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Best Practice Information Sharing To Keep Women Safe

30 June 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is sharing insights, research and policy with leading international family violence practitioners on ways agencies can better share information to protect women from family violence.

Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings met with leaders from the UK Centre for Excellence in Information Sharing in London today, to discuss how they are using the best practice to keep women and children safe.

One of the major findings of the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence was that a lack of information sharing about perpetrators had left women and children vulnerable.

The Labor Government is closing that information gap with $101.2 million in the Victorian Budget 2017/18 for the Central Information Point, which will bring together Police, Courts, Corrections and Human Services so information is better shared.

Ground breaking legislation also recently passed through Parliament to tackle laws that were found to be overly complicated, confusing and restrictive for those who work hard every day to keep victim survivors safe.

Minister Jennings also shared findings from a soon to be released behavioural insights report on how appropriate and timely information sharing can help frontline workers make more informed choices to best support people.

Based on more than 270 hours of research with frontline family violence workers, the report shows how practical adjustments to family violence procedures can better protect women. The approach draws on behavioural science to incorporate a more realistic model of human behaviour into policy making and service design.

This key meeting comes as Victoria’s first ever dedicated agency to deliver family violence reform, Family Safety Victoria, prepares to start work on 1 July.

Family Safety Victoria will lead the implementation of new initiatives, including establishing the Central Information Point, the Centre for Workforce Excellence and 17 Support and Safety Hubs across the state

Quotes attributable to Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings

“We’re building a completely new information sharing system for Victoria, to better protect women and children from family violence.”

“By working with our international partners, we’re learning and sharing world’s best practice and improving our efforts to stamp out family violence and keep people safe.”

Quotes attributable to UK Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing Director Stephen Curtis

“It’s inspiring to see how the work we’re doing here to tackle the cultural barriers to information sharing is transferrable globally, particularly to support work to help tackle such an important issue as family violence.”

“The improved sharing of information can be a key enabler across the new system to prevent family violence and create better outcomes for the people of Victoria.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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