An announcement from the Minister for Human Services
In July, the Minister for Human Services Senator the Hon. Marise Payne announced frontline staff will receive extra family and domestic violence training.The training will enhance DHS staff’s skills to recognise, respond and refer people affected by family and domestic violence to appropriate support services.
Frontline staff are often the first point of contact for people affected by family violence so it’s vital they can quickly identify customers at risk and offer them appropriate assistance and support.
The department touches the lives of many Australians through the delivery of health and welfare payments and services, and recognises that family and domestic violence is a widespread issue which has a serious impact on the community, the workplace, families and individuals.
The Family and Domestic Violence Strategy
Under the Family and Domestic Violence Strategy, five strategic themes operate together to enable the department to offer a seamless and coordinated service response to people affected by family and domestic violence.
The five strategic themes include;
information,
risk identification,
referrals,
our people, and
training.
To implement these themes, the department is building on the support structures currently in place, investing in training, resources and targeted internal and external communications to build awareness and provide added support for staff and customers.
To find out more about the Family and Domestic Violence Strategy, visit the publications and resources section on the DHSwebsite. You can find details of the Minister for Human Services Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, keynote address on the Minister for Human Services website.
Support for customers
Customers affected by family and domestic violence may be eligible for a range of payments and services and our staff work with customers to identify the best support available for them.
The department also has a network of social workers who offer counselling and support. As well as helping customers to obtain appropriate payments, our staff play an important role linking victims with government and community support services.
Visit humanservices.gov.au and click on the updatedFamily and Domestic Violence tab on the homepage to view the support information available for customers.
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