Published on 2 Nov 2025

Development of a family violence primary prevention workforce approach

Projects
5 ELEANOR 1x1 PORTRAIT 1
Eleanor Jenkin Impact + Insights Lead Contact me
11 LINDA 1x1 PORTRAIT 1
Linda Gyorki Director Consulting (AU) Contact me

Allen + Clarke worked with the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to develop a strategic approach for the family violence prevention workforce. Through research, consultation and analysis, we identified priorities to strengthen and grow this essential workforce. Our practical recommendations aligned with existing policies while providing clear steps to address workforce challenges and build sustainable capacity.

Key Takeaways:

  • Our collaborative approach engaged key stakeholders to ensure the strategy reflected real workforce needs.

  • We identified effective workforce development models that could be adapted for the prevention context.

  • The framework provided practical investment priorities that aligned with broader sector policies.
By using our experience in the family violence sector and working closely with service providers, we delivered a strategic approach that supported the Department's goals. The framework offered a practical roadmap that addressed current challenges while building prevention capacity for the future.

The Challenge

The Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing needed a strategy to develop their family violence prevention workforce. They wanted an approach that would strengthen capacity while supporting existing sector policies. Prevention work spans multiple settings and requires specialised skills, making a comprehensive strategy essential.

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Our Approach

Allen + Clarke brought extensive experience in family violence to this project. We understood the challenges prevention specialists face and focused on creating a practical, sustainable approach. By combining sector knowledge with research and stakeholder input, we developed recommendations that addressed current needs while supporting long-term workforce development.

The strategic approach provided clear directions to strengthen Victoria's prevention workforce. Through stakeholder engagement and analysis of workforce models, we ensured our recommendations were both evidence-based and practical. The framework identified priority investment areas that aligned with broader strategies while addressing specific workforce challenges.

Our work combined focused research with targeted consultation:

  • Desktop review - we examined workforce strategies from different sectors to identify effective approaches.

  • Discussion paper - we created a paper outlining key findings and potential strategic directions.

  • Stakeholder consultation - we conducted interviews and focus groups to gather insights and test approaches.

  • Priority analysis - we identified critical investment areas through analysis of consultation findings and sector trends.

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Immediate benefits and long-term sector development

Our work delivered immediate benefits while supporting long-term sector development:

  • Strategic alignment - our recommendations integrated with existing policies to maximise sector impact.

  • Clear implementation steps - the strategy provided practical pathways to strengthen workforce capacity.

  • Sustainable growth model - our approach created a foundation for ongoing workforce development.

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