Ensure voices of victims are heard and inform policy development and service delivery

Slot gameIn response to this recommendation, the Victorian Government announced the establishment of the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council in March 2016. Chaired by Rosie Batty, the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council comprises 12 members who represent the diverse experiences of people impacted by family violence. Membership includes representatives from:

• the Aboriginal community
• culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• people with disabilities
• older Victorians
• lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse and intersex communities
• rural and regional communities
• young people

The Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council is at the heart of the government’s response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence. The Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council has been formed to:

• provide advice to government on the different and diverse experiences of family violence from the victim survivor’s perspective
• provide an ongoing voice for victim survivors on how the family violence system and services should be designed
• contribute to and inform family violence reform work
• provide advice on how family violence reforms will impact people who use family violence and related services

Slot gameThe Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council held its inaugural meeting in July 2016. The group operates as an advisory and reference group. It focuses on victim survivors’ experiences and provides input on how to ensure effective, victim-centred family violence reforms. This will be achieved through:

• providing ongoing advice on key pieces of work such as the Victorian Family Violence Action Plan, mapping insights into and experiences of family violence, the vision for the family violence reforms and the review of Specialist Family Violence Courts
• facilitating the voices of other victim survivors into the family violence reforms
• membership on other relevant taskforces or advisory committees
• advice to the government on the different and diverse experiences of family violence from the victim survivor’s perspective
• testing and advising on new approaches

To date, the key priorities for the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council have included:

• strengthening justice responses
• improving perpetrator accountability
• ensuring better supports for victim survivors
• improving the sharing of information across the family violence system
• contributing to the Victorian Family Violence Action Plan

To further embed the voice of victim survivors in ongoing family violence reforms, Family Safety Victoria is conducting a project to examine existing mechanisms and practices for engaging with people with lived experience. A key project outcome will be the analysis of the mechanisms that engage the voices of people with lived experience that have provided the most significant change to the family violence reforms. Options for enhancing engagement with people with lived experience across the reform agenda will also be explored. Insights and principles gained from this project will be shared with other groups that work with people with lived experience. When the project is complete, Family Safety Victoria will work across government to share and embed the findings, and ultimately ensure the voices of victim survivors and people with lived experience are embedded in ongoing policy development and service design.

Forecast implementation date: 31 December 2020.