‘You Are Up Against It Down Here’. Providing Domestic and Family Violence Services in Regional Australia

Abstract

Problems associated with recognising and reporting domestic and family violence (DFV) have been well established. Challenges around DFV service provision have been addressed by considering particular types of place, typically metropolitan or rural and remote areas. This article examines DFV services from the perspective of service providers in a regional area around 100 kilometres south of Sydney. In this context, DFV service providers reflected on the barriers and challenges of providing services to two target communities: challenges that were representative of nationwide service experiences but exacerbated by specific regional characteristics. Their experiences suggest that competitive, short-term and innovation-focused funding streams have contributed to a siloed service landscape that clients struggle to navigate. Greater attention to service integration would address many of these challenges.