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MCM undertakes purposeful advocacy at all levels – government, private sector and community. We work closely with the sector to advocate for positive social change.
You can read our policy and research submissions below.
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MCM and Y-Change welcome the opportunity to provide feedback on the Draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022 – 2032 (Draft Plan) and commends the Australian Government on maintaining this important focus. This submission should be read in conjunction with MCM’s submission to the National Plan for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children. The increased focus on preventing and responding to gender-based violence across Australia is strongly welcomed, however despite this focus, young people who are experiencing family violence are not recognised as victim-survivors in their own right and have been overlooked by the Draft Plan. Adolescents and young people are largely seen under the Draft Plan for their use of harm and violence and are not referenced in the title of the Draft Plan.
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Family violence continues to be a pervasive, systemic issue in Australia. In Victoria, the need for deep and sustained reform to address this challenge was reflected in the outcomes from the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Significant progress has been made in implementing these recommendations, however, gaps remain for young people who are experiencing family violence, either in the home or from an intimate partner. The Amplify Project, undertaken by Melbourne City Mission, seeks to understand this gap in policy and services and map a way forward. This report outlines the findings from the research conducted as part of this project and which has been shaped and guided by the insights of lived expertise.
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Current policy frameworks have not been effective in reducing youth homelessness in Victoria. Young people have distinctive pathways into, and experiences of homelessness compared to other cohorts. Youth-specific responses are required to best support the needs of Victorian young people and assist their transition to adulthood in a well-supported trajectory. This Position Paper presents the findings of a review undertaken by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) for Melbourne City Mission (MCM). The focus of the review is on the existing Victorian youth homelessness system and policy environment that guides the delivery of support services available to young people experiencing homelessness. Findings of the Paper aim to inform discussion about the possible need for and potential focus of a youth homelessness strategy for Victoria, and the delivery of effective outcomes for Victoria’s young people experiencing homelessness.
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Young people are a significant group experiencing homelessness in Victoria. Compared to older cohorts, young people have distinctive pathways into, and experiences of homelessness. To effectively meet the needs of young people a youth-specific homelessness strategy is required in Victoria. This Final Report presents the research findings for the project Towards a Youth Homelessness Strategy for Victoria by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) for Melbourne City Mission (MCM). The Final Report synthesises the findings of the Positioning Paper and the deliberations of the Investigative Panel facilitated by AHURI. The findings and recommendations of the Positioning Paper formed the basis of a focused panel discussion between sector leaders and the policy community (Investigative Panel) that considered what strategic policy framework is required to support young people experiencing homelessness in Victoria most effectively.
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The next National Plan must recognise children and young people as victim survivors in their own right. MCM welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the development of the next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (next National Plan) and commends the Australian Government on maintaining this important focus. The increased focus on preventing and responding to family violence across Australia is strongly welcomed, however despite this focus, young people who are experiencing family violence, continue to fall through the cracks of the system. They are too often seen as extensions of their parents or carers for the purposes of support. The gap in responses for young people is widely recognised by the family violence sector, as is the lack of practice guidance for working with young people.