Seniors Rights Victoria Services

Telephone Information, Support & Referral
Seniors Rights Victoria operates a helpline. Callers to 1300 368 821 are provided with information on elder abuse, including services available to assist in relation to elder abuse and referrals to appropriate agencies including SRV's own legal practice.

The telephone helpline is supported by staff and trained volunteers.

Legal Service
Seniors Rights Victoria operates a legal practice across its central and regional sites, pro bono legal clinics at outreach locations and a secondary consultation service for community agencies. Services include information and advice for older peope on issues related to ageing, with a priority area being elder abuse.

Seniors Rights Victoria also engages in test cases, which can be highly effective in achieving the goal of preventing elder abuse. SRV is committed to assisting older people in their local communities and will encourage and actively support community legal centres to act for their clients.

Short-Term Individual Advocacy and Support
Seniors Rights Victoria provides short-term assistance to clients who are particularly vulnerable, primarily where no relevant service is available. The purpose is to provide older people who are experiencing or at risk of elder abuse with the support they need to enhance their safety, security and wellbeing. This may include information, referral, liaison and short-term counseling. Where possible this is a face-to-face service.

Advocacy
Seniors Rights Victoria is developing specialist knowledge in elder abuse and is using this to undertake a range of activities that assist in advocating for older people and their needs. This includes:

• Collecting data and identifying trends relating to the nature and extent of abuse
• Forming strategic relationships with tertiary instituions
• Developing links with interstate and overseas abuse prevention organistions and research institutions
• Distributing relevant information to stakeholders

Local Area Networks
Seniors Rights Victoria is establishing partnerships and working with local services and networks to ensure effective and timly responses to issues of elder abuse at a local level. Liaising with existing community networks is important in identifying existing expertise and facilitating the sharing of information and resources, as well as refining referral pathways.