A NEW service has opened in Hastings to tackle the growing need for family violence and child wellbeing support on the Mornington Peninsula.
The expansion of the Bayside Peninsula Orange Door Network to Salmon Street, Hastings will ensure more people across the region can access the support they need, closer to home.
The Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Ros Spence, who attended the opening of the Hastings Orange Door access point, said the service was free for adults, children and young people experiencing or who had experienced family violence.
“When experiencing family violence, reaching out for help can be the hardest thing a person will do. We are making sure accessing advice and support is as easy as possible, no matter where you live,” Spence said.
“We are already seeing the power of services working together to support child and family wellbeing, with thousands of residents accessing the Bayside Peninsula Orange Door Network since it opened.”
Family violence is a significant problem across the peninsula, with the Orange Door Bayside Peninsula alone supporting 58,000 people, including 20,000 children and young people since opening in 2018.
Across the state, Victoria Police data reveals a 6.7 per cent increase in incidents from 82,651 in 2018–19 to 88,214 in 2019–20 (an increase of five per cent in the rate of incidents per 100,000 people).
Peninsula support workers say that since COVID-19, there has been a steady increase in incidents, with most service providers experiencing an annual surge in demand for support.
The Orange Door network brings together workers from specialist family violence, men’s, Aboriginal and child and family services to provide coordinated, multi-disciplinary support, including crisis assistance and support, risk assessments, safety planning and wellbeing support.
Spence said Victoria was leading the nation with its work to end family violence, with more than $3.7 billion spent since the royal commission into family violence – more than every other state and territory combined.
Since 2018, the Orange Door has assisted more than 238,000 people, including 95,000 children, statewide.
Orange Door Bayside Peninsula opens 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Call 1800 271 170 or visit orangedoor.vic.gov.au.
The Orange Door can be accessed by phone, email or face-to-face in Frankston, Prahran and Hastings and via an outpost in Rosebud.
First published in the Western Port News – 3 August 2022
