MODULE 7 Best Practice Approaches

Building Common Ground:

Linking Protection and Safety

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Module 7 Learning Objectives

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Participants will:

•Learn about and apply knowledge of Best Practice Approaches 9 and 10

•Explore challenges and opportunities of working with anti-violence sector to support safety of women and their children

•Build cross-sectoral relationships by exploring commonalities and differences

Module 7 Learning Objectives

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Participants will:

•Develop community linking strategies and implementation plans

•Explore interagency information sharing protocol

Goal of Best Practice Approaches – collaboration to increase safety for women and children

Significant obstacle to collaboration - tension caused by the different historical developments and missions

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Anti-violence movement began less than 30 years ago to provide safety to battered women because public institutions were not doing so

Some women and their advocates viewed child protection services as yet another of these public institutions – overlooking needs, blaming

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Child protection’s focus on the safety of the child - identification of woman abuse not considered important to accomplishing child protection goals.

When woman abuse identified, dynamics often misunderstood and mothers held responsible.

Anti-violence movement focused primarily on needs of women in abusive relationships, slower to address the needs of these women’s children.

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Concerns about differences in mandates continue to exist

Many child protection workers participate in coordination committees :

ensure an integrated approach to women’s and children’s safety

identify differences in practices and perspectives

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Child protection workers may be concerned that anti-violence services:

are blindly loyal to womenignore or minimize abuse perpetrated by womenunderestimate harm of repeated exposure to violenceuse language that often leaves out childrenprovide more services to women then they do to children (however programs for children are increasing)

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Some anti-violence advocates may be concerned that child protection services:

blame women for violence that men perpetrate

are judgmental and punitive to women

hold men and women to different standards of care for children

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Potential challenges are faced by child protection and anti-violence agencies.

These challenges, whether perceived or real, can stand in the way of

collaborationcreating a community climate that links

and supports women’s and children’s safety

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Challenges of MCFD Social Workers

Feelings of frustration, fear and helplessnessNot enough training about dynamics of abuse Focus on family preservationNo direction about how to support women’s safetyWorkers overwhelmed and overworkedJudgments about safety must often be made quickly Job is to protect children and youth, not adultsPerpetrators and victims equally problematic parentsFamily-centred approach – engage perpetrators 11

Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Challenges of Anti-Violence Workers

Don’t feel respected for knowledge and contributionFeel that work for women and their children

overlookedEducation and training - child and family

developmentConfidential services vs. Information to child

protectionCase planning and managementChild protection and FOIPP legislation Pessimistic about change.

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Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and Anti-Violence

Fields

Despite differences in perspective and mandates, both approaches hold common views:

Woman abuse and child or youth witnessing of abuse frequently occur in the same family - supports from both sectors needed to address the impacts.

Children and youth who witness violence by their fathers may be at risk for a variety of problems.

Men who perpetrate dangerous abuse against children or youth are also assaulting women.

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Best Practice ApproachesBuilding Common Ground

Women do have concerns for their children’s safety and take active steps to protect their children.

Many women leave for their children’s safety.

Women often stay with abusers out of safety and practical considerations for their children.

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Best Practice ApproachesBuilding Common Ground

Similar goals and desired outcomes:

Preserve the mother-child unit in aftermath of violenceEnd violence against women and child maltreatmentChildren and youth safeAdult victims protected – for their own safety and so their children are not harmed by the violenceParent’s strengths supportedChildren and youth not involved in child protection if avoidable

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Best Practice ApproachesBuilding Common Ground

The service plan will vary depending upon whether the mother and her children:

remain with the abusing partnerseparate from the abusing partnerseparate and return to the abusing partner

On-going communication with service providers to determine and clarify roles and responsibilities

Communication with service providers if a service stops and/or is discontinued for a period of time.

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Best Practice Approach 9 Ongoing Protective Family Service

Provides legal and principled framework:

women involved and consent to sharing information wherever possible to ensure principles of respect and safety upheld.

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Best Practice Approach 10 Building Relationships and Information

Sharing

Wherever possible, obtain consent of mother and children who are over twelve years 

Disclosing information without consent - CFCSA section 79 (a), (a)1

Right to information that is in the custody or control of a public body - CFCSA section 96

Confidentiality policies of service provider and/or agency that is not a public body

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Best Practice Approach 10 Building Relationships and Information

Sharing

Public Body - B.C. government ministry, an agency, board, commission, office, corporation or other body designated by regulation under FOIPPA and a local public body.

Anti violence programs do not constitute a ‘public body’ and section 96 of CFCSA does not apply (apply for court orders under CFCSA Section 65).

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Best Practice Approach 10 Building Relationships and Information

Sharing

Participation and support by child protection workers in local coordination committees:

increase on-going cooperation and communication between service providers and MCFD

increase safety to women and their children

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Best Practice Approach 10 Building Relationships and Information

Sharing

Research shows:

Coordinating the work of the various response systems is crucial to keeping women safe.

A woman’s safety will be jeopardized if institutions/ community resources responding areinaccessibleunresponsive uncoordinated

Gamache, Edleson, Schock, 1988 Coordinated police, judicial and social service response to woman battering

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral

Benefits of Community Coordination include:

Identifies players in community network.Brings relevant players together, breaking isolation

and ensuring duplication of effort does not occur. Provides opportunity for meaningful partnerships.Identifies gaps, ensures women do not fall through.Teaches to analyze response for women’s safetySubstantive changes in practice or policy.Connects the work province-wide.

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral

Community Coordination for Women’s Safety (CCWS)

Provides assistance to BC communities to develop new models or improve existing models of cross-sector coordination on violence against women.

For more information about this resource, visit www.endingviolence.org/ccws

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral

IIn communities where there are community-based victim service workers, these workers can be strong allies in supporting women’s and children’s safety.

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral

Victims Of Power-Based Crimes - BC Attorney General Referral Policy

Victim service workers play a significant role in helping victims/survivors:

identify risksdevelop and implement a personal safety plan provide information about criminal justice system, court orientation and accompaniment, crime victim assistance

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral

Victims/survivor’s safety is central to the work of police and victim service workers.

Consistent good practice: maintenance of effective policies, protocols and procedures for both systems, both individually and together.

A coordinated multi-disciplinary response empowers victims/survivors of power-based crimes and is most effective in keeping them safe.

www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/victim_services/publications/policy/ReferralPolicy.pdf

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Best Practice Approaches Coordination and Referral