Domestic and Family Violence | Featured

Building a recovery framework from the ground up

Ritchelle Drilon
January 7, 2026

For many survivors of domestic and family violence (DFV), leaving the abusive relationship is often viewed as the finish line. However, for those working on the frontline, it is merely the starting point of a complex, years-long journey of rebuilding.

Carolyn Robinson, a former educator with 35 years of experience, learned this truth in the most personal way possible: when her younger daughter became a victim of domestic violence in 2017. Leaving her career as a deputy principal, Carolyn founded Beyond DV, a charity dedicated to long-term holistic recovery.

Starting with just three volunteers and zero funding, Carolyn has grown Beyond DV into a leading organisation that addresses the critical gaps in the system, specifically in the “recovery and healing” phase (Pillar 4 of the National Plan). By leveraging community assets and listening intently to survivors, she has built a scalable model that operates largely outside traditional government funding streams.

We sat down with Carolyn to discuss her journey, her innovative “Recovery Pillars” model, and how organisations can thrive through community partnerships. At the 3rd National Family Summit, she will talk in more depth about tackling funding gaps that undermine survivor support and system accountability.

To start, could you tell us about the origins of Beyond DV and its core mission?

“Beyond DV was established in 2017 after my younger daughter became a victim of domestic violence. I left my teaching career of over 35 years to start this charity, and I’ve been running it as a full-time volunteer ever since.

We officially launched in January 2018 with a focus on two extreme pillars of the National Plan to End Violence: Pillar 1 (Primary Prevention) and Pillar 4 (Recovery and Healing). Coming from an education background, working with children and young people is very close to my heart, so our prevention work has evolved naturally alongside our recovery support. We started with two small programs and three volunteers, and over the last eight years, we have evolved into a leading organisation providing long-term, holistic support.”

One of the biggest challenges in the sector is ensuring services actually meet the needs of survivors. How did you approach co-designing your recovery framework?

“When we started, we were unfunded, so we simply did the work day in and day out with survivors. We utilized a lot of listening and observing. I would listen intently to what families told us they needed to thrive.

Two common themes emerged. First, the women wished they could access services in a “one-stop-shop” or hub model so they wouldn’t have to retell their traumatic stories repeatedly or drag their children from pillar to post. Second, they wanted a community of people who understood what they were going through.

Based on two years of listening, we developed our Recovery Pillars Framework. We secured a council building to create a warm, welcoming space—a “home away from home”—where women and children feel wanted. It isn’t just a clinical space; it is a community space.”

Can you walk us through what that Recovery Pillars Framework looks like in practice?

“The framework consists of five pillars that evolved directly from survivor feedback:

Social Connection: Because isolation is a major issue, we offer weekly morning teas, dance classes, aromatherapy, and cooking sessions to foster community.
Health Support: This includes counseling and group therapy, but also partnerships with allied health professionals. We have dentists, optometrists, and women’s health specialists providing services.
Legal Support: We have lawyers providing pro bono advice and police who come to the centre to meet women in a safe environment.
Housing Support: We manage nine townhouses (Hannah’s Sanctuary) built by a philanthropist partner. We also work with corporates to link women with long-term accommodation.
Financial Rebuilding: This is a niche we have really developed. We provide job readiness, employment training, and pathways to financial independence.

We also have a specific framework for children called “Hope 4 Life,” which covers Health/Wellbeing, Education/Training, and Social Connection. This ensures we are healing the children alongside the mothers.”

You mentioned starting with no funding. How have you managed to deliver such comprehensive services without significant government support?

“It comes down to partnerships. Because we know exactly what we need based on our pillars, we can be very targeted. If we can’t provide a service ourselves, we ask, “Who in the community can?”

We have plumbers providing low-cost services for our housing, retailers offering work experience for our financial pillar, and pharmaceutical companies donating thousands of dollars in skincare products. We even launched the “Hope Hub” inside a Westfield shopping centre—a safe space for information and referral—which relies on retail partnerships.

We tell our partners exactly how their contribution impacts families. Whether it’s a business donating fly screens or a yoga instructor offering classes, we make them part of the journey. When partners see the integrity of the organisation—knowing that we are grassroots and that resources go directly to the women—they stay with us for the long term.”

Why is data and evaluation so critical for a grassroots organisation like yours?

“For a long time, we operated on gut instinct and listening to women. But when we established the Australian Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Recovery Alliance in 2022, we realized we needed formal evidence.

We undertook a formal evaluation with Deakin University over the last 18 months. Their findings confirmed that our Recovery Pillars Framework—specifically the fact that it integrates women and children holistically—is world-leading. They hadn’t seen a model as holistic and long-term in their research.

Having that evaluation is the best thing we’ve done. It proves that this model works, and importantly, that it is scalable. This is a place-based model that can be replicated in other communities across Australia.”

To learn more about bridging funding gaps and implementing holistic recovery frameworks, join Carolyn Robinson at the 3rd National Family Safety Summit.