Saturday Magazine

19 May 2024

Saturday 18th May, 2024: Jocelyn Bignold OAM, CEO of McAuley Community Services for Women

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Saturday 18th May, 2024: Jocelyn Bignold OAM, CEO of McAuley Community Services for Women

Nevena and Fiona are joined live on-air by Jocelyn Bignold OAM, CEO of McAuley Community Services for Women

Jocelyn Bignold has been the CEO of McAuley Community Services for Women since 2008. McAuley Community Services for Women has a track record of innovation in providing support for women and their children who are experiencing family violence, and women who are homeless. Jocelyn was an expert witness before the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence.

Jocelyn has over 25 years’ experience in community services, policy development, management and advocacy. Her work has led to an extensive collaboration with Government and other non-Government organisations to improve policy responses and service systems designed to support those in need.

Jocelyn was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Australia Day Honours. The Award recognises her service to the community through social welfare organisations and her leadership and commitment to making lives better for women and children who have faced family violence and homelessness.

McAuley Community Services for Women

Family violence is sadly a common topic currently and remains a crisis in Victoria, reportedly rising by 23% since 2017 and amounting to police responding to a family violence call every six minutes. With up to 80% of cases remaining unreported, robust intervention and support strategies to suit individual situations are crucial to ending the cycle.

Current intervention strategies in the state focus on supporting victims fleeing from abuse; however, with over 32,000 women and 12,000 children rendered homeless in the state annually fleeing family violence, it is evident further efforts need to be made to support earlier intervention to prevent this escalation.

The pilot Safe at Home program is reimagining intervention strategies in the state, creating an early intervention model which works alongside all family members – including perpetrators of violence, victims and children – to address their individual needs and keep women and children safe in their own homes.