Working with providers to further improve services

The Ministry of Social Development is the lead government agency for family violence prevention work, and for funding the bulk of services for families and whānau experiencing family violence.

We fund around 200 providers across New Zealand to provide services for whānau and families, victims, and non-mandated perpetrators (people who have not been directed by a court to attend a treatment programme or be assessed). This is done through contracts managed on our behalf by Partnering for Outcomes, Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children.

It is important to acknowledge the work that has been done for many years in difficult circumstances by the providers of family violence services, to help people who are affected by family violence.

We want to work with organisations and communities, to strengthen family violence services for whānau and families.

The development of MSD's Family Violence Funding Plan will not affect the current funding of providers. It is about paving the way for a sustainable future for family violence services.

First stage of work completed

The first 'Understand' stage of the work programme has been completed. This involved engaging with a random selection of providers throughout New Zealand to better understand the current services being delivered.

Some of the key themes we heard about were:

• A call for a shared understanding of family violence. The current lack of a shared understanding means that there are inconsistent practices across the sector.
• Across New Zealand there are additional factors impacting on family violence which mean that people are presenting with compounding, complex needs. The factors we heard about most often were: intergenerational violence and trauma, lack of housing, increased use of drugs and alcohol (mainly P and synthetics), ongoing mental health needs and a lack of services, and the impacts of poverty which are now more pronounced.
• Providers mentioned that they were facing increased demand levels which they managed in a number of ways – including waitlists, referring to other providers and not being able to promote their services.
• The cost to deliver services has increased, which has decreased the contributory proportion that MSD funds. Additionally, it has become difficult to find the extra funding needed to meet operating costs.
• Staff in this sector are passionate and committed to making a difference in reducing family violence. Staff have been affected by a lack of increased funding through worsened work conditions and real income.
• MSD could improve the way it contracts services to provide more flexibility and to focus on outcomes rather than outputs.
• There are a number of service gaps including geographically and in the types of services available to communities, particularly for perpetrators. 
• Providers recognise that just pouring more money into family violence will not solve the problem. The whole sector (government, communities and NGOs) needs to work differently if we want to achieve better outcomes.
• Providers are willing to participate in the creation of a better system and recognise that there is no quick fix to family violence in New Zealand.

We also conducted a survey that was sent out to all family violence providers that asked about what was and wasn’t working.

We received over 65 responses and the time and thought that people put into their feedback was apparent.

Next steps

We will analyse all the information gathered and develop the new funding plan. The plan will outline how we will move to a future where providers are sustainably funded and services are whānau-centred, outcomes-focused and integrated.

We will then be looking to work with communities and the sector to co-design how to put the plan into operation to strengthen the funding and delivery of family violence services.

We want to work openly and transparently with the sector throughout this work programme. We will keep you updated through a regular newsletter and other channels.

More information

For more information, please contact us at Family_Violence_CPP@msd.govt.nz.