The Keeping Women Safe in their Homes (KWSITH) program supports women experiencing family violence and their affected children by providing security upgrades to their current home, or a home of their choice, so they can safely stay there.

There are a number of eligibility criteria that applicants must meet to access this funding including:

• Family violence must have been reported to Tasmania Police
• The applicant must be receiving support from a family violence service provider, who will submit the application and ensure appropriate safety planning is in place, as well as identify any additional support services that may be required.  Self-referrals are not accepted.

Upon application from a family violence service provider, funding may be approved for security upgrades including, but not limited to:

• Solid core doors
• Security screen doors
• Door viewers
• Door chains
• Door locks
• Sensor lights
• Window locks

In some cases (e.g. where a significant security breach has occurred at the home of the victim-survivor or where a very high level of risk has been identified), funding may also be approved for additional items subject to approval by the Director of Safe at Home.

KWSITH funding may be approved for disability-related modifications in conjunction with security upgrades. Where access to NDIS-funded supports is delayed and disability modifications are required to facilitate a victim-survivor's move to a new home, funding may be considered for modifications including, but not limited to:

• Installation of ramps
• Widening of doorways
• Bathroom modifications
• Bedroom modifications

Disability modifications may relate to the needs of the woman, or any child(ren) in her care.

For rental properties, written consent from the landlord to undertake the proposed security upgrades must be obtained and submitted with the application.

KWSITH funding is administered through Safe at Home, the Tasmanian Government’s integrated criminal justice response to family violence.

Family violence service providers can submit an online application by clicking this link - Keeping Women Safe in their Home Application Form.  Please note, a secure access code is required to access and submit the application.

Flexible Support Packages (FSP) are designed to assist victim-survivors of family violence and their affected children by providing essential and practical support to those experiencing financial hardship.  The aim is to enhance safety and wellbeing for individuals and families who are leaving, or have left, a relationship or living situation affected by family violence.

FSP are intended to complement, not replace, practical resources and support offered by existing community, government and non-government service providers.

All requested items must demonstrate a direct connection to, and arise from, recent experiences of family violence and support the ongoing safety, wellbeing and recovery needs of the victim-survivor and their children.

There are a number of eligibility criteria that applicants must meet to access this funding including:

• Family violence must have been reported to Tasmania Police
• The applicant must be receiving support from a family violence service provider, who will submit the application and ensure appropriate safety planning is in place, as well as identify any additional support services that may be required.  Self-referrals are not accepted.

Upon application by a family violence service provider, funding may be approved to assist victim-survivors and their children with a range of essential and practical expenses including:

• Rent, bond and relocation costs
• Utility and essential item expenses
• Food and clothing
• Furniture and whitegoods
• Medical supplies and medication not covered by Medicare or the PBS
• Medical appointment gaps not covered by Medicare, including dental
• Vehicle and travel costs

This is not an exhaustive list, and applications should be tailored to the individual's circumstances, safety concerns and recovery needs.

FSP funding is administered through Safe at Home, the Tasmanian Government’s integrated criminal justice response to family violence.

Family violence service providers can submit an online application by clicking on this link - Flexible Support Packages Application Form.  Please note a secure access code is required to access and submit the application.

Safer in the Home is a national family and domestic violence brokerage support program, delivered by The Salvation Army, to help women and children stay safe in their family homes (if safe to do so).

The program supports victim-survivors of family violence with basic home security upgrades and technology interventions, aiming to minimise the social and economic consequences of escaping family violence that may occur when forced to leave the family home, such as homelessness, disconnection from community, unemployment, and disruption to children’s schooling.

Safer in the Home is available to women with or without accompanying children throughout Australia where the current level of risk is assessed as being “at risk” or “elevated risk”.  The program is also suitable for:

• Aboriginal women who want to stay connected to their family, community and remain on country.
• Women living in remote and rural communities where they experience limited access to specialist family violence services.
• Women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds wishing to stay connected to and supported by their community.
• Women living with disability in a house that has been upgraded to meet their needs and wish to stay in their property.

Professional referrals are preferred and must be accompanied by a completed family violence risk assessment. Non-specialist services are also able to refer to the program and will be supported to complete a family violence risk assessment if required.

To find out more visit the Safer in the Home website.

The Leaving Violence Program supports victim-survivors to make choices about  leaving violent intimate partner relationships by offering individualised financial payments, safety planning and connection to support services.

To be eligible for support though The Leaving Violence Program all of the below eligibility criteria must be met:

• Be a victim-survivor experiencing intimate partner violence;
• Have left or have a plan to leave a violent intimate partner relationship;
• Have changed, or have been planning to change, how or where you live in the past 12 weeks because of the violence.  This can, for example, be that:
  • You have left your shared home, or
  • Your partner has left or been made to leave your shared home and you have stayed in the home, or
  • You have a plan, or want help to make a plan, to leave a partner who uses violence and change your living arrangement;
• Be 18 years or older;
• Reside in Australia and have a current address (at the time of application as an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or temporary visa holder);
• Be experiencing financial stress;
• Have not been supported through The Leaving Violence Program, Escaping Violence Payment (EVP) trial, or the Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot in the last 12 months.

Victim-survivors who need support to leave a violent relationship and to live their life in safety could be eligible for up to $5,000 in financial assistance comprised of:

• Up to $1500 as a cash payment.
• Up to $3500 in goods and services such as bond, rent, short-term accommodation, moving costs, clothing, medical needs, car repairs or furniture and other basics for a new home.
• The individual support package also includes risk assessments, safety planning and referrals to other services such as counselling, legal assistance, specialist family and domestic case management, financial counselling for support with debts, and other community support services as needed for a period of up to 12 weeks.

The payment will be customised, based on the personal needs of the victim-survivor.

An application can be made directly by the victim-survivor or with assistance from a family violence or other support service.

The Leaving Violence Program is not a crisis support service and is not operated by the Safe at Home Coordination Unit.

If you have any questions or need help to complete your application, call The Leaving Violence Program directly on 1800 253 283.

To find out more visit The Leaving Violence Program website.

Additional services