Training
The Women’s Refuge training unit Te Kōwhai New Zealand Family Violence Training & Research Institute was established to meet the need for quality information and training about domestic violence in New Zealand. We were the pioneers in designing and developing training and education programmes on the issue in the early 1980s.
Educating people about domestic violence
Since then, we have been delivering a range of training and education programmes to government agencies, organisations, professionals, businesses, women, children and families. We have over 35 years experience working in the field of domestic violence.
Te Kōwhai’s one-day education programme Family Violence Awareness has been successfully delivered to communities, businesses, non-government and government organisations that work with family violence.
We have also delivered training programmes to government agencies, helping them learn more about the dynamics of domestic violence, the change cycle women go through, and the safety of women and children who leave violent relationships. We’ve trained:
- Work and Income New Zealand staff nationwide
- 0800 ‘It’s Not Okay’ telephone operators
- New Zealand Police
- Department of Health
- Child, Youth & Family
- The Body Shop
- Hesketh Henry.
These education programmes build strong relationships between government departments and Women’s Refuge, and provide an essential role in educating the public about the impact of domestic violence and how we can all work together to keep women and children safe.
International training
In 2010, Women’s Refuge was contracted to deliver domestic violence training to government and non-government organisations from Tonga and Kiribati. We utilised our strong nationwide network of local Women’s Refuge trainers from throughout Aotearoa to be part of the training delivery. These trainers have a vast amount of local information, as well as their professional knowledge about domestic violence.
Find a Te Kōwhai training programme for you
Te Kowhai has national trainers throughout Aotearoa that can provide the right training to your organisation, right in your community. We can customise and deliver a suite of domestic violence awareness workshops for all sectors of society, incorporating your requirements into the training.
Choose from these comprehensive training programmes:
Domestic Violence Awareness Training Programme
Duration: 1 day
Suitable for: Professionals, community workers, teachers, health workers and anyone working with women and children who have experienced domestic violence.
Topics include:
- an overview of the dynamics of domestic violence
- different forms of domestic violence and how it affects women
- why women may remain or return to violent relationships
- statistics
- safety planning
- legislation
- referrals to and the role of Women’s Refuge.
Participants will:
- Have an increased understanding of domestic violence and how it affects family members
- Be confident to discuss domestic violence with colleagues and clients
- Be able to respond appropriately to a disclosure of domestic violence
- Have an awareness of the legislative framework surrounding domestic violence.
Governance & Management Training
Duration: 2 days
Suitable for: Refuges, communities and non-government organisations. We can tailor the programme to meet the needs of trust boards, school boards or community boards.
Governance and management training was originally developed for Women’s Refuges throughout New Zealand to consider the viability of changing from a collective to a governance structure. The two-day training supports any organisation to have an understanding of their roles and responsibilities, making it possible for paid staff to achieve their goals, the organisation to meet its strategic plan, and management to undertake its day-to-day plans. It incorporates informal learning techniques and fun but instructive activities.
Participants will:
- Have an understanding of governance board role and responsibility
- Have an understanding of an organisation’s legal requirements
- Have an understanding of the organisation’s structure
- Know the importance of policies and procedures.
Mokopuna Child Advocacy Education Workshop
Duration: 2 days
Suitable for: Refuges, health professionals, children’s organisations, schools, police, social workers, community workers and non-government organisations working with children affected by domestic violence.
Children experiencing or witnessing domestic violence require informed advocates who can:
- actively give support
- speak up or act on the child’s behalf
- seek information from other professionals
- educate others on the protection of the child
- have an awareness of how domestic violence affects children and the unborn child
- identify gaps and barriers for the protection and wellbeing of the child
- listen to the child and hearing their voice.
This two-day workshop will introduce you to these skills, and each participant will receive a Mokopuna: Child Advocate Toolkit.
Participants will:
- Have awareness about how domestic violence affects children
- Be able to respond appropriately to a disclosure by a child
- Have an awareness of the legislative framework surrounding domestic violence and children
- Be confident in risk assessments, writing case-notes, observation skills and mandated obligations.
Women’s Refuge Advocate Training (NZQA certificate)
Duration: 60 hours class time and six-month work placement
Suitable for: Refuge staff, volunteers, collectives and board members.
Women’s Refuges have provided services for women and children for over 35 years, making us the most experienced national organisation working in the field of domestic violence. Using this experience Women’s Refuge has developed an advocate training programme that meets the standards to become NZQA-qualified. Graduates will be awarded a National Certificate in Social Services (NZQA Level 4: Work with Abuse, Neglect and Violence).
The programme content comprises:
- domestic violence analysis
- Women’s Refuge structure and values
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- homophobia and heterosexism
- working with women and children
- rape and sexual abuse
- what is advocacy?
- self-care
- working in Women’s Refuge
- domestic violence legislation.
Contact your local refuge for more information or to apply.
Women’s Domestic Violence Education Programme
Duration: 2.5 hrs sessions per week over 10 weeks
Suitable for: Women who have experienced domestic violence. This programme is provided at most refuges for women who use our service.
The objectives of the programme are to empower women; to successfully prevent and avoid any likely harm to themselves and their children resulting from their experience of domestic violence; and to assist in removing barriers resulting from the abuse. The programme is delivered in a culturally appropriate way.
The programme will:
- assist the women’s understanding of the affects of domestic violence
- help the women to understand the history of domestic violence
- strengthen their self-esteem
- help the women to develop safety plans and support networks in their community
- inform women on domestic violence legislation
- allow women to tell their stories in a safe environment
- allow women to begin their healing journey.
Contact your local refuge for more information or to apply.
Tamariki Domestic Violence Education Programme
Duration: 1.5 hour sessions per week for 10 weeks of the school term
Suitable for: Children aged five to 12 witnessing or experiencing domestic violence in their homes. This programme is provided at most refuges for children whose mothers are using our service.
The objectives of this programme are:
- to successfully prevent and avoid any likely harm to a child resulting from their experience of domestic violence
- to deliver the service in a culturally appropriate way
- to involve primary caregivers so that there is a transfer of learning to the home environment
- to assist in removing barriers to the child’s development resulting from the abuse.
The programme will:
- assist the child’s understanding around what has happened
- help the child understand why they are not to blame
- strengthen their self-esteem
- help the child develop safety plans and support networks
- assist the child to build positive relationships and learn non-violent methods of conflict resolution.
Contact your local refuge for more information or to apply.
Mauri Tau Training
Duration: Three 3-day sessions at a wānanga.
Suitable for: Refuges, Māori practitioners, whānau, hapū and iwi.
Mauri Tau is a framework to revitalise Māori values and beliefs, and an analysis of whānau violence and healing to sustain ora for whānau. Mauri Tau recognises that iwi already have have the tools to obtain whanau ora from within, and aims to enhance their knowledge. The training course identifies the different interventions required to assist whānau to reclaim their own potential, and it also covers levels of responsibility and skills required for Māori practitioners, whānau, hapū and iwi.
Māori practitioners will:
- Revitalise traditional Māori values and beliefs that enable whānau to live and be sustained in Te Ao Marama
- Maintain the integrity of whānau, and promoting services that work with whānau as a whole
- Regenerate the importance of collective responsibility by whānau and hapu for individuals within their collectives
- Build on the strengths within whānau and hapu.
“Ko au te taupa Kihai i puawai aku moemoea.“J Tahuparae (Whanganui Awa)
Make a booking
Please fill out the online form below and we will contact you with more information about the next available training dates, venue, and cost. Thank you for your interest.
