Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter
Time to celebrate, acknowledge and reflect as we mark 10 years since HKWS opened its doors, providing a much needed safe place for women in crisis.
Thanks to a small group of dedicated and committed founders, responding to a need in our local area, a vision was realised.
HKWS has been able to grow and flourish, and hundreds of vulnerable women have been empowered to rebuild their lives.
Mission Vision Values
Women and children experiencing domestic violence and homelessness are at the heart of all we do.
The shelter was established in 2015 in response to an identified need in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai area to provide a safe place for women experiencing domestic violence and homelessness. Every woman and child deserves shelter, safety, and opportunity.
HKWS Shelter is located on Darug and Guringai land.
MISSION
To provide a safe place for women and children experiencing domestic abuse and homelessness. We treat everyone with dignity and respect, empowering them to create a better future.
VISION
We depend on the support of our community to keep our doors open to women who need safety and shelter.
Values
Compassion, Integrity, Respect, Advocacy, Empowerment.
Purpose
We listen to the voices of women in order to provide client centered support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse and homelessness through accommodation and tailored, holistic support services.
Our home is a place where women and children in need can access accommodation, safe, and secure, without judgement, or obligation.
We facilitate holistic services and provide practical assistance to empower women to rebuild their lives through opportunities for personal growth, and the development of life skills, for a future that is self-reliant.
We measure our client outcomes to ensure our services support positive change in the lives of women and children.
We commit to fostering a culture that is free from discrimination, where all women and children matter, regardless of age, sexuality, cultural and linguistic diversity, disability or mental illness.
We are a voice for women, advocates for the individual, and for a society in which every woman can live free from violence and fear and experience life to her full potential.
Our Approach
A Woman's Journey
Beyond individual case management, our caseworkers at HKWS actively collaborate with external services and community organisations to ensure residents have access to comprehensive resources.
Whether coordinating legal aid, mental health services, financial support, or employment opportunities, they act as advocates, navigating complex systems to help each woman achieve the best possible outcomes.
Across 10 weeks, they forge strong partnerships to ensure no resident walks this journey alone. Each woman is empowered to create a brighter future.
Outcomes Star
The Outcomes Star™ is an evidence-based tool for both supporting and measuring change in the women who come to our Shelter.
At the beginning of a woman’s stay at HKWS, she uses this tool to measure where she sits across a range of domains. At the end of her stay, she rates these areas again.
The ‘distance travelled’ between the beginning and end of her stay on this tool, is helpful in both assessing a woman’s improvement and supporting her ongoing journey.
In FY24 we are pleased to report that HKWS clients travelled an average of 2.89 points or 29% across all domains on Outcomes Star. The greatest improvement was seen in the domain of Safety at 3.77 (or 38% improvement) followed by the domain of Accommodation (35%) and Work (34%).
HKWS has the highest ‘distance travelled ‘ across all shelters in the Women’s Community Shelter network. We are so proud of this result.
