McAuley works alongside women and children who have experienced family violence through their journey to safety and recovery, helping them to plan their next steps toward a life free from violence.
Through case management, outreach support, and refuge accommodation, our specialist team of Family Violence Practitioners and Children’s Workers provide individualised support for women and children escaping violence, ensuring each person is getting the right help at the right time.
Our support is child focused, keeping children in view and recognising their needs and trauma as unique to that of their mother.
Outreach:
McAuley’s Outreach Program works with women and children experiencing family violence across the Western Melbourne region in a range of settings, including public and private housing.
Over 12 weeks, McAuley’s experienced Family Violence Practitioners work with the adults and children to provide flexible, person-centred case management, tailored to their individual needs. This can include safety planning, advocacy to housing providers, education and employment support, financial, legal and material aid, and social and community connections.
The goal for each adult and child is to help them achieve a stable life free from violence.
Accommodation:
McAuley’s refuges have been thoughtfully designed to provide safe and welcoming spaces for women and children escaping violence. The women needing our support have experienced, or are at immediate risk, of serious harm through physical and emotional violence, threats, sexual assault, and stalking.
With 24/7 onsite support, women and children escaping violence have access to a range of services, including legal, financial and employment support as well as a focus on working with children to address their unique needs following trauma.
Our refuges provide women who have experienced family violence the chance to rest and recover enough to plan their next steps.
Heywood House:
Heywood House is one of our refuges for women and children escaping violence. With 14 units, including seven family suites and seven single units, the facility has the capacity to house 35 women and children for about two months.
Each unit has a kitchenette, private bathroom and views of either a garden or courtyard. There are also communal spaces for social interaction, a children’s room and garden with a specialist children’s team, including an onsite maternal child health nurse.
Jan’s Place:
Jan’s Place is our purpose-built refuge on Melbourne’s western fringe. The facility has a ‘core-and-cluster’ design with six family units connected to central, communal areas where residents can access on-site support from specialist Family Violence Practitioners and Children’s Workers. This design promotes privacy and independence while being able to access support quickly.
The six individual, accessible units are modern and comfortable, with private entrances, kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and courtyards suitable for small pets. With flexible floorplans and interconnecting rooms, the units can be configured differently to provide suitable bedrooms for large or smaller families. Jan’s Place can house up to 20 women and their children at the one time for about two months.
