RISE is working with the Ministry of Social Development to help upskill its leaders about Family Violence

RISE is using its specialist knowledge of Family Violence to work alongside, train and upskill leaders at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).

RISE has been awarded a contract to run 30 workshops to MSD staff throughout New Zealand.

Senior Clinician/Practice Lead Joelene Whitfield will be running the four-hour long workshops in locations from Whangārei to Dunedin.

She will work alongside MSD’s Family Violence Response Coordinators (FVRC) based in the training locations.

Joelene says the training is a foundational introduction to Family Violence and is in line with the Te Aorerekura’s Entry to Expert (E2E) framework.

Te Aorerekura is the National Strategy and Action Plan to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. The E2E framework focuses on the capability of organisations and workers to respond and work effectively with people affected by Family Violence and/or people who use violence.

The training is to increase the capacity and competency for leaders at MSD in Family Violence so they can better support their staff in their work and personal lives, Joelene says.

“It’s a foundational look at what Family Violence is, what its impacts are and what are some of its risk factors, and what some of the key things to look out for are.”

Joelene says the training will explore the myths and biases that exist around Family Violence, the statistics and prevalence of Family Violence and how marginalised communities, such as Māori, Rainbow Communities, Disability Communities and the elderly are disproportionately represented in Family Violence statistics.

Joelene says the training also looks at how to respond in a trauma informed way if someone reports concerns or has made a disclosure of family violence.

The training also explores the legislation around Family Violence.

The course also covers how to work collaboratively with other organisations when disclosures of Family Violence are made. Each area in New Zealand has its own services and experts so MSD staff will provide information of what is available in their area.

Joelene says an agency as large as MSD is likely to have staff who had experienced Family Violence or were being affected by it.

Senior Clinician/Practice Lead Joelene Whitfield will be working with Ministry of Social Development staff to train and upskill its leaders about Family Violence.

Joelene has trained numerous organisations about Family Violence over the past decade and this course builds on that experience.

Joelene, who is also completing further post graduate studies, says she is looking forward to spending two months travelling facilitating the trainings. She is grateful for the support she has from her family that allows her to do this important mahi.

RISE manager Dee Cresswell says RISE was approached to quote for the work alongside others and won the contract to provide the training last year.

“It’s a great endorsement for RISE and the training that we do,” Dee says.

It was also an endorsement for RISE as it undertakes its work with impact development consultancy the Ākina Foundation. RISE is working with Ākina to measure its social impact so it can ultimately become more financially sustainable and less reliant on Government funding to carry out its core business of providing Family Violence services.

“Not only do we deliver services, but we can also train the wider community.”

Dee says she is sure the training will be mutually beneficial for RISE and MSD.