About Us

who we are

Family and intimate partner violence is a gendered issue. The crimes that occur are predominantly perpetrated by men.

Men’s use of violence perpetuates inequality, systemic oppression and is a violation of the human rights of women, children and marginalised families.

this can and must change.

our work

Working to provide a range of services in the areas of response and recovery to victim survivors of family violence. We are a not-for-profit organisation, primarily funded by the State Government of Victoria.

We invest in prevention and education in order to stop family violence occurring in the first place. This work is made possible largely through partnerships, community and individual giving, grants and philanthropic support.

our theory of change

In order to achieve our aspirational vision, we developed a theory of change, to inform who and how we will work over the next 7 to 10 years and to track our progress towards the change we wish to see.

Theory of Change (digital)

Theory of change (PDF)

our Strategic plan

Our strategic ambition is to be a leader in specialist intersectional family violence prevention, early intervention, response and recovery.

In the next strategy period, we will strengthen our efforts to create positive change across the continuum of family violence; focus on diverse cohorts, including children and young people; and work with others to strengthen the Victorian community’s capacity to prevent, recognise and respond to family violence.

Strategic plan (PDF)

STRATEGIC PLAN (DIGITAL)

our values 

Intersectional Feminism

We understand that family violence and the abuse of power is multi-dimensional and that the impact of family violence is compounded by intersecting forms of oppression and inequality including gender, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation. These intersections result in overlapping forms of discrimination, more severe forms of violence and barriers to accessing support.

We recognise the gender drivers of violence against women and that women and children are disproportionately affected by family partner violence, which is why we prioritise them in the work that we do.

Courage

We are courageous in our pursuit of preventing family violence, leading and influencing change within the family violence and community services sectors and the broader community that is focused on delivering positive outcomes for victim survivors. We do not shy away from challenging the status quo and doing things differently.

Transparency and Accountability

We do the right things in the right way. We act with integrity, are transparent in our conduct and hold ourselves to account for delivering high quality services and programs that have a positive and lasting impact on individuals, the community and service systems.

Collaboration

We maximise the collective impact of our work through respectful, genuine and meaningful collaboration, strong partnerships and effective integration both internally and externally.

 

 

committed to reconciliation

In 2023 we launched our first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan. We commit to the vision, principles and strategic priorities of Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way – Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families, the key Aboriginal-led Victorian agreement that commits Aboriginal communities, services and government to work together to ensure Aboriginal people can live free from family violence. 

REFLECT RAP

VALUING LIVED EXPERIENCE

We have developed a Family Violence Survivor Partnership Framework to guide us in our work. We are committed to ensuring Family Violence Survivors’ views, perspectives and ideas are elevated, heard and central to the decisions that directly impact them. We commit to purposeful partnering, intentional power sharing and curious, open listening as the cornerstone of authentic engagement and ethical partnerships founded on universal human rights.

FAMILY VIOLENCE PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK (PDF)

GET INVOLVED

 

enhancing disability access and inclusion

Our Disability Access and Inclusion Plan outlines the steps we’ll take over three years to create meaningful change within our organisation and sphere of influence. We are committed to addressing barriers, supporting participation, and ensuring our services, programs, and workplaces are safe, accessible, and inclusive for people with disability.

DISABILITY ACCESS AND INCLUSION PLAN (PDF)

DISABILITY ACCESS AND INCLUSION PLAN (WORD)

2024-25 Annual Report

As we reflect on the past year, FVREE continues its proud history of working alongside communities to create safer futures free from family violence. Since our inception, partnerships have been at the heart of everything we do, and this year’s report celebrates the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change.

We undertook significant initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to innovation, inclusion, and lived experience.

Annual Report 2024-2025 (PDF)

More Annual Reports

Partnering

We are the auspice agency for the Regional Family Violence Partnership (RFVP). The RFVP is an alliance of organisations committed to working together to build systems to improve safety and justice for women and children experiencing family violence and to hold perpetrators to account for their behaviour.

About RFVP