Principle 6: Sustainable practices and ongoing professional and personal development are recognised and resourced.

Rationale

In the context of this Framework, sustainability is defined as:

  • Developing SVP and SVPP initiatives that stop needing ‘experts’ to run them, because they are assimilated into the culture of their community and become the norm

  • Organisations developing sustainable funding strategies

  • Creating workplace cultures where people thrive and there is support to pursue professional and personal growth.

Principle 6 in Action

Actively developing SVPP and SVP initiatives

People involved in SVPP and SVP activities often work to ‘put themselves out of a job’ through strategic planning and by upskilling allied sectors and communities to do the work themselves.

 Because SVPP and SVP initiatives may be the first point of contact (and the first opportunity) for someone to discuss and learn about sexual violence and respectful relationships, it’s possible to maintain the highest standards delivery, content and resources by:

  • ensuring resources are specific, of high quality and relevant to the community

  • carrying out ongoing testing and evaluation for effectiveness, focussed on outcomes and not programme satisfaction

  • evaluating measurable risk and protective factors (e.g. measuring societal victim blaming and strict gender norms)

  • having a theoretical base for prevention efforts that’s informed by evidence and includes a comprehensive programme logic and a theory of change

  • delivering SVP initiatives with trained, supervised and skilled staff

  • having leaders/managers who know how to deliver high quality programmes/initiatives

This is best supported when backed by:

  • funders who ensure that SVP and SVPP initiatives are adequately resourced

  • funding for Kaupapa Māori SVPP services

  • funding for communities of origin and identity to develop their own SVPP initiatives

  • agencies who see their staff as assets and actively develop and retain them

  • staff who are committed to continuous growth and development

Creating resilient organisations

“Organisations can also become overwhelmed by the nature of the topic of sexual violence and the funding landscape, this has been called ‘organisational trauma’. In response to this, the ‘Organisational Resiliency Model’ focusses on developing both individual and organisational characteristics of resiliency.

The model suggests identifying symptoms (such as a lack of recognition that the very nature of the work affects the culture of the organisation), and signs of what to watch out for (such as detachment from meetings and learning opportunities, personality conflicts, and feelings of resentment). Strategies for building strong and healthy organisations include regularly revisiting the service’s mission, vision and core values.” (from Crisis Good Practice Guidelines)

Supporting workers

Working with people that have experienced trauma, as well as dealing with rape culture and rape myths, can lead to vicarious trauma[1] and emotional fatigue. Sexual Violence prevention work makes people aware and brings them face to face with the realities of both the perpetration of sexual violence in our society, and our society’s general levels of denial and victim-blaming.

 Individual, group and cultural supervision are essential parts of the work.

practice examples

  • Individual and group supervision is embedded into ACC’s Mates and Dates contract, because it’s seen as an important part of workers wellbeing and a powerful way to ensure safe practice.

  • Respect Ed implemented a feedback process for co-facilitators. At the end of every module, feedback about session content and flow is shared with the team as a whole. Co-facilitators are encouraged to give themselves and each other feedback in a similar style to the process they learned during their Mates and Dates training. This gives facilitators space to reflect on their own practice and their co-facilitation relationship.

Tools and Recommendations for Further Development

We suggest this section of the framework includes more exploration of:

  • Leadership support for Managers and Team Leaders in the sexual violence sector to support the development of resilient and thriving organisations.

  • Developing sustainable and high quality SVPP initiatives through integration with other existing strategies like whole school approaches, community mobilisation.