Latest Update – December 2023
Following an independent review, the successful Health Justice Partnerships are being expanded with funding from the 2023-24 ACT Budget.
We are working with service providers on the details of the expansion while continuing to deliver the service for people experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence.
To learn more about the process email: saferfamilies@act.gov.au
Status: Evaluate
The commissioning approach for the Health Justice Partnership Services (the HJP) involves working collaboratively with sector partners, and people with lived experience, to plan, design and deliver the best legal services for Canberrans with experience of domestic and family violence. Through this process, commissioning will provide greater opportunities for innovation by adopting an integrated, partnered approach to delivering and procuring services.
In the evaluate phase we will:
- review the outcomes of an external independent findings of the Health Justice Partnership Services (HJP) review
- revisit our framing statement and program logic
- assess the current partnerships and opportunities to strengthen these
- assess the demand and needs of users
- identify service design opportunities to further embed the HJP
Background
Commissioning is our opportunity to ensure our services in the ACT effectively meet the needs of our growing population, including over 6000 pregnant women and new families annually. With at least 1 in 3 women at risk of domestic and family violence, research tells us that women are at greater risk of experiencing violence from an intimate partner during pregnancy. For women in intimate partnerships where violence already exists, this violence often increases in severity during pregnancy and into the first month of motherhood.
Young women aged 18-24 years are more likely to experience domestic and family violence during pregnancy. Poor birth outcomes (such as low birth weight and premature birth) and post-natal depression are associated with domestic and family violence during pregnancy.
Typically, it is only in a crisis situation that people seek support from family violence services, health services, police, lawyers and courts. Families at risk of experiencing domestic and family violence need to be supported earlier to help prevent violence from happening or escalating to a crisis. If support is easier to access through multiple pathways and services, people are more likely to get the help they need sooner.
Engagement and collaboration
The ACT Government has collaborated with service providers to design and develop the collaboration and engagement plan for this cycle. The HJP is currently subject to an independent external review of the that commenced in June 2022. This review focusses on the outcomes of the service for the people who use it, the impact it has on our legal and health partners, and its contribution as a response in the broader service system. The review includes engagement with women with lived experience of domestic and family violence who are and have been clients of the HJP and the relevant stakeholders. The evaluation will help us to understand how effective the service is, identify opportunities for improvement, and make decisions about future funding and program development.
Timings
We are preparing for the next phase of the commissioning cycle with the timing of future phases to be shared once confirmed. Our current evaluate phase is underway:
Evaluate
- June 2022 to March 2023 – Independent external review in progress
Contact us
To learn more about the process email: saferfamilies@act.gov.au
How to participate:
You can have your say and participate in the evaluate phase of the commissioning cycle by sharing your feedback or experience of engaging with the HJP program.
What we are looking at, listening to, and sharing
We are seeking insights, perspectives and experiences that help us understand:
- what service gaps you have identified
- what emerging needs you have identified
- any new or emerging groups you have identified for targeted services
- what are meaningful measures and indicators
- lived experiences of people accessing services
- solutions or ideas or innovations that could meet the service needs
- how to develop better linkages and coordination across service delivery
Who is involved
We are seeking insights, perspectives, and experiences from people who have accessed the HJP. You can participate by emailing saferfamilies@act.gov.au
We will use your views to
- understand where there are service gaps and create opportunities to address them
- refine outcomes in line with the ACT Wellbeing Framework
- design and improve service models
- inform contractual principles and approach for new Partnership Agreements in 2024
Key links
We are referencing the following plans, strategies, and frameworks in this cycle:
Page updated: 05 May 2025
