Organisations Across the Globe: VisAble

VisAble

For this blog, we head oversees to New Zealand to shine a light on an incredible organisation, VisAble. To learn more, read the below guest blog below and see the end of this post for a downloadable report:

Kia Ora

Lee Tempest is Child to Parent Violence and Abuse lead with VisAble in Aotearoa New Zealand. The lack of awareness, knowledge and support for CPA here means that parents are often blamed and the violence in their homes minimized. Sadly, whatever country we live in this seems to be the common thread that unites us internationally as we all fiercely advocate for change. VisAble believes that this form of family violence needs to urgently be addressed through policy, research and support.

We are a disabled person-led organisation who work to strengthen national capabilities across agencies and sectors to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, and neglect affecting disabled people and their whānau. Our focus includes tāngata whaikaha Māori and their whānau, tagata sa’ilimalo and āiga-tele, d/Deaf, neurodivergent, and Adults at Risk. Any parent experiencing child to parent violence and abuse can be an Adult at Risk.

VisAble equips organisations and individuals to make their services inclusive and accessible for disabled people impacted by violence. This includes and family/whānau living with child to parent violence. We provide:

Safeguarding Adults Response: Guidance and coordination for multi-agency responses to protect Adults at Risk.
Prevention and Response Support: Tailored advice, programmes, and services to identify and respond to violence, abuse, and neglect.
Cultural and Inclusive Safety: Strategies to ensure culturally safe, family/whānau-centred responses.

2024 was a busy year for VisAble. We published a comprehensive report Child to parent violence and abuse: New Zealand’s invisible family violence which has been shared on many platforms nationally and internationally. Booklets to support parents/caregivers and professionals were also published. A monthly peer support group was established and as our numbers grow we hope to set up further groups for parents/caregivers. We started to build a roundtable community group with professionals and of course the experts - those with lived experience where we work collaboratively together to drive for the much need change to recognise and respond supportively to families/whānau experiencing CPA.

In 2025 we will continue to develop our resources and are excited to be sending out our first CPA survey to parents/caregivers. This will begin to generate prevalence data which can then be used to advocate for changes in policy, practice and funding.

At a Government level -Te Puna Aonui is responsible for implementing Aotearoa New Zealand’s national strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence. One of their chief principal advisors recently visited the UK and Australia to explore how these countries were responding to CPA. PEGs was part of this exploration. We hope that the information from this fact finding mission signals a shift in 2025 in recognising and responding to CPA in our country.

Fostering international collaboration is important, especially when we are building the capability of services up from the ground level. Linking in with others around the globe who ‘get it’ is a huge support. Shout out to PEGS and founder Michelle John who have been inspirational in guiding us, sharing hard-won knowledge and resources and connecting for an online chat. We look forward to strengthening our connection with PEGS and sharing our own resources as we grow, learn and develop.

Ngā mihi nui

https://www.visable.co.nz/

Image on left below: Lee Tempest

Image on right below: A Pohutukawa tree fondly known as Aotearoa New Zealand’s Christmas tree as it flowers in December.

VisAble Report: Child to parent violence and abuse: New Zealand’s invisible family violence

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Allen Lane Foundation Supports New Workshop Lead Role to Expand Support for Parents

By PEGS Admin • March 18, 2026

We are thrilled to announce that the Allen Lane Foundation has generously funded a new Workshop Lead role to coordinate and deliver online workshops for parents and carers affected by Child-to-Parent Abuse (CPA) over the next 12 months. Parents and carers affected by CPA are often isolated, unsupported, and unsure where to turn. Our 2024 survey shows that 96% of parents feel isolated, 94% stressed, 92% scared, and 100% report an impact on emotional wellbeing. Over 70% have had to reduce or leave work. With demand for support rising to over 450 referrals per month and a 116% increase in November 2025 there is an urgent need for structured, accessible help. Expanding Online Workshops and 1:1 Support The new Workshop Lead will deliver a weekly online workshop for up to 15 participants, covering practical and emotional wellbeing topics such as stress management, goal-setting, and specialist techniques like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Alongside the weekly sessions, the project will also run: Bi-monthly two-part specialist workshops Monthly wellbeing workshops By taking the lead on workshop delivery, the Workshop Lead will free up our practitioner team to provide more personalised one-to-one support to high-risk parents, reaching an additional estimated 50 parents in need. Over 12 months, we anticipate that over 200 parents will benefit directly from group workshops, gaining tools to manage risk, improve emotional wellbeing, reduce stress, and build confidence. The workshops will also create a safe space for peer connection, helping to reduce isolation and foster resilience. Measuring Impact We will track success through attendance figures, participant feedback, and pre- and post-workshop surveys to capture changes in confidence, coping strategies, and wellbeing. Practitioners will also monitor the effect of increased one-to-one support to ensure parents feel safer, supported, and better able to manage their situation. Michelle John, our founding director, says: "Allen Lane Foundation’s continued support enables us to reach more parents and provide the practical guidance and personal support they urgently need. This Workshop Lead role will make a real difference, helping parents feel safer, more confident, and connected, while allowing our practitioners to provide targeted one-to-one support where it’s needed most." We are incredibly grateful to the Allen Lane Foundation for their ongoing belief in our work. This funding allows us to expand our online support, reach more parents, and provide both group and personalised assistance for those affected by CPA.