Aligning with Family Violence Standards: Policy Reviews

At The Policy Place, we are committed to regularly reviewing and updating our online policies to ensure they meet the highest standards and reflect the latest developments in the field. Our next review will focus on policies related to abuse, child protection, and safeguarding vulnerable adults.

These policies are crucial for compliance with the Social Sector Accreditation Standards, Health and Disability Standards, and legislation such as the Children’s Act 2014.

Our Review Process

When we review and update our online policies, we take into account feedback from our members, as well as current laws, regulations, and best practice codes. This comprehensive approach ensures that our policies are not only compliant but also practical and effective for our diverse membership.

In the upcoming review, we will be incorporating two significant developments: the Specialist Family Violence Organisation Standards and the Recommendations of the Royal Commission on Abuse in Care. These updates are essential to ensure our policies remain relevant and effective in addressing the needs of those we serve.

The Importance of Specialist Family Violence Organisation Standards

The Specialist Family Violence Organisation Standards (“the Standards”) are a set of comprehensive guidelines developed as part of Te Aorerekura: The National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. These standards aim to guide consistent and high-quality practice among organizations providing services to individuals affected by family and sexual violence.

Key Features of the Standards

The Standards reflect extensive collaboration and insights from professionals in the family violence and sexual violence sectors, tangata whenua, community representatives, agencies, and victim-survivors. For organisations like ours, they provide a valuable framework for revising and updating policies and procedures. Key criteria include:

• Recognition of various forms of family violence: Including child abuse, elder abuse, and sexual violence, and the differing impacts based on cultural, gender, and care dynamics.
• Ensuring safety and autonomy for victim-survivors: Entailing provision for direct and indirect service users and for the safety and wellbeing of tamariki even when children are not direct service users.
• Victim and whānau-centered risk assessment and safety planning: Conducted in a culturally responsive manner and reflecting knowledge of family-violence related risk factors (eg separation, pregnancy).
• Supporting a trauma and violence-informed approach: a focus on the impact of violence (distinct from other causes of trauma) on individuals and communities and recognising  interconnected experiences of interpersonal and systemic violence.
• Reflecting a ‘primary victim-survivor, predominant perpetrator’ analysis: – Reflected in policies and procedures around risk assessment, planning and service delivery.
• Recognising and addressing the rights and interests of deaf and disabled individuals and adults needing safeguarding – addressing the contexts of care and impacts of stigma and misinformation.
• Promoting culturally safe and appropriate practices: – Recognising intersectionalities and impacts for people of diverse genders, ethnicity and abilities.

How The Standards Apply 

The Standards are vital for organisations providing specialist family violence responses but can also be utilised by any organization wanting to enhance their response capabilities and organisational practices. They complement existing accreditation and practice frameworks from agencies like the Ministry of Justice, Te Kāhui Kahu and the Ministry of Social Development.

The Policy Place Abuse and Protection policies are already aligned with many aspects of the Standards, such as cultural responsiveness, safety planning, and legislative references.

However, we strive to do more. Through review and updating, Policy Place members operating in social service, health, disability and justice sectors will have their policies more specifically aligned to the Standards.  Members will therefore gain the assurance that their policies:

• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements: And reflect best practices.
• Are endorsed and utilised by different sectors: And comply with different accreditation criteria
• Guide the delivery of safe, inclusive, and responsive services: To diverse communities.

This helps build support national consistency in the application of the Standards because, as a leading provider of policies and procedures for agencies in NZ, our reviews and updates positively impact many organisations in Aotearoa. Nationwide, we are helping build a safer and more effective network of services and supports for those impacted by family and sexual violence.

Conclusion

Regularly reviewing and updating our policies is not just about compliance; it’s about ensuring that our members are equipped with the best tools and practices to provide safe, effective, and inclusive services. By aligning with the Specialist Family Violence Organisation Standards and incorporating feedback and new developments, we can support our members in delivering high-quality care and protection to those who need it most. Together, we can make a significant impact in the fight against family and sexual violence.