A range of new initiatives are underway to improve services responding to family violence at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court. Involving numerous agencies, the developments have been facilitated and encouraged by the progress of the Family Violence Integration Project (FVIP), a new and innovative partnership project led by ECLC and funded by the Legal Services Board.

While still early, these improvements have been driven by strong consultation with women who have experienced the Court system and the agencies working at the Court. An early issue identified was a lack of separate waiting areas for people attending the Court, extending the fear of violence and lack of safety to the actual Court experience. With the active support of the Court, the Police Family Violence Liaison Officer, agencies and the project, a separate waiting space has now been established at the Court for vulnerable women and children.

The Project’s Vision is to instil trust and confidence in the most vulnerable of victim/survivors that their safety and support needs will be upheld through their interaction with the legal components of the family violence system.
Its aim is to improve the response of legal and support services to victim/survivors of family violence in a coordinated and integrated manner, through the partnership and collaboration of key agencies working at the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court.

For more information on the Family Violence Integration Project (FVIP), click here.

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