Innovative Design and Delivery Approach

Whānau Resilience is trialling a new and innovative design and delivery approach. Here’s how it works:

We started by listening

Providers and communities from Bluff to Invercargill told us that:  

• Due to the overwhelming demand, most services end up delivering crisis support only  
• More long term support is needed 
• Services need to be flexible and holistic 
• Providers need to be better funded and enabled 
• Whānau are presenting with complex and compounding needs 
• Communities are experiencing different issues and opportunities 
• Family violence is intergenerational 
• People using violence (men) need support to change their behaviour 
• We can’t keep putting the onus on victims to keep themselves safe. 

We commissioned new research to better understand from victim/survivors how to improve support to help women to get safe, recover, and rebuild their lives after experiencing family violence. This showed that urgent changes are required. Read the full report:

Together, sector engagement, literature and whānau voice led to the policy decision to create a new long-term healing and recovery family violence service for whānau, called Whānau Resilience.

Whānau Resilience Framework

The Whānau Resilience Framework guides the kaupapa. It synthesises key evidence from across sector engagement, literature and whānau voice. While services look different in every community, it guides us so that everyone involved is working to the same vision with the same Pou (focus areas) and Underpinning Principles which have been proven to be effective for long-term responses: 

Service areas (pou): 

• strengthening cultural identity and whakapapa 
• strengthening social capability and community connection 
• supporting long term behaviour change for men and people using violence 
• supporting trauma healing and recovery from violence 
• creating healthy relationships and skills. 

Underpinning principles: 

• Informed by local whānau voice 
• Adapt, learn, and innovate based on what works for whānau 
• Led by tikanga Māori principles and values 
• Reflect and value diversity and cultural identity 
• Build in measurement and feedback loops 
• Supported by a capable workforce 

Regional Design centring whānau voice

In 2021, over 100 kaimahi from provider organisations and collectives participated in the regional design phase of Whānau Resilience. During this phase, providers worked together within Police Districts to design services for their communities based on whānau voice.  

Kaimahi collected whānau voices through a range of different engagements, including Facebook surveys, game nights, focus groups, and wānanga. Hearing what matters to whānau in their own words created the opportunity to design fit-for-purpose services. Together, they built a picture of the needs and strengths of their region and tested what works for whānau to build resilience. 

The Canterbury design group, for example, were quick to identify a recurring theme from the people they spoke to. “They [the whānau we spoke to] were grateful to even be asked for their thoughts and hopes for what was possible; that hasn’t happened before,” said Vaea Coe, Pouwhakataki for the Canterbury region. “Our group have collected over 460 ‘gems’ that are informing our design. We have whānau at the design table with us, working to build and test our service concept.” 

After approximately 12 months, the design groups delivered Regional Service Concepts. These outlined their overarching collaborative approach to deliver services to support the long-term wellbeing of whānau impacted by family violence.  

Service concepts continue to grow

Since 2023, providers have been delivering and refining their service models within communities. Guided by whānau voice, services continue to evolve to meet changing needs while maintaining a focus on safety, wellbeing, and connection. 

We continue to support providers by championing their mahi, sharing their stories, supporting the Symposium and building a shared understanding of what is working through reporting and evaluation. We are also working to fill other complementary service gaps, such as support for men using violence, called Te Huringa ō Te Ao.  

Service Guidelines

The Whānau Resilience Service Guidelines describe how services are delivered to support long-term healing and recovery for whānau affected by family violence.  

They provide a shared foundation for providers, outlining service expectations, practice principles, and minimum standards for delivery, along with the Whānau Resilience framework, service areas, and underpinning elements that guide how services are designed, delivered, and continuously improved in partnership with providers and communities. 

In 2026, we updated the Service Guidelines to keep evolving and integrate the latest family violence workforce development frameworks.