Women's Health West Annual Report 2007-2008

women’s health west annual report 2007-2008

everyday lives

contents everyday lives of women in the west 2 chairperson’s report 4 chief executive officer’s report 5 experiencing family violence 6 working together

8 sexual and reproductive health 10 mental wellbeing and social connectedness

12 equity and social justice 14 advocacy

16 our staff 18 financial report 19 Women’s Health West

317–319 Barkly St Footscray Vic 3011 Phone (03) 9689 9588 Fax (03) 9689 3861 Email info@whwest.org.au Website www.whwest.org.au ABN 24 036 234 159

Annual Report 2007–2008

ISSN 1834-710X Publisher Women’s Health West Printed November 2008 Editor/designer Nicola Harte Photography Erin Slattery (unless specified)

Front Cover

Women at the African cross-cultural exchange day in Footscray wear Hararian bridal outfits. See page 13 for details. Photograph: Star Newspapers Ltd.

Back Cover

Women dance together at the International Women’s Day celebration in March 2008. See page 14 for details. Photograph: Colette and Josh McIntyre.

Contributors

Robyn Gregory, Lisa Field, Katherine Koesasi, Lauren Eagle, Jacky Tucker, Nicola Harte, Jo Harper.

Printed by Croxton Printing on 50% recycled stock.

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of women in the west

This year, WHW was part of the successful campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion, and welcomed the introduction of a law that trusts all women as capable of making difficult decisions about their bodies1.

One hundred years ago, the activism of the suffragettes resulted in white Victorian women winning the right to vote. At around the same time, Virginia Woolf appealed to her readers to examine ‘an ordinary mind on an ordinary day’ as a way to reflect upon ‘life’.2 Woolf stated that we ‘cannot take it for granted that life exists more fully in what is commonly thought big than in what is commonly thought small.’3 When we reflect on the last twelve months of ordinary life in Melbourne’s west, we see just how complex the everyday can be: both big and small.

Statistics can paint a rough picture of what we might expect to preoccupy an ordinary mind in this region on an ordinary day. The western region of Melbourne scores highest on the Australian Bureau of Statistics Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage, with Brimbank and Maribyrnong the highest4.

Our residents speak more than one hundred languages, with nearly forty percent of the population born overseas; twenty-eight percent of those from non-English speaking countries. The number of women who live with a disability is higher in this region than the state average. The west is home to a 1 Up to 24 weeks gestation. After this point a woman must seek the advice of two doctors.

2 Sim, L. (2008) Virginia Woolf and the Patterns of Ordinary Experience. Under contract, Ashgate Publishing.

3 Ibid.

4 WHW (2002) Beyond Symptoms - Women’s Health Needs Analysis for the Western Region of Melbourne

disproportionate number of sole parents.

The number of female victims of violence, as a percentage of the Victorian population, is higher in the western region than in any other metropolitan region, as are the numbers of children affected.5 Ordinary life is generally associated with mundane activities, like eating, bathing and sleeping. Yet as you can see above, ordinary life can also be home to extremes of violence, isolation and hardship.

Tapestries: Stories of Everyday Activism is a photographic exhibition that formed WHW’s International Women’s Day celebration in March 2008. These twelve women weave inspirational stories of activism in everyday settings whether it’s taking action to be with the one you love, advocating for women with disabilities or for women in prisons, caring for a family member with a mental illness or taking in foster children.

Sociologist Laura Balbo used the metaphor of patchwork quilts when she wrote ‘there is something in women’s everyday life practices and strategies, in their continuous learning and un-learning, which makes me immediately think of quilt-making: quilters make decisions as to what to choose and cut and put together. Colourful, intricate pieces are composed; objects of value are created’.6 She goes on to say quilts are a way for her, ‘in these difficult times, to feel in touch with friends and places’.7 WHW crisis 5 Ibid.

6 Balbo, L. (2004) Making a European Quilt. ‘Doing Gender’ in the European Social Sciences. The Ursula Hirschmann Annual Lecture on Gender and Europe, European University Institute, Florence.

7 Ibid.

accommodation services have this year been the appreciative recipients of such ‘colourful, intricate pieces’ created by the Seabreeze Quilters to provide warmth for children in refuge during their own difficult times.

Every single day this year, WHW Family Violence Services provided assistance to ten women experiencing family violence.

A number of factors contribute to these high figures. One is the state government’s introduction of the Integrated Family Violence Service System, which aims to have community services, police, courts and government working together in a more integrated way. The majority of WHW family violence clients are from Brimbank as the population of this local government area is the largest in the state. The Brimbank Family Violence Unit has been operating for the last two years and has contributed to the strengthened partnerships, and referral pathways between police and family violence services in the region; leading to greater numbers of Brimbank women accessing assistance. Another factor leading to an increase in demand is the increase in the number of women reporting family violence.

Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon has said that there is an 80 percent underreporting of family violence.8 Despite the work that has been done to provide services and change laws, women continue to suffer high rates of violence because there has not been a change to the social, political, cultural and economic factors that play a large part in 8 101 Ways Great and Small to Prevent Family Violence.

(2004) Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre: Melbourne.

women’s health west

Women’s Health West works in

partnership with women and a range of organisations to meet the social, emotional and physical health needs of women in our communities. both causing and maintaining the conditions under which violence against women occurs.

Family violence impacts on so many aspects of women’s lives: physical, psychological, emotional and practical. Housing, finance and safety are just some of the aspects that WHW outreach workers assist women with on a daily basis. Given that family violence is the single largest reason people seek assistance from Supported Accommodation Assistance Program9, it was with great anticipation that WHW prepared our submission10 on the Australian Government’s green paper Which Way Home? A New Approach to Homelessness.

We welcome the government’s commitment to, and focus on, social inclusion, prevention, early intervention and improved outcomes for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. WHW agree that a wholeof-government and whole-of-community approach is necessary to improving outcomes, recognising that many of the drivers of change lie outside the housing sector.11 The 2004 VicHealth study of violence against women found that family violence was prevalent, serious and preventable.12 This year, WHW Health Promotion, Research and Development team have completed an 9 Homeless people in SAAP NDCA, (2007) SAAP National Data Collection annual report 2005-06.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Canberra.

10 Which Way Home? A New Approach to Homelessness. (2008) Submission. WHW: Melbourne.

exciting series of fact sheets as part of a violence prevention project titled, Building the capacity of organisations in the western region to prevent violence against women: A guide to health promotion action. Workers from six organisations across the west came together to explore health promotion as a tool for violence prevention. Health promotion involves tackling the underlying social determinants of health, and using a process that is about enabling people to increase control over and improve their health, mediating between the sectors that impact on the social determinants of health, and advocating for changes in resources, policies or practices.13 Girls Talk – Guys Talk is a WHW health promotion project that embodies the ethos of health promotion by employing a wholeschool approach to sexual health. WHW works with the students, teachers and parents, and involves local organisations and practitioners in the development of policy, curriculum, skills and knowledge, and healthy relationships.

This year WHW hosted an African women’s cross-cultural exchange day guided by these principles, and provided a forum where African women from eight communities each presented an aspect of their culture to each other and to a group of service providers from the western region. Women shared stories, food, laughter and traditions, and listened to one another.

Annual Report 2007-2008

13 Deakin University (2006) Health Promotion Study Guide, Deakin Print Services: Geelong.

We work to address the gender and structural inequities that limit the lives

of women through advocacy and knowledgebased social health action.

We undertake gendered research, needs identification, information provision, training and workforce development.

We influence population health planning and service development to promote ongoing responsiveness to the needs of women and their children.

We deliver innovative, responsive services that contribute to the evidence base for best practice.

We enhance service access through advocacy and systemic change.

So make yourself comfortable, sit back and create a space (both physical and mental) where you can reflect on the full and fulfilling lives of ‘ordinary’ women in the west.

14 Marlowe, J., School of Social Work, Flinders University. In (2008) Dumbo Feather, Pass It On. Issue 17. Sydney

11 Ibid.

12 The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the Burden of Disease Caused by Intimate Partner Violence (2004) Victorian Health Promotion Foundation: Melbourne.

There is certainly value in knowing the extra-ordinary. After all, illuminating the stories of oppression and injustice can elevate the voices of those most marginalised to the eyes of the world stage. However, we should place greater emphasis on understanding the ordinary stories of identity that speak to who these people are and who they want to be. We all have such stories. They are grounded in a person’s history, culture, parents’ teachings, morals, traditions, folklore, and so on. These ordinary stories can help us to appreciate … people outside the labels associated with being a refugee and understand where they have drawn strength from during their resettlement experience. If we are willing to sit, listen and reflect upon these … stories we too might also realise that it is our ordinary stories that provide the scaffolding for realising our own hopes and dreams.14

Phillip Island camp 2008. Read more on page 7.

Photograph: Wanchi

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chairperson’s report Welcome to our annual report for the 20072008 financial year. The achievements outlined in this report are a testament to the skill and passion of the women who work at WHW, to the strength of our partnerships with relevant agencies, to the resilience of the women and children living in the west, and to the nine member board of governance who dedicate their time and knowledge.

Personally, it is a pleasure and a privilege to be involved in a vibrant and innovative women’s health service. I am honoured to be involved in an organisation that operates within a feminist framework, that aims to empower women to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing and that works towards systemic change to redress the gender and structural inequities that limit women’s lives. The recent campaign to support the decriminalisation of abortion is one example of staff and board members actively lobbying for reform.

The current board is a committed group of women with professional expertise in varied areas including health, education, community development, finance and management. Our purpose is to ensure that WHW is responsive, accessible, accountable and effective. We achieve this by having a firm commitment to the organisation and its mission, to working collaboratively, to continuous learning and to the governance framework. Thank you to all board members and staff for your dedicated commitment and professional work throughout the year.

This year has been a transition year for the organisation with the resignation of Melissa Afentoulis, former CEO, who led and developed the organisation for ten 4

WHW Board

Attendance from 1/7/07 to 30/6/08

years. The board’s task was to recruit and select an appropriate successor.

Robyn Gregory, former Health Promotion, Research and Development Manager at WHW, was successful in her application and began in the new role in February after a comprehensive hand-over provided by Melissa. The board acknowledges the almost dual role Robyn performed before her former position was filled.

members and the CEO participated in a governance and strategic thinking workshop to help us develop a common understanding of our roles and responsibilities as a board.

This year the board used an external consultant to conduct its annual performance appraisal, whose independent perspective has provided the board with new ideas about how to work more effectively and to fulfil our governance roles.

This year the board welcomed three new members - Karen Passey, Naomi Raab and Selvi Kannan. These members were provided with a formal and informal induction to the organisation and the board’s operations. A good working relationship with board members, the CEO and other key personnel is fundamental to our role. The informal board and staff get-together in May 2008 was a delightful way to strengthen the link between staff and board members, and to learn from and about this wonderful community of women that shape the daily operations and planning of the organisation.

WHW approaches a very exciting milestone for the organisation as we prepare to celebrate our twenty-first year. While growth and the development of new services and partnerships have been the focus over the past decade, the next phase is about consolidation and quality improvements, especially as we prepare for accreditation in 2009. WHW is well-placed to respond to the changes and challenges in the community services sector both now and into the future as we continue to deliver innovative and responsive services that contribute to the evidence base for best practice.

The board has continued to be involved in various working groups, often working with staff, in areas such as finance and risk management, industrial relations, reporting requirements, succession planning and performance management. Board members have also actively participated in the campaign for the decriminalisation of abortion, with board members and the CEO attending meetings with local Members of Parliament. Key themes for the board this year have involved improving the way we operate and increasing our capacity for strategic thinking, especially as we prepare for the development of the next strategic plan in 2009. In January 2008, all nine board

On behalf of the board, thank you to all WHW staff for your valuable time and input into ensuring women’s health, wellbeing and safety is a community priority. Thanks to the many organisations that work in partnership to support the work and ethos at WHW. And finally, thank you to my fellow board members for your valued time and input to providing a strong and accountable governance model for the organisation.

Above (L-R) Gainore Atkins, Georgie Hill, Lisa Field, Megan Bumpstead, Michelle Towstoless, Ruth Marshall.

Right (L-R) Naomi Raab, Karen Passey.

Absent: Selvi Kannan

NAME

AGENCY

MEETINGS ATTENDED

Ché Stockley

Office of Women’s Policy

4

Gainore Atkins

Mark Dohrmann & Partners

7

Georgie Hill

Maribyrnong City Council

10

Karen Passey

SIDS & Kids Victoria

3

Kirsty Allen

Sidney Myer Foundation

4

Lisa Field

Gateway Social Support Options

11

Megan Bumpstead

Western Health

10

Resigned AGM 2007 2006 - 2008

Co-opted June 2007 Deputy Chair Co-opted April 2008 Treasurer Resigned AGM 2007 2006 - 2007 2006-2008 Chair

Co-opted Dec 2006

Michelle Towstoless Victoria University 2005 - 2008 of Technology

7

Naomi Raab

Co-opted May 2008

Raab Organisational Dynamics

3

Ruth Marshall

Western Health

7

Selvi Kannan

Victoria University of Technology

4

Co-opted March 2007

Lisa Field CHAIR

Co-opted Jan 2008

women’s health west

chief executive officer’s report In 1908, non-Indigenous women in Victoria gained the right to vote. This followed years of lobbying by suffragettes. On 10 October 2008, exactly one hundred years later, women in Victoria finally won the right to control, without criminal sanction, our bodies and our lives. While our annual report is designed to celebrate our achievements for the financial year 2007-2008, it is impossible to wait another year before celebrating this fantastic victory for women. It has taken over forty years of direct struggle to achieve this result. Some of the women who began that struggle, including Jo Wainer, Joan Kirner and Kay Setches, were in parliament supporting and sitting alongside those of us who are comparative newcomers to the task of bringing about a more just society for women. Not only does this remind us that we can’t lose sight of how long it takes to bring about change, but also of exactly what we can achieve when women work together for a common goal.

While it is a privilege to be a part of the excitement of such a great step forward, as CEO of Women’s Health West, I am privileged each day in working side-by-side women working together. We don’t always see the big wins, and sometimes it can feel like we are going backwards – as it did under the regressive policies and practices of the Howard government – but this doesn’t still the commitment and enthusiasm of my colleagues.

I consider myself lucky to have taken up the baton from Melissa Afentoulis, who finished her ten year role as CEO in January 2008, leaving WHW in a strong position to respond to the impact of family violence on women and children and to tackle the conditions that cause and maintain inequity in health and wellbeing. I am also lucky to be taking on this role at a time when Prime Minister Rudd has made such a clear and unequivocal apology to the stolen generation and is committed to tackling the problem of homelessness, our Federal

Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, is committed to the development of a national women’s health policy, when the leadership of our Premier, John Brumby, has resulted in strong cross-party collaboration leading to the decriminalisation of abortion; in a region where so many of our local members of parliament – Lynne Kosky, Judy Maddigan, Marsha Thomson, Don Nardella, Tim Pallas, Wade Noonan, Khalil Eideh, Colleen Hartland, Justin Madden and Martin Pakula – have stood up publicly to support a woman’s right to control over reproductive decisionmaking; where our partners in women’s health services across the state are working so closely together to achieve change; and our partners in the region – in community health, local government, Indigenous services, family services, primary care partnerships and the like – get how important it is to ensure women have an equal voice and are committed to ensuring that happens.

I am aided in my role by a series of extraordinary women. First, our Board of Governance, who have not only been supportive of me as I have begun to find my feet in a new role, but have also shown a strong commitment to strategic governance, to leadership and to ensuring that their efforts help to contribute to real changes for women in our community.

Second, a management team who are artists in their own fields of finance, operations and personnel, communications, health promotion and family violence (Lauren, Jo, Nicola, Katherine and Jacky) – who keep the wheels on the track, making sure we are in a groove, not a rut. Third, our amazing team of workers in administration, finance, information and communications, health promotion and family violence – the passion, the commitment to clients and community, to equity and social justice, to women’s and children’s right to safe and healthy lives, is extraordinary. It is a pleasure and an honour to work with each of you.

This annual report goes into detail about many of the programs and projects that we undertook at WHW from July 2007 to June 2008. It provides a snapshot of that work and our approach to working with individual women and their children, with other organisations, with communities, and within the broader health and community sector. We have aimed to include the voices of the women involved in our projects and programs, reflecting our mission to give voice to women in the western region.

I hope you enjoy reading the report and look forward to continuing to work with you over the coming years.

Robyn Gregory CEO Just a few Women’s Health West staff members L-R Sophie Edwards, Angela Cole, Meriem Idris, Sally Camilleri, Joanna Harper, Katherine Koesasi, Cath Mayes, Lauren Eagle, Joy Free, Julie Veszpremi, Nicola Harte, Lindy Corbett, Justine Carter, Robyn Gregory, Reem Omarit.

Photograph: Erin Slattery

Annual Report 2007-2008

5

Family violence services data INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICES (2003-2008)

Family Violence Services

2003-2004

Family violence has a devastating impact on women and children. It is the leading cause of death, disability and illness among Victorian women aged between fifteen and forty-four years.15

2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 0

500

1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 # women accessing service

A total of 3467 women accessed WHW Family Violence Services in 2007-2008

FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICES (2007-2008) Programs

Women

Funding targets

OUTREACH Phone contact Case management Intake support (one-off support)

2827 394

452

1688

Court support

360

Police e-back

1066

77

OTHER PROGRAMS After hours

58

146

Intensive case management

16

10

Private rental brokerage

25

25

6

11

Housing options (emergency accommodation)

1367

0

Counselling (children)

Accompanying children

118

64

VACP

114

Total outreach women

3192

TOTAL (outreach + VACP)

3306

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experiencing family violence Over the last five years, the number of women supported through WHW’s family violence service has quadrupled; numbers have significantly increased since the last reporting period with three thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven clients seeking assistance in 2007-2008 compared to two thousand, seven hundred and seventy women assisted during 2006-2007. This increase can be traced to funding changes in 2005-2006, which allowed WHW to increase our staff numbers and, in turn, our capacity to assist greater numbers of women. Another reason for the growing number of clients is that women who need our services are effectively referred through the greater integration between services in the west, including police and courts.

WHW services the western metropolitan region of Melbourne, encompassing the local government areas of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley, Melbourne and Wyndham. The majority of women accessing WHW for case management or outreach assistance in 2007-2008 were from Brimbank, Wyndham and Maribyrnong. [See Local Government Area graph on page 9.]

15 The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the Burden of Disease Caused by Intimate Partner Violence (2004) Melbourne: Victorian Health Promotion Foundation.

Integrated Family Violence

The Western Integrated Family Violence Committee (WIFVC) formed in June 2007, and this year established terms of reference and a draft action plan for 2008–2009.

The action plan priorities include creating sub-regional coordination and planning structures, clear referral pathways and intake processes, and supporting workforce development. The primary aim of the family violence reform is to integrate the responses of community services such as community health, family violence-specific services, police and courts, to improve the safety of women and children and to hold violent men accountable for their actions.

Outreach and Co-location

I’d like the woman to leave more informed than she was before, and know that she is satisfied with the support that she has received.

WHW Court Support Worker Over the last twelve months WHW outreach workers assisted a total of three thousand, one hundred and ninety-two women, providing one-off support, short term case management, case management, court support, intensive case management, private rental brokerage assistance and after-hours face-to-face support. Workers assisted women to navigate the integrated family violence system by referring, advocating and supporting women to access police and the courts. Family violence support and related services were provided to a diverse group of women, with 41.6 percent from CALD backgrounds, 55.8 percent Anglo Australian and 2.8 percent Indigenous women. Family

violence affects many aspects of women’s lives - often all at once - so outreach workers assist women to find the services that best fit their needs including centres against sexual assault, children’s services, counselling, refuges, housing services and financial counsellors. This year WHW outreach workers assisted three hundred and ninetyfour women through case management, which involves longer term work with women and their children over a period of time ranging from two weeks to three months.

Women and children experiencing and escaping family violence also suffer financial distress as they attempt to change their lives.

WHW, with the appreciated support of The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund, Vic Relief and the Sunshine Court Relief Fund, provide women and their children with necessities such as food, vouchers, travel cards, toiletries, and payment for removalists and locksmiths.

Intake and After-Hours

An accessible crisis and intake service is a critical component of the integrated family violence service system and WHW intake services currently respond to an average of women’s health west

thirteen requests for assistance per day. A large portion of our work takes place over the phone - this year WHW spoke with two thousand, eight hundred and twenty-seven clients. More than two thousand of these calls were from women in crisis. Of these, three hundred and ninety-four women were referred to outreach case management support and a further one thousand, six hundred and eighty-eight women were provided one-off support. Telephone and face-to-face support involves offering clients emotional support, crisis intervention, risk assessment and safety planning, advocacy with other services, support letters, and active referrals to other agencies and programs. Remaining calls were from police, housing, health and community services, court, and other family violence service providers seeking advice and information relating to clients in family violence situations. Family violence does not occur neatly inside office hours and our after-hours service provides assistance to women during non-business hours, including weekends and public holidays. This year WHW assisted fifty-eight women and their accompanying children after-hours.

The WHW crisis and intake service perform many important functions such as facilitating between business-hours and after-hours services; responding to faxback and e-back referrals from police; coordinating support for clients at court; telephone and face-to-face crisis support; organisation and follow-up of appointments; and, quite necessarily, managing demand through the maintenance of a waiting list. In addition, the Intake Crisis Service introduced short term case management as a strategy to assist women and women with children who do not require long term case management support, but where case management support of up Annual Report 2007-2008

to two weeks is required to ensure that women are actively linked to other services for support. WHW continues to lobby government to have this critical function recognized, and separately and adequately funded.

Crisis Accommodation Service

WHW Crisis Accommodation Services (CAS) assist women escaping family violence to find short term emergency housing. We also offer emotional and practical support, recognising and acknowledging that personal strengths can carry women through, despite the violence and abuse they have experienced. A key feature of this service is to assist women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, who experience additional barriers, to locate safe and affordable housing. This year 57.3 percent of CAS clients were from CALD backgrounds, while 34.8 percent were Anglo-Australian and 7.9 percent Aboriginal.

Our children’s support worker plays an important role in assessing and assisting traumatised children. Witnessing family violence is traumatic; images and memories of the experience can continue to harm child witnesses throughout their lives. WHW CAS supported sixty-six women this year.

Seventy-seven percent of clients brought their children, bringing the total number of children assisted to two-hundred and eleven for this period. Importantly, CAS provided support to a number of families with more than seven children; large families continue to find it particularly difficult to access appropriate housing. The stigma surrounding single mothers is very real for these women, who find that neither the public nor

private sector responds adequately to their needs. WHW will continue to advocate for appropriate housing stock for large families.

The Phillip Island camp was organised so that women could enjoy quality time with their children and other families away from refuges or transitional housing.

Photograph: Wanchi

WHW would like to thank Seabreeze Quilters for providing quilts for each child housed at CAS this year. The quilting group also provided women with much appreciated care packages including toiletries.

CAS Camps

It was great to get away with your kids and not to be pressured by money and how much it costs‌ Phillip Island camp participant This year CAS staff continued to organise a successful series of camps and day trips away from refuges or transitional properties, for women to enjoy quality time with their children and other families. WHW thank R.E. Ross Trust for the grant aimed at children’s development activities and recovery from experiences of family violence. Werribee Open Range Zoo and Melbourne Aquarium proved popular destinations in September and October 2007.

In January 2008, clients and staff went to the Mornington Peninsula where camp activities included beach rambling, kayaking, snorkelling and massages for mums. The Easter camp to Phillip Island, while very cold, was also a huge success. Clients socialised with others who have been in family violence situations, helping to alleviate feelings of isolation through interactive opportunities, and fostering trust and bonding between mums and their siblings. The children described the outings as really amazing, while the women found it beautiful and enjoyable.

Artist: Julie Knoblock (left)

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working together Intensive Case Management WHW’s intensive case manager supports women with high and complex needs, including women and children who face the highest levels of risk to their safety as a result of family violence.

In the last twelve months, WHW worked intensively with sixteen women to support them through the many intricate and difficult problems that arise in surviving a violent relationship. These complex needs encompass housing, parenting, dealing with challenging behaviours, personal safety and wellbeing, substance use, money management, exposure to the effects of violence, health, access to services, mental health, intellectual and physical disability and accessing social supports. Meeting these needs involves maintaining effective working relationships with clients and a range of workers in the western region, including other family violence workers, police, lawyers, Indigenous and CALD community services.

Counselling

The Victims Assistance Counselling Program (VACP) is an initiative funded by the Department of Justice. The program is designed to offer practical help to victims of crime including counselling and court support. WHW is involved in the program as part of a consortium that spans the NorthWest region of metropolitan Melbourne and hosts two counsellors who deal specifically with the crime of family violence in the western region. This year WHW VACP assisted one hundred and fourteen clients.

WHW’s women and children’s counselling service coordinator was a member of the expert advisory group to develop Practice Guidelines: Women and Children’s Family Violence Counselling and Support Programs, launched in February 2008. The guidelines were developed through statewide consultation with practitioners who work with women and children affected by family violence.

In 2007, WHW participated in the development of the Intensive Case Management for Women Experiencing Family Violence Program report. The report, launched in June 2008, informed state budget processes and resulted in the allocation of an additional $3.91 million over four years, for the Department for Human Services to expand the program across Victoria.

Therapeutic creative arts groups offer children who have experienced family violence developmentally appropriate ways to express their emotions and develop coping strategies Photograph: Karina

8

Children’s Counselling

The importance of prevention and the early recognition of family violence and the maltreatment of children cannot be overemphasised. Although they might not be direct targets of the abuse, these children are victims of family violence. WHW has introduced a children’s counselling program aimed at children who have been exposed to family violence. The program employs two children’s counsellors and has, in the last year, assisted a total of one hundred and eighteen children. Our model uses trauma therapy and resilience theories to acknowledge the resources, skills and talents that children use when faced with the trauma of family violence. Children participate in a session with the counsellor, either with or without their mother, depending on their age and needs, or as part of a children’s group.

In 2007, seven children and five mums attended a group facilitated by WHW and Community West. Kids Power is a similar therapeutic creative arts group created in February 2008 by WHW and Merri Outreach Support Service. The group was attended by eight children and seven mothers and offered children a developmentally appropriate way to express their emotions and develop strategies for coping with their experiences.

Mothers were invited to strengthen the mother/child relationship, as children’s perceptions of their mother can be shaped and undermined by the perpetrator’s abuse, which often involves criticism and put-downs.

Facilitators witnessed positive changes in the children, and mothers requested continuation of the group. women’s health west

“

Good outcomes are improvements in safety, big or small.

”

WHW Court Support Worker

Courts

If they don’t have a worker, then they have no idea what is about to happen in court. Some feel they should pull out of obtaining the intervention order as they think it’s a criminal matter, and the intervention order hasn’t been explained properly.

WHW Court Support Worker The family violence crisis outreach service provides support for women applying for intervention orders at the Melbourne, Sunshine and Werribee Magistrates’ Courts.

Over the past twelve months WHW assisted three hundred and sixty women through the court experience. The success of the integrated family violence services system reforms is dependent upon how well the judicial, police and community service responses are linked and coordinated. WHW, in partnership with Victoria Police and the Victorian Magistrates Court, are developing these linkages and models of best practice through improved service coordination.

WHW is committed to linking with funded and unfunded community services and organisations working with women and children who have experienced violence as well as with organisations and programs that assist men to stop using violence.

CASE MANAGEMENT and OUTREACH DATA Police

Over the last year, WHW and the NEXUS police project piloted an email referral system (e-back) to replace the older ‘faxback’ method. Under the e-back system, police who attend a family violence incident email the referral to WHW who respond with the outcome, also via email. Though the e-back initiative is yet to be formally evaluated, anecdotal evidence suggests this is a far more effective communication tool, and this year alone, one thousand and sixtysix WHW outreach clients were referred via e-back from police.

Brimbank Family Violence (Police) Unit (BFVU) is a pilot project that hosts a unit of police officers who investigate family violence incidents. WHW is highly involved in, and supportive of, the project as it demonstrates the principles of coordinated best practice. Werribee Police have introduced a duplicate model and we are confident this will achieve the success already evidenced in Brimbank. In August 2007, WHW and the BFVU presented the successful model to the Western Australian Government’s Family and Domestic Violence Unit.

WHW and BFVU also piloted a local area, after-hours response initiative where police refer clients directly to a WHW on-call after-hours worker. This type of after-hours response builds on the success of our business hours programs.

Housing

It is important to acknowledge that generalist and other specialist services work with women and children experiencing and escaping family violence. Our goal is for women and children to remain in the family home where possible, so the service system must offer links to alternative accommodation for men who use violence against their families. In the meantime, WHW assisted twenty-five women to access housing through the private rental brokerage scheme. This scheme offers a limited fund to subsidise women with little or no money to escape a crisis situation. The fund assists them to access the expensive private rental market for a limited period. In the last year, WHW also assisted six women in crisis to obtain safe, short-term emergency housing options.

WHW’s CALD Crisis Housing Program assisted CALD women and their children to access crisis, transitional, private rental and public housing. A review of the program was undertaken this year, which reinforced the need for specialist housing support for CALD women escaping family violence, as they continue to experience multiple barriers to housing.

CLIENTS BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA Brimbank Wyndham Maribyrnong Melton Not specified Hobsons Bay Moonee Ponds Melbourne Other 0

50

100

150

200

# clients (2007-2008)

SECONDARY CONSULTATIONS Police Housing services Health services including GPs Community services Court Other FV service providers Centrelink & government agencies Education institutions Integrated Family Violence Services DHS - child protection VACP

0

50

100

150

# secondary consultations (2007-2008)

A total of 760 secondary consultations were provided to external agencies.

DIVERSE CLIENT GROUPS Aboriginal CALD Anglo-Australia

55.6% of outreach clients were of Anglo-Australian background, while 41.6% were of CALD background.

The remaining 2.8% of women were Aboriginal.

Example of art therapy

Annual Report 2007-2008

9

200

sexual and reproductive health Girls Talk - Guys Talk

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS WHW staff attended twenty-nine community forums, conferences and consultations this year. WHW family violence staff members attended three of these and WHW senior intake worker was a member of the expert panel for the Sunshine Court Family Violence Seminar.

WHW health promotion, research and development staff presented or facilitated at nine of these. One health promotion worker presented a workshop on the Girls Talk - Guys Talk program at the 7th National Conference of Australian Health Promoting Schools Association, Adelaide.

Girls Talk – Guys Talk was featured as a ‘key success’ in the Victorian Women’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy Action plan January 2007 - June 2008.

10

African Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health program

Now that I know all this stuff I will make different decisions about going to parties, getting drunk and having sex.

Girls Talk - Guys Talk student WHW’s whole-school sexuality program, Girls Talk – Guys Talk, focussed on year nine students at Laverton P-12. The program is designed to build strength within schools to ensure the skills and knowledge developed have a greater impact on the sexual health and wellbeing of young people. Research shows that when young people have accurate information about sex and sexual health, they are more likely to make decisions that keep them safe.

WHW developed a sexual and reproductive health policy in consultation with students and teachers with the aim of embedding sex education into the curriculum. WHW staff worked with teachers to deliver a sexuality education course to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to deliver the program themselves in years to come. All students demonstrated a vast increase in sexual and reproductive health knowledge after completing the course.

It is important for young people to receive positive sexual health information from school and at home. Parents have an important role to play in passing on personal, moral, religious and cultural values and young people are interested in knowing what parents think.

If a lady comes to his clinic and he asks her ‘are you circumcised’ and she says ‘yes’ he should be able to refer her to other specialized people.

Mama and Nunu focus group member

WHW health promotion worker (right) with Girls Talk Guys Talk student group and Laverton P-12 school nurse.

Photograph: Joy Free

Results of the student survey indicated that most students turn to their mothers or female caregivers for help with a health problem.

To encourage parent’s engagement, WHW designed homework assignments involving parental participation such as students interviewing their parents about what life was like when they were teenagers. WHW also organised an evening event to emphasise communication strategies between teenagers and their parents about sexual health. Partnerships were key to the success of the project, with active involvement of students, the school nurse, school staff, local agencies and parents. Hobsons Bay City Council invited the student group to participate in youth activities and consider them a voice representing young people at Laverton P-12.

In 2002, WHW published Mama and Nunu (Mother and Baby) a successful manual aimed at health service providers to assist them to provide culturally sensitive pregnancy care and health information to their African clients. Since publication, changes in the western region include refugee intake from Sudan, Liberia and Burundi. In light of these changes, WHW is reviewing the original Mama and Nunu and developing a second edition incorporating information about these women.

WHW subsequently ran Girlzone, a program for young African women aged twelve to sixteen providing a safe environment for young women to express their feelings of what it’s like to grow up in Australia between two cultures. We are keen to incorporate these experiences and difficulties facing young women in Mama and Nunu. Over the last year, WHW staff conducted focus groups with eleven Sudanese, fourteen Liberian, fourteen Burundi, twenty-seven Somali women and eight young women from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. We consulted with service providers who have used the manual to integrate their feedback into the second edition, which due for completion in the next reporting period. women’s health west

WHW delivered three workshops focused on body image and self esteem to all sixty-three year eight students at Laverton P-12.

Photograph: N’Deane Helajzen

Human Relations Program

Body image project

I learnt that the images in magazines are fake, we all think differently about our body image and we should be happy about our body.

Body image project participant Body image is about self esteem and healthy lifestyles. WHW delivered three workshops focused on body image and self esteem to all sixty-three year eight students at Laverton P-12. Fifteen students then worked with WHW and Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company to create an audiovisual resource for use in discussions about positive body image in other schools and the wider community. Students worked on three small group projects involving photography, music, and visual arts to form a cohesive audio visual resource.

Evaluation showed that since participating in the project, one student began thinking about a career in photography and created a portfolio using photographs taken during the workshops. Students enjoyed the project, explaining that it provided an opportunity to get to know students they don’t normally interact with. Both students and teachers indicated that student-teacher interaction improved during the project. The project formed part of the end of year Laverton P-12 presentation evening, with students receiving certificates after a screening of their audiovisual resource.

Annual Report 2007-2008

I liked everything about this program because every week I learn more new things.

Human relations program participant

WHW, Maribyrnong City Council and the Western Region Health Centre have worked in partnership with the Western English Language School (WELS) since 2002, to deliver a human relations program to newly-arrived young people. This year, the five-week program was delivered three times to a total of fifty-four students.

The program provides young people with information about sexual and reproductive health, supporting them to make strong and informed decisions about relationships. A community nurse and a community health worker deliver the program together using an approach that recognises that in order to advance the health of women we must also work to educate young men. Students are divided into classes of males and females, so that topics can be explored from a gendered perspective.

WELS students come from a diverse range of backgrounds and in order to deliver culturally-sensitive adolescent reproductive health education, we constantly review the program material and processes and encourage students to make use of an anonymous question box. We also use a range of interpreters to ensure students understand and can participate in discussions. Aspects of this program have been incorporated into the WHW wholeschool approach (Girls Talk - Guys Talk).

Young Mums Rock!

Being a young mum can be hard sometimes… Stand up and reach out for what you need. We did it and so can you!

Young mum

The human relations program provides young people with information about sexual and reproductive health, supporting them to make strong and informed decisions about relationships.

The Young Mums Rock! action research project worked with young mothers and service providers to promote the selfdetermination of young mothers. Many young mothers face considerable discrimination, financial hardship and social isolation. Young mothers have diverse needs and there are a variety of services and programs available that can help meet these different needs, including meeting other young mums, help with childcare, support with study/career/ work, financial, parenting and relationship support.

This year, WHW launched the Young Mums Rock! pack to celebrate the final stage of the project. The pack includes action research resources, postcards, a poster and pamphlet, balloons and stickers, a fridge magnet detailing services available in the region and the ‘Tears of Joy and Tears of Frustration’ mothering booklet.

The posters and postcards were designed by young mothers and can be used for promoting existing programs or to identify interest in new programs, support groups or playgroups.

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WHW launched the Young Mums Rock! pack this year to celebrate the final stage of the project.

11

We wanted you to know, that we are most grateful for your hard work in helping us grow, For your understanding and for taking care to explain and re-explain, For telling us we can do it and for showing us that you care!

For being the catalyst of ‘Power On’ for each and every one of us, For the small presents, the discussions and exploration of our ‘self’, For the balloons and for the games, For awakening our sense of fun and inviting our ‘inner little girl’ to play The recollection of your generosity, concern and love will be lasting…

This poem was written by a carer who participated in Power On for Carers in May 2008. She wrote this on behalf of the entire group of women who care for a loved one experiencing mental illness.

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mental wellbeing and social connectedness Becoming Butterflies

As there were a number of colourful transformations with the women of the group, we see ourselves as butterflies emerging from cocoons.

Maria Cirak, Becoming Butterflies The Becoming Butterflies women’s group meets monthly at Heathdale Neighbourhood house in Werribee and involves women talking, sharing food and laughs, offering practical and emotional support, engaging in activities with each other. One activity was an art project where women represented what the group meant to them as individuals.

Each of the nine women created beautiful, works in a variety of mediums including feathers, stickers, pencil and collage.

Posters and postcards based on the art were used to promote the benefits of the group to other Heathdale women.

In December 2007, the group planned, hung and exhibited their work at South Kingsville Community Centre. The launch - which involved speeches, eating and dancing attracted the attention of the local media with articles appearing in the Hobsons Bay Leader, the Hobsons Bay Council’s Bulletin and Art Bytes. WHW developed a web page offering resources for women seeking to establish new women’s groups so that isolated women can connect and share the benefits of this type of support. As Maria says, “We are a group of women with strength in our hearts who, over time, have forged friendships with each other. We have always made sure we have been there for each other.”

Sunrise Women with a Disability Support Groups I lobby for the interests and rights of women with disabilities because I think that this is a minority that’s often forgotten about.

Lindy Corbett, project worker

The Sunrise women’s groups provide fun and friendship for women with a disability in the outer west. The Werribee group meets on the last Friday of each month, and this year one hundred and nine women attended nine sessions. The Laverton women meet on the first Friday of each month, and fortysix women attended ten sessions. In March 2008 the Werribee group moved to Iramoo Community Centre in Wyndham Vale.

Each year the activities are planned around the specific suggestions of the women who attend. This year activities included art therapy, a women’s health day, wellbeing, healthy relationships, a trip to the movies and a craft session. WHW organises food, transport, venue, attendant care and other requirements to facilitate participation in group activities.

In October 2007, WHW’s project worker for women with a disability, was featured in the Maribyrnong Leader newspaper as part of the Bar None project. The state government project aimed at highlighting individuals taking action to dismantle barriers that prevent people with a disability from participating in community life and focussed on Lindy’s seventeen years working with the women of these groups.

Power On

I no longer leave an appointment feeling like I have been given the run-around. My husband is no longer discharged from hospital without a written health plan and ongoing treatment in place.

Stephanie Raymond, Power On for Carers participant Power On is a peer education program that focuses on women’s strengths and offers practical tools to assist women who experience mental illness to recognise their power and enhance their own wellbeing.

After more than four years of trials and research, WHW have developed a training manual and trained two peer educators to assist mental health service providers in the region to implement Power On within their women’s groups. The manual contains training resources including fact sheets and session plans with learning objectives.

Topics include self esteem, body image, assertiveness, communication with health professionals, nutrition and menopause.

WHW conducted eight visits to mental health services promoting Power On to encourage services to participate in the program. WHW also provided consultative support to the Prahran Mission mentoring program for mothers with a mental illness.

Power On for Carers is a program designed for carers of women with a mental illness and was developed during the previous reporting period. In the last year, WHW delivered two series of these carer-focussed programs to a total of fifteen women, in partnership with Carers Respite Connections. women’s health west

Eighty women enjoyed activities in the glorious sunshine at the Mental Health Festival.

Photograph: Veronica Garcia

Sixty African women shared stories, knowledge and culture at the African women’s cross cultural exchange day.

Photographs: Lindi Huntsman

Mental Health Festival The women’s space is very welcoming and warm.

Jenny, 2007 Mental Health Festival

Western regional mental health, clinical health and health promotion services have come together for the past eight years, to organise the annual mental health festival as part of World Mental Health Day on 10 October. This year, WHW coordinated the women’s tent space for the fourth year running providing a unique space for women by women. Eighty women enjoyed activities in and around the tent in the glorious sunshine.

Some women chose to relax in the space or gather some health information, others participated in the stretching activities conducted by WHW health promotion worker or the free reiki. WHW’s researcher facilitated a process designed as part of the Women’s Power Card initiative to contribute to a card set to promote women’s lived experience, knowledge and skills about ways to enact power at an individual, organizational, community and societal level.

This involved women drawing or writing about actions they take in their daily lives to exercise their power.

Annual Report 2007-2008

African women’s cross cultural exchange

Women from different parts of Africa shared their inspirational journey through performances and stories. I laughed, cried and admired them for sharing their culture, knowledge and values.

Karina, Children’s Counsellor In June 2008, WHW, together with migrant and refugee African women, the United Somali Women’s Organisation, the Royal Women’s Hospital, Doutta Galla Community Health Centre, Western Region Health Centre, City West Water, Immigrant Women’s Domestic Violence Service and African Holistic Social Services of Victoria, hosted an incredibly popular African women’s cross cultural exchange day.

One WHW FARREP worker, herself a refugee from the Horn of Africa, expressed frustration that events for refugee women tended to involved African women learning from western service providers. She wanted to reverse those roles, to celebrate the positive aspects of different African cultures from the perspective of African women and create a space for African women’s voices to be heard. Another aim of the day was to introduce FARREP workers as a key resource for cultural and health issues for African women in the western region affected

by FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) and to reinforce this as one cultural practice to be left behind.

Sixty African women from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Burundi shared stories, knowledge and culture through presentations and performances in a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere. The day was attended by fifty service providers from the western region.

African women had the opportunity to meet other women and service providers to discuss challenges and opportunities for their respective communities. For service providers, this day was a great opportunity to meet women from different communities, learn about issues as identified by culturally and linguistically diverse African women, and to access information on how to adopt more culturally sensitive practices that recognise the differences in culture among African communities.

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS

In March 2008, the first edition of newparadigm: the Australian Journal on Psychosocial Rehabilitation published a paper by a WHW health promotion worker, which described the processes and principals evolved through the development of the Power On model.

In April 2008, WHW health promotion worker and Power On peer educators, conducted a workshop at the ‘Reconnexion’ conference in Melbourne on anxiety and depression.

Becoming Butterflies women with WHW health promotion worker and ISIS workers at exhibition launch at South Kingsville Community Centre Photograph: Nicola Harte

13

equity and social justice Tapestries: stories of everyday activism Donations and Grants Thankyou to the following agencies and individuals whose generous assistance makes the work of WHW possible.

African Holistic Social Services Vic Colleen Hartland MLC Doutta Galla Community Health Service Domestic Violence Victoria (DV Vic) Hobsons Bay City Council Immigrant Women’s DV Service Jack Brockhoff Foundation National Community Crime Prevention Program Nichelle Sellenger Royal Women’s Hospital Sunshine Magistrates Court The Lord Mayor’s Fund The Queens Fund The Rotary Club of Footscray VU Students Fundraising Donation Western Chances Zonta Club Melton

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Fundraising

WHW was the beneficiary of two separate fundraising events this year. In May a group of students from Victoria University organised a very successful coffee evening to raise awareness about health and funds for WHW. In April, the Western Region Football League Women’s Football Foundation nominated WHW as the recipient of their pink wristband fundraising initiative, with money raised to support the Girls Talk – Guys Talk project.

I think that the project was a wonderful concept and I would like to see other regions do this. Women need role models, many young women these days don’t have any idea that the rights they take for granted we fought for and won through sacrifice and tenacity.

Project participant On 7 March 2008, more than one hundred and twenty women and children attended the launch of Tapestries: stories of everyday activism, WHWs celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD). IWD has been celebrated for over a century to mark the cultural, political, social and economic achievements of women. This year was particularly special because it marked the one hundredth anniversary of women in Victoria gaining the vote. Women make vital and significant contributions to our society every day. These contributions are often invisible, regularly unpaid and without them our economy would grind to a halt.

While many women may not seek or expect recognition for their efforts, it is essential that as a community we celebrate inspiring women by publicly acknowledging their remarkable achievements.

This exhibition presented the inspirational stories and images of the everyday activism of twelve fantastic women from the west of Melbourne. Betty, Chahida, Donna, Gail, Lillian, Isobel, Joyce, Katherine, Kiri, Pat, Urania and Wendy were each nominated by community organisations in recognition of their contribution. The beautiful photographs

Katherine’s boots symbolise her ability to stand tall and walk forward towards the goals she set for herself.

Katherine - participant in Tapestries project Photograph: Scout Kozakiewicz

and stories were developed in collaboration with the women by Scout Kozakiewicz, an internationally-exhibited local artist. 3CR 855AM broadcast an International Women’s Day show featuring conversations with women who attended the launch.

The powerful exhibition of stories and images aims to raise awareness and celebrate the range of experiences of women’s power to achieve by focussing on actions they have taken at individual, organisational, community or societal levels to engage in ‘everyday activism’. The exhibition was on display at South Kingsville Community Centre in May and June and will be at the Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre in Altona in July and August, and at the Hunt Club Community Arts Centre in Deer Park in September and October as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

WHW receives eighty-five percent of our core funding from the Department of Human Services while the balance is made up of grants for specific projects and donations.

We are humbled and grateful for the donations received this year - they make a very real impact on our ability to support the health, wellbeing and safety of women in the west of Melbourne.

I would say, find out what you are interested in and just get out there and try, try, try!

Urania - participant in Tapestries project Photograph: Scout Kozakiewicz

women’s health west

Fact sheets designed for workers undertaking health promotion and violence prevention work.

Illustration: Isis&Pluto

Building the capacity of organisations in the western region to prevent violence against women

We found we were continually stripping back the goal, objectives and actions to make them realistic and achievable for our organisations and communities, with limited resources. It was like opening a babushka doll to find many smaller dolls inside.

Action research group member

Lead On Again participants with WHW health promotion and WYPIN workers in April this year.

Photograph: Julie Veszpremi

Lead On Again

I have no doubt that these young women will achieve the goals that they set for themselves and be leaders in the community.

Dayane Stanovic, Western Young People’s Independent Network (WYPIN) WHW partnered with specialist youth advocacy organisation, Western Young Persons Independent Network (WYPIN) to encourage young people from diverse backgrounds to participate as advocates in our community. We learned that planning and attention to detail, for example offering a welcoming environment and nurturing food, contribute to creating a safe space for young women to grow.

Annual Report 2007-2008

Nine vibrant young women from Mauritius, Burma, Burundi, Vietnam, Somalia and Ethiopia came together for our third leadership program in April 2008. They brought a richness of knowledge, wisdom and a willingness to be open and share their experiences. Participant’s highlights of the Lead On Again experience included meeting other young people and hearing their stories, learning about the qualities of a good leader, sexual health, women’s rights and how to plan an event.

Over the last year, WHW and the Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) in the western region have been engaged in an action research group process working with six organisations in the region (Doutta Galla Community Health Service, Hobsons Bay City Council, ISIS Primary Care, Moonee Valley City Council, the Royal Women’s Hospital, and Western Region Health Centre) to build their capacity to prevent violence against women, using a health promotion approach. One tool the group found useful for discussion and reflection was an online blog. The group found that the thinking and planning process involved a roller coaster of perplexities and agonies, as well as mutual learning, laughter and progress.

An expert advisory group resourced and supported the project, and involved key statewide specialist organisations and academic staff members, including staff from Deakin, Victoria and Melbourne Universities, Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (formerly Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre), the Multicultural

Centre for Women’s Health, the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, and Maribyrnong City Council. We drew on the group’s expertise to explore a range of issues, including how to evaluate outcomes – that is, measuring whether violence has been prevented - in violence prevention projects.

A key outcome of this project is a series of beautifully illustrated fact sheets designed for workers undertaking health promotion and violence prevention work. The eight fact sheets explore critical themes of planning projects to prevent violence against women using health promotion tools. An extensive evaluation of the project is underway and will feed into our planning for continuing capacity building work with organisations in the western region over the next few years.

15

“

It is truly time we set women free by saying that women are not criminals for wanting to have an abortion.

”

Colleen Hartland, Greens MLC

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS WHW wrote six submissions this year including a response to the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s ‘The Law of Abortion: Information Paper’, a response to the Federal Government’s Homelessness Green Paper, and a discussion paper to the Department of Human Services regarding our health promotion and equity framework.

We forwarded submissions to the Shire of Melton regarding their Draft Municipal Public Health Plan 2008-2012 and Draft Responsible Gaming Policy and to the Brimbank-Melton Primary Care Partnership entitled ‘PCP research evidence on mental health and wellbeing priority’.

16

advocacy Abortion advocacy

It was great to see the action sheet in your newsletter on decriminalisation of abortion...We certainly hope that the government’s response will be both swift and appropriate for the needs of women across Victoria.

Hon. Joan Kirner, Former Premier of Victoria Women in Victoria have been able to gain access to abortion since May 1969, when the Menhennitt Ruling clarified that an abortion was lawful if a medical practitioner believed it was necessary to protect a woman’s physical or mental health. However, it remained a crime under Section 65 of the Crimes Act 1958 leaving women to appeal to the sympathy of their doctor in order to secure an abortion.

On 17 July 2007, Victorian Labor MP Candy Broad chose to challenge women’s exclusion from control over reproductive decisionmaking when she introduced a private member’s bill into Victorian Parliament. The purpose of the Crimes (Decriminalisation of Abortion) Bill 2007 was to repeal the offences of unlawful abortion, and to ensure the provision of safe and competent medical abortion. One of the highlights of the Broad Bill was that she framed it in terms of women’s control over reproductive decision-making and the right of the medical profession to exercise clinical judgement, not simply in terms of clarifying medical practice.

After the bill was introduced, members of WHW’s board, together with staff, began a schedule of meetings with local members of parliament to advocate for the bill. On 21 August 2007 Ms Broad withdrew her bill,

WHW have been active in the local media this year, responding to key topics that impact on justice and equality for women in the western region

after newly-appointed Premier, John Brumby, announced a review of abortion laws by the Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC). In December 2007, WHW wrote a submission to the VLRC strongly advocating a three-pronged approach to change decriminalisation of abortion, improving women’s access to a range of reproductive health services including abortion, and ensuring that abortion was not regulated by an alternative act.

The VLRC report, which went to the Attorney General in March 2008, presented a series of options to government to remove abortion offences from the Crimes Act. At this time, the Board of WHW voted unanimously to support a woman’s right to reproductive decision-making, establishing this position as WHW policy and supporting staff to advocate locally from April 2008. WHW supported the third option, which simply decriminalised abortion - trusting women to make sound decisions based on their individual circumstances and trusting doctors to practice in the best interests of their patients.

While the government chose a different option – giving women control over decision-

making up to twenty-four weeks gestation and after that time stipulating that at least two doctors must agree that an abortion is reasonable in all the circumstances – this seemed to be a reasonable compromise and WHW chose to support the bill.

To encourage advocacy by our members, WHW published a ‘do your bit action kit’ both in our newsletter and online, outlining ideas for actions our members could choose from. We communicated with local media on the topic and collaborated with our board members and other women’s health services to attend meetings and forums, visited MPs and supplied MPs with information to assist them in making an informed decision.

That so many of our parliamentarians in the western region chose to exercise their conscience vote to support women’s choice is an excellent outcome for women and bodes well for our region. Legislating to remove barriers to women’s control, is a first step in affecting real change and a significant step towards improving the status of women.

women’s health west

WHW News is published three times a year to keep our members up to date with the latest projects, planning and achievements.

Communications

The presentation of the manual is funky and just makes you want to read it.

Lead On Again evaluation WHW have been active in the local media this year, responding to key topics that impact on justice and equality for women in the western region including abortion law reform, local women’s activism, African women’s cultural needs and raising awareness of the needs of women with disabilities. We distributed nine media releases resulting in twenty one news stories in local papers, MX Melbourne daily newspaper and featured in online magazines including www.hobsonsbaypages.com.au and www.wyndhampages.com.au Our International Women’s Day event, Tapestries: Stories of Everyday Activism, attracted the largest and most varied media interest including an hour-long radio show on 3CR community radio. The capacity to broadcast to a larger audience of women who couldn’t attend the event was summed up by one participant who said, “The radio interviews were a great way for women to have a public platform from which to share their experiences more broadly.” The African Women’s Cross Cultural Exchange Day caught the attention of all three local papers and was attended by a photography student and a documentary film maker who, in their work with African communities, produced incredible images that reflected the diversity, enjoyment and cultural differences of the women who attended the day.

Annual Report 2007-2008

WHW’s communications team is involved in collaborative and consultative resource development for health promotion projects and family violence initiatives; we have planned, designed and produced a variety of print and other resources this year.

These include a series of health promotion resources such as the second edition of the Power On manual, the Family Violence Intervention and Prevention of Violence Against Women training package for WHW staff to assist local agencies to respond to violence against women, the Young Mums Rock! poster and postcard that - together with existing fridge magnets, balloons, pamphlets, stickers and fact sheets – form an inviting pack of resources for young mothers and the people who work with them. In addition to this special project work we produced three editions of our colourful newsletter to keep our members and interested readers up to date with WHW’s projects, planning and achievements.

This year we produced accompanying material for three conference presentations, promotional fliers for events, consultation and assistance on presentations, and created online resources including a number of blogs aimed at enriching communication across large groups of stakeholders for specific projects. We also managed the regular distribution of information and coordination of information resources for use in events such as the Mental Health Festival and the African Women’s Cross Cultural Exchange Day.

Best practice grants

It is best practice to learn who each service is and what they do; to talk with them about their service and build the relationships.

WHW court support worker This year WHW successfully obtained grants to document best practice in key areas of our family violence service. The Office of Housing, Department of Human Services supplied best practice grants to funded family violence services to demonstrate service integration and the ways that services have achieved successful housing or support outcomes for clients.

The first of these projects reviewed the court support service, a key component of our family violence outreach work. Best practice is about working with clients in a respectful way, empowering women to make their own decisions, as they know better than anyone what they need, and arriving at solutions that will work for them. Court support workers identified common themes around best practice including the importance of court support, safety, providing information and working with other agencies. The final two grants will look at the role of the senior intake worker, and evaluate the Brimbank Police Family Violence Unit and the WHW Local Area After-Hours Pilot Program.

Accreditation

During 2003-2004, the homelessness sector developed the Homelessness Assistance Service Standards. In 2007, WHW began to apply the accreditation process to all programs within WHW. This process involves achieving set standards in ten areas: occupational health, safety and environment; human resources; risk management; quality; governance; service provision; team specific standards; operational administration and finance; advocacy networks; and planning.

The expected outcome of this process is improved service delivery and increased work satisfaction for staff.

The first phase of preparing for accreditation involved identifying the strengths of the organisation. As a feminist organisation, WHW is committed to the empowerment of women and their right to have their voices heard, so involving staff is a key element of this project. Staff members review standards in workgroups, engaging in open discussion about ways to improve our policies and practices. Workgroups then make recommendations to the quality committee, who review suggestions, ensure they fit with legislative and other requirements and determine organisational priorities. WHW will report on the results of the accreditation process in 2008-2009.

17

our staff Chief Executive Officer

Robyn Gregory

Jacky Tucker

Julie Veszpremi

Project Worker

Jess Porter

(Chantal Boorman)

OUTREACH

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT

Crisis and Outreach Coordinator

Jennie (Katrina)

To the members of WOMEN’S HEALTH WEST INC

Intensive Case Manager

Emma (Tara, Sue)

Senior Intake Worker

Michelle

Project Worker

Sophie Edwards

Outreach Workers

Sophie, Edna, Batsi, Victoria, Irene, Luise, Christine, Aurora, Hatice, Phuong (Jade, Zetty)

After Hours Workers

Reqik, Devika, Branka, Kathryn, Irene, Joylee, Alice, Miriam, Tuyet, Suzanne

FINANCE Manager Accounting and Finance

Lauren Eagle

Bookkeeper / Senior Admin Officer

Meriem Idris

OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES Office Coordinator

Joanna Harper

Receptionist/ Admin Worker

Justine Carter (Marie Germon)

COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION Communications Coordinator

Nicola Harte

Information / Admin Worker

Veronica Garcia

Quality Project Officer

Angela Cole

HEALTH PROMOTION, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Manager Health Promotion, Research and Development

Katherine Koesasi (Robyn Gregory)

Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator

Cath Mayes (N’Deane Helajzen)

Researcher

Joy Free

Health Promotion Workers

Sally Camilleri

FARREP Community Workers

COUNSELLING SERVICES Coordinator / VACP Counsellor

Kim

VACP Counsellor

Rebecca

Children’s Counsellors

Ana, Karina

CRISIS ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAS Coordinator

Alfina (Paulina)

Kirsten Campbell

Children’s Support Worker

Wan Chi

Lucy Forwood

Refuge Workers

Rumia Abbas Reem Omarit

Samar, Linda, Leah (Christie)

Admin Worker

Melissa (Jenny)

(Munira Adam)

RELIEF WORKERS

Women with a Disability Project Worker

Lindy Corbett

Peer Educators

Roslyn Beer Josephine Maria

Reception/Admin Workers

Maeve Browne, Kate Klement, Francesca Vita, Lynn Leslie

Casual Intake Workers

Reqik, Devika, Branka, Faduma, Joylee, Alice, Lynn, Miriam

Patricia Chalmers (Katherine Doyle) Casual Refuge Workers

18

finance report

Manager Family Violence Services

(Melissa Afentoulis) Executive Assistant

FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICEES

Fabien, Gwyneth, Rowena, Wendy

for the year ended 30 june 2008

Report on the Financial Report WOMEN’S HEALTH WEST INC We have audited the accompanying financial report, being a general purpose financial report, of WOMEN’S HEALTH WEST INC which comprises the balance sheet as at 30th June 2008, and the income statement, statement of changes in equity and cash flow statement for the year then ended, a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes.

Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Report The management of WOMEN’S HEALTH WEST INC are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report and have determined that the accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements, which form part of the financial report, are appropriate to meet the needs of the members. The management’s responsibility also includes designing, implementing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies; and making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.

Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial report based on our audit. No opinion is expressed as to whether the accounting policies used, as described in Note 1, are appropriate to meet the needs of the members. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards.

These Auditing Standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial report is free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of

the financial report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial report on order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial report.

The financial report has been prepared for distribution to members for the purpose of fulfilling the management’s financial reporting requirement.

We disclaim any assumption of responsibility for any reliance on this report or on the financial report to which it relates to any person other than the members, or for any purpose other than that for which it was prepared.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Independence In conducting our audit, we have complied with the relevant independence requirements.

Auditor’s Opinion In our opinion the financial report of WOMEN’S HEALTH WEST INC a) gives a true and fair view of WOMEN’S HEALTH WEST INC’s financial position as at 30th June 2008, and of its performance for the year ended on that date in accordance with the accounting policies described in Note 1; and b) complying with Australian Accounting Standards to the extent described in Note 1.

Janet Collyer J L COLLYER & PARTNERS

13 OCTOBER 2008 DATE

women’s health west

INCOME STATEMENT

BALANCE SHEET Note

2008

2007

$

$

2,356,199

2,154,969

Other Grants

140,161

89,996

Other Income

209,945

232,380

Interest

69,125

65,114

Profit/loss on Disposal of Assets

24,249

4,641

Dept. of Human Services

2

2,799,679

2,547,100

Cash and cash equivalents

9(a)

Receivables TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

Employee benefits expense

2,060,685

1,877,272

75,312

53,477

6,138

2,735

Professional Support

27,708

25,993

Motor Vehicle expenses

44,035

47,913

Administrative expenses Board expenses

Depreciation expense

87,676

95,981

Occupancy expenses

132,177

113,081

Refurbishment expenses

15,123

55,398

Other operating expenses

90,317

83,539

Direct program expenses

246,793

188,812

2,785,963

2,544,200

TOTAL EXPENDITURE 7

13,716

2,900

Balance at 30 June 2008

$

908,381

1,064,424

42,167

11,740

950,548

1,076,164

Property, plant and equipment

3

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

162,497

178,436

162,497

178,436

1,113,046

1,254,601

Payables

4

408,207

541,121

Provisions

5

233,924

263,514

642,132

804,635

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES Non-Current Liabilities Provisions

5

34,333

30,355

Other

8

1,263

1,944

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

Note

Receipts from grants etc Interest received

65,114

-143,619

101,186

Proceeds from (payments for) property, plant and equipment

-12,195

657

Net Cash used in investing activities

-12,195

657

Borrowings (repayments) for leased equipment

-227

1,135

Net Cash used in financing activities

-227

1,135

-156,041

102,978

1,064,422

961,444

908,381

1,064,422

Net Cash provided by (used in) operating activities

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

NET ASSETS

435,318

417,667

Net increase (decrease) in cash held

356,638

342,922

Cash at the beginning of the financial period

6

78,681

74,745

435,318

417,667

9(b)

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

32,299

TOTAL EQUITY

Retained Earnings

General Reserve

Total

$

$

$

342,922

74,745

417,667

13,716

3,936

17,651

356,638

78,681

435,318

A copy of the full report is available upon request.

Cash at the end of the financial period

9(a)

1 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES This financial statement is a general purpose financial statement that has been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements and the requirements of the Incorporated Associations Act of Victoria.

They are compiled on a going concern basis adopting the principles of historical cost accounting and do not reflect current valuations of non-current assets except where stated.

The accounting policies are consistent with the changes to accounting for reserves adopted in 2005. This financial report has been prepared on an accruals basis.

DECLARATION BY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD The members of the Board declare that: 1 The financial statements and notes: (a) comply with Accounting Standards and Australian equivalent of the International Reporting

Standards (AIFRS) as detailed in Note 1 to the financial statements; and (b) give a true and fair view of Women’s Health West financial position as at 30th June 2008 and of its

performance for the year ended on that date in accordance with the accounting policies described in

Note 1 to the financial statements. (c) are, in the Board’s opinion, in accordance with the Incorporated Associations Act of Victoria 2 In the opinion of the Members of the Board there are reasonable grounds to believe that the

organisation will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable.

This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Members of the Board by:

13 October 2008 LISA FIELD DATE KAREN PASSEY Chairperson Treasurer

Annual Report 2007-2008

2,482,469 -2,446,397

836,934

Reserves

2,700,127 -2,912,871

Payments to suppliers and employees

35,596

7

$

69,125

677,728

Retained Surpluses

2007

$ CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

TOTAL LIABILITIES EQUITY

2008

NOTES TO AND FORMING PART OF THE ACCOUNTS

STATEMENT IN CHANGES IN EQUITY

Profit attributable to members

$

Current Liabilities

EXPENDITURE

Balance at 30 June 2007

2007

Non-Current Assets

TOTAL ASSETS

NET SURPLUS FROM ORDINARY ACTIVITIES

2008

Current Assets

INCOME

TOTAL INCOME

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Note

13 October 2008 DATE

19

Are you a member?

JOIN US! All women living, working or studying in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne are eligible for membership of Women’s Health West, as are organisations whose client-base includes the western region.

Membership is free and includes a great newsletter and notices of our events and workshops.

Most importantly, our members help to strengthen the voice of an organisation working to support the health, safety and wellbeing of women in our region.

Call us on 9689 9588, email info@whwest.org.au, fill in an online membership form at www.whwest.org.au, or visit us to find out how to join.

317–319 Barkly Street Footscray Victoria 3011 | Phone (03) 9689 9588 | Fax (03) 9689 3861 | Email info@whwest.org.au | www.whwest.org.au d or facilitated at nine of these.