Key features of the Family Court Bill are:
GOOD MEDICAL PRACTICE
The Medical Council of New Zealand is reviewing its standards of clinical competence, cultural competence and ethical conduct for doctors.
Have your say about ‘good medical practice’ in Aotearoa.
To find out more go to http://consumercollaboration.org.nz/news/good-medical-practice
The North Shore Family Violence Prevention Network & Safer Whanau Project shared the following information in their latest newsletter:
UN Women and a range of other international bodies (ESCAP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO) recently convened an experts’ meeting on the prevention of violence against women and girls.
A series of short papers on specific topics have just been published, including working with children in schools, social mobilisation campaigns, the role of faith based organisations, the media as a site to prevent violence, creating social norms to prevent violence and working with men and boys to promote gender equality.
You can access these at: http://www.unwomen.org/events/59/expert-group-meeting-prevention-of-violence-against-women-and-girls/
Subscribe to the North Shore FVP Network weekly E-News by emailing fvpnns@gmail.com
Media Release
Mental Health Foundation of NZ: 25/10/2012
How do stressed New Zealand men get help when they need it?
Nobody’s too sure – that’s why the Mental Health Foundation is working with Open Polytechnic researcher Dr Peta Wellstead on a new project called “The information seeking behaviour of New Zealand men who may be experiencing life stress”.
Part of the project is a Kiwi men’s survey.
“From the survey, we will measure knowledge of information and support services, social network strength, pathways to help and support that men have used in the past,” Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Judi Clements says.
“We are doing this in order to better target information and support when men are experiencing life stress that may impact on their mental health.”
Dr Wellstead is leading the project for the MHF. She says: “The Mental Health Foundation approached me after I presented a paper at the Wellbeing and Public Policy conference. My paper reported my PhD research which examined the information behaviour of Australian men.
“My [next] project will examine where New Zealand men go to for information, who they talk to and what works and doesn’t work when they are experiencing stressful life events and may need extra help and support.
“We will conduct an online survey during November (which is also Movember) and ask men questions about their information use. The Mental Health Foundation will then use the data I produce from the survey to provide information, products and support services to men in a more targeted way in order to improve their health outcomes.”
Opportunities will be explored for conducting community workshops throughout New Zealand and for presentations at conferences, both domestically and internationally.
The online survey is being promoted to men via a range of websites and communications, including through publicity for this year’s Movember campaign.
Dr Wellstead is the first Open Polytechnic first staff member to be approved ‘research focused’ status for two projects by the Open Polytechnic Research Committee.
Open Polytechnic is government-owned and funded, delivering courses throughout New Zealand and internationally.
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New UK domestic violence definition includes coercive control
The UK Home Office has announced it will expand the definition of domestic violence to include ‘coercive control’ and to cover people 16 years of age and older.
The change is to the official definition of domestic violence used across government not the legal definition.
The expansion of the definition to cover 16 and 17 year-olds came after the British Crime Survey 2009/10 found that 16-19 year-olds were the group most likely to suffer abuse from a partner.
Link to further info on the NZFV Clearinghouse website: http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/node/793
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Thanks to the North Shore Family Violence Prevention Network weekly E News for passing this information on. Sign up to receive their E-News directly by emailing fvpnns@gmail.com
The Ministry of Health is releasing for stakeholder consultation Rising to the Challenge: The Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan 2012 – 2017. The purpose of the Plan is to provide direction for mental health and addiction service delivery across the health sector over the next five years, and to clearly articulate Government expectations about what changes are needed to build on and enhance gains made in the delivery of mental health and addictions in recent years. The Plan incorporates key themes from Blueprint II and advances the Government’s focus on better performing public services. The plan has also been informed by input from preliminary sector consultations.
The consultation period will run from 8 October 2012 to 2 November 2012. Feedback closes on Friday 2 November 2012 at 5.00 pm. Please note that any feedback forms received after this time will not be included in the analysis of feedback.
How to respond
You can respond using the consultation response questionnaire attached to the consultation document. Email your local coordinator to request a consultation document and feedback form.
Attend a regional consultation workshop in your region during October.
You may already be aware of these meetings. If not, please email the contact person identified for further details if you wish to attend.
Your views and feedback are welcome and can be provided:
a) by email to: SDP@moh.govt.nz
b) in writing to: April-Mae Marshall, Mental Health Service Improvement Group, Ministry of Health, PO Box 5013, Wellington.
All feedback forms will be acknowledged by the Ministry of Health and a summary of feedback will be sent to all those who request a copy. We look forward to your feedback which will assist us to finalise this document.
New Resources from It’s not OK campaign focus on protecting children
A new series of posters, postcards and stickers focus on the role we all have to play in protecting children in our families and communities.
Research shows that violence in the home affects children whether they see it, hear it or just know about it.
Child abuse is most often linked to partner abuse. In 2010 70% of child abuse cases attended by Police were family violence related and half involved children being present.
All Black Liam Messam, Sports Broadcaster Jenny May Coffin and Comedian Ben Hurley feature on the new resources.
The new resources can be ordered from 1 August by any person or organisation from the It’s not OK website at http://www.areyouok.org.nz/.
Also, don’t forget to keep in touch with what’s happening around the country at www.facebook.com/ItsNotOK
Violence against women in New Zealand focus of UN Committee ‘Violence against women was a major concern for the UN Committee reviewing the status of women in New Zealand, when it met yesterday’ says Julie Radford-Poupard, one of the non-government representatives at the United Nations recently.
‘Committee members questioned whether current changes in New Zealand such as legal aid restrictions, the introduction of fees in the Family Court, the restructuring of family violence funding, and a trend towards encouraging the resolution of relationship disputes out of court, may be increasing the barriers for women seeking to leave violent relationships and risking their safety’ says Ms Radford-Poupard.
Link to Voxy Press Release: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/violence-against-women-nz-focus-un-committee/5/129547
The latest Issue of the Script is out – a newsletter from the Young Dads Group (Supported by The Glen Innes Family Centre – Te Waipuna Puawai – Thrive Teen Parent Support Trust)
