A study has revealed that Australia lacks sufficient social service responses to protect at-risk families during a crisis. The research, conducted by the Centre for Family Research and Evaluation at Drummond Street Services, RMIT’s Centre for Innovative Justice, and the Australian Institute of Family Studies, found that frontline social services in Victoria, including those addressing family violence, sexual assault, and child protection, were overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beth McCann, Director of the Centre for Family Research and Evaluation, emphasized the importance of supporting and promoting safety for disadvantaged populations by considering the entire cycle of preparation, response, aftermath, and review in order to better prepare for future crises.
The study observed an increase in demand for services from clients with disabilities, single-parent households, non-English speaking households, and First Nations clients during the pandemic. McCann also highlighted that the visibility of children and young people was compromised during this time. The researchers called for increased collaboration, funding, and capacity building between the government and service providers in all sectors to ensure better preparedness for future crises. Additionally, the lack of skills and workforce remains a challenge in providing adequate social service responses to vulnerable groups.
Rachel Carson, Executive Manager of Family Law, Family Violence, and Elder Abuse at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, noted that high turnover among staff has significant implications, including a loss of expertise and experience, increased pressure on existing staff, and reduced capacity to transfer knowledge and train new graduates and emerging professionals. McCann stressed the need to future-proof the family violence service system as crises and disasters become more frequent.
In related findings, a separate research conducted by the School of Population Health UNSW revealed that frontline domestic and family violence practitioners witnessed a surge in cases of physical and sexual abuse during the pandemic. The study also identified an increase in coercive and controlling behaviors, with COVID-19 used as a tool to keep partners at home and prevent them from seeking help. The pandemic forced DVF practitioners into a “double frontline” role as they took on additional workloads. Working from home posed challenges such as the integration of work and personal life, vicarious trauma, increased workload, digital fatigue, and professional isolation. The risks of vicarious trauma were exacerbated when working from home without colleagues’ support, affecting practitioners’ emotional well-being. Some even resorted to extreme measures like working from their bathrooms to shield their children from exposure to their work.