The Standard speaks to Emma House's new CEO Helen Bolton

Helen Bolton, the chief executive officer of the Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre, assumed the same role at Emma House on Thursday, August 17.

It's part of the transition of Emma House to the SAFV Centre announced last year.

Ms Bolton, who has worked in government policy and the family violence sector since the 1980s, said the merger was a great opportunity for Warrnambool to sustain family violence and legal services in the community.

"Emma House has obviously had a difficult past, we all know that, and I think it was a really brave and wise decision for the board to think about its future and how they can embed and sustain services for the whole Warrnambool community, rather than seeing it lost," she said.

"Emma House has an amazing group of staff. They are a unique group who are really resilient, really passionate and really committed to this work.

"What (The SAFV Centre) brings is that sustainable, embedded future. We want to see services grow and we want women and children to be able to access a really clear pathway towards support."

The Standard last year reported Emma House had experienced internal leadership issues.

Ms Bolton said the merger would build on "the good things that are already here" while offering additional rigour and support.

She said while the Warrnambool organisation would be wound up under the incorporation of the SAFV Centre, it remained locally known as Emma House.

"Emma House is part of the fabric of the Warrnambool community, everyone knows that, and we don't want to change that. We acknowledge the service's history and want to uphold that, to support and build Emma House," Ms Bolton said.

The SAFV is a large and established organisation that Ms Bolton said was three or four times bigger than Emma House.

"While it's not two equal organisations coming together, it's a smaller organisation joining SAFV, we want to support Emma House to be a local entity, to have their strength here, a degree of autonomy and a vision that is part of the bigger version that fits here within the community," she said.

Emma House members voted in favour of the merger in December last year with all staff unanimously supporting it.

Ms Bolton said The SAFV Centre being invited to join the south-west service was a vital factor in the partnership.

"We didn't want to come into a community we weren't needed or wanted," she said.

Ms Bolton spent years working for the Department of Premier and Cabinet, helping build community initiatives promoting equality, including in Warrnambool.

She said the prevalence of family violence was high across the south-west region, which faced geographical challenges.

"The region has pockets of seaside/tourist areas, dispersed farming communities and really rural areas so the challenge is delivering services across such a vast space," she said.

"We have that with our Wimmera team, so we have introduced outreach locations which provide a level of access, as well as providing Health Direct, our online counselling and phone support.

"We will be able to build off that model and support the south-west community and reach isolated women who are experiencing family violence."

Emma House is open for family violence support 1800 366 238. You can also call the South West Orange door for assistance on 1800 271 180. Advice for men about family violence can be accessed from No to Violence 1300 766 491.

If you are in immediate danger, please call triple-000.

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