Geelong violence trial to help state

A Geelong-developed life-saving family violence program is to go state-wide.
Bethany chief Grant Boyd said the program helped women and children at significant and imminent threat of death and serious injury as a result of family violence.
Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos visited Bethany Community Support on Thursday for the state-wide launch of the Risk Assessment and Management Panels (RAMPs)
The rollout followed a successful trial in the Geelong and Hume local government areas.
Mr Boyd said RAMPs brought together a group of expert senior staff from a number of agencies to meet regularly to address specific and serious family violence cases.
“The collaborative approach encourages detailed information sharing and allows for a co-ordinated and tailored risk management plan to be put in place and implemented immediately,” he said.
The Barwon RAMP includes professional staff from Bethany’s family violence services, Victoria Police, Corrections Victoria, Minerva Community Services, housing, mental health, alcohol and drugs services, men’s family violence services, Child FIRST and Child Protection.
“Family violence is, unfortunately, a widespread issue and the RAMPs are already having a considerable impact in the local community,” Mr Boyd said.
“In the (last) year the Barwon RAMP assisted 38 women and 68 children at a time when they were often fearing for their lives.
“Our clients are telling us that they feel a great sense of trust in this system.”
Mr Boyd said the program was successful because of its tailored approach which exposed perpetrators of violence to the full view of all services.
“The RAMPs model is a move away from a one size fits all response to family violence,” he said.
He said the State Government provided almost $9 million over four years to specialist family violence agencies, funding 17 full-time RAMP co-ordinators.