10 Principles of Service Delivery

Essential principles of good practice for working with survivors of woman abuse are:

Client-centred services:

focus on the needs of women and their empowerment

Safety:

the primary objective is to promote the safety of women and their children

Service practices should not minimise or deny the responsibility of violent men

Knowledge and understanding of domestic violence:

service providers should understand the complexity of the issues – including impact – and be able to assess risk, assist women to develop safety plans, identify controlling behaviours, appropriately address women's feelings of self-blame and responsibility, and understand which behaviours are criminal

Accessibility and relevance:

consider the diversity of women – race, class, age, sexuality, abilities and culture – who might access the service and work toward eliminating barriers that discriminate, prevent or inhibit access

Needs of children:

the impact on children should be understood and, where appropriate, services or referrals offered. It is also important to understand the "duty to report" child maltreatment

Confidentiality and privacy:

confidentiality and agency requirements about sharing of information with other agencies must be understood. Women must be advised of any limits on confidentiality (e.g., court subpoenas)

Inter-agency cooperation and consultation:

cooperation among agencies achieves the best outcomes for women. Where partners or ex-partners are in perpetrator programs, inter-agency liaison is encouraged so safety, confidentiality and privacy are ensured

Training, education and supervision:

on-going training and professional development is part of a commitment to working with survivors of violence

Evaluation:

measure, and report to stakeholders, the outcomes of service