A domestic violence service saved Edwina’s life, but it is struggling to survive without government funding

In an unassuming building in a quiet corner of Perth’s northern suburbs is a service Edwina says saved her life.

What began with a shove when she was pregnant quickly developed into coercive control and emotional abuse.

The final straw came when her abuser threatened to kill her, her child and himself.

Without proof of the threat, she says police told her there was little they could do.

Her road to recovery began when she was referred to Orana House’s SWitCH Centre, which became a central referral point to other services, and eventually a refuge and a transitional home.

But after years of running on a shoestring budget, the centre is pleading for government funding to expand a style of service the sector says is desperately needed.

Support comes in many forms

The centre was opened in 2021 as a away of helping women and children who couldn’t find a place in one of Perth’s overflowing refuges, according to Orana House spokesperson Jasmyn Hutin.

But for women like Edwina, whose abuser posed such a significant risk to her and her children, it also represented a stepping stone to safety.

“I clearly remember getting a phone call from one of the workers here, one of the social workers, and thinking my ex has put her up to this,” she recalled of her first contact with Orana House.

“He had done things like that in the past … trying to help just [to] find out little things that he could use against me.”

Despite the extensive abuse, she didn’t fully realise how bad the situation was.

“[I thought] there were people a lot worse off than me that needed it more,” Edwina said.

That support came in many forms, all of it coordinated from the SWitCH Centre — from having a place for her children to make friends and play to moving into safe accommodation.

There was financial support, even for something as simple as nappies, help cleaning a rental she was forced out of, and lots of counselling — both formal and informal.

“It’s just the holistic approach where it’s a one-stop shop really for everything that we need to grow and to function,” Edwina said.

“It’s a hub, I guess, but there isn’t the staffing for it. That’s the saddest thing.”

‘Pocket change’ needed to boost service

The SWitCH Centre is staffed by one person working four days a week, and two people working two days each.

“Our staff on any given day will be changing bed sheets after a child’s been unwell, holding the hand of a woman as she goes through the family court system, lodging a violence restraining order,” Ms Hutin said.

That’s on top of keeping the centre itself open and available for women who need somewhere safe to spend the day.

“What’s happening here is really catching people before they need refuge, hopefully eliminating the need for refuge at all,” Ms Hutin said.

“We could be doing so much more if we only had the resources, the human resources and funding, to make sure that this is operating at its full capacity.”

The centre is only able to keep its doors open because of a peppercorn lease of the building from the City of Bayswater and donations from businesses.

But the charity’s most recent financial report to the charities regulator showed it running at a $14,218 loss.

“That’s not a very sustainable way to retain staff,” Ms Hutin said.

“$300,000 to $400,000 would be the ideal. That would allow us to have three full-time staff members and a part-time child and young person’s advocate.

Ms Hutin said the organisation had sought government funding to be able to keep up with demand previously but was unsuccessful.

“There really isn’t a tender process specific to this wrap-around and outreach that we’re doing at the SWitCH Centre, and perhaps that’s part of the issue,” she said.

Hope funding will be available soon

It’s a problem Alison Evans, who represents family and domestic violence services as CEO of the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing, hopes will be addressed as the WA government reforms the sector.

“It’s really hard, I think, to start having full funding in areas that government hasn’t funded before,” she said.

“Our hope is that there’s a recognition now by state and federal governments that it’s so critical to be investing in recovery, healing, re-establishment services and supports for women and children.

“Now it’s really important for the government to treat that as core business and provide sustainable funding for recovery and healing services across Western Australia.”

 A state government spokesperson said it had been contacted by Orana House last week to seek additional support for the SWitCH service.

It pointed to $1.2 million in funding it has given to Orana for its refuges and a program to support victim-survivors into rentals in the private market as part of $470 million it’s invested in addressing family and domestic violence since 2017. 

“[The Department of] Communities receives funding applications from a wide range of community service groups across Western Australia and seeks to support initiatives aimed at supporting victim-survivors and holding perpetrators to account,” they said.

“The State Government encourages providers to apply for funding through Communities’ Tender processes and grant programs.”

An importance underscored by Edwina’s reflections on where she would be if she had not walked through the doors of the SWitCH Centre.

“Honestly, probably dead,” she said.

“I would have probably gone back to my ex.

“This centre feels like [it] has saved my life, and with the statistics so high of women returning back to relationships where they later die, that could really change numbers.”

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