McAuley Annual Report 2022-23 by McAuley1

Annual Report 2022–23

About McAuley McAuley Community Services for Women helps women and children who have faced family violence and homelessness to take control of their lives. We support women and their children to be safe from family violence by providing 24/7 crisis support and temporary accommodation. The women and children we support have experienced, or are at immediate risk of, serious harm: through physical and emotional violence, threats, sexual assault, and stalking. We work alongside them to plan their move towards a life free from violence. We also operate McAuley House, Footscray and Ballarat, providing accommodation for women who have experienced homelessness, many of whom have also experienced family violence. It is a place for rest, recovery and reconnection, as well as a welcoming community hub.

Family violence, women and homelessness

Our response: services that fit together

The right help at the right time

Because we work at the intersection of family violence and homelessness, we know the experiences of the women and children we support are highly complex and multi-layered. They include mental and physical ill health, isolation, poverty and unemployment. These issues overlap and co-exist, meaning one-size-fits all models – or efforts to tackle one issue at a time – are bound to fail.

Our approach puts each woman at the centre of support regardless of when she first receives our services, the complexity of her need, or her recovery time. We bring together health, legal, employment, financial, accommodation and recreational responses.

Our approach addresses all the factors that keep women trapped in cycles of homelessness, family violence and mental illness. We know that help with those underlying problems is essential for our work to have a lasting impact. We help women and children navigate from a place of trauma to safety, healing, confidence and hope.

We also recognise that children’s pain and trauma is unique and different in nature to that of their mother and requires a specialist response. We recognise the strengths of the women and children who come to us and foster their resilience in creating a new future.

Advocacy We advocate for the removal of systematic barriers that inhibit the ability of women and children to live safely and securely.

Acknowledgement of Country McAuley recognises that we live, learn and work on unceded lands. We acknowledge the First Nations Peoples as custodians, and we pay respect to their Elders past and present.

Contents A message from the Chair and CEO ��2 The women and children we supported in 2022–23 ��4 McAuley launches new family violence accommodation ��6 A safe space for healing and empowerment �� 7 Creating a new future for families at Wilma’s Place ��8 Timely conclusion for two important innovations �� 10 ‘The time is right’, re-imagining ‘Safe at Home’ �� 11 Women supporting women: celebrating 35 years of family violence crisis care �� 12 Unsung champions: volunteering to make a difference �� 14 Expanding the focus on family violence in mental health settings �� 16 Working with children – averting intergenerational impacts of family violence ��17 Support for families still homeless after COVID ��17 Donors and supporters �� 19 Our financial performance �� 20

A message from the Chair and CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM Chief Executive Officer McAuley Community Services for Women Matthew Clancy Chair Mercy Community Services Australia

Thirty-five years ago two determined Sisters of Mercy, appalled by a lack of options for women and children leaving violence, decided to do something about it. Former school principal Sr Sheila Heywood and her colleague Sr Wilma Geary began what became known as Mercy Care. It was the first 24/7 family violence crisis service in Victoria. Phone calls came at all hours of the day and night; sometimes 10 people slept on the lounge room floor. It operated on a shoestring, with no government funding, dependent on the two Sisters’ pensions. It is fitting that the inspiring legacy of these two Sisters is central to McAuley’s most significant achievements this year. We opened two new facilities, expanding our range of accommodation and support. The new buildings are named Wilma’s Place and Heywood House in their honour. Each facility addresses different, but equally pressing needs. The first responds to our long-standing concern that due to a shortage of accommodation, many women and children escaping family violence are accommodated in motels. An average of 100 each night are staying in this unsuitable accommodation, which is isolating and far from homelike, especially for children.

2 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

McAuley acquired a building, and completely overhauled it. The result — the newly opened Heywood House— is a much better option for traumatized families. It provides welcoming and safe accommodation and a chance for women to rest and recover, with 24/7 support on hand to plan the next steps, and a strong focus on the wellbeing of their children. The second facility, Wilma’s Place, is a step in addressing the dire need for more affordable housing. Women who have faced family violence, mental health challenges and poverty cannot make full recoveries when homelessness looms. We built 12 brand new apartments on the site of a previous Mercy Care facility. These provide secure, safe, longer-term housing for women and children, and women who have moved there are already telling us of a new sense of security and optimism. Another highlight of this year has been that with the COVID emergency receding, essential elements of McAuley’s ethos – connectedness and community – have returned. Skill development programs and social activities at McAuley House, Footscray and Ballarat have got their mojo back, and seeing our prized volunteers back in action has added new vitality and energy to our work. We were also able to reconnect with our supporters at our first fundraising event since COVID hit. This was a celebration of Mercy Care’s 35th anniversary, with 400 women and men coming together to hear about one of the key pillars of McAuley’s work over the past three years: advocacy for a ‘Safe at Home’ agenda.

This approach stems from our concerns that women’s decisions to leave family violence often set them on a pathway to homelessness. ‘Safe at Home’ encompasses actions to strengthen women’s ability to remain home where possible, usually with the perpetrator of violence leaving instead. Previous work to research the issue This year’s achievements have relied and partner with other on the vision, enthusiasm and hard organisations has continued, and this work of our teams. We are also year McAuley has put incredibly appreciative of the efforts together a model for of supporters, funders, partners how ‘Safe at Home’ could be established, and our board who support our goal and initiated a of a safer future for women and co-design project involving those most children. Your support helps women affected telling us and children flourish, not just what is needed to survive, after family violence and make it a reality.

homelessness.

Change of course does not always run smoothly in one direction. Unfortunately, two innovative McAuley programs will not be funded beyond 2023. While there is natural disappointment, we are certain that each of these programs put important issues on the map. Our employment program, McAuley Works, ran from 2016; it helped 1100 women and led to 338 jobs. However, the Victorian Government has scaled back its employment programs, which are, after all, a Federal responsibility; consequently, McAuley Works will not continue.

1001

Women supported

861

Children supported

The program was influential in raising awareness of family violence as a barrier to employment. It also built understanding of the importance of a job and economic security for women wanting to rebuild their lives. These are issues McAuley will continue to promote,

particularly in the evolving federal jobs programs. Another innovative program is also ending: Court Support 4 Kids. Over the past decade close to 3000 women and over 4000 children were supported. It began after our workers witnessed women being refused admittance to court if they arrived for family violence hearings accompanied by children. We began providing a service at courts so mothers could focus on their legal matters, and children weren’t retraumatised by hearing details of family violence. The increased adoption of technology in courts has meant there are significantly fewer women with children attending the courts, and the program is no longer funded. We are proud to have pioneered the service and know that it has made a difference to many families over the years and with the legacy of greater recognition of children’s needs in any court setting. This year’s achievements have relied on the vision, enthusiasm and hard work of our teams. We are also incredibly appreciative of the efforts of supporters, funders, partners and our board who support our goal of a safer future for women and children. Your support helps women and children flourish, not just survive, after family violence and homelessness. The two trail-blazers, Wilma and Sheila, would no doubt be proud of where we are today. But we can be equally sure they would be dismayed, and perhaps angry, to know that family violence has certainly not vanished, and that more women and children than ever find themselves homeless when they leave. They set us a high standard and their commitment to challenging the status quo, and vision for a safer world for women and their children, are ideals that McAuley, with your support, is equally driven and determined to achieve.

The women and children we supported in 2022–23 McAuley House – homelessness support

McAuley House Footscray

1001

Women supported

861

Children supported

Women supported

McAuley House Ballarat

Women supported

McAuley Care – family violence support Crisis

Women

Refuge

Outreach

142

Women

177

Children

Skills 4 Life program

McAuley Works

Court Support 4 Kids

Social connection and skills development

Employment support

Supporting women and children attending court

2523

489

Group work interactions

2673

One-to-one interactions

Women referred and registered with the Program

Women commenced employment

Average group sessions per month

4 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

Total supported women attending court

218

Total supported children attending court

47%

came from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Nationalities

Different culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

WEstjustice Restoring financial safety

169.4 days

Average age of women

Average length of stay

61%

49%

Had experienced family violence

Had a diagnosis or indicator of mental illness

Average age of women

Average age of children

498

Total number of women and children supported

McAuley Learning Support

PARC Family violence specialist at prevention and recovery care centres

Women supported

Addressing needs of children whose education has been disrupted

$219,901

Women supported

271

Children supported

Fines and debts waived

$94,780

Compensation received

273

Legal and financial Issues addressed

100

Tutors

Sessions

Children actively engaged

Had experienced family violence

*McAuley also supported 18 men 15 in the PARC and 3 in Homes4Families program

EXPANDING ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

“Heywood House creates a safe haven, where women and children receive individualised support and can recover and take some time before making decisions about their next move.”

Below: Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Ros Spence and McAuley CEO, Jocelyn Bignold officially open Heywood House.

McAuley launches new family violence accommodation On October 26, 2022, McAuley expanded our critical accommodation for women and children fleeing family violence, with the launch of Heywood House. The facility provides 14 units of accommodation for up to 35 women and children fleeing violence, including seven family suites and seven single units. Each one has a kitchenette and views of either a garden or courtyard. Also on site are communal spaces for social interaction, a children’s room and garden, a laundry, as well as areas where residents can work with support staff, who are on hand 24/7, or attend online meetings and court hearings. McAuley CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM said “These units will give women and children the dignity of living independently and with privacy alongside access to on-site services and support”.

6 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

Places like Heywood House are becoming more important than ever. At the time of opening, at least 98 women and children in Victoria were accommodated in motel rooms every night – which is an inadequate response in comparison to the support a site like this can provide. Family violence is the biggest, and growing, cause of homelessness in Victoria with 31,019 women and 14,757 children presented to homelessness services in 2021–22 as result of leaving violence. “Continuing our long history of providing a range of support services for women and children who have had long histories of trauma, family violence and mental illness, this site will provide refuge accommodation, and incorporate initiatives that focus on working with survivors of family violence as they rebuild their lives.” says Jocelyn. “These extend to legal, financial, and employment support of women as well as a focus on working with children to address their unique needs following trauma – including the support of their learning”.

The name Heywood House was chosen to honour Sheila Heywood, one of two Sisters of Mercy who founded McAuley’s family violence operations. She and Wilma Geary set up Victoria’s first 24/7 crisis service in North Melbourne in 1988.

“Heywood House will allow us to continue and expand that important work.”

Expanding appropriate accommodation options for women and children who are exposed to violence and homelessness is a core strategic pillar for McAuley. The operation of Heywood House has been possible thanks to funding from the Victorian Government, which provided $69.1 million for refuge and crisis accommodation for victim survivors in its 2022–23 State Budget.

A safe space for healing and empowerment A young Aboriginal leader has described Heywood House as a place where women can begin to heal and find the strength to move forward with their lives, free from violence.

“I hope every woman who comes through these doors travels safely around these halls and then travels safely on to wherever she goes next.”

Conducting a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony at Heywood House, Stacie Piper, a Wurundjeri woman, praised the new facility and the collaborative work underway to break the cycle of family violence and homelessness among women and their children. “Sadly, family violence crosses lots of cultures, and places like this are about empowering women to find their strength and use their voice,” says Stacie.

“I hope every woman who comes through these doors travels safely around these halls and then travels safely on to wherever she goes next.” Australia’s First Peoples have been using smoking ceremonies for thousands of years to cleanse people and places of bad spirits and to encourage good health and wellbeing. McAuley CEO, Jocelyn Bignold OAM, says it was timely to hold a traditional smoking ceremony to symbolically cleanse Heywood House’s living, meeting and gathering spaces. “The ceremony marked the end of a long journey to completion; the realisation of a vision held by McAuley’s Board, staff and contractors,” says Jocelyn.

EXPANDING ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

“This is a very special project for us,” said McAuley CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM. “It is an exciting opportunity for us to expand our range of accommodation to include long-term accommodation for those most in need.”

Creating a new future for families at Wilma’s Place In 1988 when Sisters of Mercy Sr Wilma Geary and Sr Sheila Heywood founded Victoria’s first 24/7 crisis accommodation centre in North Melbourne, they could only dream that over three decades later, their legacy would live on. On March 2nd, McAuley opened Wilma’s Place on the site where the Sisters ran their pioneering service for 20 years - proudly continuing the Sisters’ legacy. Opened by the Victorian Minister for Housing, Colin Brooks, the newly completed development boasts 12 architecturally designed one, two and three-bed apartments for women and children who have been homeless.

women housed

children housed

8 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

The 12 apartments, which will be rented by women led households, have been thoughtfully designed to create a living environment that facilitates the best possible outcomes for families. Each apartment has a six-star energy rating, an open plan, fully appointed kitchen and dining area; main bathroom complete with a bath, and ensuites in multi-room apartments; secure entry and intercom systems; and a balcony with views of Maribyrnong and surrounds. Centrally located and close to the Maribyrnong River, families can enjoy local walking trails and parks as well as access to major shopping centres, schools and public transport. Family violence is the biggest, and growing, cause of homelessness in Victoria. Last year 31,019 adult women and 14,757 children presented to homelessness services in Victoria as a result of family violence.

“Creating accommodation options like Wilma’s Place, which can house up to 26 women and children, is more important than ever,” said Jocelyn. “We are honoured that we can continue to realise the Sisters’ work, affording those families most at risk of homelessness the security and stability of their own home as they continue to rebuild their lives.” The development of Wilma’s Place has been possible thanks to funding by the Victorian Government’s Building Works Stimulus Program and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

Roma

Alice

‘This place feels like home,’ says Roma, five weeks after moving into brand-new — and more importantly long-term – housing built by McAuley. ‘Now I feel like I’m becoming the person I always wanted to be. I’m not that angry, anxious person anymore.’

Sitting in her brand-new, light-filled apartment Alice looks back on the last 12 months and says she feels blessed.

Roma recently worked out that she’d moved house 30 times. Often she didn’t even bother to unpack her boxes of possessions, knowing she’d soon be on the move again. But even though she’s only been living in her new apartment at Wilma’s Place a short time, she knows that this time, those boxes can finally be unpacked. ‘No-one can take this place off me,’ says Roma. ‘I’m calm, sleeping better, able to think about what I want to do in the future, instead of just day-to-day survival.’ It’s a journey that has taken years, and began when Roma first moved into McAuley House. Though she had been ‘housed’ before she arrived, that roof over her head had not brought her safety. In fact it had exposed her to trauma and fear, leading to a struggle with mental health and addiction. Roma now looks forward with optimism. Knowing she has an ongoing lease, she was able to splash out on a new couch. And, as a lover of gardening, she enjoys seeing rainbow lorikeets regularly visiting her balcony where she is growing plants.

Barely a year ago Alice was admitted to a residential mental health facility, dealing with the impact of a lifetime of trauma and violence from her mother. It was at that point though, that, as she puts it: ‘The work really started.’ It was clear that a return home would not be safe, and that Alice’s recovery could only come about in a different environment. McAuley House felt like a ‘safety bubble’ for Alice. She took up all the opportunities available, taking part in training as a barista, attending yoga, helping with food preparation, and art classes. After staying in McAuley House for around seven months, Alice was able to move into Wilma’s Place. She was overwhelmed when the opportunity arose, wondering if she was ready, and with her usual thoughtfulness, concerned that others might need it more than her. But now, for the first time, she is living in her own place. ‘My name is on the lease, and for the first time I have my own place’. Now, looking around at her lovely home where plants are thriving all around her, Alice says that a year ago, she couldn’t have imagined how far she has come. ‘I have a full, independent life, and I really feel blessed.’

Please note: Pseudonyms are used to protect the anonymity of the participants.

INNOVATIONS UPDATE

Timely conclusion for two important innovations Court Support 4 Kids With the increased adoption of technology in courts brought about largely by COVID-19, more victim survivors are now opting to attend to their legal matters online. This means there are significantly fewer women with children attending the courts. As a result of this, the funding for Court Support 4 Kids (CS4K) ended on June 30, 2023. CS4K was established in 2014 after McAuley’s children’s worker observed that women were being refused admittance to court when they were accompanied by children. The reality of attending court after a family violence incident is that few women have the financial or emotional resources to organise childcare for their court appearance, and separating children and their mothers at this

McAuley Works Beginning in 2010, McAuley’s employment program, McAuley Works, was developed in response to requests for help from women, when it became clear that the commonwealth employment services were unable to support the job seeking needs of women who were experiencing family violence, ill health and/or at risk of homelessness. Philanthropically funded for many years, our ongoing advocacy provided evidence to the State Government that these factors were barriers to secure employment and economic security. This advocacy has led to the inclusion of family violence as a barrier to employment in their subsequent contracts.

time can substantially increase stress and anxiety. Many arrived at court unaware of the delays they might encounter, without food, nappies, toys, and other essentials and many were forced to leave court before their cases were heard to attend to their children’s needs. Along with supporting the mother, CS4K also had a critical role in assisting the children who have family violence related trauma and are at risk of potential retraumatisation when hearing their mother describe what has occurred. Over the years CS4K provided workers in the Geelong, Sunshine, Ballarat and Ringwood Magistrates Courts, as well as the Melbourne Children’s Courts and operated in partnership with Bethany and the Eastern Domestic Violence Service.

Since 2016, we’ve been delivering jobs programs funded via contracts with Jobs Victoria Employment Network and more recently Jobs Victoria. Together they supported around 1100 clients with 338 jobs confirmed. Due to the State Government’s decision to scale back employment programs – an area that is traditionally Federally funded – it was confirmed that funding for McAuley Works would end. We’re working with our peak bodies to ensure that any new job services continue to evolve to better support

They supported around 1100 clients with 338 jobs confirmed.

10 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

It’s a program McAuley is so proud to have pioneered, but we recognise that, with the evolution of technology, is no longer required.

We thank the many passionate, compassionate and independent children’s workers who made such an impact on outcomes for close to 3000 women and over 4000 children in their court experience over nearly a decade.

people who have experienced family violence, poor health and homelessness into work. In fact, Jobs Victoria reported that service providers are reporting significant numbers of job seekers disclosed family violence. In some ways it shows we’ve done what we set out to do by influencing the work of the job service network. The work of supporting our clients’ economic empowerment will continue. Our next step will be to explore how economic security can be worked into our integrated service provision. Our employment program has had a long and very proud history and we celebrate the work of the many wonderful and passionate people who have put their heart and soul into this program over the years.

ADVOCACY – SAFE AT HOME

‘The time is right’, re-imagining ‘Safe at Home’ “You could say that an interest in ‘Safe at Home’ approaches has been part of McAuley’s very DNA,” says CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM.

Experience working across both the family violence and homelessness sectors has highlighted to McAuley that women were drifting into homelessness when they left family violence, and that neither ‘sector’ was seeing the connection or working at early points to prevent it. We have long observed that family violence was an ‘entry point’ into the cycle of homelessness. We see longterm impacts: poor physical and mental health, disconnection from their families, poverty, isolation, and sheer exhaustion. When women and children first leave their family home to be safe, they also leave behind communities, neighbourhoods, employment, and friends. The drift into unstable housing and homelessness means the trauma of the violence is compounded. The impacts on their children’s education and wellbeing are deep and longlasting, and the consequences continue to reverberate well down the track in their lives. For the past three years McAuley has led work exploring the damaging link between family violence and homelessness and advocated for a ‘Safe at Home’ approach to prevent it. This approach challenges the assumption that victims of violence must be the ones to leave and transforms the current default system, where women and children ‘escape’ violence and become homeless; instead, they are supported to stay home safely, while ensuring accountability for the person who has used violence.

McAuley is now proposing a trial of ‘Safe at Home’ based on these foundations, an approach that is one of seven targets of the Victorian Government’s 10-Year Plan. “It is an opportunity that we must not let slip,” says Jocelyn. Establishing a working group in 2020 together with ongoing consultation with women who have experienced violence, sector professionals, systems mapping, and systems design has led to enriched understandings of the necessary elements in a ‘Safe at Home’ approach. The trial design, delivery and evaluation will be shaped by codesign, an approach to designing with, not for people. It enables people with lived experience, communities, and professionals to work as active partners in improving something they all care about. The trial proposes a rapid response coming from an integrated, multidisciplinary team with specialist expertise in a range of support services for the victims as well as the person who uses violence. We learnt we needed swift and timely response, to prevent women having to leave the home, seeing no other option, or returning without the cause of the violence being addressed. An environment has now been created in which a ‘Safe at Home’ is the necessary and logical next step. We need to move forward now to test and refine what works with a trial which is both innovative and cost-effective.

1111

EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT – MCAULEY WORKS SUPPORTER EVENT

Women supporting women

Celebrating 35 years of family violence crisis care

Above: Comedian and MC Nelly Thomas

In April, we celebrated 35 years of providing crisis care for women and children escaping family violence. In McAuley’s first fundraising event since 2019, 400 women (and a few men) came together to support our efforts in keeping more women and children safe in their homes after violence. McAuley CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM spoke about ‘Safe at Home’, an innovative approach to tackling women’s homelessness caused by family violence that has been at the forefront of McAuley’s advocacy for the past three years. MC Nelly Thomas was joined by special guest Kym Valentine, Chair of Victim Survivor Advisory Council, and familiar television personality, who shared her personal experience of family violence. The duo discussed barriers preventing women and children being able to remain safe in their homes from a lived experience perspective which made the day both memorable and impactful.

12 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

Guests purchased raffle tickets, table centre pieces and champagne to support our fundraising efforts and were enthusiastically assisted in their purchases by student supporters from Our Lady of Mercy College Heidelberg. Prizes ranged from hotel accommodation, a coffee machine and skincare all generously donated by businesses who support our work. The afternoon was both a celebration of incredible, resilient women and a call to action for those in the room, to remember that family violence is present in every corner of society and that McAuley’s work remains more important than ever. We were so delighted to see everyone together after such a long hiatus and were genuinely grateful to all those who attended. Their commitment and support will continue to make a difference to the lives of women and children in our community.

400 women (and a few men) came together to support our efforts in keeping more women and children safe in their homes after violence.

Above: Jo Rush and Louise Greene, 2023 event organising committee Right: Kym Valentine, Chair of Victim Survivor Advisory Council

VOLUNTEERS

Unsung champions: volunteering to make a difference

52 Number of volunteers

Volunteers are an important part of the fabric of McAuley. Each volunteer brings skills and experiences that add unique value to the range of supports and programs that McAuley provides. With 52 of them giving freely of their time, they bring matchless energy and enthusiasm to McAuley’s services. Yet somehow volunteers such as Helen Burtuna and Tracey Maney take the view they are getting back much more than they give and enjoy making a contribution.

827 Volunteer hours Volunteers returned

face-to-face in September 2022

‘As human beings we’re all connected. By helping someone, I’m lifting everyone in the community up just a little,’ Helen says. ‘There is an amazing feeling of wellbeing after I volunteer.’ Helen’s teaching skills have made her a natural fit for our education program, McAuley Learning Support, which matches volunteer tutors to provide weekly online tutoring support. The tutors are an invaluable resource for children whose education has been disrupted by family violence and could easily become disconnected from schooling. She says the child she is tutoring is doing quite well at school, so the sessions tend to be light-hearted. ‘Sometimes she is a bit tired (and grumpy!) for her sessions, so we adapt to how she’s feeling. We might sing together; I keep it fun and engaging.’ Another McAuley volunteer Tracey says that she had ‘been looking to do something after retiring from [her] job as a massage therapist.’ But when COVID hit, volunteering everywhere became vastly constricted or moved online. While during that time she did

some teaching sessions via Zoom for providers of English as a Second Language courses, she preferred to be doing something with a human connection. ‘McAuley really seemed to tick all the boxes,’ she says. Tracey now comes to McAuley once a fortnight helping to prepare the evening meal for women living at McAuley House Footscray. She also provides a guided meditation course to help with relaxation, techniques which can be very helpful for women who’ve often gone through considerable trauma. Getting to know the women there and their stories, Tracey has noticed the diversity in their histories that led to homelessness and is impressed by their journeys. ‘Everyone wants an opportunity to thrive,’ Tracey says. ‘The women are very caring and supportive of each other, and there’s always happiness and joy when someone is about to move on to independent living. They often come back to say hello. There’s a real community there, and I enjoy being part of it.‘ On top of their usual work, both volunteers frequently answer callouts when McAuley has needed something extra, such as doing goldcoin Christmas present wrapping at shopping centres, assembling industrial shelving units and putting together flat pack pieces of furniture. In fact, Helen relishes the ‘behind the scenes’ anonymity of rolling her sleeves up and doing these important tasks that some might find tedious. Though she does admit that there might be a bedside table somewhere that’s been put on back to front!

Right: Tracey and Helen wrapping Christmas presents

14 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

‘The women are very caring and supportive of each other, and there’s always happiness and joy when someone is about to move on to independent living. They often come back to say hello. There’s a real community there, and I enjoy being part of it.‘

MENTAL HEALTH PREVENTION AND RECOVERY

“When family violence is overlooked or not recognised when a person presents with mental illness, all aspects of recovery and care planning will be hampered and incomplete”

Expanding the focus on family violence in mental health settings McAuley has been working in partnership with leading mental health provider Wellways Australia since 2020, to address the challenge of identifying family violence exposure among women seeking support. In September 2022, our support expanded with the opening of the new Yanna Yanna Women’s Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) service in Melbourne’s West. Providing vital mental health services to women who need short-term mental health care, it’s the first in Victoria to prioritise keeping families together, providing accommodation for women to stay with their children, and the first purpose-built PARC for women in the western suburbs.

Family violence can be an invisible and misunderstood factor in people being treated in mental health settings. It can also mean that being discharged back to an unsafe home will further undermine a person’s mental health, leaving them at risk of homelessness. Presentations at Victorian homelessness services because of family violence represented 42 per cent of all clients in 2021, with mental health issues accounting for 40 per cent. ‘When family violence is overlooked or not recognised when a person presents with mental illness, all aspects of recovery and care planning will be hampered and incomplete,’ says Liv, one of the McAuley’s PARC workers. ‘This can be because the person feels acknowledgement of a central part of their experience – especially the impact of living in constant fear – is missing.’ McAuley now provides support across 5 PARC services operated by Wellways in Melbourne’s West.

100

Women supported

Children supported

Men supported

16 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

McAuley Children’s and Family Worker provides specialised child focused, trauma informed interventions for children in collaboration with mothers and caregivers. The worker provides individualised support to empower women and children in repairing bonds and relationships and creates opportunities to educate mothers to engage in play and a sense of fun with their children. Using a strengths-based practice, mothers are supported to develop appropriate boundaries and routines for their children.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Working with children – averting intergenerational impacts of family violence The trauma and disruption caused by family violence can significantly impact children, adversely affect their development, educational outcomes and result in significant intergenerational impacts of family violence. The link between childhood trauma and poor outcomes as adults is extremely high.

Mothers are also encouraged to participate in the sessions with their children which can help mend their bond, which can so often be damaged after living in a violent household. Part of the children’s worker’s role is to consider strategies to strengthen the relationship between mother and child after the threat of violence has been removed.

McAuley’s Children’s team provides an environment of safety, where conversations develop trust and activities foster expression, understanding and connection. Working on mindfulness and reconnecting with emotions are approaches that our team will take to help the child to process and rebuild their confidence after trauma.

The McAuley Learning Support program is an important tool in ensuring children whose education has been impacted or disrupted because of family violence are also able to re-establish their connection with learning. Research shows that high levels of absenteeism result in reduced engagement, underdeveloped social skills, and a greater likelihood of leaving school prior to completion.

McAuley is unusual in welcoming children up to the age of 18 into its refuges, with research showing adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group at risk of rough sleeping and homelessness in trying to escape family violence.

A connection with MacKillop Education in Maidstone also assists children affected by family violence who may require support to re-engage in learning. The flexible approach developed at MacKillop allows for staggered attendance as well as visits to McAuley sites as required.

Support for families still homeless after COVID Since the end of 2021, McAuley has been working in partnership With MacKillop Family Services to support 16 families across the western suburbs, including Ballarat, through Homes 4 Families. This intensive support program works with families who were homeless and accommodated in crisis accommodation during the COVID pandemic. The support team works closely to address barriers that prevent the families from accessing long term housing, such as health and medical services, employment,

legal support, and financial counselling, to ensure a better position to sustain housing. In some situations, mothers have lost access to their children with the unstable housing situation being a major factor. McAuley has worked to support their re-unification. One family was torn apart by grief after the death of one of their children six years ago. The two youngest children were placed into the care of their maternal grandmother as the mother’s own mental health suffered after his death.

This was very difficult for the youngest child especially. The mother gave the youngest child a simple rock and told her that when she is lonely to hold the rock and the mother will be with her. The mother noticed when visiting with her child that the child has bags and bags full of similar rocks, collecting hundreds of them in her bedroom trying to be closer to her mother. The family is now together again. Last Christmas McAuley provided presents as they celebrated together for the first time since the tragic passing of the eldest child.

Since coming to McAuley I’ve felt very supported and treated with respect and dignity at a very hard time. 18 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

DONORS AND SUPPORTERS

A big thank you! We are so grateful for the continued and steadfast support we have received from our wonderful donors, whose passion and dedication to helping women and children not only be safe, but flourish, means we can continue our vital work. With unwavering support from philanthropic partners, we have continued to advocate for systemic change and innovative programs, working alongside families as they move towards a brighter future.

Thank you to the Sisters of Mercy, and their whole network, whose championship of women and children knows no bounds. We thank our regular and workplace givers for their commitment and enthusiasm for our work. Your support means we can remain focused on making a real difference in the lives of women and children who have experienced family violence and homelessness.

Below: guests at the Women Supporting Women fundraising event

OUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Profit and loss statement Income

Balance sheet 2023

2022

8,343,061 1,786,389 308,472 44,889

5,971,999 1,715,296 196,508 6,777

44,103 84,505

14,182 98,076

10,523,213

8,002,838

2023

2022

7,297,278

5,997,466

363,528 812,302 575,193 783,546

307,923 609,580 409,523 627,790

15,548

3,192

Total Expenses

9,847,395

7,955,474

Operating Profit

675,818

47,364

State government funding Donations/bequests Rent received Interest received Profit on disposal of fixed asset Miscellaneous Total Income

Expenses Employee benefit expenses Depreciation and amortisation expense Program resources Occupancy expenses Administration expenses Finance charges on lease liability

Current Assets Cash and equivalents Receivables Other current assets

2023

2022

4,762,061 135,076 222,158

5,828,610 165,209 392,068

Non-current Assets Investments Property plant and equipment Right of use assets

1,832

1,640

2,896,431 3,000,998

4,856,210 2,184,246

Total Assets

11,018,556

13,427,983

2023

2022

1,661,878 695,376 61,865

5,094,133 687,020 38,937

2023

2022

Provisions Lease Liabilities Borrowings

315,726 3,000,000

3,000,000

Total Liabilities

5,734,845

8,820,090

Net Assets

5,283,711

4,607,893

Retained earnings

5,283,711

4,607,893

Total Equity

5,283,711

4,607,893

Current Liabilities Payables Provisions Lease liabilities Non-current Liabilities

Equity

Statement of equity 2023

2022

4,607,893

4,560,529

Entity profit

675,818

47,364

Retained earnings at the end of the financial year

5,283,711

4,607,893

Retained earnings at beginning of financial year

20 | McAuley Community Services for Women 2022–23 Annual Report

You always make me feel just like family.

McAuley Community Services for Women Level 1, 81–83 Paisley Street Footscray 3011 mcauley@mcauley.org.au mcauley.org.au ABN 85696671223 You can like and follow us on: