Wayss Family Violence Service- The Nicholson Project

What is The Nicholson Project?

A joint pilot project between Wayss Family Violence Service and Protective Group

This initiative is a privately funded pilot project aimed at minimising the technology-facilitated abuse of family violence survivors.

While technology has enhanced our lives, it has also made it easy for family violence perpetrators to continue their threat to the safety and emotional wellbeing of others.

The Nicholson Project is a trial program that provides a remotely delivered service that will assess a family violence survivor’s exposure to technology-facilitated abuse and take the steps to interrupt it (where it is safe to do so).

This initiative is a privately funded pilot project aimed at minimising the technology-facilitated abuse of family violence survivors.

Who are Wayss?

Wayss beginnings can be traced back to the 1970s, when various charity groups sought to address a growing need for emergency accommodation services in the Westernport region of Victoria. Among them was the Westernport Youth Refuge, which evolved to become an integral part of Wayss, and is now known as Wayss Emergency Youth Accommodation (EYA).

Wayss Ltd was officially established in September 1997, after the Regional Housing Council ceased. A board of directors formed, which then appointed a chief executive officer. Among the initial services included transitional housing for families, women and children escaping family violence. Also, services for single adults and young people.

Over the decades, Wayss has implemented and operated numerous housing, homelessness and family violence services. Today, Wayss provides services across Greater Dandenong, Casey, Cardinia, Mornington Peninsula and Frankston.

Visit Wayss Website to learn more about how they can help you if you are suffering from Domestic or Family Violence.

Addressing an urgent need

In 2020, Wayss responded to over 8,000 family violence reports from Victoria Police.

Our team contacted every survivor to offer support and safety planning for them and their children. Through working with our clients, we noticed the need for increased support to respond to technology-facilitated abuse.

The problem many of our clients face is that even though they have left an unsafe situation, their former partner still has access to information about their whereabouts and activities.

This is possible because of online technology and connected devices.

Technology and Family Violence

While technology has many advantages, it is also used as a tool for abuse. Family violence perpetrators can locate, stalk and control their partners and families by gaining access to personal online accounts and using GPS tracking devices.

Often the women who are referred to Wayss after a family violence incident are not even aware of the extent to which the perpetrator has access to their social media, their email accounts and their real-time location.

Learn more about technology abuse and how we can assist you.

Protective Group and Wayss partnership

Wayss has entrusted Protective Group with its clients since 2019. Currently, Protective Services and Teksafe provides a range of services to break the cycle of abuse. Since our partnership began we have assisted hundreds of Wayss clients to stay safe.

Family Violence service – Share to Care

Always be careful when sharing a page such as this. You need to ensure the receiving person would be comfortable with receiving such information and that there personal devices are not being monitored by somebody other than themselves.

How it works

How it works

We will remotely access your devices once permission is granted and safe to do so. Devices we can assess include Computers/Laptops, Ipad and Tablets, and mobile phone devices. Once we have access to your device we will conduct a thorough check of all hard drives, check and remove any spyware and malicious programs, conduct an audit of your social media settings and then change all of your passwords.

How it works

How it works

We will remotely access your devices once permission is granted and safe to do so. Devices we can assess include Computers/Laptops, Ipad and Tablets, and mobile phone devices. Once we have access to your device we will conduct a thorough check of all hard drives, check and remove any spyware and malicious programs, conduct an audit of your social media settings and then change all of your passwords.

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