Orana Far West NSW

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• Orana Far West NSW
• Aboriginal Women and Childrens Safe Houses 2008

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Orana Far West Aboriginal Women and Childrens
Safe Houses
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(No Transcript)
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• Following the establishment of Elsie's women and
  childrens refuge in Glebe in Sydney under the
  70s leadership of Whitlam the NSW Womens Refuge
  Movement was formed.
• Internationally Elsie's was one of the first
  women and childrens domestic violence refuges to
  be established.

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About the Womens Refuge Movement

• As the number of refuges increased a unified
  approach was needed to effectively put domestic
  violence on the political agenda. In February
  1979, refuges came together to meet in Bathurst
  for the first State Wide Conference.
• Over the years the structure of the NSW Women's
  Refuge Movement evolved to ensure as far as
  possible, that all refuges have the opportunity
  to be involved with policy development and
  lobbying for improved systemic responses to
  domestic violence .

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About the Womens Refuge Movement

• As the structure developed further the NSW
  Womens Refuge Movement recognised that domestic
  violence experienced by Aboriginal women and
  children must be understood in a cultural,
  political and historical context.
• The NSW Womens Refuge Koori Support Group was
  formed by Aboriginal women in the NSW Womens
  Refuge Movement as a support network to ensure
  issues relating to Aboriginal women and children
  remained permanently on the agenda.
• The NSW Womens Refuge Movement promotes decision
  making processes that involve diverse groups in
  the community. This includes promoting active
  involvement of Aboriginal women.

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• Our current partnership in the Orana Safe Houses
  project is a further step by the WRM to support
  the critical role that the Safe Houses play in
  their communities.
• In 1999 at a State Conference in Armidale, the
  WRM passed a recommendation to make a commitment
  towards improving the isolation and resource
  issues of the Safe Houses in the Orana Far West
  Region.
• In 1999 a delegation of Aboriginal Women from
  across the State went to Parliament house seeking
  improved services in the Orana Far West for women
  and children escaping domestic and family
  violence. Commitments by government to the
  delegation were made, but none were not followed
  up on.
• In 2000 a Together and Forward Conference was
  held at Lake Burrendong. Aboriginal women
  travelled great distances to attend, including a
  large group of Wiradjuri elders. During the
  conference, support for the isolated and under
  resourced services in the Orana Far West
  continued to emerge as a priority. Networks
  developed and were maintained.
• The WRM continued to highlight the needs of the
  Orana Far West to government and at every
  appropriate forum.

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2003
2003
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• In 2003 the Safe Houses invited the WRM to visit
  the region and see first hand the conditions they
  were working under and how this impacted on the
  Aboriginal women and children they were
  assisting. A delegation of twenty members from
  the WRM travelled to Orana by bus and visited
  Wilcannia, Walgett, Lightening Ridge and Bourke.
  The delegation visited each service and attended
  broader community meetings.
• The NSW Women Refuge Movement delegation was
  appalled at the conditions and the lack of
  resources for the Safe Houses, particularly given
  the high needs in the area. A report on the
  delegations visit to the region was distributed
  to the relevant Ministers, government and
  non-government services to highlight the needs of
  the Safe Houses and recommend ways forward.

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Orana Far West NSW Aboriginal Women
and Childrens Safe Houses

• In 2004 the Department of Community Services
  funded the NSW Women's Refuge Movement (WRM) to
  undertake a review in the Orana Region. The
  project focused on the Safe Houses located in
  Brewarrina, Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Wilcannia
  and Bourke.

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• The aim of the project was to work with the safe
  houses and the communities to identify a model
  that will meet the needs of Aboriginal women and
  children experiencing and escaping domestic and
  family violence and sexual abuse in each
  community, at the same time increasing the
  capacity and skills base of the services staff
  and management bodies.
• Throughout the stage 1 of the project, capacity
  building activities took place with skills
  transfer and help for each of the Safe Houses to
  address issues that could be resolved at this
  stage.

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Orana Far West NSW Aboriginal Women
and Childrens Safe Houses

• In late 2005 the NSW WRM held their state
  conference in Bourke with a focus on ensuring
  that Safe Houses could access support and
  membership from the NSW WRM. During the
  conference sister refuges were established to
  support each of the five Safe Houses. The
  conference sought to highlight the geographical
  and resourcing issues faced by the Safe Houses.
  Following the conference a White Ribbon Day
  breakfast was held with speakers and presenters
  from a variety of organisations including a White
  Ribbon Day ambassador and the Member of
  Parliament, Ms Tanya Plibersek attended.

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• The terms of reference for the Review included a
  capacity building approach that aimed as far as
  possible to assist services to remedy issues that
  could be addressed during the Stage 1 review
  process. This approach substantially added to the
  quality of the needs assessment and provided some
  benefits to each of the services.
• It also highlighted that short term support, or
  bursts of assistance, would not meet the needs of
  the services.

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Orana Far West NSW Aboriginal Women
and Childrens Safe Houses
In January 2006, the Orana Stage One Report was
launched. The report outlined the needs for each
Safe House and recommended a viable Safe House
service model to be implemented in stage 2 of the
project.
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Orana Far West NSW Aboriginal Women
and Childrens Safe Houses

• Some of the key issues highlighted in the report,
  included
• Unlike most of women's refuges in NSW, none of
  the five Safe Houses receive funding for a child
  support worker and all are unable at this point
  to meet standards regarding child inclusive
  practices.
• Across the Orana Far West, where resources are
  not available, the Safe Houses staff is often
  overstretched and arrangements to maintain an out
  of hours/ on call arrangements are unsustainable.
  The week day, day time demands and logistics
  cannot be managed by one worker in any of the
  locations.

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Orana Far West NSW Aboriginal Women
and Childrens Safe Houses

• In 2007 a Partnership between the Orana Far West
  Safe Houses, the Department of Community
  Services, FaCSIA and the NSW Womens Refuge
  Movement commenced. The Partnership has begun to
  address some of the findings from the 2005 review.

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• The commitment and dedication of the women in
  each of the Safe House communities
• That that Women from the Safe Houses direct the
  project and the resources
• The resources and support for the Safe Houses to
  meet as a region are provided
• That the resources, training and support is
  taken to the Safe Houses
• That resources are provided to backfill positions
  so that Safe House Staff can attend training and
  meetings
• The there is government and non-government sector
  support and involvement
• Not giving up

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Orana Far West NSW Aboriginal Women
and Childrens Safe Houses
2008 - working together to implement and
strengthen support for children in the Safe House
at Wilcannia