This is the first impact evaluation of Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS). FVPLS aims to improve safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims/survivors of family violence and provide them with better access to justice and to change attitudes and behaviours in relation to family violence, including sexual assault. FVPLSs are funded to provide culturally safe legal assistance, support and referrals to victims/survivors. 

The evaluation aimed to determine whether FVPLS was:

• improving access to justice
• increasing safety outcomes
• empowering victim/survivors to manage the impact of family violence in their lives
• delivering outcomes aligned with the Government's broader policy agenda.

The impact evaluation took a mixed methods realist approach which drew on:

• site visits and stakeholder interviews
• review of six-monthly performance reports for FVPLS agencies and other administrative data
• completion of rubrics to rate the key features and performance of FVPLS agencies.

The review made 36 recommendations on how the operation of FVPLS could be improved to deliver better outcomes.

Key Findings

• Awareness of legal rights and options may be a necessary condition for victim/survivors of violence to act on their legal rights, but it is not sufficient; it is unlikely that awareness raising alone contributes significantly to prevention.
• There is some evidence that school-based early intervention programs, including culturally specific programs, can contribute to respectful relationships.
• There is consistent evidence internationally that Indigenous healing programs, properly run, can contribute to the prevention of family violence.