The saturation model is an approach to preventing gendered violence that is being designed with the Ballarat community. It’s about members of the community playing a role in preventing violence, by working together to take shared action.
Since the model was first announced in mid-2024, Respect Victoria has had the privilege of listening to and learning from hundreds of community members in Ballarat. This next phase of work is about laying strong foundations for the saturation model.
Saturation model co-design pathways
In collaboration with The Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI), there will be four ways to participate in the co-design process throughout the first half of 2025:
Co-design working group
A group of 14 Ballarat community members who will work together in collaboration sessions between February 2025 - May 2025 to shape the foundations and direction of the saturation model.
Community conversations
Eight community connectors will be engaged from within the Ballarat community to support this part of the process, working in pairs. They will be supported to have open, generative, curious conversations with individuals and communities across Ballarat.
Community and sector roundtables
Six online roundtables will be held between February 2025 - May 2025 with community groups, sectors, and experts. The roundtables will help us learn more about opportunities for embedding and amplifying prevention work across all the places and spaces that Ballarat communities live, work and play. These sessions will build on existing knowledge.
Anonymous stories
Community members will be invited to share their perspectives, ideas and insights via an online storytelling platform to help inform the design of the model.
Each part of this process is interconnected and will work in tandem. Alongside these four streams of work, the Respect Victoria team will continue collaborating and learning from local organisations, advocates and communities to inform the model. Stay tuned for more information on getting involved with other parts of the process.
Apply to join the co-design working group
Expressions of interest are now open to join the working group that will help shape the foundations and direction of the Ballarat Community Saturation Model.
We are looking for people who are committed to working alongside communities to prevent gendered violence. This group will play an active role advising on what is currently working to prevent violence and can be amplified, new work that can be seeded, and helping generate momentum to connect and mobilise communities.
We are seeking to gather a group of people (including representatives of organisations) with complementary and diverse skills, experience and backgrounds who:
- live, work or have a significant role in Ballarat and strong connections to local communities
- are committed to preventing gendered violence and community change
- are dedicated to listening, learning, and adapting to emerging evidence and working as part of a cross-community team
- can commit to joining five collaboration sessions (three in-person, two online) between February and May 2025, as well as possible additional hours each week in between these sessions
Group members will be encouraged to bring their full selves wherever possible – you may be representing an organisation, but you may also be a parent, a coach, a volunteer, a community leader. Prevention work is most effective when we work on solutions that reach everywhere we work, learn, play, and live.
We actively encourage expressions of interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people of all genders, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people, young people, older people, and LGBTIQ+ people.
Applications for this group are now open and will close on Sunday 9 February. Please apply using this link.
Your application will be reviewed by the team at Respect Victoria, with support from The Australian Centre for Social Innovation. We’ll be in touch to have further conversations in early February. If you have any questions, please reach out to our team at: practice@respectvictoria.vic.gov.au