Violence in close relationships: Health and well-being personnels’ capability and their role in a new multi-professional co-operation model

Abstract

This research aimed to explore health and well-being centres’ current state of work in encountering the experiencers and perpetrators of violence in close relationships, addressing the topic and their comfortability with clients within experiences of violence in close relationships. The other aim of the study was to reflect on personnels’ views about the new multi-professional co-operation model for severe cases of violence, developed by the working group for violence in close relationship in Helsinki. This was done by giving the participants advance material about the model and then investigating where the personnel located themselves in the model and how they found it beneficial, to improve the development and implementation of the model. The thesis was carried out in collaboration with the city of Helsinki and the leader of the working group.

Violence in close relationships affects a large part of the Finnish, as well as the global population. Previous research has found that screening for violence in close relationships is lacking and that personnel in the health and well-being sector do not have adequate skills in encountering these clients. In Finland the issue has been identified, but the development work is still in its early stages in many parts of the country. Research has also found that implementing new models into the working environment can be challenging and requires time, support and resources.

The research data were collected from the personnel of two health and well-being centres in Helsinki with an online questionnaire and analysed with mixed methods combining descriptive quantitative and material-based qualitative content analysis in order to provide broad scale results. The chosen method is valuable for development work within the social- and healthcare sector to strengthen evidence-based work. The key result of this study was that the personnels’ abilities varied. Some were comfortable with encountering clients while others were not. Challenges recognized were ethical dilemmas, not knowing how to refer the client to another professional or service, and lack of training and information. Solutions for these challenges were found to be related to the working conditions: time, support, training and information. The multi-professional co-operation model for violence in close relationships was found unclear by some participants, while others found it helped clarifying the co-operative pathway. Participants mostly placed themselves in the revelation phase and forward guidance of cases of violence in close relationships within the model.

The results represent the situation for some professionals in Helsinki, therefore they may not be generalizable, but they do support previous research. The results provide valuable insight into the current situation at health and well-being centres in Helsinki and how to improve it. Strengthening co-operation and providing support and training as well as making screening for violence in close relationships a routine, are recommended.