Dozens of jobs are being cut at Family Safety Victoria, the government agency responsible for reforming how Victoria handles family violence. This move has raised concerns from a union, which believes it will jeopardize positive change. Family Safety Victoria was established in 2017 within the Department of Health and Human Services following the family violence royal commission in 2016. Its purpose was to implement 227 recommendations made by the royal commission.
The agency is set to lose nearly 80 positions, as reported by Nine. This has prompted questions to Premier Daniel Andrews about the reasoning behind the cuts. Andrews justified the decision by stating that the government had invested over $6 billion in family violence prevention. He also reassured that the cuts would have no impact on frontline services, emphasizing that Victoria is leading other jurisdictions in tackling the issue. However, the Community and Public Sector Union disagreed with the government’s characterization of these roles as non-frontline and expressed concerns about the impact on workers.
The Department of Health and Human Services was disbanded in 2017 to allow for the establishment of two separate departments, including the Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing, which took on Family Safety Victoria. A spokesperson from the families, fairness, and housing department stated that they are working to achieve the savings outlined in the 2023/24 Victorian budget while prioritizing the government’s core objectives. They assured that there will be no reduction in frontline roles for family violence support services and affirmed their commitment to implementing all 227 recommendations from the royal commission.
Safe Steps, a 24-hour family violence crisis service in Victoria, acknowledged the value of Family Safety Victoria and expressed concern about the potential staff cuts. They emphasized the importance of policy staff at Family Safety Victoria in supporting organizations like Safe Steps. The chief executive of Safe Steps, Chelsea Tobin, urged the government to continue their support for these staff members. Safe Steps received over 64,000 helpline calls last year, highlighting the significance of family and domestic violence services for Victorians.