A national push to better support domestic, family and sexual violence workers is underway, with Illawarra staff and volunteers being urged to contribute their experiences to a new workforce survey.
The National Family and Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Workforce Survey will collect information on the skills, experiences, and well-being of people working in prevention, response, and recovery roles.
Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre CEO, Elise Phillips, said it is the first national workforce survey since 2018 and is expected to provide an important picture of how the sector has changed amid rising demand and evolving service delivery models.
“The sector’s workforce has evolved enormously since 2018, with increasing demand and more complex presentations,” she said.
”This survey gives workers a rare opportunity to directly influence the policies and funding that affect their ability to support victim-survivors.”
The findings will inform future policy, funding, and workforce planning, helping governments better understand the pressures facing services and the support workers need to continue delivering trauma-informed care.
The survey is open to a wide range of roles, including specialist support services and professionals in health, housing, legal, youth, community, and peer support settings.
Both paid staff and volunteers are invited to participate if their work intersects with people affected by domestic, family or sexual violence.
Ms Phillips said participation from regional and community-based workers is especially important to ensure local challenges are recognised in national planning.
Workforce shortages, burnout, supervision needs, and training gaps may look different outside metropolitan areas, and the survey offers an opportunity to reflect these experiences in future reforms.
The survey takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete and is open until February 28.
Workers can complete the survey at https://fdvsvsurvey.com.au/ and are encouraged to share it with colleagues across the sector.