Victoria’s Family Violence Reform has been driven by recommendations from Australia’s first Royal Commission into Family Violence. The Victorian Government has taken action across all recommendations and is now considering strategic priorities to guide the next stage of reform. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) engaged Capire to support the development and graphic design of a public-facing report to communicate what has been done and what actions are still needed.
Capire’s role included working with the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council (VSAC) to develop a narrative for inclusion in the report. The purpose of this statement was to give voice to people with lived experience regarding the impacts of Family Violence Reform and where future priorities should lie.
Approach
Capire worked closely with VSAC to deliver a series of workshops and meetings to guide the group in developing their statement. Capire utilised trauma-informed approaches to enable people with lived experience to have their voices centred during these discussions.
Outcomes
Capire supported VSAC to develop a two-page statement explaining the perspectives of victim survivors. Notably, this statement calls for the lens to be redirected away from victim survivors and towards perpetrators: ‘put those who choose to use violence at the centre of all conversations and reforms’. It highlights the importance of inviting men to be part of the solution.
VSAC’s statement was embedded at the front of the DFFH report – see pages 6–7 of Strong Foundations: Building on Victoria’s work to end family violence. Capire’s graphic design services, including illustrations, resulted in a final report that is informative, engaging and visually pleasing.
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– Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council
