Who we are
Who we support
We support women experiencing domestic and family violence in South West Sydney and/or Central Sydney. We can also help:
Non-binary, and gender diverse people who feel comfortable accessing a women’s service
How we can help you
help you to plan for your safety
support you at court, and
connect you to local services, such as housing or legal advice.
We run the following Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services:
Support in South West Sydney (SWSWDVCAS)
We support women and their children by providing information on how to navigate the court system in Liverpool, Fairfield and Bankstown LGAs.
Support in Central Sydney (SYDWDVCAS)
We support women and their children by providing information on how to navigate the court system in Central Sydney, Waverley and the Inner West.
Frequently asked questions
Who can access these domestic and family violence services?
Where are these services available?
What is an ADVO?
Find out how Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders work, who can get one and what support is available for you.
How to access Victims Support payments
Victims of violence are eligible for payments from Victims Services. Find out how it works.
Where do WDVCAS receive referrals from?
- NSW Police Force and local courts
- other service providers, such as health services
- victim-survivors themselves.
How does the referral process work?
Upon receiving a referral, WDVCASs will:
- contact the woman to offer support
- assess their level of threat using the DVSAT
- address their immediate safety needs. We will offer clients initial safety planning and ongoing safety checks as needed
- provide information and referrals to local services to meet the key needs of victim-survivors (e.g., housing, counselling, legal advice)
- place the client on the agenda for the next SAM if she is assessed as ‘at serious threat’
- provide threat assessment and safety planning.
What kind of referrals are included?
Referrals include but are not limited to:
- legal services (e.g. family law, care and protection, civil law matters such as credit and debt)
- accommodation services (e.g. refuges, Staying Home Leaving Violence)
- children and young people services (e.g. youth services, mental health, education)
- counselling and practical support services (e.g. family support services, case management services, support services to migrants and/or refugees)
- financial assistance services (e.g. Centrelink, Victims Services, financial counselling).
What kind of information do WDVCAS teams provide?
WDVCASs can provide legal information but do not offer legal advice. Legal information involves describing legal procedures or processes and can include providing basic information about:
- making an application for an AVO
- making a statement to the NSW Police Force regarding an AVO and/or a criminal offense
- court proceedings, including AVO applications and hearings
- the effectiveness of an AVO, including reporting AVO breaches
- the role of the NSW Police Force
- the role of legal representatives
- domestic and family violence legislation.
Learn more about our other services
DFV casework services
We offer free support services for women and children experiencing domestic violence.
Legal services
We offer free or reduced cost legal services to people in our local area who might not be able to access legal support.
Training and education
We run free community workshops and training for community workers on a range of topics.
Sign up to our newsletter
our community and how you can get involved.