Te Puawaitanga o te Ngākau: A case–study of Westside Counselling Services in West Auckland: A ‘community of care’ approach to working with Māori women and their whānau who have been impacted by domestic violence

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore and document the ‘community of care’ approach utilized by the Westside Counselling Service; a service that evolved from an affiliation with the researcher and the Massey Community Church in West Auckland in 2000. A case study approach was employed to ascertain how effective this model was for working with Māori women whose lives had been impacted by severe domestic violence. For most of these women, violence and abuse spanned throughout their childhood, adolescence, and adult lives, flowing down into the lives of their children. While the emphasis of this study is not about the violence the women incurred, it does provide awareness and insight into the impact of intergenerational violence.

The ‘community of care’ approach was developed to equip women whose lives were immersed in domestic violence. It offers a holistic, encompassing approach that provides ongoing support, awareness and the skills needed to integrate back into the wider community.