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November 03, 2016 at 3:51 PM

*From the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse*

The Government announced the launch of the second pilot site of the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) to family violence in Waikato.

An additional $1.4 million from the Justice Sector Fund will go towards supporting the new site in Waikato, as well as the initial pilot in Christchurch.

Social Development Ministery Anne Tolley said "Extending the pilot to Waikato provides an opportunity to assess how well the model works across a diverse population including a higher proportion of rural and Māori communities. Our aim is to ensure a new national model is robust and adaptable and makes a real difference to the lives of victims and their families."

Cath Green, ISR Implementation Lead and Waikato Operations Manager, Child, Youth and Family, said "While FSN [Waikato Family Safe Network] already operated daily safety meetings, ISR provides some significant enhancements to our approach." She also said "The introduction of the Intensive Case Management process which identifies high risk / complex needs victims, the use of Independent Victim Specialists to support these victims to reduce the risk of further violence and the Perpetrator Outreach Services to provide interventions for perpetrators to break the cycle of violence will all contribute to better support for families in need."

The first Integrated Safety Response pilot was launched in July 2016 in Christchurch. The Government announced earlier this year plans for Waikato to be the second pilot location. More information about the ISR approach is available on the NZ Police website.

The ISR pilot is a part of the Ministerial Group on Family Violence and Sexual Violence Work Programme.