Conclusion: international best practices. Issue 4 (2nd October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hunter, Rosemary; Choudhry, Shazia
• Is Part Of: Journal of social welfare and family law. Volume 40:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 548
• Page End: 562
• Publication Date: 2018-10-02
• Subjects: Best practices -- child arrangements -- domestic abuse -- human rights -- integrated services -- trauma-informed practice; Public welfare -- Law and legislation -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 344.410305
• DOI: 10.1080/09649069.2018.1519658
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-9069

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Three approaches presented at the International Symposium on Contact Disputes and Allegations of Domestic Violence – Identifying Best Practices offered the possibility of overcoming the limitations identified in the preceding papers in this special issue. A human rights framework, trauma-informed practice and integrated services taking a whole-of-family approach can all help to achieve cultural change in contact proceedings and to ensure the availability of the resources needed to address the issue of domestic abuse holistically. Four Australian initiatives are described as examples of trauma-informed practice and integrated services: Legally Assisted Family Dispute Resolution (LAFDR), the Family Safety Model (FSM), the Family Violence Courts Division of the Victorian Magistrates Court (FVCD), and the Family Advocacy and Support Service (FASS). FSM and LAFDR are out-of-court initiatives which aim to address a family's abuse-related needs before they get to a court. The FVCD and FASS pick up families whose cases have entered the court system, and at that stage attempt to offer a wrap-around service which addresses both legal and non-legal needs. Lastly, the article describes the European human rights framework, which is designed to operate in cases which are ultimately adjudicated by a court.