Planned Area of Action
Area of Action 9
Service Capacity
Responsibility
Lead |
Other |
|---|---|
| DCYFS | FVFG (sub-group to be established) |
Action details
Examine and identify any shortfalls
1. in the capacity of family violence crisis intervention and post-support services14 to meet demand and to service diverse clients' needs effectively15;
2. in the capacity of family violence prevention services16 to meet
- Māori client needs effectively; and
- the needs of Pacific and other ethnic clients; and
3. in accessing appropriate specialist family violence prevention training
programmes for those requiring specialist training.
Once the examinations have been completed, investigate options and make recommendations for addressing identified shortfalls.
Link to goals and objectives
Goals 2 & 4. Objectives 2(i), 2(ii), 2(iii), 4(1)(ii), 4(2)(i).
Timeframe
Will be started early 2002 and staged and progressed over a three-year timeframe.
Rationale
It is extremely important to ensure that quality services are fully available and appropriate to all those requiring help. If services do not have the capacity to respond effectively and meet demand, further damage can be caused to victims and perpetrators and their confidence and motivation to change.
The inadequacy of resources (both financial and people) to deal with high and/or increasing caseloads and a lack of culturally appropriate services were consistently raised as key issues by community workshop participants. In addition, the Māori focus groups at the community workshops raised the issue that mainstream services have not adequately met the needs of Māori and that there is a need for more services designed by Māori for Māori. Issues identified included a perceived lack of services to address whanau as a whole and within a kaupapa Maori context and a lack of cultural competence, knowledge, skills and expertise in frontline professionals. Similar issues were raised by Pacific and other ethnic peoples.
Ensuring appropriate and specialised training programmes, workforce development and support are available is key to enhancing the quality of family violence prevention/intervention services and the ability of key personnel working with children and families/whānau to identify and respond to situations of family violence. Training programmes need to be accessible and culturally relevant and responsive to diverse needs.
Preliminary targets
- To have completed an examination of the capacity of family violence services to meet demand and to service diverse needs effectively and to have identified any shortfalls, by December 2003.
- To have completed an examination of the accessibility of appropriate specialist family violence prevention training programmes and to have identified any shortfalls, by December 2003.
- To have made recommendations for addressing identified shortfalls by June 2004.
Preliminary measures
- Framework for examinations is developed and agreed to.
- Examinations are completed on time according to the framework's criteria.
- Shortfalls in capacity and access to appropriate training programmes are clearly identified on time.
- Options are identified and recommendations are made for addressing identified shortfalls where relevant and on time.
14. Services for 'victims' of all forms of family violence.
15. An examination of capacity should include ensuring that systems, such as workforce development, appropriate training and support mechanisms, are in place to up-skill and maintain the competence of both voluntary and paid workers.
16. Services range from prevention/early intervention services, such as parent support services,
through to crisis intervention and post-support services.
