The State Government initiative asks corporates and community organisations to take a pledge to act against DFV – a commitment to lead through action to help put an end to gender-based violence.
Unitywater Executive Manager Customer Experience, Katherine Gee, said as an essential service provider, Unitywater was always looking for ways to enhance the processes that are already in place to support customers experiencing DFV.
“When a customer calls our contact centre and mentions anything related to DFV, the call is securely passed on to our Customer Support team who are equipped with specialty training to provide support to these customers,” Ms Gee said.
“Examples of these measures include having contact details removed from an account to help protect their privacy, referrals to external support services, assistance with debt, flexible payment plans, and a confidential conversation that is handled with care and empathy.”
Unitywater has also supported women’s refuges and behavioural change programs across their service region through community grants, and all team members are required to complete DFV training to learn how to identify and respond to people experiencing this.
“Since July 1 this year, there have been 6693 Domestic Violence Order (DVO) applications made in Queensland, including 610 from Moreton Bay, and 417 on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa combined,” Ms Gee said.
“Of these, 79.1% were lodged by women. Although these figures don’t paint the full picture, they highlight the prevalence of this issue within our community and we’re proud to have taken the pledge to continue seeking ways to support ending the issue.”
Unitywater also has discreet leave entitlements to support team members who may experience DFV-related situations, and a DFV Response Kit designed for leaders to help support team members in need, amongst dedicated resource pages through the organisation’s intranet.
For more information about Unitywater’s support resources, head to www.unitywater.com/support-services.
If this story has raised any issues for you, please contact 1800RESPECT for free confidential information, counselling and support services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
