The Southern Melbourne Family Violence Regional Integration Committee (SMFVRIC) was established in 2006 to improve the integration of services, playing a vital role in the transformation of service delivery and community responses to family violence. Since it’s inception the SMFVRIC has played a system leadership role focused on increasing the safety of victim survivors and accountability of people using violence.
Regional Integration governance structures have underpinned family violence reform for well over a decade. Family Violence Regional Integration Committee’s (FVRIC) play a key strategic leadership role in developing a more effective family violence service system. We do this by strengthening system integration and supporting the implementation of the Victorian Government’s family violence reforms.
The Southern Melbourne FVRIC is one of thirteen area based cross sector committees, and its role is to provide leadership, guidance, advocacy and specialist expertise to strengthen and integrate the family violence system across City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey and Cardinia Shire. The committee members include government and non-government agencies some of which include family violence services, children and family services, housing, Victoria Police, justice and legal services, community and health services. We work collaboratively to influence and advocate for positive change to end family violence in the Southern Melbourne Area.
Our work is informed by the Strategic Plan – hyperlink and include link here
Members have agreed upon a common purpose within the Member Agreement and the work is underpinned by the Family Violence RIC Guidelines – hyperlink and include link here
The actions of the SMFVRIC are undertaken by the Leadership and Partnership Groups within the SMFVRIC. Membership to the SMFVRIC is determined upon services essential to service system integration.
Working groups are formed to assist the members to deliver actions identified in the SMFVRIC Action Plan. The Partnership meets bi-monthly, whilst the Leadership group meets monthly. The Working Groups meet as agreed to implement actions and activities in the Annual Action Plan.
SMFVRIC is represented by the Statewide Family Violence Integration Advisory Committee (SFVIAC) which includes all of the Principal Strategic Advisors (PSA’s). SFVIAC provides a representative to the Family Violence Reform Advisory Group (FVRAG), as well as other working groups and statewide forums and policy discussions with government and peak bodies.
The SMFVRIC Leadership Group provides leadership and executive decision making to the Southern Melbourne Family Violence Regional Integration Committee.
The Leadership group meets monthly and is chaired by the SMFVRIC or the Deputy Chair.
Decision Making:
Decisions will be reached by consensus (i.e. members are satisfied with the decision even though it may not be their first choice). Some matters (such as funding) may require reference, or member voting, in which case an extraordinary meeting can be called, or voting can be done by absentee voting and sent to the PSA, as determined by the Chair. In this case, the PSA will send an email with relevant information to all members and will request an email decision sent back within five working days.
The group membership includes:
- Chair & Auspice Agency for Principal Strategic Advisor – Uniting
- Co Chair – wayss
Member Agencies:
- Windermere
- VACCA
- WHISE
- Anglicare
- The Orange Door
- DFFH
- Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV)
The purpose of this group is to lead the implementation of the Strategic Plan and Support the Principal Strategic Advisor. Inclusion of a Victim Survivor Advocate is underway.
The SMFVRIC Partnership Group consists of members who hold strategic leadership roles with sufficient seniority and capacity to represent their organisation, make decisions, allocate resources and drive the Partnership’s strategic priorities within their organisation. All member agencies and their representatives commit to working collaboratively to achieve the priorities of the SMFVRCI and participate in meetings, relevant working groups and activities.
Members Contribute:
- Knowledge and expertise about their service and sector including specific issues experienced by that sector.
- Share relevant agency information and data as agreed to contribute to strategic planning processes, and other activities and initiatives.
- Inform approaches to improving service system responses.
Working groups within the SMFVRIC provide leadership and guidance along with their specialist knowledge to implement the Annual Action Plan. Membership is extended to organisations within the Southern Melbourne Area who have relevant expertise within specialist areas that are relevant to actions outlined in the Annual Action Plan.
These working groups share resources and collaborate to achieve agreed outcomes.
The working groups develop individual action plans that align with the SMFVRIC Strategic Plan as well as the Annual Action Plan.
SMFVRIC current working groups include:
- Child and Family Working Group 0 – 10 years
- Child and Family Working Group 10+ years
- Person Using Violence Working Group
- Family Violence and Homelessness Working Group
- Information Sharing Working Group
- First Nations MARAM and Information Sharing Working Group
SMFVRIC’s develop Strategic Plans demonstrating the alignment of local activities with the statewide policy and reform priorities. The Strategic Plan seeks to outline the key objectives and intended outcomes in relation to the strategic priorities for the SMFVRICs:
- Strategic Priority 1: Leading initiatives that support service integration and system improvements group.
- Strategic Priority 2: Supporting the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of family violence reform initiatives.
- Strategic Priority 3: Developing an evidence base to inform planning, prioritisation of system improvement initiatives and advocacy for system change.
- Strategic Priority 4: Building workforce capacity.
- Strategic Priority 5: Effective cross-sector governance for system leadership.
See the current SMFVRIC Strategic Plan here
An Annual Action Plan outlines the projects and activities to be delivered that align to the priorities and objectives identified in the strategic plan.
See the current Annual Action Plan here – hyperlink
Our recent newsletters and partnership emails can be read here – link news here
To subscribe to our newsletters and to stay up to date with Southern Melbourne family violence news, use the subscribe option here – hyperlink here