Groups on the front line of the fight against family violence will meet daily from next week in a pilot scheme in Christchurch.
Justice Minister Amy Adams said the programme had been designed as a seven-day-a-week scheme. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
The Integrated Safety Response pilot is being trialled in Christchurch for a year.
Aviva Family Violence Service chief executive Nicola Woodward said the new system would be unique in New Zealand.
"The continuing family violence death rates in New Zealand children, women and men, have been stating very clearly for sometime that we have got to do things differently and the Integrated Safety Response pilot is an opportunity for us to have a go at something fundamentally different."
Under the new system agencies such as Child Youth and Family, the District Health Board, and non-government organisations would meet Monday to Friday to look at all the episodes of violence attended by police in the previous 24 hours.
Ms Woodward said that by working together they would be able to much more rapidly and intensively activate all the resources and support those agencies had available for vulnerable families.
She said each morning the key stakeholders would meet face to face for a safety assessment meeting.
"They will spend the time that is needed to really unpick and understand the violence that has taken place in each home the police has attended, and develop together a family safety plan that is implemented in accordance with the level of risk that those around the table have identified."
Justice Minister Amy Adams said the programme had been designed to run every day.
"This is a pilot programme, which is just getting started. It has been designed as a seven-day-a-week scheme and builds quickly to full operations after initial commencement," she said.
