Domestic violence perpetrators in Wollongong could soon have access to earlier intervention as part of a NSW government roll-out of support services in nine locations across the state.
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The NSW Department of Justice has called for applications from service providers to deliver “ENGAGE” workshops – aimed at addressing gaps in the delivery of early interventions while legal proceedings are under way.
The call comes in response to a state government priority to reduce the proportion of domestic violence perpetrators reoffending by 25 per cent by 2021.
According to the government, about 15 per cent of people charged with a DV-related assault reoffend within 12 months.
Almost half of all reoffending occurs before the court process has been finalised (on average 4.1 months).
The department said while there were a range of interventions currently available to domestically-violent men, all were longer-term programs and “generally not available at the start of legal proceedings or as early intervention options”.
ENGAGE has been designed by Corrective Services NSW and is based on a domestic abuse program for defendants on remand. It would involve a voluntary six-hour group or individual workshop weekly between February and June 30, 2021.
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The workshops will be held after-hours (two three-hour sessions on consecutive weeknights) or on a Saturday. They must be delivered at a location close to Wollongong courthouse and public transport.
Each workshop would have at least two facilitators and a maximum of 16 participants.
“ENGAGE encourages program readiness to change behaviour and tests voluntary intervention models for DV perpetrators,” the department said.
The target group would include defendants on a DV-related charge, or who are respondents in an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order application, as well as Family and Community Services or NSW Health clients where DV was a risk factor.
The successful tenderer would also need to deliver 30 smaller “specialised support workshops”, tailored to people including women, those requiring an interpreter or those needing a support worker.
At present, ENGAGE is being trialled in Maitland and Blacktown. The department wants to expand it to a further seven locations, including Wollongong.
The city would form part of a “South West Metro Region and Illawarra” cluster, alongside Fairfield, Bankstown and Liverpool.
DV rates, severity on the rise: centre
The head of the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre has welcomed a proposed government-led early intervention program for perpetrators of domestic violence.
The Department of Justice plans to roll-out “ENGAGE” workshops – aimed at reducing domestically-violent men from reoffending – in Wollongong and has called for applications from service providers to run the program.
The women’s health centre doesn’t offer men’s programs, but does run early interventions for boys.
“We’re absolutely in favour of anything that can reduce the violence, including reoffending,” general manager Sally Stevenson said.
Ms Stevenson said the service was seeing an increasing number of women reaching out for support, particularly in the Shellharbour area – a “top-five hotspot in NSW”.
“We’re continuing to see high and increasing rates of violence and severity of violence,” she said.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
