Resources
SAFEGUARDING / WHAKAHAUMARUTIA
VisAble’s safeguarding resources
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Questions that support reflective practice
VA-SG-0003
This handout provides a set of questions to prompt self-reflection and prepare for supervision.
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Examples of ethical dilemmas in the disability sector
VA-SG-0004
This factsheet provides examples of ethical dilemmas you might experience in the disability sector, to help guide your thinking and prepare you for other dilemmas that might arise.
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Cultural supervision
VA-SG-0005
Cultural supervision is a reflective and supportive process that helps us
explore how culture, identity, values, experiences, beliefs, and systems
influence the way we work and relate to others.
This handout provides an example of cultural supervision in practice,
when working with tāngata whaikaha Māori.
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Risk factors that can impact disabled people
VA-SG-0006
This factsheet describes some of the risk factors that can impact disabled people and increase the risk of violence, abuse and neglect. It can be used as a prompt when identifying and assessing risk.
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Working well together for the best safeguarding outcomes
VA-SG-0007
This handout provides clarity on the key roles and responsibilities in multi-agency teams and enables a shared understanding of those. It promotes working well together for effective safeguarding.
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Types of abuse
VA-SG-0008
This factsheet describes different types of abuse. It's important to be aware of these, when supporting disabled people.
This knowledge is essential for detecting, preventing and stopping abuse, and when identifying and assessing risk.
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Key principles of ethical decision-making in safeguarding
VA-SG-0009
This factsheet provides a set of principles, that guide ethical decision making when safeguarding. They can be used to inform policies, procedures and practice, supporting organisational culture as well as individual decision-making.
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A case study on the benefits of inter-agency collaboration
VA-SG-0010
This short case study, from Waitematā, New Zealand, shows the benefits of involving multi-agency teams in delivering safeguarding services and achieving the right outcomes.
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Principles for inter-agency collaboration
VA-SG-0011
This hand-out provides key principles of collaboration, to assist SAFA Co-ordinators and multi-agency teams. It’s intended for safeguarding providers and professionals. It can be used directly ‘as is’ and shared with all members of your multi-agency team, or used as a guide to shape your own collaborative principles.
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Terms of reference for a multi-agency team
VA-SG-0012
This guidance supports the development of Terms of Reference for multi-agency teams. It’s intended for safeguarding providers, where leaders would develop Terms of Reference at an organisational level.
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When you’re at risk - finding help to keep yourself safe
VA-SG-0013
It's essential to stop or prevent abuse. This handout explains who to call in an emergency, if violence or abuse is happening now. It also provides access to safeguarding agencies who can support you in becoming safe.
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When someone’s at risk - finding help to keep them safe
VA-SG-0014
This handout describes how any organisation or support service can raise concerns and find safeguarding support.
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Leaders’ self-check questions
VA-SG-0015
This handout provides a check-list for leaders and governance groups to consider (as a starting point) whether your organisational systems support effective safeguarding practice.
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Summary of Barriers and Recommendations: Kaitiakitanga te Hāpori
VA-KTH-002
Disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori typically experience six key barriers to accessing family violence and sexual violence (FVSV) services. This factsheet outlines those barriers and ideas for addressing them.
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Safety in the Summer season resource guide
VA-PH-0001
The holidays and summer season can be traumatic for people experiencing violence, abuse and neglect. Data shows that the incidence of abuse and family violence escalates at this time, and this also applies for disabled people.
VisAble has produced a resource guide for professionals who are supporting at-risk people through these challenges. It has practical tools, tips and techniques for your use.
This resource guide provides some practical ideas and strategies to help you when supporting people during the summer season, along with some tools that may mitigate the risk of harm.
VisAble’s Safeguarding Framework
This diagram helps explain safeguarding / whakahaumarutia to people who like images, pictures or diagrams, when seeking to understand a system.
The diagram’s V and A represent VisAble’s name: i.e. making violence, abuse and neglect and their impacts visible and enabling an intervention – in this case, safeguarding Adults at Risk from abuse.
About the Safeguarding Framework diagram
On the left-hand side, the "V" stands for “Visible”. It shows safeguarding across the different levers - from prevention through to responding to violence, abuse and neglect - the pointy end of reducing family and sexual violence (FVSV).
The left hand side of the diagram is all about who to refer to (or make contact with) for safeguarding / whakahaumarutia support.
On the right-hand, the "A" is all about the purpose of the safeguarding work: the aims, and actions and how we enable others to achieve the outcomes needed.
It all starts with keeping the person at the centre of the intervention (personal) – showing that what enables safety is community and relationships, as ultimately these impact the effectiveness of the services that are delivered to disabled people and the outcomes that are achieved.
The outcome being aimed for is that of a “systems change”
Such change needs to be centred on and/or driven by disabled people.
We aim that it would result in the establishment of policies and legislation specific to Adults at Risk, that would reduce violence, abuse and neglect.
Ideally, this would result in government-funded services (similar to those in Oranga Tamariki and Age Concern) where situations of concern could be notified and actioned.
External resources
External Safeguarding video resources
Aotearoa New Zealand resources
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Model for Reflective Practice and Supervision
This one-page model, sourced from Te Whatu Ora (Waitemata), provides a structure for supervision sessions and a process for reflective learning in those sessions.
Further information
Your organisation can source professional supervisors through:
You can access the Social Workers’ supervision policy in Aotearoa New Zealand: ANZASW-Supervision-Policy-2016.pdf
Best practice information on supervision is available from the Australian FVSV sector:
Best practice supervision information sheets: This resource includes “experience questions, reflection questions and analysis questions”, explores four levels of reflection, and includes a simple model.
Best practice supervision guidelines: These guidelines present best practice guidance and examples to help the family violence, sexual assault and child well-being sectors provide regular and effective supervision for the workforces.
Sources and references: Risk identification
Core frameworks used in Aotearoa New Zealand, in a safeguarding context
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Family Violence Entry to Expert Capability Framework (E2E), Wellington, NZ.
Developed as part of Te Aorerekura National Strategy, the Entry to Expert (E2E) Capability Framework outlines the skills and knowledge required to respond to, and work effectively with, people impacted by family violence and/or people who use violence.
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Family Violence Risk and Safety Practice Framework (RSPF). Wellington, NZ.
Defines risk identification as pattern‑based, contextual, and collaborative; emphasises early recognition.
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Te Aorerekura: National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.
Sets system‑wide expectations for early recognition of harm, whānau‑centred responses, and shared responsibility.
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Disability, intersectionality and compounding risk
Human Rights Commission (NZ) - Acting now for a violence and abuse free future: Violence and abuse of disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Foundational evidence on compounding risk factors, barriers to disclosure, and under‑recognition of harm.
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Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care (NZ) - Findings and recommendations.
Authoritative evidence on pattern‑based harm, power imbalance, and systemic safeguarding failure.
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Health and professional “noticing”Ministry of Health (NZ) - Family Violence Assessment and Intervention Guideline: Child abuse and intimate partner violence (2nd ed.).
Practical guidance on recognising indicators, documenting observations, and acting without certainty.
Sources and references: Risk identification: International resources
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Ethical, trauma‑informed and documentation principles
World Health Organization (WHO) -Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women: WHO clinical and policy guidelines.
International guidance underpinning trauma‑informed noticing, respectful documentation, and survivor‑centred approaches.
Sources and references: Risk assessment
Risk management and safety practice Aotearoa New Zealand, in a safeguarding context
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The Centre for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence (previously Te Puna Aonui) - Family Violence Risk and Safety Practice Framework (RSPF).
Primary reference for risk being dynamic, contextual, and assessed collaboratively — not scored at entry level.
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Ministry of Justice (NZ) - Family Violence Risk Assessment Management Framework.
Establishes a shared, system‑wide approach to screening, assessment, escalation and “no wrong door”.
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Ministry of Social Development (NZ) - Family Violence Safety and Stability Services Guidelines.
Defines roles, escalation expectations, and appropriate contribution to risk assessment.
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Information sharing and decision-making
New Zealand Government Digital Service - Information Sharing Standard – Risk Assessment Guidance.
Guidance on proportionate sharing, sensitivity of information, and lawful escalation of concerns.
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Office of the Privacy Commissioner (NZ) - Information sharing for wellbeing and safety (Children and Young People).
Clarifies what may be shared, when, with whom, and under what legal basis.
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Health and professional “noticing”Ministry of Health (NZ) - Family Violence Assessment and Intervention Guideline: Child abuse and intimate partner violence (2nd ed.).
Practical guidance on recognising indicators, documenting observations, and acting without certainty.
Sources and references: Risk assessment: International resources
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World Health Organization (WHO).Ethical and safety recommendations for violence research and practice.
Supports the principles used in your content: do not investigate, do not promise confidentiality, do not delay for certainty.
references: Inclusion: External resources
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A new resource for inclusive prevention practice has been released: This resource, produced in partnership by Zoe Belle Gender Collective and Women’s Health in the North, provides a framework and practical tips for practitioners and organisations to embed trans and gender diverse inclusion in primary prevention work.