Survivors of disasters rewrite standards for how officials treat victims and families

Victims of major tragedies such as the Pike River disaster, the collapse of the CTV building and the March 15 terror attack say the way government officials treat them can make their trauma worse.

On Tuesday, a new set of standards are being launched that aim to improve significantly the process for victims who say they can be re-victimised by being ignored, asked the same thing repeatedly by different agencies, or by being given conflicting information.

The new Public Service Commission Model Standards were rewritten 10 years after the explosion at the Pike River coal mine in which 29 men died.

The commission partnered with victims’ families to provide more support and allow them to be involved in the response following a tragedy.

READ MORE:
* Accountability for terrible events: Are we too soft?
* Whakaari – it’s not all up to the courts
* Pike River 10th anniversary commemoration in Wellington divides families

Pike River families say the new rules represent a watershed for the whole public service.

The standards, dubbed “Working with Survivors”, were co-authored by Pike River Families in consultation with relatives and survivors of other major tragedies including the Aramoana mass shooting, the March 15 attack, the Cave Creek platform collapse, the CTV building collapse, and the White Island/Whakaari eruption.

The standards call for government agencies to be more upfront with families rather than try to protect them, as well as streamlining the agencies asking them questions and ensuring consistency of information.

They lay out the expectations for ministries and agencies in their interactions with survivors, including working with and empowering people to have a voice in decision-making following a disaster.

Pike River widow Anna Osborne said she and other Pike relatives initiated the new standards because they saw the same mistakes being made repeatedly.

“When the government responds to a tragedy they can make it better or worse for the survivors left behind. Too often with Pike families and survivors of other tragedies the way we were treated made things worse.”

She said the new standards were “rules written by past survivors for future survivors”.

It was a surreal experience talking to families from other disasters because they all shared the same stories, she said.

“We had to fend for ourselves. We were treated pretty dismally and [government] support was non-existent quite a lot of the time.

“The government agencies all needed a shake-up to realise they need to walk alongside families to support them,” she said.

March 15 survivors have previously told Stuff about the limited government support criteria and lack of flexibility agencies had in dealing with their unique situations following the nation’s first terrorist attack.

It created a “divide and conquer” approach among the large victim community, and Rosemary Omar – whose son Tariq, 24, was killed – said she was pleased it might be different for families in future.

“I think they should all just treat us all with a bit more respect.”

Raf Manji, who worked closely with survivors to navigate support in the aftermath of March 15 and who has always thought the government response was not handled correctly, agreed such disasters need a different approach.

“It’s long overdue, and I hope in a way they are taking some of that advice that you need a bespoke response team,” said Manji, now leader of The Opportunities Party.

Victims and families need a voice, and not to feel things are being done for them and to them, he said.

“Pike River is a good example of how long it can take if not done right. The more support in the beginning, the quicker issues can be resolved.”

Osborne did not think a standalone agency was needed as she believed the new standards would ensure various agencies all work together with families, and “sing from the same song-sheet” when dealing with the grieving and vulnerable.

Her experience working with the Pike River Recovery Agency on re-entry of the mine’s access tunnel was empowering and should be the benchmark for other agencies, she said.

“We felt like victims until people started listening to us – then we became survivors. With the agency we went to workshops and sat with the [chief executive], it felt really good.”

Sonya Rockhouse, whose son Ben died in Pike River, said the new standards reflected the change she wanted to see in the public service.

“Too often when people suffer a catastrophe the way they are dealt with by government agencies just disempowers them more. One of the big things in these standards is that agencies need to work with survivors rather than just doing what they think is best for them.

“The team at the commission worked with us in partnership and that’s been incredibly empowering and has delivered standards that are grounded in real experience, in the lessons from our loss and our tears.”

Rowdy Durbridge, whose son Dan died at Pike River, said he was pleased some good for others had come from the disaster.

“Making sure others in the future have it better than we did, that’s as good a way of remembering Dan and the rest of the boys as I can think of.”