MSD’s role in Te Puna Aonui
MSD is part of Te Puna Aonui – the joint venture for the elimination of family violence and sexual violence, which was established in 2018.
Te Puna Aonui is delivering Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.
People working in Te Puna Aonui lead and champion change in systems, behaviours and attitudes to improve the wellbeing of people impacted by family violence and sexual violence.
In addition to MSD, there are nine other Te Puna Aonui government partners:
- Ara Poutama Department of Corrections
- Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga Ministry of Education
- Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health
- Te Tāhū or te Ture Ministry of Justice
- Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa New Zealand Police
- Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children
- Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
- Te Puni Kōkiri Ministry of Māori Development
- ACC
We are collectively focused on ways to strengthen families, whānau and communities through whole-of-government work, in partnership with tangata whenua, specialists and communities.
MSD’s Te Aorerekura implementation priorities
MSD implements a wide range of initiatives designed to stop family and sexual violence from occurring, reduce the harm it causes and break the cycle of re-victimisation and re-offending. Our work is also focussed on improving and coordinating existing services. We continue to work closely with our JV partner agencies and community providers to ensure that responses are more integrated.
Te Aorerekura sets a collective pathway for tangata whenua, community specialist sectors and government to work together to eliminate family violence and sexual violence. While there was significant work underway before the strategy launch, Te Aorerekura provides a framework to prioritise and accelerate this work while identifying where more and different actions are needed.
A two-year Action Plan (December 2021 to December 2023) was released alongside Te Aorerekura, to realise six strategic shifts:
- Strength-based wellbeing
- Mobilising communities
- Skilled, culturally competent and sustainable workforces
- Investment in primary prevention
- Safe, accessible and integrated responses, and
- More capacity for healing.
This Action Plan sets out government actions as new ways of working are developed to implement Te Aorerekura.
Eliminating family violence and sexual violence will only occur if we change the way we work, and how we think about the supports people need to prevent, address and heal from violence.
MSD’s role in Te Aorerekura
MSD leads implementation of six Te Aorerekura actions:
- Enable Te Aorerekura implementation in the regions
- Build tools for informal helpers (eg family, whänau, friends and neighbours)
- Deliver prevention initiatives: Campaign for Action on Family Violence, E Tū Whānau and Pasefika Proud, as well as for other population groups including older people
- Develop prevention programmes for ethnic communities
- Develop a plan to fill service gaps for family violence
- Develop a plan to fill service gaps for sexual violence (joint-led with ACC)
MSD also plays a supporting role with a number of other actions, which are being led by partner agencies.
Enable Te Aorerekura implementation in the regions
(Shift 2, Action 7)
Regional Public Service Commissioners (RPSCs) will support and facilitate implementation to give effect to the family violence and sexual violence national strategy with communities.
Activities:
- June 2022: Invest in joint interagency training and strategic and operational multi agency working groups.
- Dec 2022: Report back on regional alignment activities investment to support cross-agency local and regional-level decision making.
Build tools for informal helpers
(Shift 3, Action 12)
Build tools for people to recognise and respond to family violence and sexual violence. Set up a help portal with practical online help, 24/7 phone and webchat support for informal helpers and for those who are impacted by family violence (victim-survivors) and/or people who use violence.
This means that informal helpers (eg family, whänau, friends and neighbours) will be better able to recognise family violence and provide safe support for those impacted by violence, including connecting with specialist services.
Activities:
- Oct 2021: First release of a website, focusing on people impacted by family violence including 24/7 webchat and phone service.
- Mar 2022: Further online content developed for people who use violence.`
- Piloting of 24/7 afterhours phone service is underway.
- Further work will be undertaken with people with lived experience and the family violence sector to improve the help available.
Deliver prevention initiatives: Campaign for Action on Family Violence, E Tū Whānau and Pasefika Proud, as well as for other population groups including older people
(Shift 4, Action 21)
Campaign for Action — Develop a new targeted campaign for young people to promote safe, positive and equal relationships. Build our collective understanding of how communities can support behaviour change in men using violence and support increased community capacity.
E Tū Whānau — Design and partner around new approaches to counteract harmful norms and beliefs through advertising and social media. Keep going with and consolidate the E Tū Whānau approach and frameworks to support effective community action.
Pasefika Proud — Continue to enhance, learn from, and consolidate the Pasefika Proud approach and frameworks. Develop campaigns and programmes to support other communities including older people.
Activities:
- June 2022: Develop a campaign to support positive, safe and respectful relationships.
- Dec 2022: Work with community leaders to support positive behaviour change in men. Continue to enhance, learn from, and consolidate the E Tū Whānau approach and frameworks to support effective community action.
- Continue to enhance, learn from, and consolidate the Pasefika Proud approach and frameworks.
- Scope expansion of all campaigns and programmes to further communities, including older people.
Develop prevention programmes for ethnic communities
(Shift 4, Action 23)
Develop prevention programmes to meet the needs of ethnic communities, including new migrant and refugee communities.
Activities:
- Develop prevention programmes to meet the needs of ethnic communities, including new migrant and resettled communities.
- Develop culturally-appropriate and accessible prevention resources.
- Set up initiatives with ethnic communities that provide information and share knowledge on family violence and sexual violence.
- Improve capability in mainstream family violence and sexual violence prevention programmes to better respond to the needs of ethnic communities.
- Design specific prevention programmes to meet the needs of ethnic communities, including new migrant and resettled communities.
Develop a plan to fill service gaps for family violence
(Shift 5, Action 29)
Government agencies and service providers will work together with communities, and specialist sectors. Focus on people who use violence to identify and prepare a plan to fill service gaps in family violence response services, including services for people using violence, with a focus on better understanding accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and community need.
Activities:
- July 2022: Work with specialist sectors and government agencies to scope service needs to fill gaps, including services supporting those using violence.
- Scope service design for services with Tangata Whenua, Pacific peoples, Ethnic communities, LGBTQIA+ communities, older people, children and youth, and Disabled communities. Establish an investment plan for the rollout of response services for the tangata whenua and the above communities for funding these services.
Find out more about how we engage with the sector to address family violence service gaps
Develop a plan to fill the service gaps for sexual violence
(Shift 5, Action 30)
Government agencies and service providers will work together with communities to identify and prepare a plan to fill service gaps in sexual violence response services, with a focus on better understanding issues of accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and community need commencing with tangata whenua, Pacific and disabled communities. Work with providers to align the Sexual Abuse Assessment Treatment Service (SAATS) and work with providers of SAATS and Non-Fatal Strangulation Service to strengthen and align existing services (alignment and strengthening of sexual abuse services is led by ACC).
Activities:
- Jun 2023: Work with specialist sectors, government agencies to scope service needs. Scope service design with Tangata Whenua, Pacific peoples and Disabled communities, followed by an investment plan for funding these services.
- Scope service design with community groups and sexual violence service providers to fill identified gaps.
- Followed by developing the investment plan for sexual violence services for tangata whenua, Pacific and disabled communities.
Find out more about how we engage with the sector to address sexual violence service gaps
