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Tag: Domestic Violence and Child Protection

TASC awarded $149,967 to help combat domestic violence

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                              6 July, 2023

 

TASC awarded $149,967 to help combat domestic violence on Western Downs

The Western Downs will be the focus for a new pilot project aimed at breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

TASC National, a legal and social justice centre which offers legal and advocacy services across southwest Queensland has been awarded $149,967 from the QLD Government to design, develop and implement the innovative program.

TASC CEO, Frances Klaassen OAM said they will initially work with mothers.

“The statistics around intimate partner violence are alarming,” she said.

“Nationally, more than one in three women over 18 have been subjected to violence or abuse in their relationships during their lifetime.”

A woman’s childbearing period has been identified as high-risk for domestic violence, with 22% of women who are pregnant being subjected to intimate partner violence.

“Of these women, for a quarter of them the first time they encounter violence in the relationship is during pregnancy,” Ms Klaassen said.

“What we’ve seen and what the research shows is that violence during and after pregnancy is not only an appalling denial of human rights, it also has a lasting, damaging impact across the entire community.”

TASC aims to break this cycle through an intervention and educational approach based on research showing the impact violence has on parent-child attachment and how that negatively affects children throughout their lives.

Fractured attachments impact the way children grow up to see themselves and the world around them.  Unfortunately, it carries into adolescence, impacting their early partner relationships, resulting in adults who may repeat the patterns they grew up with.

The pilot program will focus on increasing the agency of women who are of childbearing age.

“Society in general has tended to devalue the impact and work of mothers and caregivers, which in turn leads to increased vulnerability for those women when it comes to gender based violence,” Ms Klaassen said.

“We will combat this by increasing the agency and connectedness of women through group work, community connection and demonstrating the importance and impact of the mother – child relationship across a person’s life.”

This is a new approach to domestic violence and program design is still underway, with rollout expected in early 2024.

“Our goal is to work with women, families and communities to help heal some of the trauma behind the violence and bring lasting change.  While the initial focus will be on women and their supports, we will also build an education program for men we hope to roll out in the area.”

While this will be preventative program, through their existing legal and social justice connections TASC is also able to refer women currently experiencing violence to legal and support services.

Senior Solicitor Allana Janke Celebrates 11 Years with TASC

Congratulations to our awesome Senior Solicitor Allana Janke, celebrating another work anniversary with us.

Allana joined TASC in 2012 and works primarily in the area of Family Law. In her role, Allana provides people in the Ipswich community with free legal advice about parenting matters, divorce and domestic violence and family violence. She is also on the roster as Domestic Violence Duty Lawyer in the Ipswich Magistrates Court; and provides advice through the Family Relationship Centre as part of its partnership with TASC in Ipswich.

Allana supervises a team of Solicitors across TASC’s network of offices in Ipswich, Toowoomba and Roma. She also represents TASC on groups including the Regional Legal Assistance Forum in Ipswich.

Allana has a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, both from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). In 2008 she was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland and to the High Court of Australia.

 

TASC meets rising demand for services

In 2021-22 TASC’s legal services helped with over 16% more problems than in the previous year, with the largest increases coming from people over 50.

This increase is being reflected in the number of people utilising TASC’s SLASS services. Additionally we saw increases in the proportion of indigenous Australians being helped by TASC (increasing to 11.1% from 9.4% the previous year ) and in the number of people experiencing homelessness (8% of people, up from 4.6% the previous year. Proportionally the number of people experiencing financial disadvantage was steady despite an overall increase in volume for 2021-22.

If you or somebody you know are looking for legal, justice or advocacy support but doesn’t have the resources to pay for it call TASC on 07 4616 9700 or visit www.tascnational.org.au to see how we can help you.

TASC announced as Redress Scheme Support Service

TASC National, a community legal, advocacy and social justice organisation which services Toowoomba, the Darling Downs and Maranoa has been announced as the Redress Support Service for people in the region seeking support to engage with the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme).


Redress Support Services offer free, confidential, practical and emotional support to people applying, or considering applying to the Scheme.


The Scheme is in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which estimated over 60,000 people in Australia have experienced such abuse.


TASC CEO, Frances Klaassen OAM said while the Scheme began on 1 July 2018, the recent announcement of TASC as a support service means engaging with the Scheme is now more accessible to the local community.


“The National Redress Scheme is an important step in gaining recognition, acknowledgement, support and healing for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse and in holding institutions accountable,” she said.


The Scheme can provide access to counselling, a Redress payment, and the option to receive a direct personal response, such as an apology, from the responsible institution.


Delving into deeply personal and emotionally sensitive issues can be confronting. TASC understands this and has a focus on meeting each individual applicant’s need around how they can be best supported through their application process.


“Through our work in the community we understand accessing schemes like Redress is often difficult both from an emotional perspective as well as having to navigate complex systems,” she said.


“Using a person-centred approach for clients engaging with the Redress Scheme, our case workers will be there to provide support, information and advice based on a person’s circumstances so they’re able to make informed choices about which areas of Redress to pursue.”


“Clients can also choose whether to pause or progress their application at any stage,” she said.


Ms Klaassen said the scope of institutional child sexual abuse uncovered by the Royal Commission means people engaging with the Scheme will come from a wide cross section of the community.


“If you believe you’re eligible or know someone who might be eligible for redress but are unsure I would encourage you to talk with us or to visit our website to find out more information.”


For more information about the Scheme, eligibility and support services visit tascnational.org.au/redress or nationalredress.gov.au .

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