A coordinated response has benefits for individual survivors, the agencies and institutions that respond to violence against women, and for their communities. It is also more effective in holding perpetrators accountable and keeping survivors safe from violence.

For individual survivors, a coordinated response… 

• Increases safety by placing survivors at the centre of any intervention or institutional response. 
• Provides access to informed and skilled practitioners who share knowledge in a dedicated, supportive environment. 
• Recognises survivors’ multiple needs, which can be met through co-locating services and referral networks. Information sharing among agencies can reduce the need for survivors to recount their stories, thus reducing the risk of re-traumatisation. 

For institutions, a coordinated response…

• Provides clarity about roles and responsibilities, allowing each sector to excel in its area of expertise, and each professional’s work is complemented by that of other agencies and professionals. 
• Enhances the ability of the criminal justice system to hold perpetrators accountable. 
• Sends consistent messages and responses to survivors, perpetrators and communities. 
• Results in greater impact and reach of programmes, at a lower cost, through pooling financial and human resources and by reducing duplication of effort. 
• Provides opportunities for sharing resources, practice-based knowledge, innovation and research. 

For communities, a coordinated response…

• Sends clear, consistent, unified messages that violence against women is being treated seriously, both by protecting and assisting survivors and by deterring and punishing perpetrators. 
• Increases community awareness of the availability of services to support survivors. 
• Provides more opportunities to speak out – for women about their experiences of violence, and for community members, including men and boys, about the impact of violence against women on them and their families. 
   

Connecting survivors to effective responses involves mapping what services are available, including initial support, appropriate medical treatment and care, and referral(s) to additional support. Even without specific GBV referral pathways available in an area, other services might meet needs. A comprehensive service directory which maps health, psychosocial, protection, legal, shelter/safe accommodation, livelihoods and other services is therefore vital for providing effective GBV support. All personnel who engage with affected populations should be provided with written information about where to refer survivors for services. This information should be regularly updated for survivors to connect with accessible support and consistently monitored to track its suitability.

In alignment with the do no harm principle, it is important for institutions to establish safe referral protocols and agreements with relevant social, health and justice services, including defining clear responsibilities of each service. Procedures between services for information sharing and referral should be consistent, known by agency staff, and communicated clearly to survivors. Not only do these practices support a coordinated response, but they also ensure the needs and wellbeing of the survivor are prioritised, for instance by minimising the number of times that the survivor is asked to repeat their story as this is retraumatising for the survivor. Survivors are more likely to come forward to seek help and report a GBV incident in a place that they perceive is safe, private, confidential, accessible, and services are trustworthy.

Some specific elements of safe protocols and agreements include:

• Mechanisms for coordinating and monitoring the effectiveness of referrals processes
• Child-specific services as required and appropriate
• Clear and transparent communication and accountability mechanisms among agencies
• Documented and secure system for the collection, recording and storing of all information and data
• Data sharing and information management regulations

All information exchanged should be kept between the service provider and the survivor, unless the survivor voluntarily chooses to disclose information to another individual or if their life is in immediate danger. In cases where an interpreter or cultural mediator is needed, that individual should be equally knowledgeable of how to maintain confidentiality and be accountable to any codes of conduct or protocols that exist for service providers. 

Keeping information confidential begins with ensuring the technologies (e.g. mobile phones, landlines, websites, apps, etc.) used to communicate have safety and privacy features built in that can be easily managed by service providers and those making contact. For service providers working from home, all communications should be undertaken where no other individual can overhear the information or see the screen. All paper records should be kept in a secure place that can only be accessed by the service provider. In cases where information is entered into online databases, access should be password protected, personal information should be encrypted, and names replaced with unique identifiers/numbers. Sharing information with other service providers should only be done where information-sharing protocols are in place. 

When offering referrals for VAWG survivors, it is important to seek consent from survivors to share their information and connect them with relevant support services. The process of seeking consent ensures that survivors are actively involved in the decision-making process and have control over the support they receive. Moreover, by ensuring survivors are well-informed about their options and available resources, you enable them to make choices that align with their unique needs and circumstances. This approach contributes to a survivor-centred and trauma-informed response.