Research & Development
Court Based Family Support
A Service Model for the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court
In
2008, VACRO received a grant from the Legal Services Board of Victoria
to scope the development of a court based information, support and
referral program for the families of defendants.
The rationale for this project was simple: while there has been
critical investment in services to support defendants and victims
in criminal trials, there is little specialist support available
to the families and children of defendants. There is, however, evidence
to suggest that provision for targeted services to families of defendants
may assist in reducing recidivism and inter-generational criminality,
promoting community justice and providing earlier intervention and
support to particularly vulnerable families.
The Court Based Family Support Project was conducted over a twelve
month period concluding in September 2009.A project reference group
provided expert advice on key service design issues. Representation
included existing court based support service providers, court administrators,
policy makers, researchers and broader family support providers.
In addition, the project consulted with a wide range of legal, government
and community service providers and policymakers.
The final report draws on an analysis of the existing demand
and international evidence on best practice models. The report then
presents a set of specifications for the delivery of a family support
service linked to the Magistrates' Court. The specifications cover
the proposed service targeting, intake mechanisms and intervention
types and consider important partnerships with existing service
providers.
The full report will be available from VACRO following the project
launch. For more information about the Court Based Family Support
Project, or to request a copy of the report please contact VACRO
info@vacro.org.au or phone
(03) 9605 1900.
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