Annual
Report

2021–22

One in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a man they know.

More than half of the women who experience violence are caring for children at the time.

A woman is killed by her intimate partner on average every week.

This must change.
We believe it can change.

When women and men have equal power, value and opportunity, violence against women is less likely.

We work with individuals, organisations and the community to prevent, respond, recover and heal from family violence. We support Victim Survivors and partner with other organisations and funders to improve services and equip the community to create positive attitudes to gender equality.

FVREE AT
A GLANCE

Our vision is for our community to be free from family violence, where everyone is safe.

FVREE exists to support victim survivors and to break the cycle of family violence.

We do this by:

Working with individuals

Support for victim survivors to respond to family violence

  • Assessment and response services (through The Orange Door)
  • Case management support
  • Recovery – counselling and support to rebuild life

Working with Communities

Primary prevention to break the cycle of family violence

  • Working towards gender equality
  • Raising awareness of the social structures that enable inequality, and that drive family violence
    ‍

Education and training to reduce the impact of family violence

  • Equipping our community to recognise and respond to violence
  • Providing the tools for individual and community change

Working at a system level

  • Partnering across services to improve system responses and build sector capability
  • Advocating and influencing policy and system reform

RESPONSE SERVICES IN EASTERN METROPOLITAN REGION

A snapshot
9,461
clients received response services
$17.8M
revenue
135
staff

Message FROM OUR CHAIR & CEO

SANDIE DE WOLF AMCHAIR
CHRISTINE MATHIESON
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Welcome to this year's Annual Report, which is presented using our new brand and name, FVREE – Free From Family Violence. This is an exciting and important change for EDVOS, signalling a strong and empowering message about the critical and vital work we do for Victim Survivors — striving for them to be free from family violence.

Following an in-depth process in 2022 which included focus groups and feedback from staff, clients and stakeholders, we agreed that changing our name signals a strong message about our aspiration and values in working with individuals and the community to break the cycle of family violence. Our new brand is built upon the vision and inspiration of our founders and the amazing fortitude, determination and spirit they had to start a refuge for women in need in 1994. Since then and more recently, following the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which has led to our significant growth and expansion, it was time to reset our vision and aspiration as FVREE.

The past 12 months have been incredibly busy as we continued to grapple with the challenges of COVID-19, transitioned into both the Inner and Outer East Orange Doors located in Box Hill and Croydon, welcomed many new staff, farewelled others and repositioned as part of our rapid growth. Our annual revenue grew to $17.8M and we achieved a surplus of $2.8M, a once off outcome due in part to changes in our operations as we transitioned to the Orange Doors.

As we grow in size, we grow as an organisation and as individuals. Each and every day we are inspired by our clients and our staff who work to prevent, respond to and assist Victim Survivors to heal and recover from family violence. We are so impressed by the impacts and changes our staff have in lives of so many women and children experiencing harm and trauma. We thank you all for choosing to work with FVREE and building better lives for people. We also acknowledge our skilled and experienced leadership team, who together with all of our staff help create the cohesive, empowered and collaborative culture we strive for. We thank you all so sincerely.

Read More

Our Work

We work across the continuum of family violence which includes prevention, attitudinal change, education, intervention, support and recovery.
PARTNERSHIPS, COLLABORATION & SYSTEMIC CHANGE  

We partner across the mainstream and specialist service system to improve outcomes for Victim Survivors. We collaborate to influence policy and advocate for systemic change.

RESPONDING TO FAMILY VIOLENCE
Individual support

ACCESS & RESPONSE

The Orange Door
Assessing the risk of women and children experiencing violence, undertaking initial safety planning and connecting them with the right supports

Learn more

SUPPORT & RECOVERY

Working alongside Victim Survivors and their children to manage risk and enhance safety through a tailored support plan

Learn more
CHANGING ATTITUDES TO GENDER & EQUIPPING THE COMMUNITY
Community & systemic work

PRIMARY PREVENTION

Working with the community to change attitudes to gender and promote equality, addressing the drivers of family violence

Learn more

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Educating the community to help recognise and respond to family violence.

Learn more
A community free from violence
RESPONDING TO
FAMILY VIOLENCE
Individual support
CHANGING ATTITUDES TO GENDER
& EQUIPPING THE COMMUNITY
Community & systemic work
Access &
Response
Support &
Recovery
Primary Prevention
Training & education
A community free from violence

The Orange Door

Assessing the risk of women and children experiencing violence, undertaking initial safety planning and connecting them with the right supports

Learn more

Working alongside Victim Survivors and their children to manage risk and enhance safety through a tailored support plan

Learn more

Working with the community to change attitudes to gender and promote equality, addressing the drivers of family violence

Learn more

Educating the community to help recognise and respond to family violence

Learn more

Our Impact

Last year we developed a Theory of Change – a statement of our ambition about our impact and a way to track our progress over the next seven to 10 years towards a community free from family violence where everyone is safe.

The Theory of Change outlines who we will work with, what we want to achieve and the pathways we will take to get there.

Most of our work is funded to focus on individuals, but to bring about the changes needed to break the cycle of family violence in society we must continue our work at community and systemic levels.

But how will we know we are making an impact? Over the next year we will focus on developing an outcomes framework so we can measure both outcomes and impact. Using the Family Violence Outcomes Framework as our base, and working with other organisations in our sector, we will look at measures at individual, community and system levels. This will help us meaningfully map and report on our progress against the Theory of Change, and ultimately our vision of a community free from violence where everyone is safe.

We welcome people from the LGBTQIA+ community. We strive to break down barriers and create a safe and inclusive experience for all people who connect with FVREE.

Some highlights this year

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORANGE DOORS

In September 2021, the Victorian Government opened the Inner East Orange Door in Box Hill and the Outer East Orange Door opened in Croydon in May 2022. FVREE is the specialist family violence support service in those Orange Doors.

Staff from multiple agencies have come together to provide an integrated response through this innovative model for entry to the service system. The success of the Orange Doors has been built on the strong collaborative partnerships we have developed.

INCLUSION AND INTERSECTIONALITY

We’ve been working to deliver on our strategic ambition to be an inclusive organisation that actively considers and applies an intersectional framework in the work that we do. We’ve started work on our Reconciliation Action Plan and a Victim Survivor Partnering Framework, which builds on a project we ran in 2021. It will guide and facilitate client participation to contribute their lived experience as a means to improve service quality and safety. It will build our organisational capability through tools and resources that will help amplify the voice of Victim Survivors.

SAFETY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

The new Child Safety Standards have been introduced to further strengthen protections for children and young people from abuse by people in organisations. This year we have engaged the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) to support us to embed best practice in safeguarding children and young people and achieve certification against the new Standards.

In addition to institutional abuse, we know the number of children exposed to family violence is high, with devastating impacts.1 Over the coming year, we will be reviewing and strengthening our practice in working with children Victim Survivors.

WORKING TOWARDS GENDER EQUITY IN THE COMMUNITY

Our primary prevention and education work continued to play a significant role in attitudinal change around gender equality in mainstream communities. ‍

1.Australian Institute of Family Studies

Responding
t0 family
violence

Access &
REsponse

The Orange Door is the gateway for adults, children and young people to access support from the family violence and family service systems.

The Orange Door is the gateway for adults, children and young people to access support from the family violence and family service systems.

The Orange Door

Visible access hubs were developed in response to The Royal Commission into Family Violence, which found that people often don’t know where to go for help and get “bounced around the system,” receiving fragmented and poorly coordinated responses.

The Commission recommended establishing a network of Support and Safety Hubs to ensure there is "no wrong door" into the support systems. These hubs are now called The Orange Door network and exist across Victoria.

Frequent support requests made via The Orange Door included:

  • Victim Survivor safety
  • Financial support
  • Child wellbeing
  • Access to crisis accommodation.
FVREE RESPONDED
TO 4,782 CASES

As the specialist Family Violence Service in Eastern Melbourne, FVREE partners with Anglicare, Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Centre, Uniting, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and Family Safety Victoria to operate the Inner and Outer East metropolitan region Orange Doors.

INNER EAST
OPENED IN
SEPTEMBER 2021
OUTER EAST
OPENED IN MAY 2022

The Orange Door works in partnership with multiple providers to ensure that perpetrators of violence are kept in view and that individuals and families only need to tell their stories once to receive quick access to integrated safety and wellbeing support.

Collaborative partnerships exist with a wide range of services including mental health, alcohol and other drugs, education, health, youth and the justice system.

I am grateful to Orange Door for support. Talia*has been calm and reassuring. Always dependable, calling me at the times we agreed. Its helped me so much with building resilience and strength for myself and my kids."
— Orange Door Client
*Orange Door worker. Not her real name.

AISHA’S
EXPERIENCE

People don’t understand what it’s like when family violence comes into your life. And when you finally ask for help, you are full of fear: Will he find me? Will the courts take my kids because I’m not protecting them like I want to?
Read more

Support &
Recovery

Working alongside Victim Survivors and their children to manage risk and enhance safety through a tailored support plan.

Working alongside Victim Survivors and their children to manage risk and enhance safety through a tailored support plan.

Once referred to us through The Orange Door, our support and recovery team works with Victim Survivors to develop tailored support packages to address identified needs.

This can include:

  • Ongoing risk assessment and management using the Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) to improve connection and coordination between services
  • Safety planning
  • Advocacy and liaison with police, courts and legal services
  • Crisis response
  • Supports to maintain stable safe housing
  • Providing short-term financial assistance through Flexible Support Packages (FSPs) and other brokerage programs
  • Tailored care planning to meet specific needs and goals
  • Connecting to other appropriate services like financial counselling, housing services, health services, mental health, and alcohol and other drugs supports
  • Counselling and emotional support to deal with trauma.

We apply an intersectional lens to all of our work. Our approach is trauma informed, strengths based, and person centred. Together with practical supports, our specialist family violence advocates work with Victim Survivors to hold hope, validate experience, and build empowerment and self-belief.

Our support & Recovery Clients

99%
of adult clients are women
44%
of our clients are children
4%
are Aboriginal
2.3%
identity as LGBTQIA+
19%
of our clients speak a language other than English at home
‍
The top 5 languages:
  • Mandarin 15%
  • ‍Persian (excluding Dari) 14%
  • ‍Hindi 6%
  • ‍Arabic 5%
  • ‍Greek 4%
Outcomes
88%
know what to do to stay safe
82%
say FVREE supported them to feel safer
84%
felt FVREE listened to their specific needs around their identities
80%
felt FVREE supported them and their family to move forward
IMPACT
501 ADULTS AND 503 CHILDREN
engaged with our support and recovery team for case management support, typically spanning several months
218 INTENSIVE
SUPPORTS
These women received intensive case management support over a longer period to address complex circumstances and achieve identified goals
690 PACKAGES
of support totalling $2.27M provided Victim Survivors with much needed goods and services to support their safety and security, health and wellbeing and capability to participate and connect to culture and community
72 WOMEN REFERRED
TO RAMP
Those whose lives were at serious and imminent risk, were referred to the Risk Assessment Management Panel (RAMP). RAMP is co-chaired by FVREE and Victoria Police, bringing together more than 10 agencies who work collaboratively to lessen or prevent the threat to the health, safety and welfare of women and children at risk of serious harm

We understand that the safety of pets forms part of Victim Survivors' wellbeing, and that the risk to family pets is considerable within family violence situations.

Adults

Children

VIVIENNE’S
EXPERIENCE

My parents were an ethnic minority group and were impacted by war. They fled from their home and ended up in refugee camps, and from there sought asylum in Australia.
Read more

Changing
attitudes
to gender &
equipping thE
community

Primary
Prevention

We know from research that the underlying cause of family violence is gender inequality. Our work in prevention is aimed at stopping it from occurring in the first place by changing the social conditions in our community that excuse, justify or promote violence against women.

We know from research that the underlying cause of family violence is gender inequality. Our work in prevention is aimed at stopping it from occurring in the first place by changing the social conditions in our community that excuse, justify or promote violence against women.

Level Playground

Creating a space for children to form healthy and safe relationships and inclusive attitudes to gender

Attitudes to gender are formed early in life. Creating inclusive environments free from restrictive and harmful gender stereotypes helps cement healthy attitudes to gender in the next generation.

Level Playground is all about giving children the chance to be their true selves – to learn and play in ways that they choose, and to feel safe, supported and inspired to discover new things.

We do this by providing:

  • A range of online resources for parents and caregivers
  • Training and workshops in early learning settings and schools on building respectful relationships
  • Gender Equity Resource Tubs for early childhood educators.
Our impact in 2021-22
100%
of parents/care givers reported feeling more confident in promoting gender equality and respectful relationships
99%
of parents/caregivers said that their awareness of the importance of promoting healthy messages that combat gender stereotypes had increased
100%
of educators said their understanding of the importance of promoting gender equality in early years had increased and 95% said that their confidence to deliver activities that promote gender equality in their services had increased
I look forward to watching Level Playground continue to grow. It's such a fantastic resource and I'm a big fan! I have found it so helpful as a parent to my 7-year-old son."
— Parent & health professional

Leaders for change

Equipping young people to be gender equality ambassadors

One in 4 Australian young people are willing to excuse violence from a partner, and 1 in 3 believe that women prefer a man to be in charge in a relationship.

The Leaders for Change program inspires young people to create social change by becoming ambassadors for gender equality and respectful relationship for their local community and beyond.

According to the National Framework for the Prevention of Violence against Women, raising awareness is an important first step, but is not enough, to change the underlying drivers of violence against women. Through a series of four workshops, this program builds not just awareness but also skills, confidence and knowledge to become active bystanders for gender equality and respect.

Thank you to our partners including Whitehorse Council for their generous support.

Our impact in 2021-22
100%
of participants said their knowledge and skills in how to be a leader for change had increased
86%
of participants feel more confident to advocate and lead discussions about gender equality with other young people
100%
of participants feel more motivated to do something about gender inequality and discrimination in their school, workplace and/or the wider community

Training &
Education

Family violence takes many forms: physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, visa abuse, coercive control, financial abuse.

Our training and education programs help build community awareness of family violence in all its forms. It equips people in our community to recognise and respond to disclosures of abuse, and to make referrals to specialist services.

We know from research that the underlying cause of family violence is gender inequality. Our work in prevention is aimed at stopping it from occurring in the first place by changing the social conditions in our community that excuse, justify or promote violence against women.

HAIR-3RS

Seeking help can be difficult. Many Victim Survivors choose to talk to someone they trust, like their hairdresser or beauty therapist.

The HaiR-3Rs innovative training program equips people working in beauty and personal care services, including hairdressers, with the skills to help someone experiencing abuse.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

The generous support of City of Melbourne and Adrian from Delilah Hair Studios made it possible to offer additional free training, amplifying our impact by reaching even more salon professionals.

It was a brilliant training. It was so sad and disturbing to find out that there is such a need. I am confident now to refer our clients to the right resources. Well done and thank you.”
— Sarah, stylist
Our impact in 2021–22
Our training and our key messages had wide reach in the community.
More than
100
salon professionals trained
You Should Leave
‍Instagram reel was viewed
17,600TIMES
Stop Killing Women Instagram reel was viewed
29,983TIMES

Our People

We acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate the amazing work of our teams. They routinely encounter the worst in human behaviour, yet they stand with Victim Survivors to hold the space for hope and recovery.

A LEARNING ORGANISATION

Our staff are supported with a wide range of training in family violence practice, diversity and inclusion and more. We have invested in a dedicated Learning and Development Lead and have started work on a series of initiatives including:

  • Leadership development for our frontline leaders
  • Traineeships with comprehensive wrap-around support for new practitioners to deepen family violence practice knowledge
  • Embedding lived experience expertise in our workforce.

STAFF NUMBERS

115
30 June 2021
135
30 June 2022
148
October 2022
I love the culture here and how supportive the environment is. It is something I had not experienced until I came here."
90%
of our people said that their manager genuinely cares about their wellbeing
82%
of our people are proud to work at FVREE

Our Board & CEO

Sandie de Wolf AM
Chair
Prue Monument
Deputy Chair
Tony Pititto
Treasurer
Sonia Sharp
Secretary
Denise McLaughlin
Quality Performance & Risk Chair
Sue Campion
Director
Gary Trytell
Director
Susie Coterill
Director
Kelly Shay
Director
Chloe Symes
Director
Keira Leike
Director
Christine Mathieson
Chief Executive Officer

SUMMARY OF
FINANCIAL INFORMATION

For the financial year ended 30 June 2022, revenue was $17.8M, with a net surplus of $2.8M achieved. There was a $23K deficit in 2021.

The net asset position is sound, totalling $4.4M at year end. Funding is principally received from the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and used to fund operations. The funding and service agreement is confirmed to 30 June 2024.

The full financial statements have been audited by Moore Australia who concluded that they give a true and fair view of the organisation’s financial position and performance, and comply with Australian Accounting Standards.

$17.8M
Revenue
$4.4M
Net assets

HOW OUR FUNDS ARE USED

Statement of financial position
2021/2022
$’000s
2020/2021
$’000s
Current assets
10,558
4,595
Non-current assets
640
701
Total assets
11,198
5,296
Current liabilities
6,365
3,226
Non-current liabilities
416
448
Total liabilities
6,781
3,674
Net assets
4,417
1,622
Link to full financial statement

our Theory of Change

View our Theory of change

stratEgic plan 2021-24

View our Strategic Plan