5 HOURS ONLINE | IN PERSON  

As we face statistics in Australia that reflect one in four women experiencing violence at the hands of their existing or former partner, community services working with families, children and young people are undoubtedly working with those experiencing this form of abuse every day.   

In this context, it becomes essential that community organisations are familiar with the presentations, prevalence and wider issue of gendered and family violence, while having the skills, confidence and support to recognise this form of abuse, respond appropriately and refer clients to specialist services to receive the support they require to move towards safety and recovery.   

Join us for this dynamic professional development and training opportunity, as you learn amongst your peers the dynamics and presentations of family violence in our communities, how you can respond to instances of family violence in an appropriate and trauma informed manner, and who you can refer your clients to in the community for specialist support, safety planning and risk assessment. 

In this workshop we will explore:  

RECOGNISE: 

• Understanding coercive control and common themes of family violence 
• Prevalence of family violence in Australia 
• The gendered drivers of violence 
• Power and Control Wheel 
• Cycle of violence 
• Intersectionality  
• Indicators and impacts of family violence  

RESPOND:  

• Trauma informed responses to disclosures 
• LIVES Model 
• Safety planning and risk assessment 
• Empowering the victim-survivor 

REFER:  

• The role of specialist services  
• Referral pathways in Tasmania  
• Responsible and effective referrals  

6 HOURS ONLINE | IN PERSON 

Engender Equality’s renowned training workshop, Breaking the Trap: Working with clients experiencing coercive control has been developed to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools to recognise and respond to coercive control within their clients across frontline women’s services.    

Coercive control is often considered at being ‘at the heart’ of all family violence presentations in its function of using covert and insidious behaviour to exert fear, power and control over another in a relationship. Coercive control emerges in ways and patterns that victim-survivors may not be aware of, as they experience a level of control that can eradicate their self-esteem, agency, autonomy and freedom.  

As specialist family violence practitioners, we are all too aware of the significant impact coercive control has on victim-survivors, and the feelings of worthlessness, self-blame and lack of confidence that are often carried with them well past the immediate danger of an abusive relationship.     

This Coercive Control Masterclass is aimed at front-line services (staff and managers) to build skills and awareness of the complex presentations of family violence, particularly coercive control.    

Delivered from the position of a specialist family violence practitioner, the training package explores insights from research and practice, to improve service response and promote victim-survivor safety.     

The Breaking the Trap training workshop has been developed to:    

• Support practitioners in client facing roles to apply the theory of coercive control, particularly with clients whose experience of abuse do not include physical violence. 
• To share evidence and insights that may help clients identify coercive control for themselves and find ways to respond to it.  
• To guide professionals in all settings who will, in the course of their work, come into contact with people impacted by coercive control.     

As part of the training delivered, all participants will receive a digital copy of the Breaking the Trap: Working with clients experiencing coercive control workbooks, which includes practice guidance and tools to use with clients in practice.    

6 HOURS ONLINE | IN PERSON 

Misidentification of the predominant aggressor in family violence presentations has become a significant issue across the family violence landscape in our communities, particularly in the context of the justice response and pervasive instances of systems abuse across our community services.  

Misidentification of the predominant aggressor occurs when a professional may align or collude (intentionally or unintentionally) with the narrative of the person who is using violence and abuse within a relationship, disadvantaging the genuine victim-survivor via this alignment and unexamined bias. Misidentification can occur in any service interaction and is known to occur in health services, counselling services and other human service interactions.  

Misidentification commonly occurs in justice responses, where victim-survivors who don’t present as a “perfect victim” or act in defence may be wrongly labelled the predominant aggressor. This can result in protection orders or assault charges against them, causing serious harm, including a criminal record, loss of child custody, and major barriers to accessing safety and support. Misidentification is often further weaponised by the abuser to maintain ongoing power and control. 

In the service context where we see an increase in victim-survivors being misidentified, and perpetrators of violence presenting to services as victim-survivors, it has become essential for service providers to develop the skills in identifying the predominant aggressor in family violence presentations. 

Delivered over a 6-hour training workshop session, the Identifying the primary aggressor in family violence presentations Workshop has been developed to:  

• Update and resource those working within the family violence sector who are, or may come into contact with, those who are predominant aggressors of family violence. 
• Train participants in the use of Engender Equality’s Predominant Aggressor Screening Checklist that can be used in reflective practice to identify the predominant aggressor in family violence presentations.  
• Address professional gaps in knowledge and skillset of participants, while increasing practitioner confidence in screening practices where there are challenges in identifying the predominant aggressor or where misidentification has occurred.  

We invite professionals from the family violence sector who work with families and individuals experiencing family violence to attend this important professional development and training opportunity.  

Please note this training is a masterclass workshop, and requires participants to have either attended the Recognise, Respond, Refer Workshop, or have extensive experience within the family violence sector and knowledge of the types and presentations of family violence.  

A digital copy of Engender Equality’s Working with men guidelines and predominant aggressor Screening Checklist for personal professional use will be provided to workshop participants.  

5 HOURS ONLINE | IN PERSON 

The growing conversation in Australia highlights that ending family violence in our communities is a long-term endeavour, requiring collective effort. The urgent need for genuine and meaningful action to eliminate this insidious form of abuse has never been more apparent, especially to ensure the safety of women and children in our communities.     

The workplace experience and culture of an organisation has a significant influence on the individual - both professionally and personally, helping to shape and influence the attitudes, beliefs and values regarding family violence that staff carry through to their wider community. 

Within the workplace, it is essential we are aware of the presentations and forms of family violence within our community; our workplace’s role in the prevention of family violence; how to safely and effectively recognise and respond to instances of family violence amongst our employees; and how to foster a workplace culture that rejects family violence and is shared by employees amongst your community and across your sector.   

Participants of this workshop will develop:   

• A deeper understanding of the definitions, forms, and presentations of family violence; the policy, legal and social landscape regarding gendered violence in the Australian context, and the role of workplaces in responding to and preventing family violence in the community.     
• Skills in engaging your organisation’s leaders to create impactful cultural change around the issue of family violence, and become active in the prevention of family violence across your professional sector   
• Skills in recognising family violence amongst colleagues and responding in an appropriate and trauma-informed manner that provides support for those experiencing this form of abuse within their workplace and beyond.   

Delivered to workplaces across Australia, this is a unique opportunity for workplaces to experience professional development and training that will place your organisation as a leader in the response to family violence, as you equip your workplace to respond and prevent family violence within the professional environment, the wider community in which you operate, and as an active participant in the fight to end family violence.  

6 HOURS ONLINE | IN PERSON 

This professional development workshop has been developed by Engender Equality in collaboration with Working It Out, Tasmania’s sexuality, gender and intersex support, education and advocacy service to accompany our resource LGBTIQA+ family violence guidelines for family violence workers.    

The workshop aims to create practice skills and insight when working with members of the LGBTIQA+ community experiencing family violence in their intimate partner relationships, through facilitated learning and discussions, case study exploration and practice skill development activities, to ensure participants are equipped and confident in providing affirming, inclusive and trauma-informed care to this community.    

The workshop covers LGBTIQA+ fundamentals, how family violence can differ in LGBTIQA+ relationships, and the importance of a gendered perspective, while introducing the LGBTIQA+ Primary Aggressor Indicators Tool, which gives workers a structured framework to reflect on indicators of unequal power and control which can aid in accurately identifying the victim and the predominant aggressor in non-heterosexual relationships.   

Learning objectives of the workshop include the development of knowledge and practice skills in:    

• The use of affirming and appropriate language in relation to LGBTIQA+ clients.    
• The effective, confident and meaningful support of LGBTIQA+ clients within existing family violence frameworks.    
• How to identify power and control in LGBTIQA+ relationships.    
• How to identify victims/primary aggressors in LGBTIQA+ relationships.   

It is essential in providing genuine and meaningful support to the LGBTIQA+ community that we develop our practice skills and understanding of the unique presentations of family violence in these relationships. We look forward to delivering this 6-hour workshop to encourage inclusive and meaningful support for LGBTIQA+ clients experiencing abuse.   

1-2 DAYS ONLINE | IN PERSON  

This masterclass is for front-line workers working with victim-survivors to build their skills and awareness around complex presentations of family violence, through an understanding of family violence informed frameworks, research, expertise and best practice methods. This workshop is designed to equip frontline staff and organisations working with victim-survivors of family violence with a comprehensive understanding, knowledge and skills to safely and effectively work in the family violence space.  

This masterclass covers:  

Vicarious trauma 

Understanding, recognising and managing signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma and burnout.  

Family violence 

 Definitions, national plan, legislation and prevalence 

• Types of family violence and coercive control 
• The ecological framework and drivers of family violence 
• Typology of abusers 

Impacts of family violence 

• Psychological impact on victim-survivors 
• Impacts on mothering 
• Developmental impacts on infants and children 

Identifying and responding to family violence 

Indicators of family violence: 

• Indicators of the use of violence 
• Responding to disclosures - victim-survivors and perpetrators 
• Working with men and avoiding collusion 
• Trauma-informed care 
• Assessing risk and safety planning  

Key referral pathways  

• Police; Child Safety
• Support/counselling/case management
• Crisis accommodation and housing
• Legal support
• Referrals for perpetrators.

Creating a family violence informed workplace/service  

• Family Violence Informed Practice Audit 
• Creating a family violence-informed workplace 
• Responding to family violence at work  
• Family violence leave provisions.  

Training developed and delivered per your organisation and/or community group’s requirements.  

For all training enquiries, please contact Training and Business Development Manager Carolyn Self:

Ph: 0408 992 304

Email: carolyn@engenderequality.org.au.