The Good Samaritan Inn
Challenge

Changing perceptions
Since Australia’s first Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2015, there’s been a rigorous focus on examining the system from the ground up, with a huge effort to transform Victoria’s response to family violence. Merkle worked with the Good Samaritan Inn to create solutions leading to a better experience for women and children during their incredibly difficult time in crisis accommodation
Results

Uncovering connections
Through co-design, we ensured those staying at the inn, staff, board members and sector experts were involved in coming up with ideas, research and prioritisation.
We uncovered that women feel an overwhelming sense of safety and comfort at the Inn. This was specifically related to the families feeling connected through a shared living model. We validated challenges with the physical space, and the navigation of multiple services faced by families through the family violence system.