Safe Homes, Families, Communities

Hon Jacquie Petrusma MP

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence

The Minister is the spokesperson for Safe Homes, Families, Communities and leads Tasmania’s response to preventing and eliminating family and sexual violence.

The Minister represents Tasmania on the National Federation Reform Council Women’s Safety Taskforce which provides a forum for member governments to drive national progress in reducing violence against women and their children.

The Council oversees implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

The Minister convenes the Family and Sexual Violence Community Consultative Committee.

The Safe Homes, Families, Communities governance structure supports the Tasmanian Government’s response to family and sexual violence and implementation of actions.

Under Safe Homes, Families, Communities, we continue to deliver actions through a coordinated and collaborative effort between government agencies, with our non-government partners.

In October 2020, the established governance structure for Safe Homes, Families, Communities was expanded to include governance of Strong Families Safe Kids and the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy under the new title of the Children, Young People and Families Safety and Wellbeing Governance Framework. There has been no change to the structure of the Cabinet Committee, Steering Committee or Cross Agency Working Group.

A separate Consultative Group has been established in relation to Strong Families Safe Kids and the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy. The Family and Sexual Violence Consultative Group continues to advise on matters related to Safe Homes, Families, Communities.

All Ministers with responsibility for actions under Safe Homes, Families, Communities are members of the Family and Sexual Violence Cabinet Committee.

The Family and Sexual Violence Consultative Group (FSVCG) is comprised of representatives from key government and non-government family and sexual violence services, as well as services representing key cohorts, including: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people, people in rural and remote communities, children and young people, older people, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) and men.

The role of FSVCG is to:

• Provide expert advice to inform Tasmanian Government responses to family and sexual violence issues
• Provide feedback on Tasmanian Government policies, programs, services and initiatives that address and prevent and respond to family and sexual violence
• Support the sharing of information between the Tasmanian Government and the community sector
• Support the collaborative delivery of Safe Homes, Families, Communities and the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022 in Tasmania

The FSVCG is chaired by the Deputy Secretary, Standards and Performance, Communities Tasmania.

Safe at Home is Tasmania’s whole-of-government, integrated criminal justice response to family violence administered by the Department of Justice. It involves a range of services working together to protect and support adult victim-survivors and their children, while holding perpetrators accountable for their behaviour.

Safe at Home services include:

• Family Violence Counselling and Support Service
• Tasmania Police Family Violence Units
• Court Support and Liaison Service
• Defendant Health Liaison Service

For more information visit www.safeathome.tas.gov.au

The Tasmanian Government is a signatory to the Council of Australian Governments' National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010 - 2022 (the National Plan), which brings together the efforts of all Australian governments to make a real and sustained reduction in the levels of violence against women.

The National Plan is being delivered through four, three year Action Plans:

• First Action Plan (2010-2013) - Building a Strong Foundation
• Second Action Plan (2013 - 2016) - Moving Ahead
• Third Action Plan (2016-2019) – Promising Results
• Fourth Action Plan (2019-2022) – Turning the Corner

Key achievements of the National Plan to date include the establishment of:

• Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)
• Our Watch
• 1800RESPECT