Violence in families: Strengthening our practice Today’s session provides an opportunity to focus on working with children and young people living in violent homes. Before we do that; Family violence is a big issue in New Zealand and touches us all -whether in a professional or personal capacity. It’s important to remember that there is help and support for people. Child, Youth and Family has staff welfare services, (EAP) and guidance for managers to assist them in supporting a staff member. There are also a range of community based agencies dedicated to this area. If you need help, talk to your manager or have a look at information provided by the It’s Not OK campaign. At anytime if you, your children or anyone else is in immediate danger phone the Police on 111.

Improving our practice Improving the quality of our practice means….. Building knowledge Learning about new tools & using existing tools in different ways Challenging thinking and current practice along the way The practice resources are about strengthening our practice knowledge and skills and using the enhanced tools and resources in the work you already do to build a picture of a child or young persons’ life. We then help families work out how best to support them with the issues they face

Today’s workshop Highlights key things to consider when violence at home is an issue Provides an opportunity to use resources in a practice focused session Provides links to further reading and resources on violence in the home The family violence triggers were published and sets provided to sites. They are an enhancement to our practice frameworks and are used in conjunction with them. The practice centre has been updated to include the triggers, key informations and links to other resources such as papers and research. You can find them here http://cyf-practice-centre.ssi.govt.nz/knowledge-base-practice-frameworks/family-violence/resources/index.html

Violence in families - what we know Children and young people are participants in the violence that takes places in homes. Mums, peer groups and schools are places where children and young people go for help and support. Some specific issues for children and young people: cumulative harm the impact of stress and anxiety on brain development and wellbeing contact with the violent parent following separation is a time of high risk for children. There is a correlation between sexual, physical abuse and violence in the family. (You may want to pause after the first bullet point on the slide and discuss what this means as a group before covering the points raised in the notes) This slide highlights some of the key messages from research and best practice; Whether the exposure to violence is direct or not, children and young people are intrinsically involved in the violent behaviour and dynamics Ask people to discuss with their neighbour how indirect exposure can impact on children and young people The effect of repeated exposure to violence can accumulate, posing significant threats to a child or young person’s safety and well being When children and young people are physically or sexually abused, violence in their family is often found to be a factor in their life

What children and young people tell us….. They want to be involved in the decision making about what happens to them Mums, school and friends are the people and places where they go for support when violence is happening at home They want the violence to stop – full stop How can you involve children in decision making? In what way? How would that be different for a: 6 month old 5 year old A 12 year old A 16 year old? What specific decisions would you include them in? The idea here is that people respond with involving children and young people in all decisions about what happens to them not just some. How do we involve children who have become fearful and anxious?

Keeping the child at the centre of our practice Adult issues and the dynamics of violence can overshadow the child and how the violence is effecting them How can you ensure their voice is heard and their needs are known and responded to? How do you differentiate between the issues for the adult experiencing violence, the perpetrator and the needs of the child? What helps you remain focussed? Kids tell us they want to be involved in working out what happens to them – protection means inclusion Lead a discussion about this with the group – how can children be included in making decisions about what happens next?

Responding early – it’s critical Assess at the earliest opportunity – linking children with the right support means building a good understanding of their needs The effects of ongoing exposure to violence, even at a low level, can accumulate and cause serious risks to healthy emotional and cognitive development Neglect and cumulative harm is often less apparent. The consequences for the child are serious but can be difficult to identify. They can be deeply internalised or easily linked to other less worrying issues The less time a child spends in distress as an infant, the more resilient they will likely be as adults Implicit memory means young children may not remember a traumatic experience – they will remember the fear and anxiety The way children and young people are affected by stress and anxiety caused by violence at home can be well disguised or hidden; do we see a well behaved, well mannered child? OR a child who has leaned to be silent and do as they are told through fear? Is a baby who often has colds and ill health who frequently cries, a typical baby or an infant displaying the impact of family violence in the only way it can? Is the 9 year old acting out at school a typical, energetic, boy OR a child showing signs of stress, anxiety and agitation? A child that has no place to relax and feel safe?

Work with other agencies and services Children and young people have a range of needs, many of which may best be met by other agencies Working in collaboration with our partner organisations is important so children, young people, their families and whānau are supported by those with the right expertise and services What agencies and services do you have available in your local community to work with children and young people? Facilitate a 5 minutes session talking with each other about local resources – highlight one piece of good service provision – what did it achieve for the child involved?  

Forward planning – sustained support Building safety and a more stable, lasting state of well being means developing plans that look beyond the crisis and short term Thinking forward with the child/young person about their hopes, dreams and support needs forms a core piece of the social work role A child/young person’s plan does not stop when the Child, Youth and Family role ends How do we ensure enduring safety? Child, Youth and Family may not have an ongoing role in meeting the child or young person’s needs. Taking part in working out the child or young person’s plan and using the right pathway to match their needs to a service, is an important part of their ongoing support  

Best practice considerations Be confident that the right level of assessment and planning work has taken place to meet the needs of the child or young person, including safety Involve maternal and paternal whānau to develop plans Establish clear ways interventions will be monitored, reviewed and understood within the total context of that child or young person’s life Where more than one report of concern is made consider: more intensive involvement a different approach teaming up with other agencies and services We know dads and their whānau can become disconnected from the work we do with children and young people. Our vulnerable infants practice resource prompts us to consider this when working with under fives. Whānau are really important to children and young people. You need to be clear about strengths and risks in whānau support, confidence, willingness and capacity, particularly when managing relationships where there is violence in the family.

The resource – violence in families Set of practice triggers Key informations Family violence – the context Initial assessment and planning resources Risk factors Talking with victims about the violence http://cyf-practice-centre.ssi.govt.nz/knowledge-base-practice-frameworks/family-violence/resources/index.html The triggers were published in July 2011 and sets provided to sites The practice centre has been updated to include the triggers, key informations and links to other resources such as papers and research

Using the resources in practice We will now use these resources in a case example. We also want you to reflect on: the changes you expect to see in your work how you will know what else you can do to continuously develop your practice in this area.