Scroll Down
Family, domestic and sexual violence, including child sexual abuse (FDSV) is a serious public health issue. It can cause significant physical, emotional, psychological and financial harm to those impacted by it. Nationally, about one in 3 women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and one in 5 had experienced sexual violence. Approximately one in 4 women and one in 14 men had experienced violence by an intimate partner. On average, one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 days.
In the ACT, 42% of women had experienced violence since the age of 15, with around 4.5% of women reporting experience of violence in the last 12 months. Among women aged 18 to 44 years, violence is the single biggest risk factor contributing to disease burden; surpassing smoking, drinking or obesity.
It is estimated that a full-time GP is likely to see up to 5 women per week who had experienced some form of intimate partner abuse in the last 12 months. Primary health care professionals such as GPs are often the first point of health professional contact for victim-survivors of FDSV due to the physical injuries and mental health issues resulting from abuse and violence. As such, primary health care professionals have an important role in prevention, early identification, and responding to disclosures of FDSV.
In 2023, CHN received funding from the Australian Government to establish a Family, Domestic, Sexual Violence and Child Sexual Abuse (FDSV) Pilot in the ACT. The funding forms part of a suite of Australian Government initiatives to reduce all forms of family, domestic and sexual violence against women and children, and supports the implementation of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-23.
The Pilot aims to support primary health care professionals (general practice staff and broader allied health professionals) in recognising the early signs of FDSV, responding to FDSV using a trauma-informed approach, and facilitating the coordination of referrals to appropriate support services through establishment of FDSV Link Workers embedded within community organisations. The Link Workers will enhance primary health care workforce capacity and capability via whole-of-practice education and training opportunities, and act as a conduit between the primary care and FDSV sector to strengthen and support the provision of care and service navigation for victim-survivors of FDSV within ACT.
CHN’s FDSV Pilot builds upon existing domestic and family violence (DFV) pilots which have been underway since 2019-20 in 6 other Primary Health Network (PHN) regions across Australia. CHN is one of the 5 new PHN FDSV pilot sites funded until 30 June 2026. Evaluation data from the existing Pilot sites indicate that the training and support provided by the Link Workers has had a significant impact on enhancing the primary care sector’s DFV capacity and has improved outcomes for DFV victim-survivors. Participating general practices from existing Pilot sites perceived Pilot activities as useful, important, timely, of high quality and much needed, and appreciated the practical resources and tools delivered by Link Workers.
Over the last year, CHN has engaged in a number of planning and development activities, including recruitment of the internal CHN Family Safety team, needs analysis, review of existing resources and training materials, mapping of existing FDSV services, rapid review of FDSV legislations, relationship building with key stakeholders, monthly meetings with the ACT Government’s Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Office, and co-design workshops to inform the service delivery model and explore opportunities for collaboration.
In June 2024, following an open tender process, CHN commissioned Domestic Violence Crisis Centre and Canberra Rape Crisis Centre to deliver the Supporting Primary Care Sector Response to Domestic and Family Violence, Sexual Violence and Child Sexual Abuse Pilot program. The Pilot will support primary health care professionals become part of a multidisciplinary and integrated response to addressing family, domestic and sexual violence, and child sexual abuse.
