Survivors of family violence and community organizations must be significantly involved in policy development and evaluation. We need to move towards a holistic, co-ordinated response to woman abuse. Service providers need to share information on policies, procedures and services to ensure that they provide appropriate and timely responses. We need to recognize that policies can't change attitudes. Service providers require training that sensitizes them to the realities of woman abuse. A public education effort aimed at assisting the community at large to understand the dynamics of abuse, the services available and to better respond to disclosures of abuse is required. Front-line service providers need to be supported. Resources must be dedicated to ensure adequate staffing and training as well as emotional support for the front-line staff.

Policies and services need to move from offender-focussed to victim-centered. Women need to have decision- making power over issues that affect their future. As service providers, we need to offer options and trust women to make choices. Policies and procedures have to be flexible so that service providers can work together with individual women to develop the best options for them in each particular situation. The "powers-that-be" need to take action and put woman abuse high on the list of priorities. They then have to promote the development of safe and appropriate policies and protocols and support their staff to implement them with adequate resources. All polices and procedures should be made available to all service providers and consumers. Materials should be accessible for all levels of literacy.

During the workshop, the group participated in a "Carousel" exercise during which they were asked to identify current written policies and unwritten procedures. The information collected will be included in a POLICY GAP MAP.

The workshop participants noted that there are many informal responses to woman abuse, those responding being everyone from friends, family and neighbours to service clubs to community advocates to health professionals to income support workers to the criminal and family justice system. Sometimes the responses are good. Sometimes the responses are inappropriate and may not encourage the woman to seek further assistance. The broad range of people and services that could respond to woman abuse highlights the need to broaden the target group for education and policy and procedure development.

There were a number of policies and procedures, both written and unwritten, identified. It was noted that most of the written policy is for government services and is mainly legislation. Participants commented that there seems to be very little written policy for community organizations. It was also noted that very few written policies and procedures outline, step-by-step, how to work one on one with women in abuse situations and what other services are available.

the policy is accompanied by extensive, mandatory training that includes hearing survivors' stories    it includes mandatory reporting of abuse    abused women seeking service are given priority over other consumers    the approach is victim-centered    there is solid working relationship, or team approach, between agencies and organizations that are responding to abuse    the response is sensitive, caring and immediate    new staff is trained in responding to woman abuse immediately    all staff receive written policies    the "higher-ups" commit resources to implement the policy    staff is held accountable for their response    the policy attempts to balance power between the victim and abuser    it includes mandatory intervention focussing on the needs of children    victim's needs are identified and fulfilled (transportation, child care, etc.)    there is support for front-line workers

the policy is developed, evaluated and updated regularly in collaboration with victims, community and other service providers    confidentiality is emphasized    the policy is flexible and can fit a specific women's needs    it is made public in a way that is accessible (plain language, conscious of literacy levels)    it includes a step-by-step format    it is gender-sensitive    it includes decision-making opportunities for women    it acknowledges systemic discrimination of women, and specifically women with disabilities and senior women    it provides an always available emergency response    it provides for a province-wide response    it provides for follow-up services re: emotional and physical health    it provides a screening process for service providers to ensure appropriate staffing of front-line positions