21 August 2025
No to Violence has welcomed the NSW Government’s launch today of a 10-year strategy to strengthen support for the specialist domestic and family violence workforce who provide complex, life-saving services every day.
“The NSW Domestic and Family Violence Workforce Development Strategy is an important step to increase support for the specialist domestic and family violence workforce that is committed to ending domestic and family violence”, said Phillip Ripper, CEO of No to Violence, Australia’s peak body for people and organisations committed to ending men’s use of family violence.
Strengthening the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Sector: Workforce Development Strategy 2025-2035 provides a roadmap to build the sustainability, capacity and capability of the domestic and family violence sector through better training, supervision and career opportunities.
“This strategy outlines clear actions to support the recruitment and retention of highly skilled workers who support the safety of victim-survivors, manage risk and hold people using violence responsible for their actions and change,” Mr Ripper said.
“Our workforce is the foundation of our sector and delivers highly specialised and demanding work that requires adequate resourcing and support to avoid burnout and ensure the best outcomes for victim-survivors.”
The strategy importantly recommends establishing a peak body for the sector delivering services to end men’s use of family violence.
“It is crucial NSW has a peak body focused on improving responses to people using violence. These interventions play a pivotal role in stopping domestic and family violence by centring victim-survivor safety, managing risk and enabling men to take responsibility and engage in behaviour change,” Mr Ripper said.
No to Violence is currently funded as the Secretariat for the NSW Men’s Behaviour Change Network but is not funded as a peak body in NSW.
Other key actions identified in the strategy include prioritising workplace safety, health and wellbeing, improving workforce recruitment and renewal, driving workforce diversity, boosting collaboration and supporting skill and capability development.
The strategy, backed by $2.5 million in the 2025/26 NSW Budget, was developed in consultation with over 100 organisations in the domestic and family violence sectors and is underpinned by significant research including a survey of the specialist workforce.
Mr Ripper emphasised that strengthening the workforce must include robust support for interventions with people using violence, primarily men, alongside sustainable funding for victim support services.
“Ending domestic and family violence requires an all-in approach – we cannot take our eye off working with people using violence while we strengthen our victim support services. Both approaches need adequate resourcing to work together effectively,” he said.
“This long-term approach recognises that eliminating domestic and family violence requires a strong, well-supported workforce that can attract and retain the skilled professionals needed to help victim-survivors stay safe, heal and recover, while also keeping those using violence in sight and supporting their behaviour change,” Mr Ripper said.
For interviews, please contact Rebecca Buys at rebeccab@ntv.org.au or 0415 268 106.
About No to Violence
No to Violence is the Australian peak body for organisations and individuals committed to ending men’s use of family violence. We support specialist men’s family violence services and operate the national Men’s Referral Service, a 24/7 telephone and online counselling and referral service to link men to the support they need to get on a pathway of change and end their use of family violence. We undertake research, training and advocacy and work with governments, employers and business to stop family violence at the source.
Please list the Men’s Referral Service with all Domestic, Sexual and Family Violence stories:
- Men’s Referral Service, provides counselling and referrals for men who are concerned about their behaviour: 1300 766 491
