Organisational Overview 

About the Centre for Non-Violence

The Centre for Non-Violence (CNV) is a well-established organisation, with over 20 years’ experience in providing specialist family violence programs and services for women and children experiencing family violence and at risk of homelessness, men who use violence in the family and working with families across the continuum of response, early intervention and primary prevention. We provide a range of services for women and children experiencing family violence; programs for men who use violence in the family, including men’s behaviour change programs, enhanced intake and case management.

CNV works collaboratively with key stakeholders and partners regionally and statewide, to implement primary prevention approaches, innovative projects and influence coordinated community responses and policy to prevent violence against women and their children.  CNV provides a key leadership role and auspices positions that support policy and practice integration and coordination implementation. CNV is active leader and innovator in primary prevention, community education and engagement projects, activities and initiatives.  
CNV is also the lead agency for the Loddon Campaspe Integrated Family Violence Consortium that is funded to deliver the full suite of services for women and children experiencing family violence, and programs for men who use violence towards family members.

CNV is a child safe organisation. We value, respect and listen to children and young people. We are committed to the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children and young people, including the cultural safety of aboriginal children and young people, culturally and/or linguistically diverse children and young people, gender and sexually diverse children and young people and children with a disability.

CNV has an Employee Bargaining Agreement with its staff, which allows both negotiated salary packaging and flexible working arrangements.

CNV is duly accredited to both DFFS (State) and QIC (National) Standards. Continuous quality improvement is an agency expectation.

Vision Statement

Gender and social equality in a violence free world. 

Statement of Purpose

CNV is working towards its vision of a society free from violence, homelessness, discrimination, poverty and oppression by:

• Being responsive to the needs of women and their children through providing information, resources, housing options, referral, advocacy, education and support;
• Designing and delivering education, prevention and recovery programs;
• Ensuring women and children’s rights are upheld;
• Challenging structural, legal and social inequities and advocating for change;
• Advocating for affordable, secure and safe housing options; and
• Increasing community awareness of the social and systemic issues affecting women and children.

CNV’s Structure 

CNV structures Programs and Services into four streams:

• The System Integration stream works with the integrated family violence system, which includes Victoria Police, Child Protection, Courts, Corrections Victoria, Child First/Family Services, the Orange Door (currently in development stage) and other key parts of the service system that respond to family violence. The Systems Integration stream delivers programs and services which focus on systems integration and collaboration. These programs include the Risk Assessment Management panel, the Orange Door specialist family violence response, the family violence Child Protection Partnership program, regional integration and community education and training. All System Integration stream programs intersect and engage with other CNV streams.
• The Intervention Services stream delivers quality, integrated programs that work to keep women and children safe by supporting victims and working with men to support change. These programs intersect with all parts of the service system. Intervention Services provides specialist risk assessment and management services, case management services for victim/survivors and group and individual programs for men who use violence toward family members. Teams are structured into an integrated group of workers with representation from our various client programs including those supporting men, women and children. Teams work with clients from intake to closure using a key worker model.
• Therapeutic Programs and Practice Development delivers therapeutic services to women and children affected by family violence including the Safe, Thriving and Connected program. This stream also contributes to building and maintaining best practice across all service delivery.
• The Partnerships and Prevention stream develops strategic relationships and partnerships with other organisations and individuals to strengthen and extend the scope and capacity of CNV to undertake its work and meets its strategic goals.

All streams are interconnected and work closely together. All streams have collective responsibility and provide leadership to:

• Ensure safety and wellbeing of children
• Strengthen cultural safety
• Respond to diverse communities
• Continuous quality improvement
• Community education
• Prevention – including primary prevention and early intervention
• Respect the knowledge and learn from women, children and young people with lived experience of family violence

Our Corporate Services team is responsible for managing the administration functions of the organisation, leading and co-ordinating quality assurance, compliance and corporate planning to ensure organisational and operational effectiveness and efficiency. Corporate Services manages all aspects of human resources, occupational health and safety, financial management, risk management and emergency management practices across the organisation together with management of information, communication technology (ICT), asset and physical resource management including, infrastructure, environment and contractor management.

Our Innovation and Impact Unit guides and delivers strategic projects, data and evaluation, business development and marketing and communications.

An annual Operational Plan guides the organisational priorities, which are informed by the CNV Strategic Plan, Quality Work Plan and other plans including the Reconciliation Action Plan.

Philosophy & Principles

CNV will be guided by a feminist philosophy and the following principles in its relations with service users, staff, other stakeholders and the wider Community.

• RESPECT is an active conscious process that acknowledges differences and accommodates conflict. CNV will work in a consistently respectful manner thus ensuring its practice is non-judgmental, validating, confidential, supportive and acknowledges the intrinsic value of each person. Respect engenders trust, empathy and equality between people.
• CO-OPERATION by valuing the strengths and ideas of others. CNV works collaboratively to develop and maintain relationships to achieve the best outcome(s).
• SOCIAL JUSTICE is an integral part of CNV practice, actively advocating structural and social change and the development of a society that is just, equitable and respects human rights.
• EMPOWERMENT, supporting women and children through a power sharing approach to identify their own needs and make informed decisions utilising their strengths. Empowerment engenders self-determination and promotes resilience.
• TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICES ensure rights are protected and advocated for and that the service is accountable to stakeholders and the Community.
• DECISION MAKING processes based on participation, consultation and information sharing, whilst respecting and acknowledging different roles, responsibilities, functions and skills.