Objectives

FSP are designed to contribute to a holistic response to victim-survivors and their children by providing practical supports to enhance safety and wellbeing when leaving a relationship and living situation, where there has been an experience of family violence.  Risk assessment and safety planning are key components of FSP to support a holistic, individualised response to safety needs.

Eligibility Criteria

To access funding through FSP, a victim-survivor is required to be part of the Safe at Home service system by making a report about family violence to Tasmania Police.

FSP will not be accessible to victim-survivors who wish to continue their relationship with the family violence perpetrator. If a victim-survivor resumes their relationship with a family violence perpetrator, access to this financial assistance will cease.

To be eligible a victim-survivor must meet the following criteria:

• has experienced family violence as defined in the Family Violence Act 2004
• is planning to leave their current spouse or partner (the family violence perpetrator) or have left their spouse or partner within the last 12 months
• has no intention of reconciling with the perpetrator of the abuse.

Victim-survivors who have a nationally recognised order (may be called an intervention order, apprehended domestic violence order, domestic violence order or protection order), and have experienced family and domestic violence from an intimate partner as defined in the Family Violence Act 2004, are eligible for FSP in consideration of the support and financial assistance they have received previously.

Support Package Uses

FSP aim to complement existing practical resources and support and is not intended to replace them.  Packages to a maximum of $6,000 can be applied for to support victim-survivors and their children to assist with essential items and should be tailored to their needs.

Essential items can include, but are not limited to:

• 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.  Requested items must be reasonable and cost-effective.

Transitional accommodation costs can be sought, however other avenues for support need to be exhausted prior to making such a request, such as shelter accommodation or the Homes Tasmania - Family violence rapid rehousing scheme.

Requests for security upgrades to the applicant’s property need to be submitted to the Keeping Women Safe in their Homes or Safer in the Home (Salvation Army) program.

How to Apply

1.  To apply, eligible persons should contact a victim support service who will make an application for FSP funding on their behalf. You can find a list of victim support services here (internal link) who can complete an application with you.

2. Government and non-government service providers who work with family violence victim-survivors can submit an application to Safe at Home on behalf of a client who is leaving a family violence situation after they have undertaken a family violence risk assessment and created a safety plan.

3. Please note that you cannot apply for this funding directly through the Safe at Home Coordination Unit (SAHCU). However, if you have any questions, SAHCU staff are able to help and can be contacted via email safeathome@justice.tas.gov.au

4. Applications will be assessed by the Integrated Case Coordination Committees. They may be approved in full, in part, or declined based on an assessment of risk and safety needs to ensure that the objectives of FSP are achieved within the funding available. The maximum grant available to an applicant is $6,000.00.

Finance

Once an application is approved, the SAHCU will send the service provider who submitted an application an email confirmation of the approved items.

Payments

Re-imbursement model

The service provider can purchase the approved items and invoice the SAHCU for total expenditure by providing receipts.

Service providers must provide receipts for expenditure and return any unspent money to the FSP program. Reimbursement will not be provided for unapproved expenditure, or previous expenditure prior to an FSP application being submitted.

If the application submitted by the service provider relates to expenses recently incurred by a client as a direct result of the family violence incident, the client may be reimbursed directly.

Invoice model

The service provider responsible for the application can submit an invoice to safeathome@justice.tas.gov.au for the full amount approved and the SAHCU will arrange payment. The service provider will then make payment for each item on the application and obtain a receipt.

The use of the Flexible Support Package must represent the most cost-effective, timely and appropriate response to meet the risk and safety needs of the victim-survivor and their children.

For more information download the Flexible Support Packages information sheet