Sanctuary sees those fleeing domestic violence benefit from comprehensive crisis accommodation with a near-perfect ‘safe exit’ rate

The number of people hiding in motels fleeing family and domestic violence is increasing, with domestic violence support service Safe Steps bracing for a surge in calls to its hotline over Christmas.

“Our services are at full capacity. So between the big last day and Australia Day weekend our services are increasing by 30 per cent,” Dr Chelsea Tobin, CEO of Safe Steps, told 7.30am.

“There is an increase in gambling, socializing, alcohol consumption, and all of this causes more family and domestic violence.”

Telephone operators at the Safe Steps response center in Melbourne answer 200 calls a day.

“A few calls I have reviewed recently have been from a member of the LGBTIQA+ community, who is being abused but is afraid because everyone knows their abuser,” Dr Tobin said.

“This call is different from a lady calling in an arranged marriage, who doesn’t speak English, has no family or friends here and whose visa is being used as a weapon.”

Many people who call Safe Steps and need emergency accommodation will be directed to a motel or hotel, which Dr Tobin said is “alarming” and “concerning”.

“It’s a roof and a bed, whereas at Sanctuary we’re really committed to secondary prevention by giving real importance to the moment of crisis, flooding the person with care and support.”

Sanctuary is a “comprehensive” crisis accommodation, described as the “first of its kind” in Australia by the Federal Government’s rapid review, undertaken earlier this year.

“Every night in Victoria, more than 200 people flee violence in hotels, and a spot check earlier this year in May found that number was as high as 448,” Dr Tobin said.

This spot check was undertaken by Safe Steps, which says reports of “critical incidents” are increasing at motels, involving various instances of physical harm inflicted on victim-survivors.

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Mary*, not her real name, is a Sanctuary guest who is staying at the property with her child. For legal reasons we cannot identify it.

“When I got here, I was very scared and didn’t know what was going to happen to me and my child, until the staff told me and smiled at me and said, ‘It’s your House. Welcome to your new home. You are safe and protected,” she said.

“They help arrange medical appointments, and they have an osteopath and also music therapy if you’re feeling alone, and child protection and organize the courts, the police and a registered nurse if you don’t feel well, and referrals to other services like mental health.”

Nicole, Sanctuary’s Residential Director, launched the accommodation model in October last year and recently helped Mary and her child move into the accommodation.

“Everyone who comes to the Sanctuary has a horrible story of domestic violence, and it’s no different for Mary and her child,” Nicole said.

The model is run by Safe Steps in a secure, untraceable location in Victoria and began as a two-year pilot project.

Since then, the accommodation has already welcomed more than 300 people and boasts a “safe exit rate” of 98 percent.

This means clients have been able to successfully move to secure accommodation, which includes long-term shelter, moving in with family or friends or private rental.

Guests stay an average of 15 nights and benefit from dozens of on-site services and support.

Nicole helps arrange for lawyers, Centrelink support, letting agents, psychologists and even a therapy dog ​​to view the property.

For some children staying at the Sanctuary, it is the first time they have felt safe in their lives.

“It’s amazing what empathy, support, love and safety do to anyone, but especially children. They are very sensitive to their surroundings and actually show much more rapid change than moms when they feel safe and supported.”

“It saves lives”

The federal government has already awarded a grant to Safe Steps to expand its Sanctuary site in Victoria from seven apartments to 35. It is the largest project funded under the Safe Places grant cycle.

But the organization says it needs continued funding from the Victorian government in next year’s budget to employ the staff needed to keep the facility operational beyond the date the program pilots was due to end in October 2025.

“We would be really disappointed if the State Government was not able to fund continued operation, because we know it saves lives,” Dr Tobin said.

“My ambition for Sanctuary would be that everyone who needs a crisis service has the choice to come and receive the wraparound support that so few people currently receive.”

Mary says that when she leaves Sanctuary, she wants to build her own house to live in with her child.

But above all, she wants to feel independent and secure.

“My goal is to be happy, stress-free, problem-free and to live in peace,” she said.

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