EDVOS (Eastern Domestic Violence Service) created the HaiR-3R’s as a free educational program especially for salon professionals, to give them the tools and confidence to effectively Recognise and Respond to potential victims of domestic violence, then Refer them on to professional services to help them further. Sustainable Salons and Box Hill Institute are proud to support EDVOS by donating $5 from every ticket sold for The S Event Upcycled to the HaiR-3R's program.
What is EDVOS?
EDVOS is a not-for-profit specialist family violence service in Melbourne’s eastern metropolitan region. Since 1994, they have provided a large range of services to sufferers of domestic violence, including access to support, information, case management, safety planning, community education, programs for pet safety and a strong network of referral pathways to other services. Because they are a not-for-profit organisation, they rely on government funding as well as grants and donations to continue providing their vital services to women and children in need.
What is the HaiR-3R’s program?
The HaiR-3R's program is designed to teach salon professionals how to help clients that may be in a domestic violence crisis. Research shows that due to the unique relationships that salon professionals often form with their clients, they are ideally positioned to respond to their client's needs and give them information about where they can get more help. Similar programs have had success overseas, such as Canada’s 'Cut It Out' and New Zealand’s 'It’s Not OK: Hairdressers Can Help'. Inspired by these programs and research, EDVOS developed HaiR-3R’s, a Recognise, Respond and Refer training program for salon professionals that was the first of its kind in Australia. The pilot program launched in January 2018 and was open to salon professionals in the Eastern Metropolitan region of Melbourne. High interest and a need for the program meant the training was extended to wider Melbourne and parts of regional Victoria. By the end of the pilot program in July 2018, over 300 salon professionals had completed the training.
In Victoria alone family violence is the leading cause of death and physical disability of women aged between 15-40, and in Australia two women die every 10 days due to family violence. Because of this EDVOS decided to continue the program and open it to salon professionals across the country. Although funding for HaiR-3R’s has ceased, they continue to provide training free of charge by using funding from other EDVOS programs, relying on salons to cover expenses such as flights or by partnering with other not-for-profit organisations. To date, over 400 salon professionals have successfully completed HaiR-3R’s training and they continue to advocate for funding.
Who has the HaiR-3R's program impacted?
In just a little over a year, more than 400 salon professionals & hair and beauty students across Australia have received this free training. 87% of salon professionals reported feeling more confident to recognise, respond and refer on disclosures of family violence after taking part in the pilot program, and 90% of participants reported that their understanding of gender inequality, the main driver of family violence, increased from low to high.
EDVOS has also received feedback from between 10-15 salon professionals who’ve completed training, reporting they’d put what they learnt into practice after they noticed signs in a client, a client disclosed, and/or the client saw the training materials we provide to put up around the salon. A woman who had recently left a violent situation returned to a salon who had done the training and said, “I couldn’t believe when I sat down in the mirror and you had the domestic violence posters up! I nearly cried because I felt so understood, so welcome and safe.”
How will my support and/or donation help?
Although the HaiR-3R’s program is no longer funded by the government, EDVOS is determined to continue to provide the program for free to salon professionals. Educating even one salon professional gives them the potential to assist any of the hundreds of people they would service in a year. The training and knowledge taught through the HaiR-3R's program can continue to be used by that professional in their career for many years. By supporting EDVOS and the Hair-3R’s program, you are supporting people in the wider community, especially women and children at risk, and helping to raise awareness of avenues that can help to alleviate instances of domestic violence.
Easy ways to support EDVOS and the HaiR-3R’s program:
- Host a HaiR-3R’s training session at your salon for staff and other salon professionals in the area
- Like & follow HaiR-3R’s on Facebook and Instagram @Hair3Rs, and share their posts to raise awareness
- Write or call your local MP to advocate for a nation-wide rollout of HaiR-3R’s
- Contact the HaiR-3R’s team with any leads/key industry contacts that could provide funding opportunities for the program: E. training@edvos.org.au Ph. 03 9259 4200
- Donate to EDVOS to support programs such as HaiR-3R’s: https://www.givenow.com.au/edvos
$5 FROM YOUR TICKET TO THE S EVENT UPCYCLED WILL GO TOWARDS THE HAIR-3R'S PROGRAM.
Members, use points to purchase your tickets HERE.
Find out more about the HaiR-3R’s program HERE!
