A new partnership announced in Auckland this week aims to strengthen how agencies work together to support families facing serious risk from family violence.

Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, confirmed the collaboration between government agency Te Puna Aonui, local iwi representatives, and community group Manawa Tītī.

The initiative will:

• Develop a local system improvement plan.
• Test a new approach for managing high-risk family violence cases.
• Expand specialist outreach services for those most in need.

“This new approach will enable coordinated support and collaboration to deliver timely and effective responses to people at high risk and with complex family violence needs,” said Minister Chhour.

The announcement builds on the national Action Plan released in December, which focuses on improving multi-agency responses and helping those affected by violence to access the right support sooner.

The new work stems from a recent family death review in the Auckland region and aims to improve safety through early intervention, better collaboration, and targeted support.

A major focus is on specialist outreach roles—trained people who can work directly with families to identify risks and connect them with the right help.

“Evidence shows that having proactive, skilled outreach workers can increase safety and reduce repeat harm,” Chhour said.

The local tribal development arm will help deliver and test this approach alongside Manawa Tītī, ensuring the model meets the needs of the community.

The goal is to reduce revictimisation, increase safety for children, and help families get to safety faster.

“I acknowledge the importance of local leadership and innovation in improving the family violence system,” said Chhour.

“This partnership is an important step forward.”

Seen something local we should cover?

Let us know at [email protected]