Keeping Women Safe in Their Homes Program

The Keeping Women Safe in their Homes (KWSITH) program provides funding to support women and their children who experience family violence to have security upgrades made to their homes, or a home of their choice, so they may safely stay there.

Security upgrades can include, but are not limited to

• solid core doors
• security screen doors
• door viewers
• door chains
• door locks
• sensor lights

In some cases, funding may also be approved for the addition of:

• window locks,
• security window screens
• security camera/s with the capacity to collect admissible evidence
• mobile phone where it provides additional safety

KWSITH funding may be approved for disability modifications alongside security upgrades. Where there is a delay in access to NDIS funded supports, and a disability modification is required in order to facilitate a move to a new home, applications for modifications may include, but are 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.

KWSITH funding is delivered through Safe at Home: the Tasmanian Government’s Integrated Criminal Justice Response to Family Violence, on behalf of the Department of Social Services.

The Salvation Army's Safer in the Home Program

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

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.

Flexible Support Packages

Flexible Support Packages (FSP) are designed to support victim-survivors and their children by providing practical supports to those experiencing financial hardship by enhancing safety and wellbeing when leaving a relationship and living situation, where there has been an experience of family violence. FSP are intended to complement practical resources and support offered by existing community, government and non-government service providers.

Packages can be applied for to support victim-survivors and their children to cover the following types of expenses:

• Relocation costs or bond
• Bills including utilities
• Food
• Clothing
• Medical supplies and medication not covered by Medicare or the PBS
• Medical appointment gaps not covered by Medicare, including dental
• White goods
• Mobile phone and credit
• Furniture

This is not an exhaustive list, and applications should be tailored to the needs of the victim-survivor and their children.

FSP are delivered through Safe at Home: the Tasmanian Government’s Integrated Criminal Justice Response to Family Violence.

Additional services