Safe, Strong Families and Communities
Safe, Strong Families and Communities supports a wide range of programmes and initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing vulnerability and harm for individuals, whānau and communities. We also fund and manage a number of key relationships with the social services sector.
Our ongoing work programme currently has a big focus on leading MSD’s response to family violence, sexual violence, and building the financial capability of people in hardship.
Our group is headed by General Manager Mark Henderson (pictured).
Family violence and sexual violence
New Zealand has one of the highest reported rates of family violence and sexual violence in the world – with a devastating impact on people, whānau and communities across the country. Yet family violence and sexual violence, and the harm they cause, is preventable.
We know that providers have been working hard in this space, often in difficult circumstances, for many years. We are working closely with the sector to support them in this work, and together help ensure that people get the help and assistance they need.
Strengthening family violence services
This work focuses on engaging with providers and communities to strengthen the funding and delivery of family violence services for families and whānau. The objective is to build a sustainable future, where our funded family violence services are whānau-centred, outcomes-focused and integrated.
Improving sexual violence services
This work focuses on developing and building on our funded specialist sexual violence services, including crisis support services, harmful sexual behaviour services, and services for male survivors of sexual abuse.
We fund ‘Safe to talk – He pai ki te kōrero’, a national sexual harm helpline we co-designed with the sector and launched in 2018.
Building Financial Capability
We fund and oversee delivery of a range of services and products that help individuals, whānau and communities experiencing hardship to build their financial capability and resilience. Building Financial Capability takes a strengths-based approach to empowering people to get control of their money, set goals and achieve long-term, sustainable change.
Heartlands
Heartland Services (Heartlands) focuses on ensuring that whānau residing in rural and isolated communities across Aotearoa are able to connect with the government and non-government agencies, and community services they need. Heartlands also provides information and support for people needing assistance to complete government forms, use technology and participate in community services and events.
