Planned Area of Action

Area of Action 12

Improve access to a range of services

Responsibility
Lead  Other
DCYFS and Police FVFG (sub-group to be established that will include Health and Education)
Action details

Improve access to a range of services. As part of this work

  1. review early intervention and prevention services to establish the availability of:
  • services and programmes for specific population groups (such as children and young people, first time parents, women, people with disabilities, and caregivers of older people); and
  • culturally relevant services;
  1. develop and implement strategies, in conjunction with specific populations22 and/or advocates on their behalf, to counteract barriers to accessing the services they require to remain safe and free from violence;
  2. investigate options and make recommendations for improving the availability and accessibility of remedial and support services23 that address the wide-ranging effects of violence in families/whanau, particularly for women and children;
  3. investigate options and make recommendations for improving the range of family violence intervention programmes and services to ensure adequate programmes and services are available and accessible for a diverse range of perpetrators; and
  4. continue to develop and implement initiatives to improve outreach services for children and families/whanau, particularly in rural areas.
Link to goals and objectives

Goals 2 & 3. Objectives 2(i), 2(iii), 2(iv), 2(v), 2(vii), 3(ii).

Timeframe

A number of current initiatives, such as the implementation of the Heartland Services initiatives, are contributing, in part, to meeting this action. This action will focus on addressing gaps in services and barriers to accessing services, which are currently not being dealt with. It will start early 2002 and will be staged and progressed over the five-year timeframe.

Rationale

Victims of family violence face a number of internal and external barriers to accessing the services they need to remain safe and free from violence.

Specific population groups often face additional barriers. For example, migrant women face additional barriers to accessing family violence prevention services, such as fear of implications for their immigration status, social isolation and bringing dishonour and shame to the family; a lack of understanding of the New Zealand social system; language barriers; and cultural insensitivity to their specific needs.

Culturally relevant early intervention and prevention services and programmes are essential to ensuring that the specific and diverse needs of a range of ethnic-specific populations are appropriately provided for. In addition, a recent process evaluation of the DVA indicated that Maori, Pacific and other ethnic peoples did not tend to apply for protection orders in proportion to their need. Further, although the range of DVA approved programmes is improving, more programmes are needed in some areas for Maori, Pacific and other ethnic victims and perpetrators of family violence.

There also appear to be gaps in programmes and services for female perpetrators of violence in families/whanau, and abusive caregivers of older family members. In addition, a range of services need to be available and accessible to address the wide-ranging effects of violence in families/whanau, particularly for women and children and particularly in rural areas.

Preliminary targets

To have improved the availability of, and access to, a wide range of family violence prevention, intervention and support services that will help diverse populations to remain free and safe from violence by June 2006.

Preliminary measures
  • Scoping and timeline for access project completed.
  • Framework for review of services developed and agreed to.
  • Consultation with key relevant stakeholders is undertaken and the outcomes of the consultation reflected in the framework for review of services. 
  • Services are reviewed and recommendations for improving the range of services are made (if needed) according to the framework's criteria and the timeline.
  • Recommendations are implemented where relevant.
  • At the end of the five-year timeframe research indicates an improvement in the capacity of family violence prevention services to meet demand and service diverse client needs appropriately.

22. People who tend to face additional barriers to accessing essential services include young children, older people, rural women, migrant and
refugee women and children, lesbians and gays, women in gangs, and people with disabilities.
23. Such as mental health services, counselling, budget advice and remedial services in schools.

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