NEW service providers for the Moruya Women’s Refuge, South East Women’s and Children’s Service (SEWACS), opened their doors with a meet-the-team barbeque this month.
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The service was formerly operated by Moruya Women’s and Children’s Services Inc (MWACS).
SEWACS took over the service last month after a controversial tendering process, in which it lost its own service in Bega.
Executive officer Cheryl Nelson praised the previous providers for making the transition easy.
“I’d like to acknowledge the tremendous job the MWACS did for the region while they were in the refuge,” Ms Nelson said.
“The MWACS staff did a great job under difficult circumstances, with the transition period and made our jobs much easier.”
The Women’s Refuge is once again running at full capacity, with five families in residence.
SEWACS said it had extended the services and programs that would be provided.
“The refuge will be operating the same service it always has, but there has been a change with the range of services that we will be delivering to the Eurobodalla,” Ms Nelson said.
“We have extended the services to include working with women, children and families that have been affected by domestic violence.
“We will assist any configuration of a family that is touched by domestic violence in the Eurobodalla and we will have a broader target group, including men.
“We will being doing outreach programs right through either end of the Eurobodalla.”
In the coming months, SEWACS will employ an Aboriginal Domestic and Family specialist worker to the team and a male outreach officer.
Moruya-based SEWACS program manager Julie Irwin said the new staff members were keen to meet with the community and recruit for programs.
“While the refuge will continue to operate exclusively for women, we do have three transition properties located in the Eurobodalla that can be used by men,” Ms Irwin said.
“We will have to fill the role of a male outreach worker and we will also recruit a female Aboriginal domestic and family specialist worker.”
For details of the October 21 barbecue phone Julie Irwin on 0435 862 411 or the refuge on 44743 226.