The Challenge
Several reports that came out in 2016, the Review into the system level responses to family violence in the ACT by Laurie Glandield AM, the Review of Domestic and Family Violence Deaths in the ACT by the Domestic Violence Prevention Council, and the Domestic Violence Service System Gap Analysis by the ACT Government’s Community Services Directorate. These all made findings about the critical importance of services working together to provide an effective response to family violence.
In recognition of the need for a focal point in the ACT service system for domestic and family violence response, the ACT Government committed to establish a Family Safety Hub. It was intended that the Hub would facilitate the integration of services across government and the community sector to address domestic and family violence. The Office of the Coordinator-General for Family Safety was tasked with co-designing the Family Safety Hub with Government, the community sector and people with lived experience of domestic and family violence. OCGFS engaged ThinkPlaceX to conduct ethnographic research with service providers and people with lived experience of domestic and family violence. To transform our research insights into ideas for the Hub, OCGFS and ThinkPlaceX worked through a co-design process with a core design team and a network of critical friends. Both groups were comprised of Government and non-Government members with specialist expertise in domestic and family violence.
Our Response
The project sought to listen to and co-design with groups of people who are least likely to access domestic and family violence services. These groups included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and families, culturally and linguistically diverse women and families, LGBT+ community, women with a disability and young men with lived experience of violence in their family. To better understand the challenges and barriers faced by these groups, ThinkPlaceX spoke to service providers and people who have experienced and used violence. The premise behind this approach was that if we can understand and overcome barriers for these groups, our response will make services more accessible, responsive and effective for all groups.
“The voice of the people is very much heard. The gaps are being highlighted – I have hope this will make a difference.” – Insights workshop attendee
“I like what this team have done, this process. It’s good we are slowing down and targeting those most in need. I can’t imagine a better way.” – Insights workshop attendee
The research surfaced key insights which helped us to understand and define the problems experienced by families accessing the current ACT domestic and family violence service system that our co-design work would seek to address. Insights revealed a fragmented, crisis-driven system that misses prevention and early intervention opportunities, fails to meet diverse needs, overlooks children’s long-term wellbeing, and leaves trusted community members unequipped to support victims—perpetuating barriers to safety and recovery.
Using these findings, ThinkPlaceX led a co-design process with a core design team comprised of Government and non-Government members with specialist expertise in domestic and family violence. The Core Design Team completed a series of six workshops to develop directions for the Hub. These half day workshops were held weekly to ensure the project could sustain momentum. The co-design process was also supported by a network of Critical Friends who provided feedback at critical stages throughout the process. The Critical Friends network consisted of a wider group of government and non-government members with specialist expertise in domestic and family violence.
“It’s given us a lot of options. I was skeptical, but this process has given me hope. I am excited about what will come next.” – CDT member
The core design team found that developing a Hub to provide case coordination or case management would not solve the current coordination barriers in the system. Instead, it was agreed that innovation is needed to design and test new, integrated pathways to safety, together with a network of service providers, individuals and families living with violence. At the conclusion of the co-design process, OCGFS and ThinkPlaceX developed a design blueprint to articulate the priority areas and functions of the Family Safety Innovation Hub as well as how it should operate and the resources required for implementation.
The Impact
The research conducted by ThinkPlaceX helped to ensure that user’s needs were central to the direction and work of the Family Safety Innovation Hub. Furthermore, including key stakeholders in the co-design process has led to the OCGFS establishing strong partnerships with both government and non government stakeholders in the ACT service system ecosystem. These partnerships will be integral to how the Family Safety Innovation Hub develops and runs pilots within the community. Finally, the co-design process helped to identify the need for innovative solutions and new ways of working to overcome the challenges associated with the current service system. The Family Safety Innovation Hub will provide an opportunity to bring the right people together to develop innovative solutions that address identified needs and trial and test these solutions. New solutions that are shown to be effective can then be scaled, catalysing change in the existing service system. In July 2019, the Family Safety Hub won the Judges award in the prestigious Public Sector Innovation Awards for its groundbreaking and world leading work in driving an innovative approach to dealing with the national crisis.
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