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.