Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:53): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about how the state government is further supporting women who are victims of domestic violence.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: Thousands of women each year are seeking protection from violent abusers, and I am told that about 4,000 protection orders have been granted by the South Australian magistrates courts this financial year alone. The court assistance service delivers on the state government's commitment made in response to the Coroner's finding in the Zahra Abrahimzadeh case. My question is: will the minister tell the chamber about the introduction of the new Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Yesterday, I was very pleased to announce and launch the Victim Support Service, which is a not-for-profit organisation, and they will be the service that delivers the government's new Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service. This will mean that victims of domestic violence will be able to access additional assistance with matters like intervention orders, breaches, other complaints and a range of other legal matters.

Women who are victims of domestic violence are in an extremely vulnerable situation and, of course, it is common to find that they find the legal system and court proceedings quite complex and difficult to navigate. It can also be extremely intimidating, so it is important that they are given assistance with this and that they remain confident in the way that they access services. This new, free confidential service will ensure that they are assisted to navigate the complexities of the legal system and also ensure that they are adequately represented.

The service will employ legal officers with specialist knowledge to provide support and advocacy on behalf of women who have difficulties applying for intervention orders and, as I said, things like reporting breaches or raising safety concerns. Supporting victims of domestic violence in this way will also, I believe, help increase their confidence to take action in order to protect their safety and welfare.

The team of lawyers will provide a range of service options, including individual assessments, provision of information and specialist advice, representation where appropriate, and tailored pathway plans. The Victim Support Service will also facilitate access to pro bono advice and representation for women who may require it, so there is additional capacity building and leveraging there which we are really delighted about. The Victim Support Service is a wonderful organisation and we are very pleased at the way that it has been able to put this service package together.

Additionally, as well as providing direct services to women, the service will provide education and resources on things like intervention orders across the DV sector in South Australia, thus increasing its capacity to advocate for women in these sorts of matters. It will be a very important resource right across the sector.

The Victim Support Service has the expertise to take on this new service, as it is constantly in contact with women who have been devastated by domestic violence and assists women and children to recover through its existing counselling and court support services. This new Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service will enable it to provide another layer of support to these women, increasing their support, safety and wellbeing and ensuring intervention orders are appropriate and effective.

The domestic violence court assistance scheme is delivering on the state's commitments made in response to the Coroner's finding in the Zahra Abrahimzadeh case, 'Taking a stand'. Other policy commitments made as part of this response are also well on the way to being implemented.

The domestic violence response review system was introduced in January 2015. It provides a circuit breaker in instances where a domestic violence service provider does not believe the most appropriate response to their client's situation has been received. It is designed to increase accountability and provide an escalation point where there have been process flaws or gaps in the response of government agencies to domestic violence.

The Office for Women is leading the implementation of this system, and it is being introduced using a staged approach. We are currently in the early stages of this. The other commitment made was that all South Australian government departments would obtain a White Ribbon workplace accreditation and build on the existing DV workplace policies in all government departments.

The government will also work with the private sector to encourage similar initiatives in private workplaces. The EO Commission of South Australia is leading this work, and that process of accreditation has already begun. The Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service is an important way to provide support to women who are victims of domestic violence. From 1 July, women can access the service from anywhere in South Australia using a free telephone number.