Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 11:00:52 to 11:12:02
Discussion on the Men's Referral Service, including its counseling functions, database launch, wait times, and program evaluation.
Topics: Family and domestic violence, Social services
Speakers: Senator Matt O'Sullivan, Rachael Green, Corri McKenzie, Michael Lye, Speaker 69, Ellie Whiteaker
Senator O'Sullivan.
Can we just start by giving a chance to get to your seat? But I just want to start by just a description of what the service is and its intended purposes.
So as an men's referral service offers confidential telephone counselling and referrals for perpetrators of domestic violence to help change their behaviour.
Okay, so the objective is to improve the uptake of intervention services as well by men who use violence, is that right?
Yes, so it's telephone counselling and referrals, that's right.
There's also an online like a chat tool, isn't there?
I think it provides it through a range of different channels, yeah.
Okay. Um can you confirm when the database was launched by a no to violence?
It was very very recently before the last estimates hearing is the answer. But Lauren has the actual.
So did you say just before?
Just before the last hearing of estimates, yeah.
Okay. And uh was that was that the expected launch date? Was there any delays? Uh was it on time?
It's delayed by about six weeks.
Six weeks. Um the May 23 budget announced uh family domestic violence prevention measures was 8.5 million. Can the department confirm how much of this was allocated to the perpetrator referral database?
I don't have that information at hand. Um I'm quite sure that we've provided this on notice previously at the last estimates hearings.
Oh, okay. To me?
But I don't have it with me right now.
Okay, well we can look that up. Um so the uh what features does the men's referral service have?
Um it's Rachel Green, um, branch manager of group manager for Family Safety Group. So the men's referral service is uh a service that provides counselling um support. It's a telephone service and as uh Ms. McKenzie said it's a referral service into the broader system into men's behaviour change services or for men's seeking support.
But there isn't on there's a chat tool. I've seen it. Um is that manned by a human uh or is it uh or is it AI like is a chat bot?
I feel fairly confident and we can absolutely come back to you on notice in relation to that, but given the nature of the issues that are likely to be raised over the phone, it wouldn't need to be a human and uh a specialist of public.
Um so what are the qualifications of the people on the it's not just an outsourced uh telephone line uh you know call centre, I'd imagine. What are the qualifications of the people taking the calls?
It's uh a specialist service um it does operate in Victoria where there are mandatory qualifications required. It's it's generally a social worker level. Uh we can we can provide kind of more advice in relation to that.
And how does one uh you know a user of domestic violence that wants to seek out help? Uh how do they how do they uh or even thinking about using abusive behaviour? How do they come across this referral service? Um Is there any promotional material marketing allocated to the service?
That's what I think men's referral service and as broadly noted. Uh are very much promoted as the key portal and and the platform for uh men seeking support, help, advice in relation to that. So I think most stakeholders uh nationally would promote um that service.
Um does the have also been campaign materials released by Nota Violence to promote the referral service and their services.
Okay. Does does the service have uh do you show wait times, uh availability of programs, services, that sort of thing?
Does it show wait times?
Yeah.
As in uh does it display wait times?
Well, I've been I've gone on there and had a look. Um and uh I'm just wondering how what's the value add here? Because there's the a lot of the information that you can get on there you can just find by Googling. So I'm trying to figure out like what what's the value add to the user of domestic violence or the person that's thinking about it that they can't otherwise just you know chat GPT or Google. It's a counselling service as well, Senator.
Sorry to interrupt you.
Yes, so so when they're referring out to get help or or is the help only just what you can uh get over the phone with that particular clinician that they might be talking to.
No, no, so it's a counselling service. So it's telephone, so councillors will um speak with people who are calling in. Yeah. And they may also refer to other services that would be appropriate for at that the caller to access.
Yeah, so when they are referring them to other services, because they need greater therapy, greater help. Uh is there any awareness of wait times of like is there in terms of demand of the services that they're referring to?
I see what you sorry, I see what you mean.
Yeah. Um Thank you, we got that.
Sorry, we didn't. No, no, no. I'm happy to take my share of that.
Um I was going to say, I mean, I think uh in terms of the referral, this is this is a statewide national, it's it's a service that is going to have an understanding in relation to that. Um the services will inform, I think, in relation to whether often if you're referring into a group or a men's behaviour change program, for example, there will be some wait times. Most most services will offer one-on-one support, interim support, um depends on the nature of the service, depends on how they offer.
Are they provided with formal referrals that they could then use to get a booking with the next level of support that they need, or is it simply just information this is where you can go to get more help?
Uh I probably couldn't answer that. I mean I think it's it's likely to be uh maybe a warm referral, it may be a direct connection in relation to another service. Uh it might be information that's provided for them to then go and follow up that service themselves.
Has there been an evaluation into the effectiveness of the service?
There's a evaluation in 2024 into the men's referral service, which was completed in June 24 and the final report published in December 24.
And who did that? Was that where to research? Uh where to research based consulting.
Is that the one? Sorry, Senator, give us a second. It's um might need to, I can probably find it for you. You want to move on to your next question?
I can probably so come back to me on that then. Um what was the feedback? Um what's importantly I want to know what you've done since receiving that report in 2024 in terms of adapting the service and uh improving it so that it's able to meet those important needs.
Um I'd like to know how many men have it'll be important to say, Senator, that the Minister's leading has led an extensive consolation con consultation around the second action plan on family domestic and sexual violence. So all of these services are currently live in terms of a lot and a lot of these services have been evaluated. And there's currently a process to look at that in the context of the next action plan on family domestic and sexual violence. So that's currently the live issue.
Just to be clear, I'm not at all critical. Oh no, I'm not sure. I'm just trying to understand what's the real value out here. You know, these things should be always reviewed. And then hopefully we're actually acting on those reviews. So I'm trying to understand what were the improvements made as a result of the review so that we can because let's So we still have a scourge of family domestic violence in this country.
The point I'm trying to make. The point I'm trying to make is that this is this won't be the only service and programme where which are currently being actively looked at. So looking at those evaluation findings. And then process of consultation.
Do we do track the number of men accessing it?
We do, Senator Canoe. I'm very happy to come back to the number of men accessing the service. Who undertook the evaluation? So that was published in the case. And Ms. Green is just going to talk you through some of the findings of the evaluation and actions out of that.
And then I'm going to rotate the call.
Sure. This um if you could come back to me with the the um the did you have the number of men? Did you say?
Yeah, we do have the number of men. Um so in the 2025 26 financial year, the men's reservoir referral service responded to 11,975 inbound calls and chats.
Okay, and sorry, Church, it's final. When you come back to me on that question around the referrals, I think the term you use with warm referral. Uh just precisely what does that mean?
That's what the looks like.
Uh yeah, is it is it a form what I would call a formal referral where someone could actually take that and go and get a booking? Or is it just point you in the right direction kind of referral? Which would be my interpretation of what you mean by war.
Supported. Yeah, okay.
Okay.
We'll come back.
Thank you. Senator Thorpe, I believe, is on by video conference. Senator Thorpe, you've got the call for 15 minutes.