Keeping Women Safe in their Homes
Keeping Women Safe in their Homes (KWSITH) is a key initiative of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.
The Australian Government funds state and territory governments, and select providers, to deliver services to improve the safety of women and their children who have experienced family and domestic violence. Since 2015-16, the Government has committed $76.57 million for KWSITH.
The KWSITH initiative helps women and their children who have experienced family and domestic violence to remain in their homes or a home of their choosing, when it is safe and appropriate to do so. This means women and children can continue to have access to their usual support networks, such as workplaces and schools.
The KWSITH initiative supports women through risk assessments, safety planning, home security audits and upgrades, and case management. The home security upgrades can vary across the different providers, but can include alarms, security screens and locks, and the use of technologies such as monitored personal safety devices, surveillance cameras, dashboard cameras, and electronic sweeping and de-bugging of homes and cars.
Government funded KWSITH responses in each state and territory are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list of all Safe at Home programs delivered across Australia.
KWSITH in your state or territory
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Delivered by The Salvation Army and supported by the Australian Government. The program is designed to assist women and children, experiencing family violence (low-medium risk not crisis response) to remain safely in their family home or their home of choice. |
Saferinthehome@salvationarmy.org.au Australia wide (contact centre based in VIC) Servicing: VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD, TAS, SA, NT and WA |
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Australian Capital Territory |
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Through this program, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) provides case management and coordination to support women and their families to establish independent safety in their home or a home of their choosing, following domestic and family violence. This includes comprehensive risk assessments, safety audits, security upgrades and assistance navigating systems. The program specialises in providing support to clients experiencing high-risk, complex situations. |
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New South Wales |
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This program supports women and children to remain safely in their own home or a home of their choice after ending a violent relationship, and aims to improve the safety and housing stability for domestic and family violence victim-survivors over the long term. |
Staying Home Leaving Violence website for phone numbers by location |
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Northern Territory |
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Keeping Women Safe in their Homes This program provides risk assessments, safety planning, and security upgrades for women and their children to help them stay in their own homes, or a home of their choice, provided it is safe to do so. |
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Queensland |
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Keeping Women Safe in their Homes Technology Initiative The Technology Initiative trialled a range of new and emerging technologies as part of the KWSITH program. The initiative helped women and their children escaping domestic and family violence by providing technology-driven solutions as part of a comprehensive risk assessment and safety plan to support women to remain safer in their own homes. |
For FDV support services in your area, please visit: Find local FDV support services
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South Australia |
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This program assists women who are at risk of homelessness because of family and domestic abuse, by providing free home safety audits and tailored home security packages. Women and their children are also provided with safety planning assistance. |
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Tasmania |
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Keeping Women Safe in their Home program This program is delivered through Safe at Home, the Tasmanian Government's integrated criminal justice response to family violence. Women who are experiencing family violence and are clients of Safe at Home services or services delivered through non-government providers are able to access assistance. |
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Victoria |
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This initiative supports victim survivors to access appropriate and effective technology and security responses that allow them to remain safely in their own homes and communities, as part of a case management response that addresses safety and security goals, and helps manage family violence-related risk. |
Contact Safe Steps, Victoria's 24/7 family response phone line, for information and referral For additional help and advice please visit the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria. |
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Western Australia |
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Katanning Keeping Safe Project – implementation currently underway. The Katanning Keeping Safe Project provides Keeping Women Safe in their Homes service delivery and outreach support to women and children residing within both Katanning and surrounding communities, including the areas of Cranbrook, Tambellup, Kojonup, Dumbleyung, Gnowangerup, and Jerramungup. |
Women's Domestic Violence Helpline |
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