Randwick Council staff members experiencing family and domestic violence will be able to access extra leave, additional support and flexible work options as part of a new Family & Domestic Violence Policy adopted by Council on 26 June 2018.

Randwick Mayor Lindsay Shurey said the new policy for Council staff is about supporting women and families at times of crisis and helping them retain their job and income.

“Domestic violence is the greatest social challenge of our time, and I’m proud that we’re providing support for this issue. We have a way to go, but we’re moving in the right direction.

“This new policy is the right thing to do as a responsible employer and sets an example for the community and other employers,” Mayor Shurey said.

In Randwick City, between 2016 and 2017, there were 373 reports made to police of women or children suffering at the hands of another person.

The move follows a recent Australian-first initiative by the Council to allocate some its affordable housing homes to help local women and children break the cycle of domestic violence.

Under the initiative, a proportion of the Council’s affordable rental housing portfolio will be made available specifically for women and children exiting emergency refuges and into more stable medium-term accommodation.

A report is being prepared for Council's consideration outlining the proposed amendments to Council's Affordable Housing Policy.

Randwick City Council currently operates 20 affordable housing homes specifically for its essential services workers and is expecting another 10 to be handed over to Council soon. A further 200 could be provided in the coming years as part of Council’s K2K strategy in the Kingsford and Kensington town centres.

Council also recently resolved to provide annual funding for the next five years to fund specialist outreach workers targeting domestic violence to work three days a week within the Randwick City area.

“The statistics around violence against women and violence in the home suggests that it is vital we as a community continue to talk about domestic violence and ensure that women feel heard, supported and understood,” Mayor Shurey said.

Randwick Council partners with the NSW Police Force every November to organise Sydney’s White Ribbon Walk against domestic violence.