Women looking after women in the community

Guest speaker: Brooke Vitnell, Solicitor from David Vitnell Solicitors

The fastest growing cohort of homeless people in Australia today are women 65-74 years old. Within this group, homelessness increased by 51% in five years to 2016.

This data may be more confronting than many of us realise because for many older women, homelessness manifests itself in relatives’ guests’ rooms, spare bedrooms with friends or on a sofa - you might have a family member or friend who has been through or is currently going through this.

In this presentation you will learn about:

• Escaping a domestic violence situation

• Family law proceedings

• Domestic violence – the rise during covid-19 and local support available

• Practical steps for women leaving domestic violence relationships

• Financial risk and women – the surprising cohort of homeless older women after leaving abusive relationships / or pursuing divorce later in life

• Local statistics – domestic violence, homelessness in our region

• The most vulnerable in our community – the rise of elder abuse - signs to look out for, practical steps and things that family and friends can do

Brooke has helped shape policies on domestic and family violence, child sexual abuse and the NDIS along with other policy areas and Federal Government experience: National Redress Scheme into Child Sexual Abuse, The National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children, Stop it at the Start Campaign.

She says: “We are a family owned and operated law firm with two locations - Nelson Bay and Medowie. I love achieving outcomes for my clients. There is nothing more rewarding than assisting people during what is most often one of the most stressful periods of their lives.”