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                    Safe people, safe spaces – facilities assessment tool

                    A woman and child walking through a library
                    If you manage or operate a leisure facility, aged care centre, community hub or library, for example, this tool will help you assess how safe, welcoming and inclusive your facility is, particularly for community members who may be at risk of family violence.

                    ​​​The City of Melbourne is committed to ensuring community facilities and services are safe, welcoming and inclusive for all.

                    What makes a safe, welcoming and inclusive facility, particularly for those at risk of family violence? 

                    The building: 

                    • is near transport and well-lit at night 
                    • is easy to find, get to and get into 
                    • has clear signage – you know what happens there and you can see people coming in and out
                    • has baby change and breastfeeding facilities, an area to heat up a baby’s bottle and comfy chairs.

                    The people who work there:

                    • greet you, listen to you and offer to help you
                    • have completed training in family violence awareness and response, mental health first aid and how to respond to critical incidents
                    • celebrate and respect diversity and equality
                    • know the organisational policies on diversity, gender equality and expected staff behaviour. 

                    The facility offers information on: 

                    • services and programs for women and children 
                    • available support services, displayed in both public areas (such as reception) and more private areas (such as public toilets)
                    • how the facility celebrates its diverse community (for example, posters that represent diverse people and multicultural activities)
                    • what is happening in the local community, such as volunteering opportunities and activities at other services or facilities. 

                    Assessment tool

                    Use this tool to assess ways you may be able to improve your facility or service, and create an action plan. 

                    You can download the tool as a document that you can fill in, or access the checklist items below. 

                    Download the full assessment tool

                    Safe people, safe spaces – facilities assessment tool

                    Checklist​

                    See the list of topics below and for each question, record the following information:

                    • answer yes or no

                    • what improvements could be made, or key considerations and recommendations for action

                    • priority (high, medium, low)

                    • timeframe

                    • budget

                    • action owner.

                    Reception and entrance to the building

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of what improvements could be made

                    Is the facility close to public transport, including tram stops, bus stops and train stations?

                    If there is no public transport, is there car parking nearby?

                    Promote the nearest public transport stops or stations on your website.

                    ​Is there adequate lighting surrounding the building?

                    Lighting is considered adequate if you can see another person’s face from 10 metres away, according to the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Guidelines.

                    Contact your local Victoria Police Crime Prevention Officer to do a CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) audit.

                    ​Does the facility have windows and open lines of sight to what happens inside? 

                    Consider welcoming signage on the outside of the building.

                    ​Is the facility located in an open location that is easy to get into if you have a pram or use a wheelchair?

                    Can you put a ramp in if there isn’t one there already?

                    ​Does the entrance area feel safe and is it easy to move around in?

                    Put the reception desk in area big enough so there isn’t a ‘bottle-neck’ of people.


                    Staffing and customer service

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of what improvements could be made

                    Do reception staff members welcome everyone who enters the venue? Are they friendly and able to assist? 

                    Is there more than one staff member on reception?

                    Do staff feel comfortable and skilled enough to offer assistance to women, and people with diverse needs?

                    Are staff trained in:

                    • confidentiality 
                    • identifying and responding to family violence issues
                    • mental health 
                    • first aid
                    • managing challenging behaviour?

                    Seek relevant training opportunities.

                    Does the facility manager make sure staff members get relevant and regular opportunities for training: 

                    • by allowing staff time to attend training
                    • by having a training calendar 
                    • by ensuring as many staff as possible are supported to attend training
                    • by discussing with staff members how they can integrate their new knowledge and skills into the operation of the facility?

                    Develop a six-month training calendar and monitor attendance.

                    Reflect on learning outcomes and needs in regular performance review meetings. 

                    Ask staff to reflect on what they have learnt in training, how they apply their knowledge and how they update their skills.

                    Can staff offer basic referrals to members of the community who are at risk of violence, such as:  

                    • Victoria Police’s local family violence liaison officer
                    • 1800 RESPECT?

                    Include key referral information in training.

                    Services provided at venue

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of what improvements could be made

                    Are there specific programs and activities for women on offer?

                    Review programming and investigate possibility to include women’s programs.

                    Is there occasional care or other child care on site?

                    Consider offering child care to parents who want to join in with activities..

                    Are there any other services that provide outreach associated with or co-located at the facility, such as a social worker?

                    Find out what types of outreach services the community wants with a short anonymous survey.


                    Signage

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of what improvements could be made

                    Are there signs to welcome and include everyone regardless of gender, age, cultural background and circumstances, such as: 

                    • a breastfeeding welcome 
                    • recognisable ATSI signage 
                    • 1800 RESPECT poster 
                    • signage in a number of community languages 
                    • posters aimed at children?

                    ​Source signs from relevant organisations and display them in prominent places.

                    Are the people depicted on posters and signage reflective of those in the broader community?

                    Do an audit of your posters to work out whether they exclude any group.

                    Is there signage that indicates this is a facility that aims to be safe, welcoming and inclusive?

                    Develop a sign in consultation with staff.

                    Information available

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of key considerations and recommendations for action 

                    Is there a range of up-to-date information available covering relevant topics, such as: 

                    • domestic and family violence
                    • housing and homelessness services
                    • health and mental health
                    • support for children or parenting
                    • legal services
                    • sexual health
                    • drug and alcohol services?

                    Conduct an audit of all the materials and where they are positioned. 

                    Order new materials and make a plan for display and distribution.

                    Is the information displayed in a variety of accessible places?

                    Make a plan for where to display and distribute information.

                    Children are welcome

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of key considerations and recommendations for action

                    Are there family and child-friendly spaces, such as: 

                    • a comfortable and private place to breastfeed 
                    • baby change areas (including in the male change rooms or toilets) 
                    • a microwave to heat up a bottle of milk and baby food 
                    • somewhere to park a pram 
                    • an area with toys and children’s books?

                    Identify areas for this space and fit-out in a way that is private, clean and comfortable.

                    Are there activities for children?

                    Incorporate children’s activities when planning programs.

                    Physical environment

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of key considerations and recommendations for action

                    Does the facility have a peaceful and comfortable space to spend time in?

                    Put couches in a quiet area along with some magazines.

                    Are there opportunities for customers to socialise?

                    Display information on social and recreational activities offered by community groups.

                    Do a diverse range of people use the facility, including people of different genders, cultures, abilities and backgrounds?

                    Look at the publicity materials for the facility or service – who are they aimed at, what is the language used, and how are they distributed?

                    Is there free wi-fi?

                    Investigate with internet provider.

                    Other considerations

                    Checklist questions
                    ​Examples of key considerations and recommendations for action 

                    Are there relevant policies and procedures, such as: 

                    • a gender equality statement 
                    • safety procedures for women at risk
                    • risk assessment procedure
                    • a staff training policy
                    • critical incident procedure and training?

                    Conduct a review of policies and draft new policies and procedures if needed.

                    Are policies and procedures on public display?

                    Ensure policies are easily accessible by staff and customers.

                    ​Are simple care packs available? They may include:

                    • toothbrush and toothpaste
                    • deodorant
                    • tampons.

                    Partner with a local business to sponsor the cost of care packs or find volunteers to put them together.

                    ​Can a member of the public bring a pet into your facility? 

                    Note that local councils may house pets if someone needs to leave their home quickly.

                    Contact the RSPCA or council to find out options if someone comes in with a pet or talks about leaving a pet.

                    ​Is there storage space available?

                    ​Install large lockers or find out where customers can store belongings nearby.

                    ​Are volunteering opportunities on display?

                    ​Ensure all volunteering opportunities are adequately advertised.

                    ​Are there vouchers available, e.g. for a nearby café or through the Café Meals Program?

                    ​Investigate possible programs with local businesses

                    ​Feedback

                    We would love your feedback on the assessment tool. 

                    If you have any further comments or information to provide on this topic, please use the feedback form below, or email respect@melbourne.vic.gov.au

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