Our services are guided by a focus on evidence-based practice and we’re committed to undertaking targeted research in areas that impact our clients and influence the sector and government.

We regularly collect feedback, measure client outcomes, evaluate service effectiveness and use this data and feedback to improve our services.

Research

Research projects in 2020-21

During the 2020-21 financial year, we:

• commenced a 2-year collaboration with academics from the Australian National University and the University of Wollongong on an Australian Research Council-funded study aimed at testing the myriad of post-separation parenting apps on the market and assessing the benefits and risks associated with their use.
• continued a pilot study with Victoria University on ‘The Use and Abuse of Communication Technologies for Post-Separation-Parenting’
• collaborated with university partners on an application for an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant to study how single Australians manage loneliness post-COVID-19
• published research papers, based on our previous FDR Outcomes Study, in peer-reviewed journals including the Family Court Review and the Australian Journal of Family Law.

Previous research projects

Read about our research products conducted over the last 12 years, including major projects funded by the Australian Research Council.

Evaluation

In 2020/21, we continued to evaluate our programs and services, and positive outcomes have been reported by the majority of clients accessing our services, including the areas detailed below.

Counselling and family dispute resolution

We evaluated our counselling and family dispute resolution (FDR) services in 2021 through Standard Client Outcomes Reporting (SCORE). Evaluations from clients indicated that overwhelmingly, these services support clients to feel listened to and understood, and work on and talk about what is important to them. Clients also reported significant satisfaction with the services provided. 

Counselling

• 96.1 per cent of clients felt listened to and understood
• 77.7 per cent of clients felt they were better able to deal with issues after attending this service
• 91 per cent of clients were satisfied with the service they received

Family dispute resolution

• 92.3 per cent of clients felt listened to and understood
• 79.1 per cent of clients felt they were better able to deal with issues after attending this service
• 87.1 per cent of clients were satisfied with the service they received
  
  

AccessResolve conciliation service

An evaluation of our AccessResolve conciliation service for Federal Circuit Court cases demonstrates strong satisfaction rates even within this relatively high-conflict group. We presented on this evaluation at the National Mediation Conference in September 2021.

Pivoting to online service delivery during the pandemic

In addition to providing remote counselling and family dispute resolution services in 2020/21, we transitioned additional services to an online model of delivery in order to continue supporting Victorians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Client feedback and evaluations demonstrate that these services were favourably received.

Our popular Parenting After Separation Seminar (PASS) program was adapted to a blended, online model of self-paced learning and group discussion, and the vast majority of parents attending said that PASS significantly improved their circumstances.

We also provided adapted online men’s behaviour change programs, with participants giving the virtual men's behaviour change program (MBCP) an average rating of 8.5/10.

Accreditation

In 2021, RAV successfully completed the process of reaccreditation (3-year cycle) against the internationally recognised ISO9001:2015 Quality Management Systems standards, which we have been accredited against since 2015.