The Protective Service officers who respond to domestic violence cases

Key Concepts

• Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT): Immediate response team for domestic violence cases with safety concerns.
• Immediate Safety Plan: A plan developed with family members to reduce the likelihood of recurring violence.
• Emergency Order: Issued by DVERT against the person causing harm, providing temporary safeguard.
• Protection Specialist Centres: Social service agencies for further intervention after DVERT's initial response.
• Alternative Care: Placement of a child in kinship, foster care, or residential care when they cannot remain safe at home.
• Interim Order: Sought from the Youth Court to temporarily place a child out of home pending investigations.
• "Three Houses" Tool: A method used to engage children and help them verbalize their abuse.
• Case Plans and Safety Plans: Regularly reviewed plans to ensure the safety and well-being of the child.
• Reunification: The process of reuniting a child with their parents after safety concerns have been addressed.
• Supervised Contact: Initial contact between the child and parents in a controlled environment.
• Safety Network: Extended family members and other adults who help check in on the family and ensure the child's safety.

DVERT Intervention

• Trigger: Police report of domestic violence with immediate safety concerns. Example: Husband threatening wife with a chopper, children hiding.
• Activation: DVERT is activated by the police.
• On-site Support: Provided if the person causing harm is present; phone support if not.
• Immediate Actions:
  • Assess immediate safety concerns.
  • Develop an immediate safety plan with family members to prevent recurring violence.
  • Issue emergency orders against the person causing harm.
• Emergency Order Details:
  • The person causing harm can be arrested for further violence within 14 days of the order.
  • Serves as a temporary safeguard until a Personal Protection Order (PPO) is issued by the court.
• Referral: After developing the safety plan, DVERT refers the case to social service agencies like Protection Specialist Centres for further intervention.

Protection Specialist Centre Intervention

• Priority: Ensuring the immediate safety of the child.
• Plan Development: Creating a plan to address safety concerns for both the child and the adult victim survivor.
• Alternative Care (Out-of-Home Placement):
  • Used when a child cannot remain safe at home.
  • Options: kinship care, foster care, or residential care (as a last resort).
  • If parents don't consent, protective services may seek an interim order from the Youth Court for temporary placement pending investigations.

"Three Houses" Tool

• Purpose: To engage children and help them verbalize abuse.
• Process:
  1. Protection officers draw three houses: a happy house, a sad house, and a house of hopes and dreams.
  2. Children describe each house, expressing their feelings and experiences.
• Benefits:
  • Allows children to verbalize their abuse.
  • Helps protection officers understand the child's perspective.
  • Emphasizes that good things can still happen, even after negative experiences.

Case Plan and Safety Plan Review

• Regular Review: Protection officers regularly review case plans and safety plans with the family.
• Adjustments:
  • Tighten the safety plan if there are new incidents of harm.
  • Progress contact and reunification plans when the family makes good progress.

Reunification Process

• Conditions: A child will be reunified with parents only when safety and risk concerns have been addressed.
• Paced Approach:
  • Starts with supervised contact in a controlled environment (e.g., the office).
  • Contact gradually increases with good progress in the case plans.
• Child Preparation:
  • Encourage the child to share their worries.
  • Assure them that the protection officer will be present.
  • Develop actions the child can use to signal discomfort.
• Goal: To build the child's sense of safety and comfort.

Post-Reunification Support

• Continued Monitoring: Ongoing work with community partners to ensure regular safety checks and monitoring.
• Safety Network: Engaging extended family members and other adults (family friends) to check in on the family and ensure the child's safety.

Conclusion

The work described is challenging but rewarding, focusing on ensuring the safety and well-being of children in domestic violence situations. It involves a multi-faceted approach, from immediate crisis intervention by DVERT to long-term support and reunification efforts by Protection Specialist Centres, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and a child-centered approach.