As part of SFVs commitment to training and workforce development SFV CEO Damian Green and Project Consultant Mark O’Hare have now completed the training component in order to become Safe and Together Model Certified Trainers . The completion of this certification will enable Damian and Mark to conduct both introductory and CORE training across the WA FDV sector on how to implement this model in their services, without the burden of having to travel interstate. The Safe and Together Model is a perpetrator pattern based, child centred, survivor strength approach to working with domestic violence. and has policy and practice implications for a variety of professionals and systems including child welfare, women’s and family service providers, domestic violence advocates, police, and the legal system.
The Safe and Together Model
Formulated by David Mandel and Associates, the Safe and Together Model is a perpetrator pattern based, child centred, survivor strength approach to working with domestic violence. Originally developed for the child welfare system, the Model aims to pivot accountability to the perpetrator while partnering with the adult survivor. The approach is based on clear understanding of DV perpetrator’s behaviours as the source of safety and risk concerns for families, while emphasising a strong focus of high parenting standards for fathers. This method is further enhanced by working with DV victims from a strengths based perspective, and understanding that survivors often have remarkable parenting capacity under extremely difficult circumstances.
Implications for the Western Australian FDV Sector
As the only Western Australian organisation hosting Certified Trainers, SFV will provide a leading role in developing practice around perpetrator responses across the WA FDV sector. Stopping Family Violence aims to implement evidence-based good practice by influencing policy and practice and as such a key goal is to adequately train service providers with practical skills that can support this professional and cultural shift. SFV believes Safe and Together’s philosophies, model, and tools will prove essential to help underpin this shift through greater accountability for perpetrators and stronger partnerships with survivors.
The Safe and Together training will be most influential through facilitated training that is adapted for specific settings. Thus, while SFV foresees the ability to implement Safe and Together Model Training for a broad audience we believe it will be most effective when individual training sessions are tailored to the specific needs of different service providers. As such, SFV are continuing to engage with the WA government to develop training tailored to the various touch points for perpetrators across WA. The aim of tailoring training to specific contexts will be further developed through our commitment to reach Indigenous and culturally diverse audiences. Stopping Family Violence plan to utilise our positive professional connections with a number of Indigenous specific, and culturally diverse, organisations to facilitate training in partnership with them to ensure they are meeting the needs of those communities.
