Building momentum: strengthening hospital responses to family violence (SHRFV).

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the 2016/17 financial year 76,500 incidents of family violence were reported to Victoria police; 4057 in the Grampians region. The health sector is a critical entry point for identifying family violence. Research indicates an under identification of family violence in hospital settings and a need to increase the knowledge and skills of staff to identify, respond and refer. The Strengthening Hospital Responses to Family Violence (SHRFV) initiative is a system wide approach to embedding the practice of identifying and responding to family violence in the hospital setting. A community of practice (CoP), involving Ballarat Health Services and seven additional health services had been established to support implementation of the SHRFV initiative. OBJECTIVE: To determine the acceptability and feasibility of a CoP to promote best practice implementation of the SHRFV in the Grampians region. METHODS: The CoP is a “group of people who share a concern, set of problems, or passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.” Held quarterly for four hours, the CoP provides opportunities to network, access resources to improve practice and facilitates the exchange of skills, knowledge and problem solving approaches. Eight publicly funded health services participate. The CoP will be evaluated via facilitated reflection and post session surveys. RESULTS: 2 sessions have been held with strong engagement across services. Initial feedback indicates value in sharing knowledge and devising shared approaches to practice. Intended implications for practice are the coordinated implementation of the ‘best practice model’, an increase in identification of family violence, an effective response and improved referral. CONCLUSION: The CoP is a multidisciplinary forum connecting various health services to inform and improve hospital responses to family violence.