Participant information sheet for pulse survey

The Royal Commission into Family Violence highlighted the lack of detailed knowledge about the family violence workforce in Victoria. The Victorian government has committed to addressing this gap, including through implementation of the Family Violence Workforce Project.

What is the survey about?

The Workforce Pulse Survey collects specific information about the employment conditions and characteristics of specialist family violence and sexual assault workforces, including specialists working at The Orange Door network. Data collected will help Family Safety Victoria plan for and support the capability and growth of the family violence and sexual assault workforces, including for the Family Violence Workforce Project as inputs into a workforce forecasting model.

A key outcome of the Family Violence Workforce Project is development of a forecasting model that produces projections of Victorian workers necessary for future provision of family violence and sexual assault services. The forecasting model will support the Victorian government to address education and training requirements and ensure community demand for services is met.

The survey is an opportunity for you to highlight some of the key issues you face in the course of your employment. This will help us understand the issues you face at work so we can better support organisations to foster supportive, safe, and sustainable workplaces.

Am I being invited to participate?

Family Safety Victoria is seeking the participation of family violence or sexual assault specialists. You are eligible to complete the survey if you work in a role that provides services to clients of specialist family violence services (including services to victim survivors and adults using family violence), sexual assault support services, Aboriginal family violence services and specialist services through The Orange Door network.

Please do not complete the survey if:

• You are employed by Victoria Police, the Victorian Courts System, or Corrections Victoria
• Your primary human services role does not have a family violence or sexual assault intervention and/or support focus (for example you are employed by a homelessness service)
• You are employed in the Primary Prevention workforce
• You are employed by a peak body such as Safe and Equal
• You are employed to deliver administration services at any type of family violence or sexual assault organisation
• You are employed at Family Safety Victoria.

Further consideration for a survey about the prevention workforce is being progressed.

What will I be asked to do?

You will be asked to complete the survey on the Qualtrics platform. You can access the survey and read more about the project on our website. Please complete your response by Wednesday 19 October 2022.

Do I have to take part in the survey?

Participation in the survey is voluntary and you may withdraw your consent at any time.

What will happen to information collected through the survey?

Data collected from the Workforce Pulse Survey will be used to inform workforce planning, modelling and retention policy directions. A report summarising findings will be made available on the Family Safety Victoria website.

The survey is private, confidential and data usage will be reviewed to ensure individuals are de-identified. Employers will not have access to any data that identifies individual respondents.

Data will be securely stored (electronically) for seven years. After seven years unit record data will be securely destroyed in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) and the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) Victorian Protective Data Security Framework. The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Records Management Unit and Cyber Security Unit will supervise the data destruction.

Family Safety Victoria will not disclose any research information for a purpose other than conducting this research unless your express prior consent is sought or are required to do so by an Australian law.

Are there risks associated with participating in this project?

The survey does not collect identifying information such as your name, your address, or your birth date. It asks broad questions about your employer, your employment conditions, your career intentions, and your personal background, such as age range, country of birth and gender.

The survey includes an optional question to list your employer. This question is designed to monitor sample size and distribution while the survey is live. Responses to this question will not be used to identify individuals or profile organisations.

The Department of Health and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Human Research Ethics Committee has reviewed and approved this study in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) – incorporating all updates for Project ID 87888.

What about my privacy and confidentiality?

The survey is confidential and data will be reviewed to ensure all identifying information is removed. Family Safety Victoria will not disclose data to any third party, or for any purpose other than the research purposes outlined, unless we have your express prior consent or are required to do so by an Australian law.

Our privacy policy contains further details regarding how you can access or correct information we hold about you, how you can make a privacy related complaint and how that complaint will be dealt with.

What if I withdraw from the survey?

You will be asked to provide consent at the beginning of the survey, but you can withdraw at any stage. If you decide not to continue, your response will not be included in the sample.

Further information

The Centre for Workforce Excellence, Family Safety Victoria, is responsible for the family violence and sexual assault workforce pulse survey. Should you have any concerns about the research or your participation, please contact cwe@familysafety.vic.gov.au

For technical issues or questions related to the survey, please contact the Principal Investigator or co-investigators at workforcesurvey@familysafety.vic.gov.au or using the details below.

David Floyd: david.floyd@familysafety.vic.gov.au

Gavin Murnane: gavin.murnane@familysafety.vic.gov.au

Jen Tsen Kwok: jen.kwok@familysafety.vic.gov.au

How participants may lodge a complaint

All complaints and steps taken to resolve them will be reported to the Department of Health and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Human Research Ethics Committee.

If a participant wants to lodge a complaint, they can email the Principal Researcher/Supervisor at workforcesurvey@familysafety.vic.gov.au

All complaints will be reported to the Manager of the Family Safety Victoria Analytics and Information Unit. Family Safety Victoria will respond in writing to all complaints within 24 hours after the complaint is first received.

Download a copy of this information sheet