Trying something new: a co-response model

Since July 2024, there’s been a fresh way in Cairns of responding when police get a call about domestic, family and sexualised violence (DFSV). Instead of police turning up alone, they now team up with a specialist DFSV worker from Relationships Australia Queensland. This is the Co-Response Model that is being piloted. It is about making sure those who are harmed get the right support straight away and people using violence are held accountable (with a chance to get help before things get worse).

I recently spent three days with the co-response team members exploring skills to support engagement close to the point of contact. Initial engagement is a critical step in addressing the issue of DFSV, and skills that support this process help to lay the foundation for risk management, identify underlying issues, and tailor interventions to meet the specific needs of a user of violence.

Here’s the gist of the specifics:

• Police and a DFV specialist arrive together at the scene.
• Victim‑survivors get immediate safety planning, emotional support, and connection to services that can help.
• The person using violence is spoken to early, with a focus on calming things down and getting them connected to behaviour‑change programs.

We know that DFSV situations are messy at the time of intense escalation. Emotions are high. The co-response model attempts to:

• Helps stop things from escalating.
• Builds trust (especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families who haven’t always had safe responses).
• Ensures the right person receives the right help – whether that’s safety, support, or intervention.

This trial runs until September 2026, but Cairns is already showing how powerful it is when police and specialists work side by side. It’s safer. It’s faster. And it’s giving families a better chance to break the cycle of DFSV.

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