About us
About Are You Ok
Our Vision:
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their relationships. At Are You OK we provide easy to access and relevant information for people seeking support for family violence in New Zealand. Those worried about safety in their relationship or their supporters can understand their situation better and find pathways to immediate help.
Collaboration:
Our content has been developed with family violence specialists, frontline workers, and people with lived experience of family violence. We engaged research agency Kantar Public to seek user feedback and evaluate the site. Combining professional expertise with real-life experiences, we aim to provide a trusted place for people to access information and support to keep them and their whānau safe.
Why We Exist:
Family violence is a significant issue in New Zealand, and our goal is to help people across the country understand unsafe behaviours in their relationships and access support safely. Are You OK helps people who might have limited access to face-to-face services find support, with 24/7 family violence counsellors available through phone and web chat services on the site.
This website was previously part of the It’s Not OK campaign to reduce family violence in New Zealand. You can find more information about the It’s Not OK campaign on this page.
Our Digital Initiatives:
Driven by the aim of making sure help is accessible for more New Zealanders, we've introduced a range of digital tools.
Check it Out tool: You can find the Check it Out tool on this website. Check it out lets people check if they are safe in their relationship, provides information and examples of types of abuse, informs them about the types of abuse they may be experiencing and offers support services they can use. Check it Out has been developed with experts from across the family violence sector, including from the rainbow, Māori, Pacific, disabled peoples and ethnic communities.
Content within this tool has had input from the 1 in 3 Be Free App. In 2016 the Inner City Women’s Group (ICWG) in partnership with Omnispex developed an app for New Zealand heterosexual women to screen their relationships for violence and abuse. The ICWG have generously donated their intellectual property from this product to develop this tool.
Resourceful Websites: Our website is complemented by the Change is Possible website, for people who are concerned about their abusive behaviour and want to change. The purpose of this site is to support people on their journey to making positive changes for themselves and their whānau.
Easier access to services: The Service Finder tool is available on both Are You OK and In Your Hands. It provides an easy pathway for people to find support services in their area.
24/7 support: We partner with Whakarongorau Aotearoa to provide a 24/7 family violence support service, accessible via phone and web chat.
Looking forward:
We plan to continue improving this space for people seeking help for family violence. Over the next few years, we’ll be refreshing the site and adding more content that will help us to reach and support even more people experiencing family violence.
Safety:
People experiencing family violence may have a partner who monitors their device. We built Are You OK to allow users to browse safely with the Cover My Tracks function which prevents site navigation being recorded by the user’s browser. There’s also a quick exit button which takes users to the Stuff website homepage. We also have content on how to delete browser history off your device or use incognito mode.
Data Protection:
We're committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring that your interactions with Are You OK remain confidential. Our website is designed for you to access resources without the need to provide any personal information. If you do choose to share any information with us, it is treated with the utmost care, adhering strictly to the Privacy Act 2020. While we gather non-personal data to refine and enhance our services, this information is handled responsibly, and we use tools like Google Analytics to understand website usage without compromising individual privacy.
Our partnership with Whakarongorau Aotearoa ensures that any data shared during 0800 contact support is treated with discretion and sensitivity. We work to uphold the highest standards of data protection and user confidentiality.
For more information about how we use your data please refer to our Privacy Statement.
Contact Information:
Your feedback, questions, and insights are invaluable to us. For assistance, inquiries, or suggestions, please use the contact details below:
Email:
For feedback or inquiries related to our website, tools, or resources, you can email: areyouok@msd.govt.nz. We aim to respond within 48 hours. Please note, this email inbox is only monitored during business hours and is not managed by family violence support professionals.
Phone Support:
Call us on 0800 456 450 for 24/7 specialist family violence support
Call 111 for emergencies
Online Chat Support:
For immediate assistance, you can use our online chat feature. Click on the Get Help Now button at the bottom right corner of your screen to start a conversation with our support team. Our representatives are available to provide real-time support.