Whether you’re writing a new domestic/family violence policy, wanting some training for your HR team or managers or other key staff, or you just want to find out how your workplace or customer domestic violence response could be improved or meet legal requirements, you’ve come to the right place.
We recommend that before accessing any type of DVFREE training, you consult with our experts (see ‘Consultation’ below) to lay a solid foundation for your programme in your policy, procedures, and information for staff. These documents underpin an effective response to staff and/or customers experiencing domestic/family violence.
DVFREE trainers are based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Outside of these locations, reimbursement for travel expenses is added to the training fee. There are some online training options available for teams outside these main city centres, or teams that are spread out amongst multiple regions where travel to train in one location would be prohibitive.
Contact us now for more information about services and fees, or to book services.
We recommend:
- Start by going through our free Guidelines for a DVFREE Workplace Programme, which may help you identify gaps in your programme and understand how to fill those gaps. The Guidelines’ recommendations will help you meet, and go beyond, employers’ legal obligations under the Domestic Violence Victims' Protection Act and other relevant laws.
- Use our free online workplace learning module to raise awareness amongst your staff by providing the link on your intranet, and including it in your induction for new staff. This module was created by Shine in partnership with Westpac, and updated in 2019.
- Promote our free national Helpline to your staff – as a source of support and information for people who experience domestic violence, as well as their support people. Order free Helpline posters, cards, and pamphlets here, as well as Safer Homes booklets for a small fee to cover printing. Read the Guidelines for information about some additional national specialist domestic violence related Helplines.
As a DVFREE Tick partner, your organisation can demonstrate a best practice workplace approach. Our DVFREE Tick partners play a vital role in helping us to continually improve our understanding and approach to improving the workplace response to domestic violence. The essential recommendations in the Guidelines for a DVFREE Workplace Programme are the basis of our DVFREE Tick criteria.
DVFREE consultation and training services can be accessed as part of the DVFREE Tick or separately. Find out more about the DVFREE Tick – process and criteria.
Even if you use our Guidelines to draft or improve your domestic violence policy and procedures, you may want one of our experts to review your domestic violence policy and/or other specific materials such as the domestic violence content of your intranet or staff wellbeing guide.
We can also help by providing advice and guidance on policy and procedures for responding to your customers who experience domestic violence.
Our domestic violence experts are experienced at providing consultation and policy advice for a wide range of government/crown, business, and not-for-profit organisations.
You can purchase the first two hours of DVFREE consultation at a significant discount here.
Contact us now to discuss your consultation needs.
Workplace ‘First Responder ‘Training
First Responders are the people in your workplace who employees experiencing domestic violence can go to for help, and they can also support managers. This is a 6.5 hour long training, with required pre-learning, that helps First Responders to:
- understand domestic violence as entrapment
- recognise signs and respond safely and appropriately
- provide workplace support, safety planning, and refer to specialist community support and
- understand broadly how an employer can respond to employees who perpetrate domestic violence, and provide support to change
Contact us for more information about DVFREE First Responder training. While this training is far more effective as an in-person learning experience, we can offer an online option if it is prohibitive to bring your First Responders together for training. Please enquire about this option.
We also regularly deliver open First Responder trainings that individuals can register to attend in main centres Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and also open virtual training sessions for people who live outside of these main centres, delivered via Zoom. If your organisation plans to train more than five people, we strongly recommend an inhouse training; Aside from cost considerations, the training can focus on the context of your particular organisation, and can help build a stronger team. It is important for First Responders to be able to support each other, as the role can be very emotionally challenging.
Workplace Manager Training
Managers play a key role in supporting a team member who experiences domestic violence and are most likely to see the signs and be able to ask some initial questions. This is a half day training (generally 3.5 hours), with required pre-learning, that helps Managers to:
- understand domestic violence as entrapment
- recognise signs and respond safely and appropriately
- provide workplace support, safety planning, and refer to specialist community support and
- understand broadly how an employer can provide accountability and support for employees who perpetrate domestic violence
Contact us for a more in-depth overview of DVFREE Manager training. We generally only deliver Manager training to an organisation that has already trained First Responders. Read our Guidelines to understand why this is important.
Extra Care Advisor Training
An intensive 1-day training for your ‘Extra Care’ Team, i.e. your internal domestic/family violence subject matter experts. With this training for your Extra Care Team, your frontline staff can seek guidance or support from this team, or directly refer customers needing additional support to someone in-house. This training is highly interactive, so for a maximum of 20 people. We can deliver this as an online training in some circumstances. Talk to us about your situation and we will try to find a training solution to meet your needs.
Frontline Customer Training
A ½ day training for customer-facing staff to help them better understand domestic violence, know how to recognise the signs, ask the first few questions, and make an appropriate referral – both inhouse and to external specialist support. If, as a large employer, it is not feasible to provide this level of training for all of your customer facing staff, we recommend appointing ‘Family Safety Champions’ from throughout your business’s customer facing teams who can champion the issue among their peers. If you are a DVFREE Tick partner organisation, there is also the option for us to train and accredit your internal trainer to deliver this training to your customer facing staff.
Free workplace online learning module
This module called ‘Change the Ending,’ was created by Shine in partnership with Westpac, and last updated in 2019.
Awareness sessions
A Shine expert from our Training Team can speak to any size group of staff for anywhere between 30 min to 2 hours, to raise awareness about domestic violence. These sessions can help build a foundation for a domestic violence staff programme and further DVFREE training and/or can be incorporated into your existing programme as a way to raise awareness for your staff.
Be creative!
There are many ways to engage, inspire and educate staff about domestic violence.
- Read about stories and videos you can use to raise awareness.
- Participate in Shine’s Light it Orange campaign or a campaign run by another local or national specialist domestic violence organisation to raise funds and/or awareness.
- If your organisation is based in one location, find out who your local domestic violence service provider is, and ask about what you can do to support their work.