Provide additional funding to assist the Support and Safety Hubs

The 2017/18 State Budget provided significant investment to establish and implement Support and Safety Hubs (now known as The Orange Door network) across all 17 Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) areas and to establish Family Safety Victoria (FSV).

This funding includes resources for infrastructure to establish physical premises in each area, for specialist capability in the form of multi-disciplinary teams, and additional specialist workers including Advanced Family Violence Practice Leaders, Integrated Practice Leaders, and Aboriginal Practice Leaders that are embedded in each area. A client record management system (or CRM system) is part of the infrastructure and technology developed to support the successful implementation of The Orange Door network. This system is progressively rolled out as The Orange Door network is established in each area.

In recognition of the need to continue to build the capacity of the specialist service system, the 2017/18 State Budget also included funding for specialist services, including expanding the capacity to provide after-hours face-to-face crisis response where required.

The phased establishment of The Orange Door network allows practice development and lessons learned to inform the further rollout of The Orange Door network across the state.

The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring all Victorians have access to The Orange Door Network by the end of 2022.

FSV is setting out the plan to deliver a foundational level of service in all DFFH areas by the end of 2022, and the iterative approach to developing the service model to full concept.

The Orange Door network is now operational in 8 areas including Bayside Peninsula, North Eastern Melbourne, Inner Gippsland, Barwon, Mallee, Central Highlands, Loddon and Goulburn. Implementation is underway in a further 6 areas which are expected to open in 2021 including Inner Eastern Melbourne, Ovens Murray, Southern Melbourne, Outer Gippsland, Wimmera South West and Hume Moreland. Planning is on track to deliver state-wide roll-out across the remaining areas of Brimbank Melton, Western Melbourne and Outer Eastern Melbourne in 2022 to achieve state-wide rollout across all 17 Department of Families, Fairness and Housing areas by the end of 2022.

The Orange Door network includes a range of access options to increase accessibility of services, based on client and community needs. This includes the provision of a primary site, a number of access points, outreach support, and outposted and in-posted services across an area. Work is underway with leadership groups in each area to plan and establish access networks. One-off funding is being made available to support fit-out and establishment of access points and outposts.

Ongoing funding is now being provided to partner agencies in The Orange Door network as their areas become operational. This funding ensures sustainability of the service and allows agencies to continue to work together to embed a strong partnership approach to governance, operations, and practice leadership.

Further to this, in early 2021, the Practice Leadership team was expanded from comprising Integrated Practice Leaders, Aboriginal Practice Leaders and Advanced Family Violence Practice Leaders to include Advanced Family Violence Practice Leaders (Men’s) and Children and Young People’s Practice Leaders. These positions are now resourced ongoing and are critical to driving outcomes for clients.

The Orange Door network works closely with Safe Steps and Men’s Referral Service to facilitate after-hours service responses, as well as connecting with services that provide ongoing supports where needed.

Family Safety Victoria are working with partner organisations, broader sector partners and clients to adopt a continuous improvement approach to The Orange Door network operations, and the way it intersects with the broader system.

Implemented