family Safety and Wellbeing Council;
- Vicki O'Donnell
OAM, Chair, Council of Aboriginal Services WA and Aboriginal Health Council of WA; and
- Louise Giolitto, Chief Executive Officer West
Australian Council of Social Services.
Subject matter
experts will be invited to taskforce meetings as required and appropriate to
the matter being considered.
The taskforce's
objectives are to:
- Identify
additional strategic areas for system reforms, including minimising barriers
that prevent results, such as victim-survivor safety, and perpetrator
accountability, as well as improving cross-system coordination and
collaboration;
- Consider, prioritise,
and advise on responses to key sector priorities as outlined at the August forum;
- Identify options
to strengthen case coordination across Government, through improved information
and data sharing; and
- Advise on and
oversee the consultation process to establish the lived experience advisory
group.
A key item on today's agenda was
establishing a lived experience advisory group which the taskforce will take
forward as a priority action.
The taskforce
builds on the Cook Government's ongoing commitment to addressing family and
domestic violence, and more than $200 million investment. It is expected to
convene monthly for a limited time-period. It is scheduled to next meet in
October.
Comments attributed to
Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Sabine Winton:
"The special taskforce was one
of the key requests of the recent family and domestic violence forum, convened
by the Centre for Women's Safety and Wellbeing, and I am pleased that we have
been able to get this important work underway so quickly.
"This collaboration between Government and experts in the community sector and
academia will continue strengthening our responses to family and domestic
violence.
"I look forward to
working with members as they consider and identify actions as part of their
operations.
"I'm pleased that a key function of the taskforce is to start the
consultation with people with lived experience – to set up the lived experience
advisory group – while the taskforce's role is limited, the lived experience
group will be enduring to Government."
