About what we do
Crisis Response, Support & Advocacy, Long Term Healing & Recovery
Supporting women, children, families/whanau in the Christchurch and Canterbury community since 1986.
We provide services from Crisis Response through to long term healing and recovery programmes.
Our services are focused on the safety and well-being of women, children, families/whanau.
OUR SAFE HOUSE
Our safe house provides temporary emergency accommodation as an immediate solution for the safety needs of women, children and young people. Access to the safe house is through self-referral by women via the crisis line. Others may support a woman to make the phone call; however, refuge staff will also need to speak directly with the woman who is requiring services.
The safe house is set on a large section providing plenty of outdoor space, with a playground for children.
RESIDENTIAL SUPPORT SERVICES
We provide a safe, secure and supportive environment. We advocate for and support women, children and young people resident in the house in a range of ways. For example, we provide emergency food and clothing, support to access health, legal and financial services, and the level of support appropriate to individuals and family/whanau needs.
CHILD ADVOCACY
As an agency where the interests of children and young people are paramount, we ensure that all children and young people using our services receive assessment and support appropriate to need. We are committed advocates for the rights of children and young people and their safety and well-being.
THE SAFE HOUSE
The safe house can accommodate up to four families at any one time, has a shared kitchen and lounge, two bathrooms and a laundry.
There is a garage for storage and a room attached which has a multitude of uses.
The safe house is set on a large section providing plenty of outdoor space; and a playground for children.
Women and children are supported in the safe house by our experienced team.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
We support women, children, families/whanau living in the community. The focus is always on safety and well-being, in addition to support with a wide range of needs. This support is provided within the community at safe locations, and can be long or short term depending on need. Our experienced team provides crisis response to ensure immediate safety planning and support; community outreach; and Whanau Support / Maori Liaison to strive to ensure culturally appropriate services for Tangata Whenua choosing to use our services.
EDUCATION SERVICES FOR CLIENTS
We provide individualised client education sessions and general client education. We support clients to refer to and access specialised domestic violence programmes and group education.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION & TRAINING SERVICES
We provide specialised domestic violence training, education, workshops and presentations to other agencies and community groups. We also provide women’s refuge domestic violence presentations to raise awareness on the work of refuge and the nature and effect of domestic violence and related issues.
WHANAU PROTECT
Whanau Protect National Home Safety Service is delivered alongside our existing support services. This service is another key tool, increasing safety for individuals and whanau in the homes in which they live, through the provision of safety and security upgrades.
WHANAU RESILENCE
Whānau Resilience is a new MSD funded initiative involving groups of local providers who provide long term services to promote trauma healing, build motivation for change and develop skills to address patterns of behaviour that lead to domestic violence and sexual violence. The service aims to provide the woman and her whānau with a healing space. This work deeply acknowledges the unique healing journey and the need for an individualised response. This is a client led service, where women will work in collaboration with their kaimahi to develop a healing pathway that works best for their needs. It’s about the service fitting the woman/whānau, rather than the woman/whānau fitting the service. The woman will decide how the healing journey will look for them, and when they feel ready to exit the service. Women and their whānau can receive tautoko/support on as many of the four below Pou that they choose.
- Strengthen personal/cultural identity and whakapapa
- Support trauma healing and recovery from violence
- Create healthy relationships and skills
- Support long term behaviour change for people using violence
