About Family Safety Teams
Our Partners
Background
Family violence is a significant and serious issue in New Zealand. The deaths of James Whakaruru (1999), Saliel and Olympia Aplin (2001) and Coral-Ellen Burrows (2003) highlighted the fragmented and narrow nature of the response to family violence in New Zealand. Their deaths caught the attention of the nation and the family violence sector was called to action.
The lack of co-ordination between agencies working with families experiencing violence was identified as a critical factor in the lead up to domestic violence murders. A range of new initiatives aimed at bringing the incidence and leathality of family violence down were developed within the family violence sector by both non government and Government agencies.
The Family Safety Teams initiative
The Family Safety Teams is funded by Government. It brings together Government and non government agencies in a joint effort to provide a formal, coordinated response to family violence.
Partners collaborating on this initiative are: NZ Police, National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, Child, Youth and Family, Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga/National Network of Stopping Violence Services, Ministry of Justice, Jigsaw, Ministry of Social Development and Pacific Island Safety and Prevention Project
Family Safety Teams aim to provide a more integrated approach to family violence. They adopt a multi-disciplinary approach designed to close gaps identified in responses to violent family situations.
In response to the practicalities and context of their local communities, the teams will:
GATHER information
MONITOR and evaluate practice and systems
PROMOTE systemic change
INTERVENE proactively where necessary
ADVOCATE to ensure the voices of women and children are heard across all systems and services.
The FST initiative aims to improve information sharing and coordination of services between agencies that will lead to improved services for families experiencing family violence both at a local and national level.
Family Safety Teams therefore engage in a wide range of activities from the monitoring of systems and providing feedback on areas for improvement when gaps are identified, improving case management collaboration and information sharing practices, delivering training to service providers and communities to working with high-risk and repeat family violence cases.
It is not intended that the Family Safety Teams are to replace or replicate current services. Rather, they will provide services and work on projects that are not currently being worked on within communities. Where appropriate, the teams will link in with existing initiatives in order to provide an enhanced service to the community.