Collaboration at the intersection of domestic and family violence and child protection: Enablers and barriers

Collaboration between statutory child protection and domestic family violence agencies has been identified as best practice to ensure that men who use violence are visible, and women and children are safe when the violence results in child protection concerns. This paper articulates enablers and barriers that emerged from a research project that tested a co-designed collaborative service model at the intersection of child protection and domestic and family violence in South Australia. The research was conducted between August 2019 and September 2021. Examination of the enablers and barriers were identified using multiple data sources including case discussions, case file reviews, and working group deliberations. Analysis of the data identified that the Specialist Liaison Officer (SLO) was instrumental in enhancing communication, integrating the key elements of the collaborative service model, and nurturing of professional alliances. However, differences of underlying conceptual and ideological paradigms, service mandates and unilateral decision-making processes driven by legislation significantly impeded effective collaborative service approaches. Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) is a significant issue for most families who are involved with child protection services and therefore building organisational capacity, shared understanding of practice and professional alliances across these complex service sectors is deserving of investment and further research.