To reduce the prevalence and impact of family violence in the Wimmera & South West.
Provide specialist expertise and leadership on family violence and sexual assault service system reform by:
– Identifying priority issues and opportunities and responding strategically
– Driving Practice change
– Influencing positive change in attitudes
A rural and remote model encompassing the ways we use information, knowledge and research to inform and guide our work, and how we build our evidence base and share findings.
The Wimmera and South West Family Violence Partnership (WSWFVP) harnesses the collaborative efforts of a range of services and organisations whose work intersects with family violence response, early intervention or prevention.
One of 14 similar committees across Victoria, our Partnership traverses 10 local government areas across the region, including:
Family Violence Regional Integration Committees (FVRIC) – also known as Family Violence Partnerships – were established more than a decade ago to support the coordination of family violence responses in local regions.
FVRICs bring together a wide range of agencies and sectors that respond to family violence – each playing a significant role in the family violence reform agenda of Ending Family Violence: Victoria’s Plan for Change.
Family Violence Partnerships play a strategic leadership role, building on the foundations of strong relationships and integration to drive effective responses to family violence whilst supporting Victoria’s family violence reform.
Maintaining a strong focus on local and regional family violence response systems.
Our Partnership strives to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes for all members.
Current members include representatives from specialist family violence services, health services, mental health services, alcohol and other drug services, Indigenous groups, homelessness alliances, Victoria Police, sexual assault services, community legal services, disability services, community and women’s health services, relevant government departments and others.
Together, Partnership members can achieve better outcomes than might otherwise have been achieved by individuals or organisations working alone. Specific benefits include:
The Partnership identifies and prioritises local regional issues and develops an agreed Strategic Plan. This plan guides our work together and forms the basis for local area Action Plans for the Wimmera and the South West.
* The WSWFV partnership acknowledges Victorian Aboriginal people as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we provide our services. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and recognise the ongoing living culture of all Aboriginal people
*We would like to pay tribute to the many survivors of family violence whose bravery, experience and stories inform service responses, initiatives and reform change. We also wish to acknowledge victim survivors of family violence, particularly women and children that have been killed in the context of family violence. We acknowledge that family violence is a very prevalent issue in our community and that we can all do something to prevent it if we all work together.
* WSWFVP acknowledges the following First Nation People where our services are offered: WIMMERA: Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, Jupagalk, Dja Dja Wurrung. SOUTH WEST: Gunditjmara, Eastern Maar, Wadawurrung
