High demand, inadequate funding: report warns of mounting risk for victim survivors of family violence

High demand and inadequate funding for specialist family violence services are resulting in workforce shortages and notable wait times for victim survivors seeking support, according to a new report released today by Safe and Equal. 

The findings, released as part of Safe and Equal’s 2025 Measuring Demand and Capacity Report, reveal that a quarter of surveyed services reported delays of one to 10 days for victim survivors to receive case management support, even in high-risk cases. 

Safe and Equal CEO Tania Farha said that despite significant investment into family violence in Victoria over the last nine years, specialist services continue to grapple with increasing demand and complexity of cases. 

“Since the Royal Commission, we’ve seen significant investment in initiatives to support intake and triage, so that people have clear entry points to the system to get support. 

“However, we’re yet to see sustainable and adequate investment in ongoing case management support for victim survivors, which is ultimately where those long-term safety supports can be put in place to recover from violence. 

“The current funding does not support the growth we’re seeing. And while specialist services are doing an incredible job helping those who need it, the data shows that the sector is under pressure.” 

The report highlights that the increasing severity and urgency of family violence experienced by victim survivors means services must direct resources towards crisis responses, missing crucial opportunities to intervene earlier. 

“Wait times put victim survivors at further risk of harm. During the time a victim survivor is waiting for support, their circumstances might change, or their risk level might escalate,” said Ms Farha. 

“Some victim survivors will drop out of the system completely because they were unable to get the support they needed at a critical time.” 

The report also found that misidentification – when a victim survivor is wrongly identified as a perpetrator by police – continues to be a significant systemic issue, with almost half of services (47 per cent) reporting it as a presenting issue for victim survivors seeking support. 

With $118 million in funding for specialist family violence response and prevention due to lapse at the end of this financial year, Safe and Equal is calling on the Victorian Government to not only make this permanent and ongoing, but uplift existing funding for all services, including specific funding increases for targeted family violence services and specialist Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. 

“The evidence is here: demand for specialist family violence services is continuing to grow,” said Ms Farha. 

“There has been a shift in the public conversation about family violence and more victim survivors are reaching out for help, which we want to encourage. But we need to ensure every person who needs help can receive timely and tailored support. 

“The findings in this report are not sudden, unexplainable shifts. They’re the direct result of the increasing pathways for reporting but not enough funding for specialist family violence services to respond to the demand. 

“Our sector has been saying this for a long time: if we want to improve outcomes for people experiencing family violence, we must ensure our specialist services are adequately funded to do this complex and critical work.” 

 

About the 2025 Demand and Capacity Report 

This report provides analysis and insights on data collected through Safe and Equal’s 2025 Demand and Capacity Survey. The data collection is focused on gathering an overall picture of demand for specialist family violence services and case management support.,  

Conducted between July and August 2025, the survey gathered 49 responses from specialist family violence case management services representing 34 organisations across Victoria.  

Key findings from the 2025 Demand and Capacity Report 

• In addition to family violence risk, victim survivors most commonly presented with needs related to housing and homelessness, financial insecurity (each reported by 96 per cent of services), closely followed by mental health support needs (92 per cent).

• Services continue to prioritise urgent safety needs, with victim survivors assessed as being at ‘serious risk requiring immediate protection’ typically assigned a case manager immediately. Those at serious risk were typically prioritised for immediate allocation, though around a quarter of services reported delays of one to 10 days even in high-risk cases. 

• Misidentification of victim survivors (as a person using violence) continues to be a systemic issue, with almost half of services (47 per cent) reporting this as a presenting issue for victim survivors seeking services.

• The demand for refuge support continues to outstrip capacity. A total of 671 referrals into refuge were received, reflecting sustained demand for refuge. Across the six-month reporting period, 349 households were accommodated. Refuge providers also reported that victim survivors with permanent residency or citizenship remained in refuge for an average of 84 days. In contrast, victim survivors on temporary migration visas had an average length of stay of 130 days, with two services reporting averages as high as 365 days.

• Workforce pressures remain persistent, with services reporting trends across several areas including higher average caseloads; an increase in vacancy rates/widespread staffing shortages; staff regularly working beyond contracted hours to manage workload and demand; and workload pressures impacting either staff retention or wellbeing. 

 

About Safe and Equal 

Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victorian organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across the continuum, including primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery. Our vision is a world where everyone is safe, respected and thriving, living free from family and gender-based violence. 

Media contact

Stephanie Jones, Communications Manager

media@safeandequal.org.au

03 9921 0897