The co-design findings contained or referred to in this site represent the views of family and domestic violence (FDV) community service providers, and personal experiences of women and children who have accessed refuge services. The Department of Communities (Communities) is grateful to the women and children who have shared their experiences and notes the findings represent the views of individuals and may not represent the FDV refuge system more broadly.
Warlang Bidi Refuge
Communities appointed the Innovation Unit to conduct the Peel Refuge stakeholder engagement and co-design process.
Comprehensive co-design was conducted from December 2019 to March 2020 to assist in the development of the new service model. There were 125 participants across workshops, sessions and interviews, and 49 completions of the service user survey.
The co-design process was designed to encourage active participation, creativity and open, non-judgemental communication with a consistent focus on outcomes for women and children experiencing FDV, and the community. The Innovation Unit developed a tailored approach to meet the program needs and ensure the service model design is evidence-informed and includes the voices of those with lived experience. The project incorporated co-design tools and ways of working that acknowledge and recognise the importance of everyone being able to participate fully and meaningfully, whether they are service users, government officials, service providers, sector professionals or other stakeholders.
Findings from the co-design process have informed service design recommendations, which are outlined in Peel Refuge Co-design Report, ‘A Healing Journey’. The Innovation Unit also produced Women and Children’s Ideal Service Journey Maps, Enablers and Barriers, and a Service Model Blueprint from co-design insights. The Response to Peel Refuge Recommendations outlines recommendations that Communities can support at this time, and that are within the scope of the Peel Refuge.
Andrea Mia Refuge
In March 2020, Communities commissioned the Innovation Unit to facilitate some co-design activities for the Kwinana Refuge service design.
The co-design activities were designed to encourage active participation, creativity and open, non-judgemental communication with a consistent focus on outcomes for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. The two key activities were interviews with women with lived experience of refuge accommodation and an online facilitated co-design workshop with service providers and peak body representatives. Further details are provided below.
It is important to note the social climate of COVID-19 within which the Kwinana Refuge co-design activities occurred. The co-design activities were limited to only one engagement with peak body representatives, community service sector providers and women with lived experience in consideration of the impact of COVID-19 on their time and capacity.
Co-design activities for the Kwinana Refuge draw on findings from the Peel Refuge co-design process to provide additional insights to improvement of the current FDV refuge service model, and service design for women with disability, older women, women from Aboriginal or culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CaLD), and women with larger families, including older boys.
Findings from the co-design process have informed service design recommendations which are outlined in the ‘Summary of Co-design Findings’ report. The Response to Kwinana Refuge Recommendations outlines recommendations that Communities can support at this time, and that are within the scope of the Kwinana Refuge.
