4.3 The family violence and broader workforces across the system are skilled, capable and reflect the communities they serve

Indicator: Increase workforce diversity

The Royal Commission highlighted the lack of detailed knowledge and essential workforce data about family violence workers in Victoria. To address this gap, we undertake the family violence workforce census every two years. The census collects data and information about family violence workforces.

In 2022, a Workforce Survey on Victoria’s specialist family violence workforce was undertaken in place of the family violence workforce census.¹ The survey has been critically important in providing an updated understanding of the workforces, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including workforce composition, intentions and conditions.

The data captured will inform the government’s strategic activities as well as being a valuable resource for the sector peaks and other bodies to support sector-based planning.

Measure: Number/proportion of workforce who identify as from a priority community

A diverse specialist primary prevention and family violence workforce is required to reflect the rich diversity of the Victorian community and provide services and spaces that are culturally safe, appropriate, respectful, and accessible for all service users.

Data from the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Workforce Pulse Survey report, in which 1,049 workers responded to the survey (an estimated 35 per cent of all family violence and sexual assault specialists in Victoria), indicates a modest level of diversity across the workforce.

Family violence workforce diversity – specialist family violence response workforce, Victoria, 2021 to 2022

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Priority communities	No. of responses	Total responses to question	Proportion of responses
Self-described gender	21	884	2.4%
Multi-gender attracted, same sex / gender attracted, or asexual (LGBTIQ+)	167	884	18.9%
Age 55–74	136	881	15.4%
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander	48	878	5.5%
Born outside of Australia	208	879	23.7%
Speaks a language other than English at home	139	873	15.9%
Speaks language other than English to carry out their role	72	873	8.2%
Person with a disability (Refers to people who experience difficulties or restrictions that affect their participation in work activities)	94	875	10.7%

About this data

Item	Description
Indicator	Increase workforce diversity
Source	Workforce Survey 2022
Definition	Numerator – The number of respondents reporting a particular priority group identity. Denominator – Total number respondents who answered the question.
Time period	The included data is from the 2022 Workforce Survey.
Data details	Specialist family violence workforce includes: those who work directly with victim survivors, perpetrators, or cases of family violence as a family violence response specialist those who work directly with family violence response specialists as a manager, supervisor or trainer; or in a capacity building, policy or practice development role. Example roles: family violence or justice case manager, family violence outreach, refuge worker, counsellor / phone support, crisis worker, men’s behaviour change practitioner or case manager, RAMP Coordinator, intake or enhanced intake, sexual assault worker, family violence court practitioner or court registrar, etc.
Data quality and caveats	Results may not be representative for the entire statewide population of Family Violence workers. Estimated response rate is 34 per cent of estimated population of workers. A survey was also undertaken in 2019, however many of the survey questions had changed and were not comparable.
Full / Partial / Proxy / Ideal	Partial – data reported is reflective only of the family violence workforce who participated in the Family Violence Workforce Census and responded to the relevant question reflected in this data.

Footnotes

1 As many of the survey questions had changed, the results from previous years were not comparable.

4.3 The family violence and broader workforces across the system are skilled, capable and reflect the communities they serve

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Indicator: Increase workforce diversity

Measure: Number/proportion of workforce who identify as from a priority community

Family violence workforce diversity – specialist family violence response workforce, Victoria, 2021 to 2022

Footnotes