“The investment in additional research services is an important addition to the activities and efforts against men's violence against women. During the pandemic in particular we have seen an increased awareness of how widespread violence is, and more and more people are demanding greater knowledge in this area,” notes Anita Hussénius, Director of NCK.
National competence support
NCK is Sweden’s national knowledge and resource centre for issues surrounding men’s violence against women, honour-based violence and oppression, and violence in same-sex relationships. The general aim is to enhance knowledge about violence at a national level and ensure it can be translated into practice and provide a concrete benefit for women subjected to violence across the country. As well as through research and education, this is achieved through the web-based national competence support that has been built up using NCK's knowledge bank as a hub and by offering expertise to authorities, the idea-driven sector, the media and the general public.
“NCK’s strength is its combination of University-based activities and the day-to-day contact with women at both the outpatient clinic for women subjected to violence, or Kvinnofridsmottagningen, and through the national support line, Kvinnofridslinjen. We are now strengthening the collaboration between patient services and research and education, and have recruited a new operations manager for the clinic who will play an active part in the research,” adds Hussénius.
Organisational move
NCK has also been moved closer to research and education by becoming part of the Department of Women's and Children's Health, having previously been operationally directly answerable to the Vice-Chancellor. The research activities and higher education courses at NCK have also previously been conducted in collaboration with the department, but the new organisation will facilitate and enhance this collaboration.
“We also carried out a work environment survey in connection with the organisational move, which highlighted a need for developing both managerial and staff culture – work which we have already begun via an initial workshop, for example,” explains Hussénius.
Reorganisation
A reorganisation of the part of NCK for which the University is the accountable authority was also implemented in connection with the organisational move. The idea is for the whole operation to become more like other activities at the University, with fixed-term managerial positions and greater rotation. The hope is thus to enhance interprofessional collaboration at the centre.
Clinical operations at Uppsala University Hospital, which include the Outpatient clinic for women subjected to violence (Kvinnofridsmottagningen) and staff at the national support line, are not affected by the reorganisation.