Ballarat Health Services is strengthening its response to family violence to improve support for staff and patients.
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The organisation is supporting six other health services in the region to implement the statewide Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence initiative.
Ballarat Health Services family violence initiative regional engagement coordinator Simone Meade said family violence was a health issue.
The more we talk about family violence the more people will disclose at the hospital so we need to be well equipped to respond to that.
- Simone Meade, Ballarat Health Services
The hospital based initiative comes after a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2016 for the Victorian Government to resource all public hospitals to implement a whole-of-hospital model for responding to family violence.
Ballarat Health Services will train managers and clinicians to respond appropriately to disclosures of family violence in 2019.
The hospital is also reviewing its policies and procedures and strengthening partnerships with family violence services.
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Ms Meade said the strengthened response focused on supporting patients and staff.
“Something the royal commission identified was health professionals are in a really unique position to engage people and have trusted conversations with people,” she said.
“We are working to make sure if someone does disclose, that they get a supportive response and our clinicians are able to provide and access support for those people or provide referrals.
“The long term goal is to create a safe, trusted health service where people can disclose and they know they will get the support they will need.”
Intimate partner violence is the greatest health risk factor for women aged 24 to 44 years, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Data shows eight women a day are hospitalised as a result of family violence.
Stawell Regional Health, Eastern Grampians Health Services, Beaufort Skipton Health Service, Maryborough District Health Service, Hepburn Health Service and Ballan District Health and Care are also working to implement the Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence initiative.
Ballarat Health Services is also a member of the Communities of Respect and Equality (CORE) Alliance – a primary prevention project challenging gender stereotypes and ensuring gender equity within the workplace.
Visit familyviolenceisahealthissue.com.au/ for more information.
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