Barnardos

What we do

Barnardos runs the Footsteps to Feeling Safe child safety programme in the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kapiti, and now offers the Pathways to Safety – an Adult Protected Person’s Programme for women in the Hutt Valley.

Footsteps to Feeling Safe is an educational programme for children who have experienced family violence. The 9-week programme is designed to help children work through the impacts of family violence and also learn a range of strategies to keep themselves safe. Barnardos offer both small group and individual programmes designed to suit children and young people aged between 5 and 17 years.

The key goals of the programme are to teach the child how to keep themselves safe, to know that they have the right to stay safe, to know how to get help, and to understand that they are not responsible for the violence done to and around them by adults.

The programme aims also to help the child to identify their own feelings and to let others know how they feel, to develop skills to deal with anger, develop problem solving skills, feel good about themselves, and to encourage hope for the future.

During the assessment process Barnardos works with the caregiver to decide on the best programme for their child. Caregivers are required to attend 3 of the sessions with their child, with the goal being for the caregiver to support their child’s learning and to assist with the development of a safety plan.
Referrals can be made by the family/caregiver, or by agencies working with the child or caregiver.

Children who experience family violence (either as a witness or directly) can develop behavioural and emotional problems. The effects can include:

Feelings of fear, anger, depression, shame, powerlessness, despair and distrust
Physical reactions such as stomach cramps, headaches, sleeping and eating problems, frequent illness
Developmental problems such as poor school performance, low self-esteem, difficulty relating to other children
Substance abuse
Behavioural problems such as running away from home, aggressive language and behaviour
Withdrawal, introversion, regressive behaviour

Pathways to Safety is an educational programme for woman impacted by family violence and who have a Protection Order in place.

Barnardos offers both group and individual programmes. The group programmes runs over a 9 to 12-week period, with slightly less sessions for individual programmes. Barnardos works with each woman to tailor a programme specific to their individual needs. The sessions are offered weekly for up to two hours in duration.

A detailed assessment is undertaken with each participant prior to them starting on the Programme (including a detailed safety plan completed as part of the assessment).
Session topics for this programme include:

Talking about abuse and violence in NZ, Safety Plans
What is Domestic Violence, Protection Orders
Myths/facts around DV, Cycles of DV
Coping with Change, Building Confidence and Self-Worth
Supporting Children, Parenting, Family & Responsibilities
Partnership, self-management
Health, Belonging/identity, spirituality
Community, Supports, and Financial matters

Barnardos receive referrals directly from the Family Court, community agencies and self-referrals for women where there is a Protection Order currently in place.

The Pathways to Safety programme complies with the Domestic Violence Act (1995), Domestic Violence Amendment Act (2013), and the Ministry of Justice Domestic Violence Service Provider Code of Practice.

Our contact details

Level 1
29 Waterloo Road
Lower Hutt
Phone:
04 801 1721 (Coordinator)
04 801 1711 (Reception)

Who to contact

If you have any enquiries related to either our Footsteps to Feeling Safe or our Pathways to Safety Programme please contact: Amanda Kirkaldy, DV Programme Coordinator on 04 801 1680/ 027 230 6126 or 04 801 1711 (Reception) or Amanda.kirkaldy@barnardos.org.nz

Information on other Barnardos services

Child and family supportive social work services are available in Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Kapiti. To access these services, people and agencies can refer by contacting:
Michele Olds, Service Manager on 04 8011714 or Michele.olds@barnardos.org.nz

Barnardos also offers early childhood care and education services in Wellington City, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt and Porirua. To access these services, please contact: Claire Pavitt , Childcare Consultant, Barnardos KidStart Childcare, on 027 201 4165 or Claire.pavitt@barnardos.org.nz

Our website

Further information regarding Barnardos services is available on our website http://www.barnardos.org.nz or check out our Facebook page at Barnardos New Zealand.