Department of Social Services
Improving access to emergency accommodation for First Nations women and children, women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and women and children who live with disability.
August 2023
CIRCA was engaged by the Department of Social Services (DSS) to collect information to inform the Inclusion Round of the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program (Safe Places). The Inclusion Round will fund the building, renovation or purchase of emergency accommodation for women and children who are experiencing domestic and family violence.
To this end, CIRCA designed, organised and facilitated targeted engagement activities with specialist sector stakeholders and victim-survivors of family and domestic violence (FDV) who have lived experience of emergency accommodation services. The design, organisation and facilitation of all engagements were trauma-informed, accessible, culturally safe, and enabled the participation of all individuals.
In the initial phase, CIRCA team developed the Project Plan, including detailed information on the development of the data collection tools such as the discussion guide, Distress Protocol, Resource Support list, Recruitment Screener, Information Flyer, Participant Information Statement, and Consent Form. CIRCA was also responsible for applying for and obtaining ethics approval for the project.
As part of the data collection, CIRCA conducted six online Focus Groups with specialist sector stakeholders and fifteen individual in-depth, in-language and in-culture interviews with victim-survivors of domestic and family violence who have lived experience of emergency accommodation. Diversity by jurisdiction, geography, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status, CALD origin and disability was sought in all the activities conducted.
CIRCA used the information gathered through the engagement activities to develop and deliver regular progress reports and two final summary reports.
The feedback provided by sector stakeholders and victim-survivors through the consultations will inform aspects of the Inclusion Round, such as the Grant Opportunity Guidelines, resources for grant applicants and the construction of Safe Places dwellings.
It will also supplement activities being led by DSS, including the release of a Discussion Paper on engage.dss.gov.au for public consultation, whole-of-sector workshops with Safe Places grantees, and FDV and housing organisations and service providers, and discussions with state and territory government officials.
The reports are public and available here: Safe Places Emergency Accommodation (Safe Places) Program | Department of Social Services, Australian Government (dss.gov.au)
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