End violence
THE Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence recommendations made it clear the issue of family violence needs a response from the whole community, including the healthcare sector.
An initiative at Barwon Health to strengthen health service responses to family violence is working hard to ensure Barwon Health better support the community.
A key part of our work is raising awareness and providing education to staff to better recognise and respond to family violence.
In the past, many health workers did not feel it was their right or responsibility to look beneath the surface for the reasons why people might be seeking treatment, but this mindset is changing as we equip staff to offer the right support, at the right time, in the right place.
After family and friends, health workers are the most trusted group of people to turn to for help and support for family violence.
Barwon Health’s services in key areas, such as aged care, emergency, community health, dental, paediatrics and maternity, means our workers are in an important position to identify and respond to people who may require support.
Staff trained to understand family violence can recognise and support people seeking treatment for a range of medical issues but also provide referral options for support if they are experiencing family violence.
Barwon Health is also making efforts to support staff who are among the survivors of family violence, while also building capacity for all staff to feel comfortable and confident to support consumers who need this support, too. Staff are being equipped to offer help simply by being aware of the services in the community, which can make a difference people affected by family violence.
We now have family violence contact officers in place for staff and volunteers and all managers have undertaken training to recognise and respond to family violence. The key message for staff is that it is OK to come forward and be supported.
On October 25, the Barwon Month of Action, a long-running campaign that aims to raise awareness and educate our community about men’s violence against women and children, will open with the Reclaim the Night event, and end on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Each of these events emphasises the important need to make our community safer.
Barwon Health also wants to celebrate our people doing extraordinary things with a campaign to highlight inspiring stories.
We want to make it clear that Barwon Health is here to provide support to people impacted by family violence; both our staff and the community.
For counselling and support, call 1800 Respect (1800 737 732). Karen Todd is Barwon Health’s Strengthening Health Service Response to Family Violence project manager and an experienced social worker.