Activity details
Safer Pathway Expansion: The 2022–23 NSW Budget included an investment of $43.6 million over 4 years to expand and enhance Safer Pathway. This included $37.6 million over 4 years to deliver case management services to victim-survivors with complex needs and to expand referral pathways into the system. Prior to this investment, support available through Safer Pathway's statewide network of service providers, the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services (WDVCAS) and Local Support Services (LSS), was limited to case coordination, information, safety planning and referrals. The expansion of case management services delivers more intensive, coordinated, and longer-term support for domestic and family violence (DFV) victim-survivors with complex needs. As part of the Safer Pathway Expansion, the NSW Government is also undertaking a project to expand referral pathways into the system so that more DFV victim-survivors can access the support they need, including those who are less likely to approach the NSW Police Force.
This activity is part of a broader activity to expand access to specialist DFV case management services across the service sector for those who need it most.
Implementation progress update
The majority of Safer Pathway Expansion projects are now complete.
Case management services and funding have been rolled out across all Safer Pathway service providers, including the WDVCAS and LSS, which now deliver more intensive and coordinated support for victim-survivors with more complex needs for up to 6 months.
In November 2023, Legal Aid NSW delivered a new client and case management system, Domestic and Family Violence Connect (DFV Connect), for the WDVCAS. In the same month, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) launched a suite of enhancements to the Central Referral Point to improve functionality and user experience.
In September 2024, DCJ successfully launched enhancements to Legal Aid NSW's DFV Connect system to support the onboarding of LSS providers so that all Safer Pathway referrals are received and actioned in a single, purpose-built online system.
DCJ continues work to explore new referral pathways into DFV services to ensure victim-survivors are connected with time-sensitive, responsive supports that are tailored to their needs.
For more information see Safer Pathway | Communities and Justice.
More information
- Learn about the National Plan to End Violence against women and children 2022-2032.
- Read the First Action Plan 2023-2027.
- Browse the First Action Plan 2023-2027 Activities Addendum update.