ROCC for Women empowers women to realise their dignity and wellbeing through long term case management to have hope to focus on their goals. 

ROCC supports women who are most at risk – homeless, at risk of homelessness, leaving prison, drug or alcohol rehabilitation, family and domestic violence, and who need help with rebuilding their lives and connecting with community. 

Primarily funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice as a specialist homelessness service, many of ROCC’s clients have trauma and other health and mental health challenges, are impacted by Family and Domestic Violence, have had family breakdown, economic disadvantage and are isolated from community.

ROCC provides person-centred, tailored, trauma informed and flexible casework, advocacy, referrals, and support programs.

By fostering resilience and advocacy, our case workers support women to set goals, obtain or retain housing, access support services, manage the justice system, reconnect with their children and family, learn skills, build community connection, access education and employment.

ROCC facilitates group programs to build confidence, life skills, wellbeing, education and social connections.

Shoalhaven Womens Resource Group Ltd trading as ROCC has been supporting women in the Shoalhaven for more than 40 years.

Due to our long-term case management, we are privileged to experience clients realising their goals and significantly improving their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of their families and friends.

We have a skilled, professional and passionate team and Board and have built a solid foundation for the future. 

We have been successful in receiving grants from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, phn Coordinare, Wayahead, The Shoalhaven City Council, the Shoalhaven Anti-Poverty Committee and donations from various sources.

All of this allows us to continue to provide tailored, compassionate services to marginalised women in the Shoalhaven.

In December 2023, we achieved accreditation (100% first attempt) under the Australian Service Excellence Standards (ASES), ensuring funding by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) as a Specialist Homelessness Service (SHS) until June 2026 and accreditation until December 2026.

ROCC is now recognized as a valued service in the region and received the 2024 Shoalhaven Business Chambers Award for Outstanding Community Service.

A sustainable long-term case management service across various locations and programs with multiple sources of secure income, social enterprises, and skilled staff committed to achieving goals for the clients and the service. 

We support the most marginalised women in the Shoalhaven and advocate for support services.

The increase in female incarceration has a significant negative impact on communities and families.

Research confirms that children of imprisoned mothers are more likely to become homeless, be separated from family/siblings, move schools and experience potential intergenerational poverty, disadvantage and incarceration.

With the support of Coolaroo, we are focusing on women while incarcerated so that when they leave prison they will have a plan for moving forward and connecting to appropriate supports and services including housing, with those who have children better able to connect with them and break the cycle of disadvantage.

We are 100% focused on efficiently deploying all our current resources to offer the greatest support we can to all our current clients. With a long and growing waitlist of new clients requiring services, securing multiple and diverse income streams remains key. Funding is critical to enable us to employ skilled staff to support more women and expand our services.