What's expected of you
As a generalist service provider (such as a lawyer, teacher, childcare provider, or church-based staff member) you may encounter people experiencing or perpetratrating family violence. On this page you'll learn what's expected of you.
Get people the help they need
It's vital that people get the right help, the first time, no matter where they ask for it, so you need to be confident recognising, responding to and following-up family violence situations.
As a generalist, you're not expected to resolve the family violence. You need only be able to identify family violence and refer the affected person to a specialist family violence agency or support service in such a way that the person remains supported and isn't left to fend for themselves (this might mean making a 'warm referral' for the person in which you contact the service for them). This should usually be with their agreement.
After you've made a referral, wherever possible you should follow-up to check that suitable help has been provided or is under way. This practice guide will help explain how to do this.
Some common scenarios
To help you imagine being faced with someone affected by family violence, read these common scenarios.
Put safety before privacy
Although information can normally be used or disclosed only for the purpose for which it was collected, the Privacy Act 1993 says you can share someone's information if this will prevent or lessen a serious threat to life or health. For example, you may need to contact the Police or the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki. However, practitioners should also adhere to their own professional codes of practice. For example, information received by lawyers is professionally privileged and confidential. You can read more about information sharing in the Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework [PDF, 1.7 MB] on pages 38 and 39.
Acknowledge diversity
Family violence occurs among all communities, ethnicities, cultures, ages and socio-economic groups. Some groups experience disproportionately high rates of family violence or face particular risks. Māori, for example, are significantly over-represented as both victims and perpetrators. Be mindful of the differing needs of diverse populations, and seek advice if needed. Refer to specialist services for the person's population group where possible. More information on responsive practices and different populations groups is available in the The Family Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework [PDF, 1.7 MB] on pages 46-58.
Services in your community
Take the time to learn about the specialist family violence services that are available in your community, such as women’s refuges, family violence programme providers, or specialist providers for Māori, Pacific peoples, immigrants and refugees, and people from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning (LGBTIQ) communities.
Next steps
In the next section, you'll learn how to recognise family violence.
This draft practice guide is being tested by selected generalist service providers.
