- Risk Management
Develop and embed model(s) for coordinated case management across government, non-government and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, with clear governance and reporting arrangements. Require participation in multi-agency case management (or similar) as appropriate. Enhance Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams to:
- increase operation to seven days per week to enable more timely responses during times of heightened demand
- include Adult Community Corrections Officers to strengthen responses to perpetrators
At a glance
The Family and Domestic Violence Response Team (FDVRT) model brings together key government and community agencies to improve the safety and wellbeing of people impacted by family and domestic violence. The focus is on early intervention, coordinated action and making sure families receive support as soon as possible after an incident is reported to the Western Australia Police Force (WA Police).
A key focus of Strengthening Responses to Family and Domestic Violence: System Reform Plan 2024-2029 is strengthening risk management, information sharing and workforce capability across the family and domestic violence system. Enhancing the FDVRT model has been a key activity related to this, achieved through two key reform projects: expanding FDVRT operations from five to seven days per week and embedding Adult Community Corrections (ACC) staff within FDVRTs.
Expanding FDVRT operations from five to seven days per week
To improve the timeliness of responses to FDV incidents reported to WA Police, the State Government invested funding to expand FDVRT operations from five to seven days per week. This included funding for additional Senior Child Safety Practitioners (SCSPs) and Coordinated Response Service (CRS) workers to support implementation of the Central Triage Team (CTT). The CTT triages all FDV incidents reported to WA Police before referral to local FDVRTs.
Regional FDVRTs transitioned to seven day a week operations between February and July 2025. Further funding was announced in December 2025 including additional SCSPs, CRS workers, civilian police roles and permanent CTT premises.
Embedding Adult Community Corrections staff within the FDVRTs
As part of continued improvements to the model, ACC staff now participate in nine of the 17 FDVRTs, as part of a staged rollout across Western Australia. Their involvement helps strengthen accountability for people who use violence and supports better information sharing across agencies.
ACC staff operate through a hybrid model, working across place-based metropolitan FDVRTs, regional and metropolitan ACC Centres and CTT during business hours. ACC staff provide a crucial link between justice information and frontline safety responses. This connection has significantly improved visibility of individuals who may pose a risk, enabling earlier intervention, better sequencing of actions and a clearer understanding of changing behaviour patterns.
The impact
Family and domestic violence incidents in regional areas are triaged and assessed seven days a week, including public holidays, enabling more timely responses and increased safety and support for victim survivors and their children. The model strengthens the system’s focus on perpetrators by improving visibility of their behaviour and enhancing accountability within coordinated responses.
The CTT is supported by dedicated Team Leaders who provide on the ground oversight to ensure consistent, high quality practice across all assessments. FDV-informed staff and partner agencies apply pattern based assessment approaches that more accurately identify risk and support improved decision making for families.
ACC staff contribute to the FDVRT by:
- sharing relevant information that help agencies understand emerging risks
- supporting coordinated safety planning for individuals and families
- keeping perpetrators in view of the system
- improving communication between Justice, Police and support services
- contributing to early identification of safety concerns.
Collectively, these reforms strengthen coordinated responses, enhance victim survivor safety and support greater accountability for people using violence. This work also enables agencies to respond in a more timely, consistent and informed way.
Information sharing is guided by clear protocols that prioritise safety and purpose limited use. Decisions remain multi agency, victim survivor centred, and supported by agreed escalation pathways.
A recent situation demonstrated how strong collaboration and timely information sharing across partner agencies can directly improve safety for families experiencing family and domestic violence.
In this case, agencies recognised early signs that circumstances were changing for a woman and her baby and worked together to understand what was happening. Through coordinated communication, they were able to contact the individuals involved and check on their wellbeing.
This joint effort revealed that the woman and her baby were not safe where they were staying. Because agencies were already connected and sharing information in real time, they were able to act quickly. The woman was safely separated from the person causing harm, and partner agencies worked together to support her and her baby to move to a safer location.
This example shows the value of an integrated approach. When agencies communicate clearly, act early and respond as a team, they can provide faster support and help create safer outcomes for families.
Key achievements
Central Triage Team
- Between February 2025 and February 2026 the CTT has:
- triaged 24,181 Family Violence Incident Reports (FVIRs)
- created 14,329 interactions
- initiated 972 Child Safety Investigations
- Capacity has been enhanced for place-based FDVRTs to provide prompt, coordinated responses, improving safety for victim survivors
- 91% of all FVIRs are triaged within 24 hours of being published by WA Police
- Detection of child safety concerns has improved in the first year of operations, resulting in the number of interactions and referrals to Child Safety Investigations increasing significantly
Adult Community Corrections
The integration of ACC staff into FDVRTs has strengthened the system’s ability to identify and respond to risk. Through a staged rollout commencing in 2024-25, ACC staff are now embedded across the following FDVRT districts:
- Kimberley (East and West)
- Pilbara (East and West)
- Mid West Gascoyne
- Goldfields
- Midland
- Armadale
- Bindjareb Boodja (Mandurah)
Since ACC staff became part of FDVRT operations, partner agencies report:
- stronger coordination between justice and community services
- more timely and accurate information sharing
- better insight into perpetrator risk, compliance and behaviour
- improved ability to identify emerging safety concerns during triage
Success factors
The CTT has delivered a more consistent model across all regional Districts. Increased sharing of information with partners through the CTT has helped increase the accountability and visibility of persons using violence.
Several factors have contributed to the successful integration of ACC staff into FDVRTs as a key element of more coordinated risk management including:
- strong collaboration, ensuring Justice information is available when it is most needed
- consistent information sharing, allowing teams to respond to non‑compliance, escalating behaviour or new safety concerns
- clear communication pathways, strengthened by ACC’s involvement, which provide a more complete picture of risk
- a shared commitment to safety and accountability, with ACC’s operational expertise helping to make people using violence more visible to the system
Together, these factors have enhanced whole‑of‑system responses, ensuring families receive timely, coordinated support and that those using violence are monitored more effectively and held to account.
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