How the Mossel Bay
team established four
GBV 24/7 hotlines
and help desks.
There is no specific time of day that incidents of GBV take place and many victims are reluctant to go straight to a police station for fear that they may not be taken seriously or experience victim-blaming, an unfortunate reality in South Africa. It’s important for victims to have a space where they can get the support they need in terms of both reporting the incident and receiving emotional support after the incident.
To provide a reliable and safe spaces for victims to turn to in time of need, the Mossel Bay End GBVF 100-Day Challenge team, located in the Western Cape, set out to establish GBV hotlines and help desks that are monitored and operational 24 hours a day.
The result: The team managed to achieve their target with 4 fully established hotlines and help desks in Kwanonqaba, Da Gamaskop, Mossel Bay and Great Brak River police stations.
How did the Mossel Bay team achieve this?
Using trial and error processes to address challenges
Trial and error is often the most efficient way to achieve the best results and is certainly part of almost every successful project at some stage. This is especially the case during a 100-Day challenge where the idea of ‘fast implementation’ is a standard condition. If an idea has merit, there is little time to seek approvals and input, but rather the idea is implemented quickly. Mossel Bay really took this to heart!
The Mossel Bay team followed this strategy to determine their referral breadth, an integral part of the help desk process.
Cross-referencing between different departments
With GBV cases, various departments with a variety of expertise need to be utilised and this requires each department to work hand-in-hand and stay communicative.
The Mossel Bay team found that there was a lack of cross-referencing between the Charge Office, trauma room and VEP coordinators, which could often lead to gaps or create unnecessary work. They recognised that correcting this will be an ongoing process that they are committed to improving.
Observing positive change due to the implementation of the new process
Although the team noted that there was no data for completed referrals and aftercare services, implementation of the new process has led to positive change with an increased capacity to handle an influx of GBV related enquiries.
Overcoming changes with staff
With an extensive system that requires many different hands for various processes, staff changes presented a major obstacle. To mitigate this regular engagements with staff were held to align everyone with the goal and to ensure consistency between departments.
Implementing the next steps for the helplines and help desks
The Mossel Bay team will now focus on nodal points as well as mobile offset areas for the next year.
They have also set out to ensure that staff have been trained to take responsibility and incorporate a multi-sectoral approach. Multi-sectoral collaboration is enriching and transformative for teams and leaders, and leads to deeper connection and confidence leading change.