FVREE – HAIR3RS – Training for Australian hairdressers to recognise the signs of family violence against woman, respond and refer.

I am so pleased to be a part of FVREE’s new training program for hairdressers. Its called HAIR3RS, and it is a workshop for hair stylists and beauty therapists to help recognise the signs of family violence in regards to our clients, appropriate and safe ways to respond, and to refer the person whom is experiencing family violence on to an appropriate service that can help them further.

Although no identities or genders are left out, and are very much covered in the training criteria, the core of this training program is how gender inequality is the driving force behind family violence against women.

Watch FVREE HAIR3RS promo video below!

My relationship with FVREE started with a phone call, as I had heard that the training program HAIR3RS had been developed in Australia, with very successful beginnings a couple of years ago in the United States, New Zealand and the Nordic countries. The training has been developed by FVREE to suit an Aussie climate, and with over 90% of my clientele being woman, they had my attention.

A relationship quickly developed between myself and the incredible FVREE team. They understood that the subject matter is very close to my heart and felt my enthusiasm. They needed to shoot their own marketing video to bring this training to the wider Australian hairdressing community, as they had been running off overseas pilots, and they asked if they could shoot the video at Delilah!!!

We spent a whole day at the salon shooting the video and I had the privilege of meeting other incredibly inspiring hairdressers who had already done the training and loved it! I also did a radio interview on The Law Report.

With a taste of what was to come, I quickly organised a group of 10 hairdressers to spend 2.5 hours on a Monday morning at Delilah to do the training. (Thank – you to my crew, Georgia from Cast salon and the gang from The Rumours Are True Salon in Flemington)

Mandy from FVREE ran a fantastic training for us, we learnt so many things about gender inequality and family violence, so many things that touched our hearts and surprised us, as when we think about family violence, we often think its all physical, we forget that its also –

• Intimidation
• Verbal
• Emotional
• Social
• Financial
• Sexual
• Spiritual/Religious
• Pets
• Stalking/Technological
• Homicidal

HAIR3RS training is not designed to turn hairdressers in to counsellors, or make our jobs extra hard, it is designed to give us more support in having the conversations we already have with our clients, and better knowledge for referral, and to get our clients to the professional support services that can help them.

Upon completing the HAIR3RS training, I feel much better equipped to spot the signs of family violence, respond to the situation and refer the person to the appropriate services that can help them.

Trainings of this type need to become part of the hairdressing college education curriculum, gender inequality also needs to be taught in schools, as examples of equality start in the home, with your family and children. We need to raise better adults.

Lets create a world without family violence, together we can.

For more information on the HAIR3RS program, or if you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, please contact FVREE on 9259 4200