About The Toolbox Talks Project

The Toolbox Talks Domestic Violence Awareness project was officially launched as a funded project in June 2017, when The Family Co. (formerly Sutherland Shire Family Services) was announced as one of the successful first round applicants for the Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund (an initiative of the NSW Government), which funded the 3 year pilot. Prior to this, The Family Co. had delivered domestic violence prevention and awareness sessions at the request of companies seeking expert support to inform and educate their employees.

The scope of the funded pilot was to deliver face to face Domestic Violence Awareness training on Construction sites around the Greater-Sydney region. The objective being to motivate men to challenge social norms that support violence against women and children and provide them with skills on how to respond if they see, hear or suspect violence. The project also provides incidental and referral support to participants seeking further information about their own behaviour, the behaviour of someone they know or advice on how to support a friend or family member.

While the initial focus of the project was male dominated industries, interest in the project from other sectors and in support of the push for improved diversity in traditionally male dominated employment has resulted in the development of an amended additional program stream that is suitable for mixed gender audiences.

The incredible support the Toolbox Talks project has received and the demonstrated success of the sessions has resulted in the project experiencing national demand. To support companies outside of NSW the Toolbox Talks project introduced a fee for service program in early 2020 and is proudly now providing  workplace based awareness training programs that improves safety for men, women and children promotes worker wellbeing, supports diversity and the creation of a safe working environment, which assists with stability of the workforce and productivity overall.

So far the Toolbox Talks project has reached over 5,000 participants on various work sites, and delivered over 300 training sessions nationwide, covering not only the Construction Industry, but also Mining, Maritime, Transport, Retail, Real Estate & Hospitality Sectors. 

The feedback from the program has been positive, with this initiative seen as a motivational and positive way to engage men in the discussion about disrespect, abuse and violence towards women and the importance of creating pathways for support for both people who use violence and people who experience violence.

Industries We Serve

The Toolbox Talks project is available to all industries across Australia. With two streams of programming available it is a valuable inclusion to the training schedule of any workplace big or small.

Our team have their own hi-vis and PPE for worksites, mining locations, maritime ports and any other location where it might be required and are also adept at delivering sessions in corporate and general training environments.

Find Out More - View Our Training Options Or Contact The Toolbox Talks Team Here