Identifying details, have been changed to protect their privacy and safety.
Our client, a 27-year-old mother, came to Mary’s House Services after five years of physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, verbal, and financial abuse by her former partner. Following a violent incident attended by police, she and her three-and-a-half-year-old child urgently needed somewhere safe to live.
The apartment was in her former partner’s name. He still had keys and returned without warning, leaving our client fearful for their safety. She had no savings, no income of her own and no way to pay rent. The child had been exposed to the abuse and needed support with speech, development, and social skills.
How Mary’s House Services helped
- We immediately allocated our client a specialist domestic and family violence social worker. Our safety assessment identified a serious threat, and her case was referred to a Safety Action Meeting with police and other services.
- We made reports to child protection authorities and worked closely with a specialist child protection caseworker to share safety updates and coordinate support for the family.
- We advocated for our client with police and through the court process as protective conditions were put in place.
- We planned and arranged a safe exit from the apartment. This included an emergency plan, safe ways to leave, trusted contacts and a device check by our security partner, Protective Group, for tracking or spyware.
- We arranged emergency accommodation until a room became available at our refuge, then supported our client and the child to move in.
- At the refuge, we helped our client access Centrelink payments, provided vouchers for essential needs, and after some months supported her application for longer-term affordable housing. We also explored TAFE study and training options with her for future planning.
- We arranged health appointments and developmental assessments for the child. We helped the family find a local playgroup and suitable therapeutic and developmental supports and later connected them with further assistance through the NDIS. Our community programs also offered parenting and education support.
- Our housing support worker advocated for priority housing. Around six months after leaving the unsafe apartment, our client was offered a home. We connected the family with support services in their new area.
Today, our client and the child are living in safe, affordable, long-term accommodation. They are connected within their new community with services that support their wellbeing and independence.
We continue to provide our client with dedicated social work support and opportunities through our community programs as the family settles into their new home and plans for their safer and more hopeful future.
