Family Violence Being Tackled by Bay of Plenty DHB

Family Violence Being Tackled by Bay of Plenty DHB

July 31, 2007

For the past two years, the Bay of Plenty District Health Board has been providing funding to launch a training programme to screen female patients for signs of family violence.

BOP DHB family violence coordinators Nicola Chadwick (partner abuse) and Raewyn Lucas (child protection) are coordinating the programme.

“Our DHB recognised early that family violence has a significant impact of health outcomes. We were one of the first DHBs to fund, coordinate and develop a programme without direct Ministry of Health funding,” says Nicola Chadwick.

“We have the full support of the DHB for our training and screening process.”

In March this year they started trialling the training programme, and a small number of Tauranga and Whakatane nursing staff in the Emergency Department, Social Work team and the Maori Health team have completed the course.

“We had a positive outcome to the training,” says Nicola. “A small group of women will have been asked questions about their exposure to family violence. We are still at an early stage and it is too soon to start evaluating the outcomes.”

If a woman reports partner abuse, she is encouraged to make a self-referral to a support agency. If child abuse is reported, this is referred direct to Child Youth & Family by the DHB.

“There has been at least one child abuse case passed on to the authorities,” says Nicola. “The nurse doing so said she felt confident and right about making the referral.”

The intention is that all women aged over 16 who attend hospital will be screened for signs of family violence – regardless of their reason for being at hospital. This mirrors a Ministry of Health guideline established in 2002.

The programme will step up a gear in the autumn. In all, about 1,000 staff members will receive the training; primarily nurses, social workers and Maori health support workers.

ENDS

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