A group committed to cutting domestic violence in Dubbo will look at more than official statistics to measure its results because its members deal with unreported cases of the crime.
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Ten agencies gathered for “fruitful” discussions yesterday on how to improve co-ordination to address domestic violence for the next year.
The Dubbo Violence Prevention Collective Planning Day was the first of its kind for some years
and workers took away both tangible goals and encouragement from it.
Western region police domestic violence co-ordinator Rebecca Camilleri said the event marked an important progression in more than one way.
“It’s been fruitful, we’ve planned key priorities for Dubbo in the next 12 months and come up with some great strategies to meet them,” she said.
How the group measures its success demonstrates the difficulties of reducing domestic violence.
It would look at domestic violence figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research but because that was only the reported incidents, it was only part of the story, Ms Camilleri said.
“Many of these services see people who have not reported (the crime),” she said.
The presence of the Dubbo Women’s Housing Program, the Dubbo Domestic Violence Counselling Service, Community Services NSW, Transport NSW, Housing NSW, Dubbo City Council, Western Local Health Network, the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service and the Aboriginal Family Health Strategy along with police showed that “no one agency” dealt with domestic violence.
“So we need to work closely together,” Ms Camilleri said.
“We all come from different perspectives ... it’s always good to have the knowledge in the room.”
As well as “reinvigorating” local planning, the day provided training to enable a single online communication and referral system between Dubbo services.
The group members also aligned the Dubbo priorities to the strategic directions set out by the three layers of government.
Ms Camilleri has spent 10 years working in the area of domestic and family violence, starting with non-government victims support agencies. In her role with the police she attends an area between Lithgow and Broken Hill and still has energy for the tough job of reducing domestic violence.
“When you see change it gives you a renewed passion for it,” she said.
