In this issue

Case Study 1

Police attended an incident involving domestic violence and served a police protection notice on the respondent. Feeling supported by police the female aggrieved made a statement to police with regards to domestic violence and being assaulted by the respondent.

Police made a referral to PRADO through Redbourne referral system. The female disclosed a significant history of domestic violence including serious assaults, strangulation, threats with a weapon, verbal and psychological abuse.

The female had fled her apartment which she had shared with the respondent. PRADO provided emotional support, advocacy for bank and Centrelink crisis payments and housing support. PRADO met with the female and provided safety planning and on-going case management.

The female was relocated with the support of her work and PRADO arranged with Rizeup for a full home kit out, providing all her furniture, kitchen, laundry and bathroom packs. PRADO also ensured she was referred to her local domestic violence service for on-going support and counselling. 

Case Study 2

Police liaised with the Pine Rivers PRADO caseworker and PRADO support worker with regards to a female that had presented at hospital with serious injuries. A referral to PRADO was made through Redbourne. Injuries to the aggrieved included evidence of multiple strangulation. Initially when talking with police the aggrieved did not wish to report any assault or make any statement to police. Police asked if the Pine Rivers PRADO caseworker and support worker would attend the hospital to speak with and offer support to the female. 

The female engaged very well with PRADO staff. She disclosed a very high risk situation where she had been seriously assaulted by her current partner. PRADO worked with the female assisting with emotional support, safety planning and case management. 

Case management included assisting the female to refuge, arranging transportation and the removal of her belongings. PRADO caseworker advocated on her behalf with Centrelink to assist financially and an urgent victims assist application. The female was extremely appreciative of all the help and support she received to get somewhere safe. 

Feeling supported and empowered the female decided to make a statement to police in order to hold the respondent accountable for his behaviour. Police served the respondent with a police protection notice and he was charged with 15 serious offences. The respondent is subsequently incarcerated.  

The client was relocated out of the area and a referral was made to her local domestic violence service for on-going support and counselling. 

About the Service Provider, location, how long in operation, number of staff, number of clients seen each year approximately, areas of speciality (in particular in relation to Police Referrals)

Celebrating 25 years of Service!

Kalwun Development Corporation Ltd is an Aboriginal community controlled organisation providing comprehensive primary health care, human services and community care interventions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities on the Gold Coast for 25 years.

Kalwun has 8 locations across the Gold Coast with165 staff.

• Kalwun Development Corporation is located at Level 1, 14 Cassia Drive Varsity Lakes.
• 3 Medical Services –  located at Bilinga, Miami and Oxenford.
• 2 Family Wellbeing Service –  Kortum Drive Burleigh Heads and Jowett Street Coomera.
• Kalwun Community Care 118 Bonogin Road Bonogin
• Jellurgal  Aboriginal Cultural Centre 117 Gold Coast Hwy Tallebudgera

Kalwun Health Service has 6500 active health patients including 78% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, 2952 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health check completed and 1405 new patients

Kalwun Family Wellbeing Service supported 481 families

Kalwun Foster and Kinship Care Team have trained 15 Carers

Kalwun Community Care 386 elder receiving support

Kalwun Housing have supported 140 families

Kalwun Development Corporation Emergency relief vouchers issued 306

Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre Aboriginal Dance performances provided 466

Number of Police Referral Clients they’ve worked with, average length of time for client engagement and most successful client outcome.

Kalwun has had 2 referrals with one outcome.  The POI was seen by a GP transported for a x-ray and transported back to his home address.

Client/POI has be referred to Kalwun Housing, Kalwun Social Wellbeing team, Kalwun Men’s group and an Application for Social Housing completed.  Communication is left open for POI to contact Community Support Officer.

Thoughts on the importance of the Police Referral Service / the value they get from it / they see clients gaining from it / suggestions for improvements.

Very important for the Gold Coast Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community.  It’s a way to link our people and educate them on all Kalwun Services available and if we can’t support them within Kalwun we will refer to culturally appropriate service.

Making it easier – Auto-response function!

There has never been a more important time to be arming clients with your service contact details. The Auto-Response functionality is available to most and is a simple functionality that sends the client, where safe to do so, your contact details to ensure they can phone you when they are ready, at time of referral or in the future. This is a set and forget option that RMCS configure with your approval.

For more information on the SMS/EMAIL and Auto-Response functionality please email RMCS@redbourne.com.au or call 1300 058 910 to speak with us.

Please Share – Service Delivery Impacts

As a result of COVID – 19 we all continue to adapt and learn new ways of going about our daily lives. With our providers on the front line continuing to support our most vulnerable, this must have had quite the impact on service delivery and implementing new methods of connecting. As a network supporting each other, we thought it worth you sharing what is working well in your service, alternate ways of connecting with clients and even what technological platforms you are finding work well. We have over 450 services within our Police Referral Network all of differing sizes and offerings but if we use this platform among many to share ways of adapting this might just solve another’s problem of the day – and we all need that. So please send through any feedback, tips and tricks to RMCS@redbourne.com.au and we will compile and share in our next bulletin.

Chris’s corner…

As I sit here now in my home based, physically distant work space, it reinforces the different world we are now in compared to even at the time of writing this piece last month. It has been a month where we have all had to make a number of changes to the way we work and live. This has been particularly evident in seeing how people are going about ensuring services are maintained with the most vulnerable people in our community, be that the homeless, people with a disability or the elderly.

Whilst front line Policing continues to deliver the service delivered every day of the year, in addition to new Covid-19 relates functions, it is important to remember that the need for support and access to referral services will not change, and in some cases there will be an increase. It is for this reason that it is very important that some time is taken to review your current profiles in SRS to ensure it is accurate. If you have any change in your service delivery be it having to change the referral categories that you are able to assist with or to modify your catchment areas, then please attend to this now.

As everyone is looking at new methods of service delivery, the QPS is no different. We have developed alternative online/SMS options for members of the public to request police contact in relation to Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) incidents. These alternative options are live and have been specifically developed to capture those persons who may be isolating due to COVID-19.

The key messages in relation to the online/sms DFV reporting are:

1. If the offence is happening now or if you or someone else is in danger dial triple zero;
2. If you can safely call, do not use the online/SMS options;
3. If you have information about domestic and family violence and if the offence is not happening now and the person is safe then contact Policelink on 131 444;
4. If the safest way for you to contact the QPS is online or SMS, then use the online options;
5. Make sure you give clear details about what is happening, tell us if there are weapons involved and any other information that will assist with officer safety and your safety;
6. Download the Emergency + (Plus) App https://emergencyapp.triplezero.gov.au/ and the Queensland Police Service Policelink App https://www.police.qld.gov.au/units/policelink-131-444 on your phone.

At a time where our most vulnerable are most in need of our support, it is heartwarming to see everyone still offering that virtual hand. Until next month, thank you for all of your special work in helping to build safe, caring and connected communities, particularly at this time of uncertainty, but most importantly, stay safe.

A/Senior Sergeant Chris Stafford