Protecting your children
FVREE is committed to supporting the relationship between a mother and her child before, during and after family violence. In supporting this relationship, we consider:
- What is the child’s experience of violence?
- How do we as practitioners make sense of the child’s experience?
- How do we support the child’s experience, and build safety for the child in a context of violence?
- How do we support the relationship between mother and child, understanding the child’s need for safety, emotional support and relationship building?
As part of this support, FVREE has developed a partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide flexible responses to both FVREE and Child Protection clients. The Child Protection Flexible Response workers are co-located between FVREE and DHHS Box Hill, covering the inner and outer east of Melbourne. Referral pathways are via intake to both Child Protection and FVREE; clients who will be serviced include those who have direct Child Protection involvement. The objective of this partnership is to:
- Provide a family violence lens to Child Protection clients
- Ensure risk assessment and decision making enable clients to access resources relevant to their needs
- Promote an understanding of the disruption of the mother-child bond as a result of family violence
- Assess risk and carry out regular safety planning around women and children in a variety of settings.