OUR REFUGE
Macleod Accommodation Support Service supports women and children experiencing domestic and family violence achieve safe and secure accommodation.
We provide intensive, trauma informed case management, including therapeutic responses, crisis intervention, legal support, advocacy, and support to access sustainable long term, safe accommodation.
As a service we are continually reviewing and advancing our practises and endeavour to provide our clients with the most practical and supportive services available. The accommodation we offer is based on unit-style independent living with after hours emergency on-call availability.
Services are provided on a continuum:
- Refuge – crisis accommodation with high level of support
- Short to medium term accommodation – short to medium term accommodation with medium-low level of support
- Specialist mobile outreach – Immediate crisis and brief intervention support up to 12 weeks
Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Support (Refuge)
Our team comprises domestic and family violence specialist workers who provide intensive case management and support specific to women and children’s needs, housing assistance, and mobile outreach clients.
Case management is an integral feature of life at Macleod. During case management clients and domestic violence specialists (DVS) work collaboratively to produce and define goals for the client and design case plans which inform client needs. This approach highlights the value women have as being the experts of their own stories.
We value to diversity of the women we work with and employ a range of services regularly to further our supports including interpreting services, advocacy support, immigration, family law, education, Child Safety, police, Centrelink, and medical services.
Children’s Support
Our focus is on providing safety and security for children and their mothers as well as helping children find their voice and providing a safe space for them to be heard. Children should feel validated in their thoughts and feelings and must feel they can safely voice any concerns or worries they may be experiencing.
Macleod Accommodation Support Service also provides parenting support for women and promotes psychoeducational awareness through groups and individual supports with the aim that by the time a child leaves the refuge, they will be able to have a mental “safety hand” of five support people who they can contact if they need help.
Our child support worker is also available to assist clients with school and childcare enrolments and – at times – legal and medical appointments in order to ease some strain for mothers during already difficult times.
Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Mobile Outreach
Specialised mobile support is provided in a range of settings including motels, supported housing in a community setting or in a public space. We support women and children by providing safety plans and risk assessment, linkages and engagement with other service providers and referrals to other services to support and enhance outcomes for women and children to stay safe and either sustain their tenancy or access safe and sustainable housing options.
We are able to provide material aid for clients to access essential items including food, clothing, transport and fuel.
The model of service is a 2 worker model, for mobile outreach appointments to ensure safety of staff, we provide after hours and weekend on call service for emergencies and respond to referrals up until 7pm daily. Urgent referrals can be actions / accepted outside of usual business hours.
Children & Young People's Rights
We understand that for women who have experienced domestic violence, parenting can be an added stressor. Our caseworkers are available to support mothers in using alternative and appropriate parenting strategies that will help build strong and healthy attachments.
Witnessing and/or experiencing domestic violence and abuse can have a profound impact on the emotional wellbeing of children and young people.
Children and young people have the right to:
- Be heard and listened to without judgement;
- Be trusted and treated with respect;
- Have space and privacy;
- Be treated as an individual; and
- Confidentiality of information.
