The safe @ home pilot project is a collaboration between shine, an Auckland-based NGO, and the Avondale Police.
The safe @ home service is delivered by shine to victims of domestic violence identified as being at high risk from repeat victimisation. The service enables victims and their children to stay in their own homes, minimise disruption to their lives and avoid the cost of permanent relocation.
In addition to the range of professional support services and referrals shine already provides to the victims of domestic violence, safe @ home provides:
- a safety audit of the victim's home by the project coordinator
- a security upgrade of the house where necessary
- monitored personal alarms where appropriate
- cell phones (for dialling 111) for household members where needed.
The New Zealand Fire Service arranges a visit after the security upgrade to carry out a fire safety check, check or install smoke detectors, and develop an escape plan for the homes.
Purpose
This report presents the findings of a formative evaluation of the safe @ home project. This is the first time such an initiative had been carried out in New Zealand, and therefore the project was a "concept test".
The evaluation was designed to answer questions about the implementation of the service, not address the effectiveness of the project, although victims' self reports of their safety and wellbeing before and after the security upgrades were collated and analysed.
Key Results
Project success
Project participants and informants were unconditionally positive about the project and its outcomes. Informants who had direct contact with the women after the intervention all reported greater impact from the project than they expected.
- "It’s a fabulous, fabulous project." (NZ Police)
- "My house is like Fort Knox and I rarely slept until this angel came along and secured my home." (safe @ home participant)
Informants reported downstream benefits to participant agencies including improved communication and understanding between agencies, higher community trust in agencies, and better agency access to high-need clients