DV perpetrator training for Queensland workplaces

Businesses and community organisations from all across Queensland will learn what do do about DV perpetrators in the workplace when the second in a series of lunchbox sessions on perpetrators of violence in the workplace gets underway on 21 November.

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Di Farmer said the sessions followed through on a commitment made to Queensland’s corporate and community sectors to help them get started in addressing DV within their business or organisations.

“At our Safe at Home, Work and Play corporate and community forum in September, we heard from more than 100 businesses and community sector organisations who want to do more to help, but don’t necessarily know the best place for them to start or what they can do next,” she said.

“One topic which came up frequently was the question of, what do you do if you identify someone in your workplace or organisation, or suspect someone is using domestic violence in their homes?

“So we’ve called in an expert to lead this sessions - Dr Brian Sullivan, who is a distinguished academic who has worked extensively with men’s domestic violence intervention groups and programs.”

Ms Farmer said the Safe at Home, Work and Play Lunchbox Session II will be hosted in Brisbane by PwC on Thursday 21 November with tele-conferencing facilities available to make sure anyone across Queensland interested in learning about how to respond to perpetrators within their workplace are able to access this information.

QSuper Manager Kelly Quin took part in the first DFV lunchbox session via teleconferencing and said the content was very practical and the links to tools and resources meant it could be shared with her team.

“The ability to dial into this session was incredibly useful given I had meetings booked either side and travelling out of the office would have meant I couldn’t participate,” she said. 

“The insights shared were incredibly valuable and I look forward to attending future sessions and hearing about other topics of what we can all do within our organisations, and as individuals, to help combat domestic and family violence.”

Dr Sullivan will be joined by Rebecca O’Connor Chief Executive Officer of DV Connect who will give a unique perspective from the statewide referral and support service for men using or experiencing violence within their relationship.

“We made a commitment at the Safe at Home, Work and Play corporate and community forum in September to host expert led Lunchbox Sessions to help businesses and community organisations get started on their journey to address DV in our workplaces and communities,” Ms Farmer said.

“We also committed to making those sessions available to as many people as possible right across the state, which is why we’re using offering these sessions via teleconferencing as well as in person so that organisations in regional, remote and rural areas can access the same training as the south east corner.”

For more information on the second lunchbox session and how to teleconference into this event please go to: https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/campaign/not-now-not-ever-together/corporates/whats-next.

ENDS

Media contact: Cat Milton 0447 117 132