By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A SUPPORT group, which has helped more than 500 children affected by violence across Cardinia Shire, has put its support behind recent child-focused police recommendations to fight the issue.
Connections UnitingCare, which works together with Cardinia’s Family Violence Unit (CFVU) on an ongoing weekly basis, commended police submission to improve responses for children at risk as part of the Royal Commission into family violence recommendations.
For two days a week, a Connections support worker visits women and children recovering from a violent domestic dispute often requiring police intervention.
Since starting less than two years ago, the program is estimated to have helped 520 children and 250 families affected by violence.
Recent grim statistics indicate children are present at almost half of the family violence incidents which unfold each new day in the shire, one of the state’s hardest hit areas for the insidious crime.
Connections’ CEO Angela Forbes said she fully backed the police submission to triage the service response to child victims to help link them in with vital services that might help break the cycle of vulnerability which could lead to another generation of violence.
“It is widely accepted that witnessing or experiencing family violence can have long- term detrimental impacts on children, including the vulnerability to suffering or perpetrating family violence themselves later on in life,” the police submission read.
Bask Cassar, Connections’ Southern Region Family Services Program Leader, said they hoped to expand the police integrated support program into nearby areas such as Casey in the future.
“It’s a high need area, and we are hoping to expand and replicate the pilot program because it has been so successful,” she said despite current funding limitations which only enable the program to operate two days a week.
Victoria Police’s submission into the Royal Commission into Family Violence made several other recommendations including an offender registry which enables people to find out if their partner had a violent history.
However, the model, which recognises a partner’s “right to know“ and “right to ask“ about someone’s abusive past, did not receive Connections’ support.
Ms Forbes chose not to explain her concerns with the proposal.
Instead, she said greater cohesion between support agencies, government and the police were needed to help overturn the scourge of domestic violence.
“We too believe there needs to be more collaboration between community organisations and statutory bodies in order to provide an enhanced response,” she wrote.
If we want to empower women to feel safe and supported to take their children and leave, we need all parts of the community working together for one common goal.”
The Royal Commission into Family Violence is due to hand down its findings early next year.
The State Government has committed to implementing the recommendations made by the commission to fix what he described as a “broken” system failing to protect vulnerable victims and charge those who are guilty.
