Refuges—also called shelters—provide a place of safety for women and children escaping domestic and family violence. Most refuges in Queensland receive government funding to provide temporary supported accommodation and other support services to women and children affected by domestic and family violence.
Some other organisations offer domestic and family violence accommodation services without receiving government funding. These are known as self-funded refuges. Unlike government-funded refuges, self-funded refuges do not have to meet requirements under quality checking processes such as:
Self-funded refuges that wish to be considered as a referral point for domestic and family violence organisations need to demonstrate that their service can appropriately meet the safety, security and support needs of women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
Referral organisations must be confident that any self-funded refuges they refer to are safe and appropriate.
The Suitability Assessment Guide is a resource to assist referral organisations to consider if the self-funded refuges are appropriate for referral:
The guide may also be used by self-funded refuges—or organisations seeking to establish a self-funded refuge—to self-assess the suitability of their current and/or proposed services.
The guide outlines 5 criteria for assessment:
The Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002 requires all residential services that meet the threshold requirements, including self-funded refuges, to apply for registration and accreditation.
Fact sheets for organisations wanting to establish a private refuge:
Fact sheets for referral agencies about self-funded shelters:
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To find out more, call the Department of Housing and Public Works' Residential Services Unit on (07) 3008 3450 or email.
To assist Queenslanders to access information about government-supported services and activities, the following can be accessed from the Queensland Government website: