Violence in families:
Strengthening our practice
Improving our practice
Improving the quality of our practice means…..
> Building knowledge
> Learning about new tools & using existing tools
in different ways
> Challenging thinking and current practice along
the way
Today’s workshop
> Highlights key things to consider when violence
at home is an issue
> Provides an opportunity to use resources in a
practice focused session
> Provides links to further reading and resources
on violence in the home
Violence in families - what we know
> Children and young people are participants in the violence
that takes places in homes.
> Mums, peer groups and schools are places where children
and young people go for help and support.
> Some specific issues for children and young people:
>cumulative harm
>the impact of stress and anxiety on brain development
and wellbeing
>contact with the violent parent following separation is a
time of high risk for children.
> There is a correlation between sexual, physical abuse
and violence in the family.
What children and young people tell us…..
> They want to be involved in the decision making about
what happens to them
> Mums, school and friends are the people and places
where they go for support when violence is happening at
home
> They want the violence to stop – full stop
Keeping the child at the centre of our
practice
Adult issues and the dynamics of violence can
overshadow the child and how the violence is
effecting them
> How can you ensure their voice is heard and their
needs are known and responded to?
> How do you differentiate between the issues for the
adult experiencing violence, the perpetrator and the
needs of the child?
> What helps you remain focussed?
Responding early – it’s critical
> Assess at the earliest opportunity – linking children with the right
support means building a good understanding of their needs
> The effects of ongoing exposure to violence, even at a low level,
can accumulate and cause serious risks to healthy emotional
and cognitive development
> Neglect and cumulative harm is often less apparent. The
consequences for the child are serious but can be difficult to
identify. They can be deeply internalised or easily linked to other
less worrying issues
Work with other agencies and services
> Children and young people have a range of needs, many of
which may best be met by other agencies
> Working in collaboration with our partner organisations is
important so children, young people, their families and whānau
are supported by those with the right expertise and services
What agencies and services do you have available in your
local community to work with children and young people?
Forward planning – sustained support
> Building safety and a more stable, lasting state of well being
means developing plans that look beyond the crisis and short
term
> Thinking forward with the child/young person about their hopes,
dreams and support needs forms a core piece of the social work
role
> A child/young person’s plan does not stop when the Child, Youth
and Family role ends
> How do we ensure enduring safety?
Best practice considerations
> Be confident that the right level of assessment and
planning work has taken place to meet the needs of the
child or young person, including safety
> Involve maternal and paternal whānau to develop plans
> Establish clear ways interventions will be monitored,
reviewed and understood within the total context of that
child or young person’s life
> Where more than one report of concern is made consider:
>more intensive involvement
>a different approach
>teaming up with other agencies and services
The resource – violence in families
> Set of practice triggers
> Key informations
> Family violence – the context
> Initial assessment and planning resources
> Risk factors
> Talking with victims about the violence
http://cyf-practice-centre.ssi.govt.nz/knowledge-base-practiceframeworks/family-violence/resources/index.html
Using the resources in practice
> We will now use these resources in a case example.
> We also want you to reflect on:
> the changes you expect to see in your work
> how you will know
> what else you can do to continuously develop your
practice in this area.