2021 Annual Report

As the year comes to a close, we are proud to share The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre’s 2021 Annual Report and Our year of Impact report.

For the past 12 months, the impact of the global pandemic has transformed the way we delivered our services and changed how we lived in our homes and participated in the community. With numerous lockdowns in Victoria, this has had a profound impact on women, children and young people living with family violence and people experiencing sexual assault who have increasingly trusted us in seeking support and assistance throughout the year.

Our annual data shows that we provided support to more than 4,300 people across our services, a 3 per cent increase to the previous year. Specialist case management support was provided to 1,162 women, children and young people across the year, a 20% increase in requests for the Barwon area. Our specialist counsellor advocates provided just under 2,600 adults, children and young people with a therapeutic service including counselling and group programs.

We supported more than 438 people from the Wimmera district and 220 people in Colac. Our staff based at The Orange Door Barwon supported more than 5,600 cases, and we delivered training to more than 630 participants throughout the year.

We are grateful to our staff who have been so very adaptable and commendable in stepping up to the challenges of delivering services remotely, learning new technology, finding creative ways to engage with children and adults sensitively online and continuing to respond to the ever increasing number of high risk and complex cases. They have done this while working from their own homes, and we know that at times, this work has been harder because they cannot leave it at the door, by default inviting the difficult work they do into their own personal space.

The year brought about significant change, digital transformation, disruption and disconnection, yet through all this, our organisation still thrived. Our training delivery and group programs shifted to online delivery and achieved a high level of engagement with great outcomes and feedback received. We have a committed and capable group of people who kept our doors open across our three sites, supporting the community.

Thank you to our partner organisations, government and non-government entities who supported our vision and worked with us during the year to bring the combined impact of our work to the fore.

Finally, much appreciation to everyone who assists us to achieve our vision for a community free from family violence and sexual assault and a commitment to gender equality, social justice and human rights.

Please join us as we reflect on our year and celebrate the achievements of our organisation shared in our 2021 Annual Report and Our Year of Impact highlight.

We are a people centered organisation first and foremost, and together, we remain steadfast in achieving our vision. As we look forward to 2022, our strategic plan will guide and shape our future direction. We are excited, and prepared, for what 2022 brings.