Talking to Your Teen about #defythenorm

This Ask Nola session supports parents and carers to have confident, practical conversations with their teens about respect, relationships, and challenging harmful social norms linked to domestic and family violence. Grounded in prevention, the session focuses on how to use everyday moments to build critical thinking, recognise early warning signs of harm, unpack gender stereotypes and media messaging, and promote healthy, respectful ways of relating. It also equips parents with simple language and strategies to support bystander thinking, peer accountability, and open communication — helping young people question what’s “normal” and develop the skills to prevent harm before it escalates.

Navigating Subpoenas and the Art of Note-Taking

When a support worker’s notes are requested by a court, it can feel like a breach of trust and a significant safety risk for the women we support. In some cases, subpoenas are even "weaponised" by perpetrators to try to gain access to sensitive information like refuge locations or counselling disclosures. How can we protect our clients while fulfilling our legal obligations?

Join Ashleigh Lawrence, Community Engagement Lawyer at NQ Women’s Legal Service, for our next Ask Nola webinar on Friday 17th April. We will dive deep into the legalities of subpoenas and the critical importance of trauma-informed record-keeping.

What we will cover:

·     The Basics: What a subpoena is and the serious consequences of non-compliance.

·     The Risks: How subpoenaed notes can impact a survivor’s safety, credibility, and parenting case.

·     Objections: How and when to challenge a subpoena based on relevance, scope, or abuse of process.

·     The "Protected Confidences" Regime: An overview of the new 2025 legal protections for sensitive therapeutic records.

·     Note-Taking Masterclass: Practical tips for managing informed consent, client safety and when it is acceptable (or not) to take notes during legal appointments

Who should attend:

·     Support workers and social workers assisting survivors of domestic, family, or sexual violence.

·     Service providers who maintain client files, intake forms or safety plans.

·     Legal practitioners interested in holistic, trauma-informed legal practice

Understanding Police Protection Directions

Join us for our next Ask Nola webinar on Friday, 27th March, presented by Ashleigh Lawrence, Community Engagement Lawyer at North Queensland Women’s Legal Service (NQWLS).

This session provides a deep dive into Police Protection Directions (PPDs), a new tool in the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld) designed to provide immediate protection to victim-survivors. Unlike other orders, a PPD is a 12-month direction issued directly by police on-the-spot, requiring no initial court hearing to take effect.

What we will cover:

·     The Essentials of PPDs: What they are, how they differ from Police Protection Notices (PPNs) and Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs), and why they were introduced.

·     Eligibility & issuing criteria: When police can issue a PPD and the specific "relevant relationships" (intimate partners, family members, or informal carers) that qualify.

·     Conditions of protection: A breakdown of standard conditions, as well as no-contact, ouster, and cool-down conditions that can be included to ensure safety.

·     When PPDs cannot be used: Understanding the limitations, such as when a respondent is a child or when there are existing court orders in place.

·     Enforcement & Breaches: What happens if a PPD is not followed and the criminal penalties involved.

·     The Review Process: The options for a Police Review or a Court Review if a party disagrees with the direction.

 Who should attend?

·     Community Workers & DFV Sector Professionals: Gain technical knowledge to better support clients navigating the new PPD landscape.

·     Support Services: Anyone working in housing, financial counselling, or mental health who assists women dealing with legal issues.

DVO Masterclass – Empowering Frontline Workers

Sessions 1 and 2 covered the legal and practical foundations of Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs) and how frontline workers can support clients through the court process. Topics included what constitutes domestic and family violence, the purpose of the DFVP Act, types of DVOs, conditions and breaches, coercive control, and recent law changes. We also looked at court processes, supporting clients on court days, varying DVOs, identifying the person most in need of protection, and how children are considered in DVO matters.

Part 3: DVOs, Parenting Disputes & Child Safety

This session focuses on supporting clients where DVOs, family law and child protection intersect, with a strong emphasis on child safety.

🔎 We will cover:

• DVOs and parenting disputes

• Separation and DFV, including leaving safely with children

• Safety options for children, including supervised contact

• Withholding children for safety (with and without family law orders)

• DFV, child protection and mandatory reporting

• How legal systems work together

• The role of support workers and the limits of legal information

📍 Who should attend?

Frontline and support workers assisting clients experiencing DFV, especially where children are involved.