Current Projects
On this page, I provide information for participants in current research and evaluation projects (e.g. project information packs and consent forms).
The Orange Door Second Evaluation
Participant information
This page gives you information about a research project – the Second Evaluation of The Orange Door.
Please take your time to read everything to help decide if you would like to take part in the project. Before deciding whether to take part, you might want to talk about it with a friend or support person. You can ask the research team any questions to help you decide if you would like to take part. If you would like to take part, we will ask you to confirm that you understand everything in this document.
It’s your choice to take part – your participation is entirely voluntary.
There are no effects on you if you decide to take part. You can still access services through The Orange Door and other community services. We will not tell them if you take part or not, or what you say if you do choose to take part.
About the research
We would like to speak to people who have used The Orange Door service.
We would also like to speak to people with similar experiences (family violence and/or child and family wellbeing concerns) who have not used The Orange Door.
This will help us to understand what it is like to use The Orange Door and how it could be made better.
The project has been funded by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. The project will lead to a report provided to the Department.
The research team is led by Jo Farmer Consulting. Jo is an experienced researcher who specialises in researching with people who have experienced trauma. She also has her own lived experience of intimate partner violence.
If you take part, you might speak with Jo or one of the other team members (Emma Vollert, Mia Gottlieb, Ming Low, Starlady, Tricia Malowney or Nicole Cassar). You will also speak with a researcher who has their own lived experience of family violence or using child and family wellbeing services (Alison, Amar, Danny, Kita, Nina, Ricki and Sharyn). You will be told before the interview who you will be speaking with.
As part of the project, we will also be speaking with The Orange Door staff, other service providers and community organisations. In total, we will try to speak with about 300 people.
Taking part in an interview
Taking part involves an interview. The interview is a conversation with two of our researchers that will be about 30-60 minutes – you can talk as much or as little as you like. You can decide how you would like to take part (in person, phone, Zoom, email or text). If we meet in-person, we will meet at The Orange Door or another community venue (like a library or neighbourhood house). You can also choose to join a community focus group or yarning circle with other members of the community if you would prefer.
During the interview we will take about your experience of using family violence services or family wellbeing services. We do not need you to ‘retell your story’ or share information with us about your family violence situation.
You can stop the interview at any time, or skip any questions.
There is support available if you experience any distress from taking part. Details about the support options available are on page 3 of this document.
To thank you for your time, we will give you $60 per hour (as cash or an eftpos gift card). We can also provide support for travel and childcare if you need it.
There are no direct benefits to you from taking part other than helping to improve how The Orange Door works with clients.
Sharing your information
We will not share your name in reports without your permission, and we will not include any details that might identify you. You can choose if we use quotes you have said in the report, and have a choice about if we name you.
We will only tell people your name and detail about you if:
- You tell us about a plan to hurt yourself or another person
- We are required to by law, for example, if you tell us about an offence against a child or we are subpoenaed
- You give us written permission.
If you start speaking with us, you can change your mind and decide to stop taking part. If you change your mind after you have spoken with us, you can have your information removed from the project if you tell us by DATE. After this, we may have already started using your information to write our report.
We would like to record the interview. You do not have to be recorded. The recording will help us to take notes about what you have said, and we may use the recording to make a transcript (a written version of the interview). We will not share the recording with anyone outside of our research team and a professional transcriber who has signed a confidentiality agreement with us. If we create a transcript, we will share that with you.
After the research project is finished, the law requires us to keep your information for 7 years. It will be stored on a Department of Families, Fairness and Housing server for 7 years, and can be accessed only with a password.
The project will be completed by 28 February 2024. A summary report will be available after this date. If you would like, we can send you a copy of the report.
All research in Australia involving humans is reviewed by an independent group of people called a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). This project has been reviewed by the Department of Health and Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Human Research Ethics Committee (Submission ID: 96990).
If you have any questions about any of these points, you can speak to our research team:
0493 768 034
TODevaluation@impactco.com.au
If you have any concerns about the research team or projects, you can speak to:
- Family Safety Victoria, who funded the project – monitoring.evaluation@familysafety.vic.gov.au
- DFFH Research Ethics, who approved the project – 03 9892 8734 or research.ethics@health.vic.gov.au
Support options
There are three specialist support workers working on this project who you can speak to.
They all have specialist training in family violence. One specialised in working with children and young people and another specialises in providing support for Aboriginal people in community-controlled organisations.
If you would like to speak to either of them, please email TODSupport@impactco.com.au or call 0493 768 034. They will get back to you within 2 business days to provide a debriefing on the interview. They are not available for ongoing support or counselling.
Alternatively, you may contact any of the organisations below:
- Your local The Orange Door – https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/find-a-service-near-you
- 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) – 24 hour line to support people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence.
- Lifeline (13 11 14, text on 0477 131 114, and webchat) – 24 hour line providing crisis support and suicide prevention.
- QLife (1800 184 527, and webchat) – 3pm to midnight LGBTI peer support and referral.
- 13YARN (13 92 76) – 24 hour line to speak with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.
- Mensline (1300 78 99 78, and online chat) – 24 hour line to speak about men’s family and relationship issues.
- Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800, and webchat) – 24 hour line for children and young people.
- 1800 ElderHELP (1800 353 374) – redirects callers seeking information and advice on elder abuse with the phone service in their state or territory (operating hours vary).
- Rainbow Door (call 1800 729 367, text on 0480 017 246 or email support@rainbowdoor.org.au) – a free service for the LGBTQIA+ community operating from 10am – 5pm everyday
- inTouch (call 1800 755 988) provides support services for migrant and refugee women experiencing family violence operating Monday to Friday 9:30am – 4:30pm
- Safe Steps (call 1800 015 188, webchat) – 24 hour line for people experiencing or afraid of family violence
