July 2019

New Zealand has some of the highest levels of family violence in the world, which has a devastating impact on people and communities across the country.

Providers of family violence services have been working in difficult circumstances for many years to help people who are affected by family violence.

Over the last few years the sector has increasingly been working together to reduce the prevalence and impact of family violence in New Zealand.

As the Ministry of Social Development is a major funder of family violence services, we are keen to build on this momentum. We would like to see a future where providers are sustainably funded and services are whānau-centred, outcomes-focused and integrated.

To move towards this future, we have worked with providers and communities on a new approach to strengthen the funding and delivery of family violence services for whānau and families.

The approach is based on the themes we heard from providers in the sector about what needs to change in the current system to allow services to go beyond crisis management to support long term recovery, helping enable communities everywhere in New Zealand to eliminate family violence for the next generation.

MSD is a committed member of the wider cross-government joint venture to develop new ways of working across government, and with iwi and communities, to reduce family violence and sexual violence through an integrated response. This new funding approach is part of, and will remain responsive to, the work of the joint venture. (From the Introduction). Background to this new funding approach can be found on the website. Follow the link to see a summary of findings from the MSD funded providers survey, June 2018. Record #6323