Disability Abuse Prevention And Response

Those delivering DAPAR services are teams of disabled-led and community-led specialists in family and sexual violence support for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori. 

DAPAR providers deliver the following services: 

1. For disabled adults who are experiencing abuse or neglect, or are at risk of abuse or neglect, DAPAR can provide: 

• • An intensive response, working directly with the disabled person to access the supports they need to live free from abuse or neglect.  

and / or 

1. • A multi-agency response, bringing together the disabled person with the family members and organisations that can work together to plan and take collective action to respond to the situation of abuse or neglect.  
2. For DSS funded providers, such as NASCs, IF Hosts, and EGL sites, DAPAR can provide safeguarding capability building information, training and advice, so that organisations are more responsive to situations of abuse and neglect of disabled people.  

There are currently three providers contracted to deliver DAPAR services.  

You can visit their websites to find out more information and how to access their support.  

DAPAR is not an emergency or crisis service. For more information about where to seek help in an emergency go to Help and support for violence, abuse or neglect | Disability Support Services external 

How to access DAPAR support 

For disabled people 

Accessing DAPAR support is free. You can make a referral to a DAPAR provider for support if you or someone you know is:  

1. an adult (18 years old or over), and 
2. a disabled person or tangata whaikaha Māori, and 
3. is experiencing (or at risk of) abuse or neglect. 

The People for Us Peer Visiting service may also refer disabled people for DAPAR support. The three People for Us Suppliers are People First external, Te Ahi Kaa external, and Vaka Tautua external.

The DAPAR providers will review the referral and prioritise which situations need the most urgent response. Priority is given to people who:   

1. are eligible for DSS funded disability supports, or 
2. those who are unable to remove themselves from an unsafe situation, or 
3. those who are experiencing more severe abuse or neglect. 

People who are not eligible for this service are:

• Children (under 18 years old): Refer children to Oranga Tamariki if appropriate Child abuse | New Zealand Government external 
• Older people (if the person is over 65 years of age and does not receive supports funded by DSS): Refer to Elder Abuse services if appropriate Elder Abuse Response Service | Te Tari Kaumātua external
• People receiving services under the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) (IDCC&R) Act (and the civil clients in the same services): Refer to the statutory IDCC&R roles (District Inspectors, Care Managers and Compulsory Care Coordinators) Intellectual Disability Services | MHAIDS external 

For DSS funded providers, NASCs and EGL sites 

It is free to access DAPAR safeguarding capability building support. VisAble provides the DAPAR safeguarding capability building support, and will deliver: 

1. Foundational safeguarding capability building for all NASC and EGL sites. This includes information, training and guidance so that each NASC and EGL site can build their capability to the ‘Entry’ level of the Family Violence Entry to Expert Capability Framework. external
2. A website with freely available resources to support safeguarding capability building for the disability sector and disability community.
3. A safeguarding disability information and advice service, which responds to questions and requests for information about safeguarding disabled adults at risk of abuse or neglect.
4. Targeted safeguarding capability building for a small number of DSS contracted providers to support the development of their safeguarding policies and practices.

What is the ‘intensive safeguarding response’?  

DAPAR staff will work directly with the disabled person to assist them to access the supports they need to live free from abuse or neglect. The service is focused on those disabled people who require more direct support to access safeguarding supports. These can include family violence or sexual violence services, disability supports and cultural or community networks that will support them to live free from abuse and neglect.

The intensive safeguarding response will:

1. Build a relationship with the disabled person and their family, whānau or network, and legal representatives (according to the disabled person’s preference).
2. Ensure the disabled person can communicate what they want in ways that work best for them, and are supported to make their own decisions.
3. Establish what is needed to increase wellbeing and safety in the person’s life.
4. Work with the disabled person to agree an individual safeguarding plan to achieve the best possible outcomes. The plan will include actions that meet the needs of the individual and whānau, and could include one or more of the following:
   • supported decision-making and independent advocacy relating to the situation of concern 
   • supporting safe family or whānau reconnection 
   • referral or re-referral to the appropriate NASC or EGL site 
   • support through transition from a situation of concern to new disability support arrangements 
   • working alongside a person to connect them to other mainstream family violence or sexual violence support services, other services, and/or cultural or community organisations that meet the safeguarding needs of the disabled person.

What is the ‘multi-agency response’? 

DAPAR staff will bring together the disabled person with the family and whānau members and organisations, who can work together to plan and take collective action to respond to the situation of abuse or neglect. The DAPAR provider will coordinate the different organisations and professionals to work together to prevent, identify, assess, and respond to abuse or neglect of a disabled person. Agencies that might be part of the multi-agency response include:

• health services

• NASCs or EGL sites

• disability support providers

• family violence or sexual violence services

• social services

• education

• Police

• cultural groups

• community groups 

• other relevant agencies.

The multi-agency response will:

1. Meet with the disabled person and their family, supports and legal representatives (according to the disabled person’s preference) to gain an understanding of the situation, the will and preference of the disabled person, and what agencies are most relevant for the situation.
2. Ensure supported decision-making and accessibility requirements are in place for the disabled person, so they can participate in the process and make their own decisions.
3. Facilitate and coordinate the multi-agency response, bringing together the disabled person and their family, whānau or network and the relevant agencies best placed to deliver an integrated multi-agency response. The agencies involved will share and protect information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 external and the Family Violence Act 2018. external 
4. Together establish what is needed to increase wellbeing and safety in the person’s life, develop a multi-agency safeguarding plan and co-ordinate actions to jointly protect and support the disabled person.
5. Ensure the disabled person is supported appropriately at the conclusion of the multi-agency response, for a safe transition and / or exit from the service.

Definitions 

There are some words used in safeguarding that are useful to understand. Note the below definitions may be distressing.

Abuse: An act that may result in harm to a person, and could be physical, sexual, emotional or financial. Abuse means treating someone else badly, hitting someone or saying mean things.   

Neglect: Failure to meet the basic needs of people (for example, adequate food, medication, health care, or essential support). Neglect is when someone does not look after someone else when they should or give them what they need.   

Disabled person: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) defines a disability as: 

“any long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder the full and effective participation of disabled people in society on an equal basis with others.”  

People with impairments are disabled if society does not provide an environment that takes their impairments adequately into account.   

Tāngata whaikaha Māori: Māori disabled people.    

DSS: Disability Support Services, disability supports funded by the Ministry of Social Development.   

DAPAR: the Disability Abuse Prevention and Response service.   

Safeguarding: taking action to prevent, identify and respond to situations where a person is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing abuse, neglect, violence, or harm. Safeguarding protects a person’s right to make their own decisions for their life, including decisions about their safety and wellbeing.    

Vulnerable Adults: Identifying ‘Vulnerable Adults’ and responding to changes in the Crimes Act 1961, introduced in 2012, means certain people are legally responsible for protecting ‘vulnerable adults’ from serious harm. The Act defines a ‘vulnerable adult’ as a person “who is unable, by reason of detention, age, sickness, mental impairment, or any other cause, to withdraw themselves from the care or charge of another person”.    

Adult at Risk: The disability community and family violence experts prefer this term instead of vulnerable adult. An adult at risk is defined as someone who meets all three of the following criteria:   

1. A person (aged 18 years or over) who has an unmet need for appropriate support, and  
2. who is experiencing (or at risk of) harm, violence, abuse, and neglect, and  
3. because of an unmet need for support, is unable to protect themself.  

Background  

Disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori experience higher rates of abuse and harm compared to non-disabled people. Safeguarding is particularly important to disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori who:  

• are at risk of, or experiencing harm, violence, abuse, and neglect 

• for various reasons are not able to remove themselves from a risk of harm and keep themselves safe 

• are experiencing compromised human rights. 

Safeguarding approaches for disabled people includes a twin-track response where we are collectively developing: 

1. Mainstream family violence, sexual violence, and disability services so they are accessible and responsive for disabled people
2. Specialist disability-specific responses. 

The DAPAR approach has been supported through Te Puna Aonui family violence Budget 2023 funding over four years, as part of Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence external.

DSS has also provided funding for DAPAR to support safeguarding capability building for DSS funded providers, including, and not limited to NASCs and EGL sites which are considered two principal entry points into disability support services.