About Safe Haven
On 26 July 2005, the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments signed a memorandum of understanding to give Indigenous families, their children and communities the opportunity to build a better future. As a result, the Safe Haven initiative was created.
The Safe Haven Memorandum of Understanding has the following objectives:
- to develop strategies to tackle levels of Indigenous family violence and child abuse
- to develop local solutions to issues that contribute to violence, such as alcohol and drug use, and address causal factors to family violence, particularly socio-economic and participatory issues, to effect sustainable change
- to empower local communities to develop and implement strategies to reduce and prevent family violence and child abuse within their communities
- to strengthen organisational capacity to deliver services and achieve outcomes
- to deliver sustainable outcomes for Indigenous communities, particularly in remote and rural areas
- to be action rather than research oriented
- to not duplicate current services and programs.
The Safe Haven project is a service model that provides:
- a timely response to family violence
- an integrated case management approach to deal with complex needs
- an approach that builds community capacity to manage family violence and interrelated alcohol abuse
- improved service system coordination for better outcomes.
Objectives of Safe Haven
In partnership with Cherbourg, Palm Island, Mornington Island and Coen Aboriginal communities in Queensland, the objectives are to:
- implement core elements of the Memorandum of Understanding - integrate services, service hubs and outreach functions
- appoint four Safe Haven project officers to build community capacity
- establish Community Forums to enable local community participation and consultation
- establish Local Community Project Groups to advise and support the implementation of the Safe Haven model of service delivery
- develop a culturally sensitive model to reduce the impact of family violence on children and young people
- provide a sustainable integrated response to the safety of children and young people exposed to domestic and family violence
- enhance community capacity to manage the impact of violence in families
- strengthen families and support community parenting capacity
- prevent some of the harms associated with family violence in the community
- contribute to developing safe communities.