Is Violet Co a legal practice?

Yes. Violet Co Pty Ltd is an Incorporated Legal Practice registered with the Law Society of NSW. Karen Iles is the Principal and Director.

Is Violet Co a social enterprise?

Yes. Violet Co has a purpose of working with and for women and Indigenous peoples. In all of the work that we do, no matter who our client is, our purpose is woven through. We have a social impact and pro bono program.

Is Violet Co an Indigenous Business registered with Supply Nation?

Yes. Violet Co is registered with Supply Nation. You can see our registration on their website here.

Has Violet Co got a commitment to pro-bono legal and consulting services?

Yes. Violet Co is a signatory to the National Pro Bono Target. You can see our signatory status to the target here. Our commitment to providing pro bono services; whether legal or consulting, is also confirmed in the nature of our business as a social enterprise.

Does Violet Co use Trauma-Informed Practice?

Yes! At Violet Co, it is important to us that our clients feel safe and comfortable at all times. Our team uses a trauma informed approach to ensure we do no harm and provide the highest level of care and service tailored to every individual.

What is Trauma-Informed Practice and why is it important?

The Australian Psychological Association defines trauma as an ‘emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster’ where their life or safety or someone else’s was at serious risk.

Everyone experiences the impacts of trauma in different ways. Some of the impacts can include:

• Feelings of shock and denial

• Unpredictable events in the long term, including emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and physical symptoms such as headaches and nausea

• The development of substance use, mood and anxiety disorders.

Trauma-Informed practice refers to recognising trauma signs and symptoms and the potential paths to recovery and integrating our realisation into policies, procedures, and practices as a response to actively resist re-traumatisation (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). It assists us to provide emotional and physical safety when providing services to our clients.

How does Violet Co operate as a Trauma-Informed Practice?

Violet Co’s trauma-informed practice embodies the following core principles (Cathy Kezelman AM and Dr. Pam Stavropoulos, 2016):

• We place the emphasis on your safety, our trustworthiness and your choices to collaborate together for your empowerment

• We care about the “how” just as much as the “what”. We collaborate in the way you feel comfortable, and in the setting you feel most comfortable

• As fellow survivors, we recognise the re-traumatisation and sense of victim-blaming that can occur when victims are asked loaded questions. We believe survivors, we care about what happened to you

• As fellow survivors we recognise that for survivors of sexual assault, gender and/or race-based violence, fight, flight, freeze and fawn mechanisms can be the norm.

• An understanding of how stress impacts the brain and body

• We understand how important and necessary it is to normalise, empathise and destigmatise conversations about sexual assault and violence

• We work from a strengths-based approach. We know that all survivors demonstrate profound resilience in the face of the enormous and overwhelming trauma they have experienced. We work alongside our clients to illuminate their personal strengths because we believe that justice doesn’t just mean achieving a punitive outcome for the abuser. Justice should be client-centered and transformative.

What are some practical examples of what my Trauma Informed experience at Violet Co will look like?

Here is how we will work with you - but at the core of everything we are client centered.

• We start with a free initial 30-minute consultation. This is an opportunity for us to get to know each other, discuss your matter, and for you to determine if we are the right people to help you achieve the results you are looking for.

• We organise meetings in advance and confirm them the day before. This allows you to have certainty and supports in place. We understand that a meeting with a lawyer is a big deal and we will make sure that there are no last minute rescheduling issues at our end.

• We schedule appointments or email you - we will not call you on your phone out of the blue and put you in an awkward situation to speak about your matter when you are at work, on the bus or at the shops.

• We will ask in advance what it is that will make you feel most comfortable in the meeting. It might be making sure you have a warm drink, a yummy piece of banana bread or something else to nibble on, a relaxed environment, the ability to do the meeting in your most comfy daggy clothes possible (and your ugg boots), a heat pack - you name it and we will work with you to make it happen. We will send out our “Client Consultation Form” to learn these details in preparation for your consultation.

• Meetings are inclusive and confidential.

• Meetings are held in person, in our offices or via Zoom so that you can be in your own comfort zone.

• We will be clear up front about what details and information we require. We don’t want you to overshare or re-tell.

• We will ask your permission to talk about details before raising them.

• We won’t rush you. We support you to report, disclose or make a complaint, by preparing your statement/story beforehand and giving you the time to write out the details and anything you need and want to say.

• We take breaks before, during and after the initial consultation and ongoing meetings with you and others.

• We debrief with you after the meeting to check in and see how you are feeling.

• We make time for you to walk away, think and review things thoroughly before finalising documents and making decisions, with your permission.

• We avoid any chance of the re-traumatisation that can occur in the re-telling of experiences by collecting your story from people you’ve already told and then sharing the file notes between the practitioners working on your matter.

• We chase up documents & evidence on your behalf to avoid re-traumatisation.

• We support you to pursue whatever mechanisms you feel are best for you. The resolution is victim-centred and directed.

• We understand that justice looks different for everyone and we explore the civil, administrative and criminal resolutions so our clients can make a fully informed decision about what is best for them.

When we say we are working with and for "women”, what do we mean?

We work with and for all people who identify as women, non-binary and gender-fluid, including transgender women (women assigned male at birth). We are non-judgemental. If you feel like we can work together please reach out.

We acknowledge that violence against women IS a gendered issue. We acknowledge the intersections of other attributes that increase the likelihood and impact of violence against women. Here are a few reasons why we think this:

• We acknowledge that violence against women is a gendered issue, because 90% of victims of violence, especially sexual violence, are women (Australian Bureau of Statistics Victims of Reported Crimes, as at 24 July 2021).

• We know that approximately one woman a week is murdered at the hands of a violent male (2015 Australian Institute of Criminology report).

• We acknowledge that Aboriginal women are disproportionately affected by violence in Australia (Cripps, K., Diemer, K., Honey, N., Mickle, J., Morgan, J., Parkes, A., Politoff, V., Powell, A., Stubbs, J., Ward, A., & Webster, K. (2019).

• Attitudes towards violence against women and gender equality among Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders: Findings from the 2017 National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) (ANROWS Insights, Issue 03/2019). Sydney: ANROWS.).

When we say we are working with and for "Indigenous peoples", what do we mean?

By “Indigenous People”, we mean that we work with and for First Nation’s Peoples; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and Indigenous people from all over the world.

In Australia the sovereignty of First Nation’s Peoples has never been ceded. For us it is very important that we take every opportunity to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land that we live, work and travel on. Where we can we specifically refer to the specific Peoples’ of the land. For example the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation are the traditional custodians of the land that our office is on in Darlinghurst NSW. We acknowledge on all documents, presentations, our website and in our email signature.

Actions - not just words; we participate actively in campaigns and initiatives to support the rights of First Nation’s Peoples.

Who do we represent for matters of Sex, Gender & Racial Discrimination?

We work with and for female, non-binary, people of colour, Indigenous and non-indigenous people who have experienced sex, gender and racial discrimination.