Partnering with Victorian specialist family violence refuges to investigate practice

<p dir="ltr">Although refuge practice has developed over time, there remains limited detailed understanding of the work carried out within women’s family violence refuges in Australia. Services are expected to deliver practice grounded in intersectional feminist principles (Domestic Violence Victoria [DV Vic], 2020); yet there is little clarity around what this entails. This industry-led pilot project represents an important step towards building an evidence base of refuge practice, and its impact on victim-survivors. In collaboration with two women’s family violence refuges—Annie North in regional Victoria and Emerge in metropolitan Melbourne—the research team set out to examine refuge practice—particularly their effects on victim-survivors—and to capture the practice-based knowledge and wisdom held within these specialist services. The research project deepens understanding of practice within women’s family violence refuges by documenting what refuges do, how they do it, and the efficacy of this support on victim-survivors. In doing so, we document how refuges integrate the intersectional, feminist, and trauma-informed practice approaches to which they ascribe (DV Vic, 2020).</p><p dir="ltr">A case-study approach involving a participatory qualitative methodology informed by expertise and knowledge of those working in, and with lived experience of, family violence refuges was employed. The selection of refuges was undertaken in consultation with WESNET (Women’s Services Network— Australia’s peak representing specialist family violence services) and Safe and Equal (Victorian state-wide peak for family violence services) whose advice indicated progressive practice approaches.</p><p dir="ltr">The researchers worked with an advisory group, which included two representatives from Annie North, three from Emerge and one from Safe and Equal. The advisory group provided the research team with expert guidance in key methodological and ethical aspects of the project. Ethics approval was gained from the Human Research Ethics Committees of La Trobe University and RMIT University.</p><p dir="ltr">Data collection was undertaken in two phases: (1) in-depth interviews and focus groups; and (2) rapid ethnography. In Phase 1, the research team completed eight in-depth interviews with former residents, and four focus groups with refuge staff and management (two at each site) with a total of 14 participants. In Phase 2, the research team conducted three days of non-participatory observation at each refuge (6 days in total) between 9am and 5pm for anywhere between 6 to 8 hours each day. All these elements provided critical information in relation to what constitutes specialist practice in women’s refuges, how they do it, and the impact of their support on victim-survivors.</p>