Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Policy

1. Purpose and Commitment

At Connected Australia, we recognise that telecommunications services are a vital lifeline. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and trauma-informed environment for customers experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV).

Our goal is to ensure that our products and processes provide a “Safety by Design” experience, preventing technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) and ensuring that communication remains a tool for safety, not a weapon of control.

2. Guiding Principles

• Safety First: The physical and digital safety of the victim-survivor is our absolute priority.
• Trauma-Informed Care: We aim to reduce the “cognitive load” on customers by minimizing the need for them to repeat their stories.
• No Perpetrator Interaction: We will never require a victim-survivor to contact or interact with an alleged perpetrator to manage their account.
• Financial Autonomy: We provide flexible financial solutions to prevent economic abuse from isolating survivors.

3. Our Commitments to You

• Your Safety is Paramount: If you are at risk, we will prioritize your safety over standard commercial processes.
• Immediate Reconnection: If your service has been disconnected, restricted, or suspended and you disclose a DFSV-related safety risk, we will reverse that action immediately.
• Information Security: We will suppress sensitive information from your bills. Calls to emergency or support services (e.g., 1800RESPECT) will not appear on your invoices.
• You Only Have to Tell Your Story Once: We follow a “trauma-informed” approach to minimize re-traumatisation.
• No Interaction with the Perpetrator: We will never require you to contact or engage with the alleged perpetrator to resolve your telco issues. This includes situations where you need to move a service, split an account, or resolve a debt. We will handle these processes internally to ensure your safety.
• Privacy Protections: We ensure that directory listings and shared family plan features (such as location sharing) can be disabled or modified to protect the victim’s whereabouts.

5. Financial Hardship & Debt Management

Economic abuse often involves coerced debt. Our team provides:

• Debt Quarantining: Suspending debt collection while an assessment of economic abuse is conducted.
• Fee Waivers: Proactive waiving of late fees and contract break fees for customers fleeing violence.
• Payment Moratoriums: Short-term “payment holidays” to allow survivors to prioritise relocation and physical safety.

6. Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) Mitigation

We actively monitor for and mitigate the misuse of our network:

• Zero Tolerance: Use of our services to stalk, harass, or intimidate is a breach of our Terms of Service and may result in service termination for the perpetrator.
• Technical Guidance: We provide resources, including links to the WESNET Safety Toolkit, to help customers identify and remove stalkerware or unauthorised tracking on their devices.

7. Staff Competency and Support

We recognise that supporting survivors requires specialised skills:

• Specialist Training: All customer-facing staff undergo mandatory trauma-informed training, refreshed every three years.
• Vicarious Trauma Support: Staff handling DFSV cases have access to 24/7 confidential counseling (EAP) and structured debriefing sessions.
• Employee Leave: Consistent with the National Employment Standards, employees experiencing DFSV are entitled to 10 days of paid leave annually to manage legal, medical, or relocation requirements.

8. How to Access Support

Safety Warning: If you are in immediate danger, please contact 000. For 24/7 counseling and support, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Customers can contact our Specialist Care Team through:

• Phone: [Insert Dedicated Number] (Mon–Fri, 8am–8pm AEST).
• Online: Use our secure web portal. We recommend accessing this via an Incognito/Private browser window.
• In-Store: Visit any retail location and ask for a “Specialist Care” consultation.

External Support (Calls to these are hidden from your bills):

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
• Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• 1800 ELDERHelp: 1800 353 374
• National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007
• Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline: 1800 497 212
• National Relay Service: 1800 555 677
• TIS National: 131 450