50168 (2025). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Police

50168 (2025). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Police: Do the Police have a process for referring on people who call reporting family harm, if so, how many people were referred to other organisations in the last year, if any, broken down by region?

Hon Mark Mitchell: I am advised that when Police attend a family harm episode, or when a report is made online, a Family Harm Investigation (FHI) report is completed. This report is then referred to a multi-agency response process, such as Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke, Integrated Safety Response (ISR), or Family Violence Interagency Response System (FVIARS). Through these processes, a Safety Assessment Meeting (SAM) is held where partner agencies collaboratively assess the needs of those involved. Based on this assessment, decisions are made about which organisation is best placed to provide support or intervention, and whether a referral is required. While these processes operate nationwide, they can vary between Police districts depending on local arrangements and available services. I am further advised that Police is currently unable to provide a national total of referrals to other organisations due to differences in regional practices and recording systems. Notably, the Family Safety System (FSS), an online multi-agency case management tool, is in use across 23 of the 40 family harm teams nationwide. In the remaining 17 family harm teams, data is recorded using other systems or manual processes, making it difficult to compile consistent national referral figures without significant manual effort.