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Gippsland Family Violence Alliance

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is a collaboration of member agencies who expresses a joint vision to end family violence in Gippsland. The strength of the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance can be attributed to the strong commitment by agencies to the partnership and to creating better futures for victim/survivors of family violence.

Our Vision

Our vision is for a future where all people in Gippsland are safe, thriving and living free of family violence

Our Purpose

The Purpose of the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is to critically evaluate and disrupt systems and structures to ensure they become inclusive, accountable, equitable and accessible for our Gippsland Communities. We do this through:

  • Building workforce capability
  • Collaborative practice
  • Evidence and advocacy
  • Taking a collective impact approach
  • Innovation

About the GFVA

Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is the Gippsland’s Regional integration Committee which is the local governance structures that has been underpinning the delivery of family violence reform for well over a decade in Gippsland.

Established in 2006, Family Violence Regional Integration Committees (FVRICs) were established to improve the integration of services, playing a vital role in the transformation of Victorian service delivery and community responses to family violence. Since their inception FVRICs have played a system leadership role focussed on increasing the safety of victim survivors and accountability of perpetrators.

The recommendations of the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence (RCFV) has driven far-reaching reform within the Victorian family violence service system. Regional integration plays a critical role in implementing the reform agenda, and in recognition of this Family Safety Victoria (FSV) has led a process to review the 2013 Regional Family Violence Integration Operational Guidelines (the Guidelines) to articulate the role of FVRICs in the current reform context. In 2021, 13 FVRICs operate across the 17 Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) Areas. Funding is provided by FSV to support their operation including the co-ordination role of the Principal Strategic Advisor (PSA) positions and area-based projects.

The redevelopment of these Guidelines has been supported by a Reference Group with representation from FSV, DFFH Areas, Safe and Equal (formerly Domestic Violence Victoria), FVRIC Chairs, auspice agencies and the PSAs.

Source: Family Violence Regional Integration Committees Guidelines – 2022

 

Our Strategic Plan

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance has a Strategic Plan, which is developed through extensive consultation and endorsed by the Governance Group.

2023-2028 Strategic Plan

 

Annual Reports

Each year the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance releases an Annual Report. This is an annual summary of the work which has occurred in the previous 12 months.

2023-2024 Annual Report

You can take a look at previous Annual Reports below:

2022-2023 Annual Report

Agency Partners

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance has partner agencies from across the community service, health and justice sectors. This including specialist family violence, homelessness, mental health, Alcohol and other drug, health and government agencies, who work across Inner and Outer Gippsland. We cover the largest geographic area in the state to coordinate the service system to respond and support those who experience family violence and to assist those using violence to address their behaviour. Membership of the agencies vary based on their capacity to participate. 

Our Partners

  1. Quantum Support Services
  2. Gippsland Lakes Complete Health
  3. The Salvation Army
  4. Yoowinna Wurnalung Aboriginal Healing Service
  5. VACCA
  6. Gippsland Free From Violence Partnership Coordinator
  7. Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative
  8. Bass Coast Health
  9. West Gippsland HealthCare Group
  10. Orbost Regional Health
  11. Latrobe Community Health Service
  12. Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault
  13. Uniting Vic Tas
  14. Anglicare Vic
  15. Ramahyuck
  16. Windermere
  17. Latrobe Regional Health
  18. Victoria Police
  19. Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (APPS)
  20. Family Safety Victoria
  21. Department of Justice and Community Safety
  22. Child Protection
  23. Queen Victoria Centre
  24. Key Assets
  25. Berry Street
  26. Central Gippsland Health Service
  27. Family Mediation and Counselling Victoria
  28. Specialist Family Violence Advisors to Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Services
  29. State-wide Children’s Resource Coordinator
  30. Department of Families Fairness and Housing
  31. Dhelk Dja Coordinators
  32. Department of Education
  33. Victoria Legal Aid
  34. Gippsland Community Legal
  35. Mooji
  36. Mind
  37. Headspace
  38. Yarram and District Health
  39. YSAS
  40. Community Housing Ltm
  41. Federation University
  42. TAFE Gippsland
  43. Magistrates Court of Victoria
  44. Relationships Australia

Acknowledgement of Our Practitioners

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance would like to acknowledge our practitioners both current and those who have pioneered the sector who have worked with both victim/survivors of family violence and with people who use violence in the home. These practitioners have supported people in difficult periods of their lives and we wish to acknowledge that vicarious trauma has an impact not only on the workforce but on their family members. Without practitioners we wouldn’t have a service system and we thank these workers every day.

GFVA Governance Structure

The Executive Team is made up of three members from the Governance Group who oversee finance, the auspice agreement and chairing of the Governance Group meetings.

The GFVA Governance Group is made up of core members from Specialist Family Violence and Family Services agencies, alongside associate members from key government departments and allied sectors.

The Governance Group plays a critical leadership role in guiding the strategic direction of the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance. It is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and monitoring of the Strategic Plan, ensuring that the Alliance’s work remains aligned with regional priorities and sector reforms.

By providing strong, coordinated leadership, the Governance Group ensures that Gippsland continues to shape and influence the evolving family violence system.

The GFVA Network brings together representatives from key community service organisations across Gippsland. The purpose of the Network is to support the implementation of the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance Strategic Plan by translating strategic priorities into practical action.

Members contribute valuable on-the-ground insights and systems knowledge, helping to identify emerging issues, promote collaboration, and strengthen service integration across the region. The Network acts as a critical mechanism for ensuring that the Alliance’s work remains responsive to local needs and is grounded in the realities of practice.

The Advocacy Working Group was established to amplify Gippsland’s voice and ensure the unique needs and challenges of the region are visible to key decision makers. Its purpose is to identify systemic issues impacting the family violence sector in Gippsland, develop clear advocacy messages, and coordinate regional efforts to influence policy, funding, and service design. By drawing on local data, practitioner insight, and lived experience, the group aims to build a strong, unified platform that ensures Gippsland is not overlooked in statewide reform conversations and investment decisions.

The Workforce Capacity Working Group plays a key role in strengthening the capability and sustainability of the Gippsland family violence and broader community services workforce. The group brings together representatives from a range of agencies to collaboratively identify, support, and implement initiatives that address current and future workforce needs.

Its primary focus areas include:

  • Attraction – promoting careers in the sector through education, awareness campaigns, and partnerships with training providers.

  • Recruitment – identifying barriers and solutions to attracting qualified staff, particularly in rural and regional areas.

  • Retention – supporting staff wellbeing, supervision, professional development, and career progression to build a stable and resilient workforce.

The group also plays a role in advising on the implementation of the GFVA Workforce Development Strategy, sharing data and insights, and shaping place-based responses to workforce challenges. By aligning with state-level reforms and sector capability frameworks, the Workforce Capacity Working Group ensures Gippsland remains a leader in workforce development and innovation.

The System Improvement Working Groups have been established to identify and address systemic challenges across Inner and Outer Gippsland, with a focus on improving service integration and outcomes for people experiencing or using family violence.

These working groups bring together representatives from a range of sectors—including specialist family violence, family services, housing, justice, mental health, and alcohol and other drug services—to collaborate on region-specific solutions.

The key objectives of the groups are to:

  • Identify and respond to local and regional system gaps, pressures, and opportunities.

  • Support multi-agency alignment with the MARAM Framework, by improving shared understanding of risk and collaborative risk management practice.

  • Strengthen the consistency of the client experience across different service touchpoints, ensuring safer and more coordinated responses.

  • Support agencies in implementing reforms by sharing practice insights, mapping system flow and throughput, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Each region determines its own priorities and actions based on local data and practitioner input. The work is also supported by a data project designed to better understand service demand and throughput across Gippsland, and by the Advocacy Working Group, which elevates system issues to decision-makers.

Through this work, the groups aim to create a more connected, accountable, and trauma-informed system of care.

The Gippsland Behaviour Change Community of Practice brings together practitioners and program staff from agencies that work with men and adolescents who use violence. This includes facilitators, case managers, therapeutic specialists, and other professionals involved in behaviour change and early intervention programs.

The primary purpose of the Community of Practice is to:

  • Strengthen practice capability by creating a space for critical reflection, shared learning, and discussion of complex cases.

  • Support practitioner wellbeing through connection, peer support, and a recognition of the emotional demands of working with people who use violence.

  • Enhance collaboration and consistency across the region by sharing tools, approaches, and emerging evidence.

  • Explore best practice approaches to engaging people who use violence, including culturally safe and trauma-informed models of care.

By fostering trust and ongoing relationships across agencies, the Community of Practice contributes to building a skilled, connected, and supported workforce—one that is better equipped to support behaviour change, risk management, and accountability, while improving safety outcomes for victim survivors.


Let me know if you’d like to add a reference to any guiding frameworks (e.g. MARAM, Change the Story)

Practice and Connection Forums are designed for practitioners working directly with clients across the Gippsland region. These forums provide a supportive and collaborative space to strengthen practice, build professional connections, and prioritise workforce wellbeing.

Each session focuses on a specific practice area or emerging issue relevant to client-facing roles. Through guest speakers, case-based learning, and interactive discussion, participants gain practical tools, deepen their understanding of key frameworks (including MARAM), and enhance their ability to work collaboratively across services.

The forums aim to:

  • Build confidence and capability in addressing complex client needs

  • Promote cross-sector networking and reduce professional isolation

  • Support reflective practice and practitioner wellbeing

  • Foster a shared understanding of risk, safety, and intersectionality across the service system

By grounding each session in real-world practice and practitioner-led conversation, Practice and Connection Forums help to bridge the gap between policy and frontline experience, and contribute to a more connected, informed, and resilient family violence and community services workforce.

. Click here to register

Five Strategic Pillars

We have five strategic pillars from which we base the work we do:

01

Workforce Capacity and Capability

GFVA has a key role in understanding the capacity and capability of workforces supporting the delivery of integrated family violence responses across all workforce tiers and sectors. Working with key stakeholders, including training providers and tertiary institutions, FVRICs identify and develop initiatives to address specific workforce capacity issues and to build capability through training and development activities across sectors.

The Victorian Governments Building from Strength: 10-year Industry Plan for Family Violence Prevention and Response provides the policy framework for this work.

Source: Family Violence Regional Integration Committees Guidelines – 2022

02

Supporting the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of family violence reform initiatives

GFVA focuses on system development and strengthening integration within local service systems enables the identification of systemic issues which impact on the implementation of the family violence reform agenda. GFVA undertake planning and targeted work to promote and embed specific family violence reforms at the local
level including but not limited to the adoption of practice aligned with the MARAM Framework and the relevant Information Sharing Schemes, building family violence literacy across sectors, and initiatives which support the integration of The Orange Door with the local service system.

Source: Family Violence Regional Integration Committees Guidelines – 2022

03

Developing an evidence base to inform planning, prioritisation of system improvement initiatives and advocacy for system change

GFVA collates and analyse available service level data and other qualitative and quantitative evidence to understand local area needs, identify and prioritise systemic issues and to support advocacy for improvements to the service system.

Working together as the SFVIAC, the PSAs share and collate local data to inform an understanding of system issues across sectors, to identify state-wide issues, and to understand the impact of various initiatives.

FVRICs need to have a strong focus on desired outcomes, and to consider indictors and measures of success. A data and evidence driven approach is required to demonstrate the impact of FVRIC activities and associated outcomes.

Source: Family Violence Regional Integration Committees Guidelines – 2022

04

Leading Initiatives that Support Service Integration and System Improvements

GFVA actively contributes to developing integrated service responses by identifying opportunities for service system improvements. Building connections between services and fostering a commitment to collaboration and innovation strengthens integration at local and regional levels resulting in improved access to services and enhancements in the range, quality and inclusiveness of family violence service responses. Drawing on local service system data, qualitative data and other evidence, FVRIC members work together to identify gaps and design and deliver solutions for service system improvements.

Source: Family Violence Regional Integration Committees Guidelines – 2022

05

Effective Cross-Sector Governance for System Leadership

Achieving system change requires a commitment to high level collaboration by key players across the service system. GFVA brings together representatives from government and non-government agencies, family violence services, children and family services, Victoria Police, justice and legal services, housing, community, and health services to understand and improve service responses to family violence.

Source: Family Violence Regional Integration Committees Guidelines – 2022

Principal Strategic Advisor (PSA)

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is supported by a Principal Strategic Advisor’s (PSA) who supports, informs and influence strategic integration initiatives and activities that work to achieve priorities set out in the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance Strategic Plan.

Auspice Agency

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is auspiced by Gippsland Women’s Health, who supports the facilitation and implementation of the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance and its strategic priorities. Gippsland Women’s Health, expends brokerage at the request of the GFVA; and provides operational support, human resource and information technology to the GFVA Team.

Gippsland’s History of Family Violence Partnerships

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is a continuation of a long history of partnerships in the Gippsland region to supporting victim/survivors and those who are using violence. We want to acknowledge:

  • Moe Emergency Relief Advisory Council
  • Self-Help Ending Domestics SHED Project
  • Latrobe Valley Family Violence Forum
  • Moe Family Violence Intervention Project
  • Gippsland Family Violence Steering Committee
  • Gippsland Family Violence Service Reform Steering Committee

Our Partners

The Gippsland Family Violence Alliance is funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).

If you want to learn more about our partners, please have a look at their websites below.

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Gippsland Family Violence Alliance