The rate of domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia (and across the nation) is unacceptable, with on average, one woman killed by an intimate partner every 11 days.
Recent data paints an even starker picture: 1 in 4 women have experienced partner violence or abuse and 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
Addressing this crisis demands urgent, coordinated action by governments, service providers, and the wider community. If Australia is to realise the goal of ending gender-based violence within a generation, acknowledging the gravity of this challenge is the first critical step.
The South Australian Government’s Family Safety Framework (FSF) was implemented in 2013 to provide coordinated cross-agency service responses for people experiencing domestic and family violence. Recognising the need for efficient, secure, and coordinated services, the South Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) Office for Women in partnership with the Digital Data and Technology (DDT) team, set out to enhance their Family Safety Framework with a modern digital platform.
DHS collaborated with a trusted Microsoft partner, Canon Business Services ANZ (CBS), to successfully develop and implement a unified Family Safety Portal, streamlining inter-agency collaboration to respond to high-risk domestic and family violence.
Heidi Ehrat, Manager of Commonwealth and State Partnerships at the Office for Women
Administered by the Office for Women, the Family Safety Framework coordinates responses to those at high risk of serious harm from domestic or family violence. To support the work of the Framework, the Office for Women aimed to develop a single source of truth—one that would strengthen data security, accelerate high-risk case management, and unify disparate processes.
“There were a number of challenges we wanted to solve when we started this project,” notes Heidi. “We really needed to look at security of personal information and establish a single source of truth and some timeliness in responses. We also wanted to improve the efficiency, storage, and security of information we’re required to collect through family safety meetings.”
To identify specific opportunities to drive efficiency through digital transformation, the South Australian Government DHS brought in Canon Business Services—a leading Microsoft cloud partner, and one of 1% of Microsoft Solutions Partners to hold all 6 Microsoft Solution designations—to help develop a comprehensive digital solution that would improve outcomes for people experiencing high-risk domestic and family violence.
CBS collaborated closely with the DHS technology team, who led the technical architecture, integration planning, and platform governance. CBS ran detailed discovery workshops with DHS including the Office for Women to develop a blueprint for the Family Safety Portal (FSP)—a digital platform built to streamline inter-agency collaboration, improve data integrity, and enhance data security. DHS technology team provided strategic direction, ensured alignment with cybersecurity and data governance standards, and facilitated cross-agency engagement.
The CBS team worked with key stakeholders to review day-to-day processes, pinpointing areas for automation and standardisation.
“We learned a lot about the Department of Human Services—what they do and where their pain points were. We uncovered a few processes we could improve using automation and some key Microsoft technologies,” recalls Michelle Stokes, State Manager for South Australia and Western Australia at CBS.
“I work across government, enterprise, and corporate, and one of the most rewarding aspects is helping real people solve real problems. There’s huge satisfaction in knowing our solutions can make someone’s everyday life easier,” she adds.
By leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Microsoft Azure App Service, CBS’ solution fully digitises the Family Safety Framework, making it simpler to coordinate Positive Action Plans, follow-up actions, and meeting minutes.
The new portal centralises critical data, offering a single point of truth for each high-risk case. Secure user roles, multi-factor authentication, and record-level permissions ensure only authorised personnel can access or update sensitive records. Enhanced reporting and analytics, built-in dashboards and Power BI integration empower administrators to track overall program effectiveness.
Given the sensitive nature of domestic violence cases, the developers prioritised robust security features—such as Azure Active Directory for identity management, role-based access control, and multi-factor authentication. Additional security measures, including limitations on printing privileges and record-specific permissions, safeguard confidential details. These measures were designed and validated under the guidance of DHS’s technology team, ensuring compliance with state government standards and safeguarding sensitive data.
The FSP is now built on Azure App Service, enabling agencies to complete the Domestic Violence Risk Assessment (DVRA) and make referrals. It also functions as a tool for Family Safety Meetings to help agencies review and discuss cases and actions together, which plays a critical role in the FSF.
By digitising the risk assessments and referrals, practitioners can instantly share information, accelerating support for those in immediate danger. Microsoft Teams fully integrates with the system, letting users join meetings directly from the FSP.
Melissa Baker, Senior Policy Officer at the Office for Women.
For reporting and oversight, integrated dashboards let managers track trends, measure outcomes, and fine-tune policy decisions.
Throughout the engagement, CBS ensured strong alignment with the Family Safety Framework’s policy, procedural elements, and compliance requirements for data privacy and government regulations.
By adopting these interconnected modules, the Department of Human Services through the Office for Women has:
This collaborative project underscores the importance of using digital solutions to address critical social challenges. By unifying data, improving security, and accelerating response times, the Family Safety Portal exemplifies how government agencies can harness modern technologies to better serve vulnerable individuals.
“This project means a lot to me personally,” says Michelle. “Being female, it’s gratifying to know we’re having a real impact on people’s lives here in South Australia—finding practical ways to help in the fight against domestic violence.”
Beyond introducing new efficiencies and safeguarding data, the ultimate goal of this integrated solution is to provide better outcomes for survivors of domestic and family violence.
Canon Business Services ANZ partners with government and enterprise clients to implement transformative digital solutions. By focusing on innovation, empathy, and robust security practices, CBS helps its customers create safer communities and more efficient public services—because technology should always empower people.
If your organisation is looking to digitise and improve critical service delivery, contact Canon Business Services ANZ to explore your transformation roadmap.
