Evaluation of Integrated Safety Response pilot published

Thu 10 Aug 2017

The Government has published an evaluation of the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilot. The Evaluation of the family violence Integrated Safety ...

The Government has published an evaluation of the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilot.

The Evaluation of the family violence Integrated Safety Response pilot: Final report reviews "emerging evidence of the effectiveness of the ISR model together with any changes in practice."

The Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilot was launched in Christchurch on 4 July 2016. A second pilot site in Waikato began on 25 October 2016. The report focuses on the Christchurch pilot but includes some data from Waikato.

The report states that since the pilot began:

Multi-agency safety plans have been developed for nearly 10,000 families, involving just under 30,000 individuals.
Close to 400 of these families have been identified as high risk (4% of all plans)
Every week, an average of 183 episodes of family harm are being processed through ISR in Christchurch and 209 in Waikato.

The evaluators note "Operating the ISR model is resource intensive, and getting the right level of resource to meet demand has been challenging for teams at both sites."

Ministers Amy Adams and Anne Tolley said:

"The report shows the ISR pilot is delivering on many of its core aims and is well-placed to achieve better outcomes for more families. Key achievements highlighted in the report include improved information sharing, risk assessment and safety planning, as well as more families taking up offers of support. The report also identifies some issues for further development. Budget 2017 invests $22.4 million to extend the ISR pilots for two years which will enable us to address these issues before we look to roll out the ISR nationally."

Superu commissioned independent evaluators Elaine Mossman, Judy Paulin and Nan Wehipeihana to carry out the evaluation.

Background information

See these previous NZFVC stories:

Budget 2017 - Family violence funding focused on continuing pilots

Second Integrated Safety Response pilot opens in Waikato

Waikato to be second site for Integrated Safety Response pilot

Government announces new multi-agency family violence pilot in Christchurch

Media

Gaps found in domestic violence programme, Radio NZ, 09.04.2018

Aviva ditched family violence pilot involving 30,000 people, citing strain on staff, 21.03.2018

Domestic violence programme tackles few cases, Radio NZ, 20.03.2018

Waikato Women’s Refuge working collaboratively, Press Release: Waikato Women's Refuge, Scoop, 07.08.2017