rise issue 24

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

I S S U E 24 – S EP T EM B ER 2013

Between us all – Te Ku-iti unites for young people

Aotearoa Reggae Allstars – singing against child abuse

Never give up – soccer’s Ben Sigmund and Limited Service Volunteers

Whakakotahi

“What is the most important thing in the world? I tell you. It is people, it is people, it is people!”

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Mäku e kı̈ atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”

ISSN 1178-4709 (Print)

ISSN 1178-4717 (Online)

Printed in New Zealand by Blue Star Print Group (NZ) Ltd using

FSC® mix paper from responsible resources, using mineral oil

free, soy-based vegetable inks.

The information provided in this Ministry of Social Development

publication is intended to profile initiatives, research and opinions related

to the social sector, and all reasonable measures have been taken to

ensure that the information set out in this publication is accurate.

However, readers are advised that:

» The Ministry does not implicitly or impliedly endorse the views

presented in this publication unless otherwise stated.

» The information provided does not replace or alter the laws of

New Zealand or any other official guidelines or requirements.

» The contents of this publication should not be construed as legal

advice. Before relying on any information in this publication,

users should independently verify its relevance for their purposes.

Canterbury

Nelson/ Marlborough/ West Coast

Southern

Wellington

East Coast

Northland

Auckland

Taranaki/ King Country/Whanganui

Waikato

Bay of Plenty

Central

Welcome to the September 2013 issue of Rise.

Whakakotahi means to combine or unite.

The stories in this issue of Rise highlight the

difference that individuals and organisations

make when they combine their strengths and

work as one.

In Te Küiti, youth crime has dropped off,

school attendance has risen and young people

are gaining new opportunities thanks to a Social

Sector Trial that joins the forces of local agencies

and people. The Te Küiti story is on page 5.

The Aotearoa Reggae Allstars project (page

2) shows the power of popular culture united

to send a message about child abuse. Their

collaborative effort was intended to speak to

Mäori and Pasifika audiences, but their point

reached far wider than that. The project also

boosted the work of the Mäori child advocacy

organisation Mana Ririki, which works with

social sector professionals on violence-free

Mäori parenting.

Soccer star Ben Sigmund shows the role

that a committed individual can play as part

of a wider effort. In the story on page 18,

Ben is working alongside NZ Defence, Work

and Income and the NZ Police as a role model

for the young people on the Limited Service

Volunteer programme.

Across government, NGOs, communities,

individuals and the private sector, the ways we

Brendan BoyleChief Executive

This issue of Rise is about whakakotahi

work with families and communities, support

people into work, strengthen young people

and protect kids are interwoven. Doing good

work independently of each other is no longer

good enough. As we come together, that’s

when we’re really going to see results in our

communities, families, kids and young people.

Finally, it is three years since the first

Christchurch earthquake, and some of our

frontline workers have reflected on what has

changed, the daily challenges they face, how

they strengthen each other and what they're

most proud of. Their stories are on page 14.

Brendan Boyle

Chief Executive, Ministry of Social Development

RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013ii

contents

R i s e i n y ou r i n bo xWould you like to receive a link to each new online issue of Rise? Email at [email protected]

Cover story

A chorus for change

Kiwi reggae artists and a Māori child advocacy organisation collaborate with a message about child abuse.

Feature stories

Whakakotahi

Waitomo District shows that change is possible when a community unites for its young people.

Youth Parliament 2013

Meet a young MP determined to serve, and an up-and-coming political journalist loving the pace of political reporting.

Proud of every day

It is three years since the September earthquake in Christchurch and life is very different.

The bear that cares

Foster Bear enlists support for Christchurch kids in care.

Never give up

Football star Ben Sigmund gets alongside the young people on the Limited Service Volunteer programme; and a former Limited Service Volunteer talks about life and work three years on.

Collective impact

Here and overseas, government, business and communities are joining forces to tackle the toughest social problems.

Spotlight on Child, Youth and Family Midlands

A young social worker meets the woman who was her childhood social worker and inspired her career; youth mentoring helps prevent young offenders becoming adult prisoners; and a young man in care gets an eye-opening glimpse of life in Nepal.

Spotlight on Child, Youth and Family Te Waipounamu

Kids in care are learning to swim thanks to a partnership with Swim NZ and Sealord, and a Nelson social worker has come up with a creative way to connect with children.

Regular columnsPho t o essay – You t h i n emer gency se r v i c es .

R eg i o na l r ound-up

T i p s , l i n k s and news – Emp l o ye r pa r t n e r sh i p s , p l u s chec k ou t o u r

i p ad app and r e v amped R i s e on l i n e .

2

5

10

14

16

18

2 1

22

26

12

30

33

1816

5

Find it on the Apple iTunes App store by searching for Rise magazine.

Read R ise on your ipad

R i s e on l i n ewww.msd.govt.nz/rise

Con t ac t R i s e Drop us a line at [email protected]

R i s e on Tw i t t e rFor up to the minute information about all the work of the Ministry of Social Development follow us on Twitter @msdgovtnz

RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 1

a chorus for changeIt was a song about children and aroha, and it was launched in Ruato-ria in 1987 in a bid to ease tensions in the divided and troubled community.

Twenty-six years later, a new generation of Kiwi reggae artists

has collaborated to remake the Herbs’ classic, Sensitive to a Smile.

This time the message is about child abuse, with sales of the single

going to the Mäori child advocacy and research organisation Mana

Ririki. Released in June, the single debuted at #2 in the Official

New Zealand Top 40 Singles.

“So many news stories are about child abuse, and a lot of it involves

our people, Mäori and Pasifika. That’s our audience. Every weekend,

we’re playing to people directly affected by this,” says AVINA

KELEKOLIO of Tomorrow People, who led the Aotearoa Reggae

Allstars project alongside RIO PANAPA of Sons of Zion.

“Our idea was to get all the top reggae bands in the country to

come together and do one song, to try and make a positive change

though our music. If people are not listening to the campaigns or the

ads, maybe we can reach out and speak to them.”

Sensitive to a Smile was a natural choice – a song for social change

about family and children by the grandfathers of New Zealand reggae.

There was no hesitation from the 12 artists invited to join the

Aotearoa Reggae Allstars project.

“Everyone we approached wanted to get on board and support the

kaupapa”, says Rio. “Things that used to be tapu to talk about are

gaining more awareness in society and that is what we hope to achieve

– to raise more awareness about violence towards children.”

Jay Tamati of TastyBrown said he grabbed the opportunity to make

a stand. TastyBrown is also working on its own single on child abuse,

which will be released in September.

“All of us feel strongly about the topic. A lot of the guys have kids

themselves and have come to realise that we have a responsibility as

musicians to tackle these topics.”

It took a year of hard work for Rio and Avina to get the Aotearoa

Reggae Allstars project from idea to reality. Along with the project,

they juggled their own band commitments, tours and fulltime day

jobs. (Avina is an IT analyst with the Ministry of Social Development in

Wellington, and Rio works with Customs in Auckland.)

Each artist was assigned parts of the song, initially recording their

lines in either Avina’s or Rio’s home studios in Wellington and Auckland.

These were mixed into a draft. Then the whole team got together at

York Street Studios for the final mix, recording a documentary for Mäori

TV at the same time.

“It was a great vibe, a real team thing with lots of mutual respect –

the first collaboration of Kiwi reggae artists, taking the opportunity to

speak to their demographics and their communities.”

RISE: Issue 24 – September 20132

a voice for othersTomorrow People was playing in Tahiti when the single and the

documentary were released. As Avina saw thousands of comments

appear on social media, he realised that their stand against child abuse

had given a voice to many others.

“It gave a lot people a vehicle to speak up – on Facebook, on Twitter,

on websites and blogs – when they otherwise might not.

“It started as a way for us as artists to communicate to the audience

who normally follow our shows. But it became bigger because this is a

problem for all people, regardless of race.”

The Aotearoa Reggae Allstars also featured on The X Factor in July.

tackling child abuseMana Ririki is the organisation which benefits from the sales of

the single. Mana Ririki is an advocacy, communications and research

organisation, developed to provide a Mäori-led response to Mäori child

abuse. It was set up during a hui in 2007, after the repeal of Section 59

of the Crimes Act and the death of 3-year-old Nia Glassie.

The organisation works to keep awareness of Mäori child abuse

in the political and public eye. Mäori make up half of the 17,725

children harmed by family violence in the last year. More than half

of the 3,844 children in out-of-home care as at 30 June 2013 were

also Mäori.

“It started as a way for us as artists to communicate to the audience who normally follow our shows. But it became bigger because this is a problem for all people, regardless of race.”


“What Aotearoa Reggae Allstars showed us

is the extent to which popular music and social

media can mobilise the community. That has

opened our eyes to a world of possibilities,”

says director ANTON BLANK.

hitting is not our culture

Mana Ririki is building an evidence-base of

kaupapa Mäori research for policy-makers and

service providers.

“Hitting is not our culture,” says Anton.

“For example, records tell us that in the Bay

of Islands, when teachers in the early colonial

schools struck our children, we would go and

remove the kids.

“And early Päkehä reports were of

nurturing whänau and young people who

were responsible and advanced in many ways

beyond their European counterparts.”

Working with experts and providers, Mana

Ririki has used research to develop kaupapa

Mäori parenting resources that organisations

can use in their work with Mäori families.

“Our Tikanga Whakatipu Ririki Mäori

Parenting Model reclaims our old traditions and

values of violence-free parenting,” says Anton.

Mana Ririki runs workshops on its Mäori

parenting model, training more than 900

professionals and organisations – including

Barnardos and Plunket – who work with Mäori

parents and children.

Now the organisation is developing tools

specifically for Mäori men, who traditionally

played a strong role in raising their kids,

especially their boys, says Anton.

Anton is a former frontline social worker

who was with Child, Youth and Family for

14 years, part of which he spent in a public

communications role.

He acknowledges that the issue of violence

in whänau is confronting for some.

“But we can be brave about this and tackle

it head on, just like any other public health or

social issue.

“As a Mäori I can say that most of us have

seen child abuse somewhere in our families. I

don’t defend it. As a Mäori, I own this issue and

I believe Mäori need to be the strong voice that

leads the charge for change.”

Aotearoa Reggae Allstars leaders: Rio Panapa of Sons of Zion, and Avina Kelekolio of Tomorrow People.

web linksAotearoa Reggae Allstars’

Sensitive to a Smile

Released in June 2013, 12

contributing artists include Sons

of Zion, Tomorrow People, Three

Houses Down, House of Shem, Ria

Hall, Majic Paora, Che Fu, Katchafire,

1814, Chad Chambers, NRG Rising

and TastyBrown.

All proceeds from the single go to

the Mäori child advocacy charity

Mana Ririki. (Download on

https://itunes.apple.com/nz/

album/sensitive-to-a-smile-single/

id660105258)

The charity

Learn more about Mana Ririki and

its work for violence-free whänau:

www.ririki.org.nz

The documentary

Watch the inside story of the

Aotearoa Reggae Allstars project

on Mäori TV: http://www.

maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/

aotearoa-reggae-all-stars


http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/aotearoa-reggae-all-stars



https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/sensitive-to-a-smile-single/id660105258

whakakotahiWaitomo District proves that change is possible when a community unites for its young people.

Approaching Te Küiti in the late

afternoon, a radio station crackles to life

with a stream of hard-case wisecracks

in English and Te Reo.

Two young radio hosts rib each other,

swap notes on King Country athletics and

the upcoming Warriors match, before

Kiwi reggae band Katchafire starts to

shake the speakers.

This is Maniapoto FM’s afternoon Taiohi

show – “the best korero, latest gossip and

hottest soundz” – hosted by high school

students Te Hua and Ngamira.

Training the young people on the

job is Maniapoto FM’s way of providing

opportunities for local rangatahi, as well

as giving Te Küiti youth a voice in the

community.

It’s just one of several youth-focused

projects that have emerged since the small

rural town two years ago embarked upon

a government-backed trial to do better for

local young people.


the go-betweenTurning into Te Küiti’s main street, the

leader of the youth-focused Social Sector Trial

adjusts the volume on the car radio.

HILARY KARAITIANA’s official title

is Social Sector Trial Manager, but she’s

“aunty” to young people and “Hils” to nearly

everyone else.

Seeing a couple of teenagers wandering

down the main street, Hilary grins mischievously,

hangs out her elbow out the window and

slumps down in her seat. As she cruises past,

she acknowledges the kids with a perfect

deadpan lift of the chin, winning a laugh and

a “hey aunty!”

It’s a perfect illustration of the way she

moves between worlds. Hilary reports directly

to Government Ministers and works on high

level strategy with both government officials

and local leaders. But she also has a grassroots

approach that keeps it real for the young people

who are the focus of the Social Sector Trial.

From the Mayor and iwi leaders to 14-year-

olds in gang colours, building relationships is

the heart of a big-picture plan that is widely

agreed to be a breath of fresh air for the small

community and its young people.

Since 2011, Hilary has co-ordinated and

connected the youth-focused resources of

Te Küiti’s community and government

agencies into a number of teamed-up projects.

The overall goal is to reduce truancy, youth

crime, use of alcohol and drugs, and get more

kids engaged in education, training or work.

Funding comes from the Ministries of Social

Development, Education, Justice, Health and

the NZ Police. But government officials do not

dictate how the community is to achieve the

results they’re after.

That is set out in the Te Küiti Youth Action

Plan, created with input from the community

and young people, led by Hilary and overseen

by a local advisory group. The group includes

the Mayor, iwi leaders, the high school

principal, police, community social services,

training providers, a church pastor and youth

representatives.

“We took a more expansive view of how we

can work together,” says Hilary. “We asked,

what are the barriers? It might be that between

us all, the solution is here.”

behind the statisticsOn her way between a catch-up with the

Police and a chat with the Mayor, Hilary takes

a quick detour into residential streets, stopping

at a house where a once-cared-for garden is

losing a battle with weeds.

“Just came see how you’re going,” she

says to the young man and his girlfriend who

emerge from the back door. “Got stuff to eat?

Doing OK?”

The oldest son – still in his teens – supports

his siblings by working at the local meatworks.

Hilary helped him find the job through Work

and Income. With a provider in the house the

teenage family is better off than many, but

they’re young with no parent.

Waitomo district is one of the most socio-

economically deprived areas of New Zealand,

where hardship is compounded by rural

isolation. There is no public transport system

and the average wage is $21,300.

In 2006 there were 4,419 people living in Te

Küiti, including 780 10 to 19-year-olds:

» Nearly three in 10 young people come

from a sole parent family.

» More than four in 10 leave school with no

qualification.

» Only two in 10 go on to tertiary education.

» Teen pregnancy rates are double the

national average, and young people are

twice as likely to be referred to mental

health services.

» Compared to others in New Zealand, Te

Küiti’s young people are more likely to live

in poor quality housing, have health issues

and a low income in the future.

Te Küiti's new youth council with Hilary Karaitiana (right of centre)


“We asked, what are the barriers? It might be that between us all, the solution is here.”

Iwi Liaison Officer Steve Rickards, Youth Aid Officer Jacky Fitzgerald, youth mentor Erin Pye and Social Sector Trial manager Hilary Karaitiana.


Generations of joblessness, low education, a

strong gang culture, alcohol and drug addiction,

domestic violence and cultural dislocation lead

people to expect little from life and find less,

says Hilary.

“Young people are not the problem. It’s

the system and society and adults. When we

get it right, our young people will find their

potential.”

Iwi liaison officer Constable Steve Rickards

agrees: “Some of our organisations have to

take the blame for failing some of these kids.

You have a naive 17-year-old: you find him a

job 50km away, but he has no money and on

the third day he stops turning up because he

has no transport. So we label him for dropping

out, but we have to take some responsibility

for that.”

allies and supportersIt’s not that people in Te Küiti haven’t been

trying.

“We’ve tried things time and again,”

says Constable Rickards, “putting money into

programmes that don’t work or feel-good stuff

that doesn’t last.

“Hilary’s position allows her to drive new

ways of working without being bridled by a

single organisation. She’s seen as a neutral

party and she sees the skills that people and

organisations can bring together.

“We’ve gained a group of people who

are part of this community and know what’s

going on, putting their hands up because they

have a genuine interest in helping towards

local solutions to local problems.”

Mayor Brian Hanna says until the Social

Sector Trial, youth-focused funding was

fragmented between organisations. “No

one was accountable for making sure things

actually worked. There was no local ownership

and no big picture.”

Youth Aid Officer Senior Constable Jacky

Fitzgerald says openness and community input

from the beginning means that everyone

knows the issues, what is needed, what’s

going on and where they fit in.

The Police have committed to several

projects in the Youth Action Plan.

Today, Truancy Officer Bill Wana is out

on a fishing trip with 12 teenagers on the

Alternative Education programme. Most of

personal attentionEarly on in the trial, it became clear that a

number of extremely high-risk kids urgently

needed intensive, one-on-one help.

“Some of those kids had been disengaged

for years,” says Constable Rickard. “We saw no

hope for them.”

A youth mentor, Erin Pye now supports

about 40 young people referred by Police,

school staff, social workers and probation

officers. A former gym trainer, teacher aide,

adult educator, fitness tutor and mother-of-

five, Erin also supports Te Küiti’s Alternative

Education programme for 12 young people.

Erin works with kids who aren’t at school

or are often truant, those with a history of

offending, gang affiliation or family violence,

teen parents, pregnant girls, and kids with little

family or whänau support.

Each young person gets personal attention

– from a listening ear, advocate and coach

to arranging professional alcohol and drug

counselling.

“All we’ve done is put support there and

find ways to build those young people, so that

they start to find confidence, and realise that

they can make mistakes, but they can also learn

and do better.”

Seeing young people repeatedly caught and

fined for unqualified driving, the Police, Erin and

Hilary now help them get their driver licence.

Fines are waived if they rectify the situation

within a month. Otherwise, they can work their

fines off through community service, instead

of accumulating debts which their families will

struggle to pay off.

It is hands-on, intensive work.

“Often, it means arranging everything:

finding where they are, waking them up for

community service, taking them to court, sitting

with them at Work and Income, helping to fill

out forms, practicing the tests, driving to mum’s

place 12 kilometres away to get a signature.

“Some of these kids are the first members of

their families to ever hold a licence. For many,

it is truly the first 'official' achievement of their

lives,” says Hilary.

opportunity Over the back fence of Te Küiti’s public

pool the Manga-o-Kewa stream flows through

the group are known to the Police, but getting

police officers and other community members

involved with youth activities is about building

a different kind of relationship.

kids off the streetsIn two years, Te Küiti’s youth crime and

truancy have fallen.

Te Küiti Sub Area saw a 12 per cent drop in

recorded crime for the 2011/12 financial year –

the greatest reduction in Waikato District. Out

of all apprehensions, the proportion committed

by young people dropped from 30.8 per cent in

2011 to 17.3 per cent in 2012.

Only one young person has been to Youth

Court since 1 January 2012 and no young

people have appeared since July 2012.

The Warehouse has seen a 90 per cent

reduction in youth shoplifters following a

combined project with the Police. The $45,000

this has saved has been distributed back to

community groups.

Overall attendance at Te Küiti High School

has increased up to 10 per cent in some

year levels.

“We’ve seen a real drop in the number of

kids on the streets, as well as less crime and

virtually no graffiti,” says Constable Fitzgerald.

Support from local business owners has

been key. Local retailers have not only stopped

selling synthetic cannaboids, but also support

a truant-free central shopping district during

school hours. Retailers call if they spot young

people out of school, and Police or a truancy

officer takes them right back to school.

Truancy officers, schools and police work

with consistent truants and their families.

They’ll do home visits and seek help for families

with underlying issues.

“We’re constantly talking back and forth,

swapping information about the kids we’re

worried about,” says Hilary.

“We’ve got this group of invisible kids.

They’re not committing crime but they’re not

going to school either. Their parents don’t

know what to do, and many appreciate the

support with their kids. A Police visit carries the

authority of the law, so the kids feel compelled

to take notice and often the parents lift their

game too.”


Social Sector TrialsSocial Sector Trials have been running in

Levin, Kawerau, Te Küiti, Taumarunui,

Gore and Tokoroa since March 2011.

The goal is to trial collaborative,

community-driven social services for

youth. The trials aim to get better results

for 12 to 18-years-olds, especially more

participation in school, training and

work, with less truancy, youth crime, and

alcohol or drug use.

Encouraging results have seen the six

existing trials extended to June 2014, and

expanded to 10 more communities.

learn morewww.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-

work/work-programmes/initiatives/social-

sector-trials/index.html

Read about Levin’s Social Sector Trial

http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-

and-our-work/publications-resources/

journals-and-magazines/rise/issue-22/

spotlight-on-central.html

Te Küiti. It’s not always clean, but the stream is

culturally significant and a popular swimming

spot for young people who can’t afford the

pool fee.

Spurred to action by the rubbish in their

river, young people on Te Küiti’s new youth

council are working with Maniopoto Mäori

Trust Board to clean up the river.

The youth council was set up as part of

the Youth Action Plan. Mayor Brian Hanna is

actively involved. He mentors young leaders,

including the youth council and rangatahi on

the Tuia Mäori young leaders programme.

Other projects also create opportunities to

lead, grow and engage with the community.

Young people have led alcohol and

drug-free campaigns and three community

education events, attended by more than

200 people.

Te Küiti High School teacher Tai Huapa and

his sister Te Ingo Ngaia run kapa haka and waka

ama training. It gives positive purpose, a sense

of belonging, pride and reconnection with

cultural roots – important given that young

Mäori account for the district’s most worrying

youth statistics.

“There are huge needs here among Mäori,

and we’ve seen some of our most dramatic and

sustained changes in young people through

the kapa haka and waka ama programmes,”

says Hilary.

In another initiative, Maniapoto FM has

set up a rangatahi radio show airing every

weekday to provide youth voice, training

and employment.

A national pilot sports programme is

underway at Te Küiti High School, and a

secondary school trade training programme has

been set up.

Regular holiday programmes and activities

have involved more than 780 young people.

looking ahead It is obvious to Hilary and many of those she

works with that giving local people the ability

to acknowledge and respond to local needs is

the answer.

“You figure out what’s needed, put in

resources and adapt what you’re doing – of

course it’s going to work.”

Hilary says the key is community teamwork.

“We’re running on the smell of an oily

rag, but no matter what happens we have to

continue to work together because that’s the

right thing to do.”

She’s realistic about how long it will take

to see meaningful long-term change for

disadvantaged young people in Te Küiti.

“Three generations of alcohol and drug

abuse, dislocation from culture, family

violence, gangs and unemployment is not

going to be turned around by a short trial.

But we’re doing what we can to turn it

around for the next generation and the one

after that.

“We have a lot of issues here. But we

know what they are now and I am optimistic

that we are building change for the next

generation.”

Tai Huapa: connecting the young with their cultural roots.


http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-ourwork/work-programmes/initiatives/socialsector-trials/index.html

http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msdand-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/rise/issue-22/spotlight-on-central.html

Youth ParliamentIt’s question time at Youth Parliament 2013 – a chance for Youth MPs to grill their real-life counterparts on real-life issues. But there’s a problem.

Speaker David Carter is worried that

the youth MPs aren’t rowdy enough. And

they are getting through their questions

at a much faster pace than anticipated.

“The members are far too well-behaved.

I open the floor to further supplementary

questions.”

It’s an open invitation for a bit of old

fashioned mud-slinging.

But JACINTA TALIA’ULI, Youth MP for

Manurewa, would be just as comfortable in

the Speaker’s chair herself – and she got a

chance to put her skills to good use the night

before the youth MPs even saw the inside of

the debating chamber.

“At dinner, I saw that some of our youth

parliamentarians were getting heated up

about some debate, and it started going crazy.

We needed a Speaker, and I just took control

of it. I said you can each have an opening

statement, an argument, and then we’ll vote.”

It’s this sort of initiative that saw MP

Louisa Wall select Jacinta as her Youth MP, a

responsibility she’ll take on for 6 months.

“She naturally creates opportunities for

herself,” says Louisa. “And she has a strong

sense of serving the collective. She stood head

and shoulders above the rest.”

For two days, from July 16–17, 121 high

school students and young people took

part in general debate, select committees

and question time. Meanwhile, 20 aspiring

journalists took over the press gallery watching

their every move.

Youth Parliament is a natural fit for

community-minded 18-year-old Jacinta. And

her goal is simple. “I want to get more young

people involved.”

As the head girl of Manurewa High School,

she leads by example. Jacinta is treasurer

for Manurewa Youth Council, a STARS

peer mentor for the Foundation of Youth

Development, and Director for MaerdNZ.

MaerdNZ is a record label that seeks to

promote Manurewa and South Auckland

through music. It is run by students of

Manurewa High School as part of the Lions

Foundation Youth Enterprise programme.

While she may not be as loud as some other

youth parliamentarians, Jacinta is passionate

about getting young people thinking about

people and decisions that affect them.

“I’m really excited to go back home and

connect with the community. I’ve got more

ideas about how to actually motivate the

youth of Manurewa to get involved.”


Jamie Tahana – Youth Press Gallery reporterJacinta Talia'uli – Youth MP for Manurewa

Youth ParliamentEvery two years Youth Parliament gives 121 young people an inside look into the workings of Parliament.

Each MP selects a young representative from their community, who holds the position of Youth MP for

six months. For two days, the young people also get the opportunity to take part in debates and select

committees, and ask questions of Cabinet Ministers. Ten Youth Press Gallery members, aged 16 to 24,

are selected by the Parliamentary Press Gallery to report on the events of Youth Parliament.

learn more www.myd.govt.nz/young-people/youth-parliament/index.html

Youth Press GalleryFor 19-year-old JAMIE TAHANA the

journey to the youth press gallery was

serendipitous.

“I did calculus and chemistry at school,

but I was good at writing too. Thought

why the hell not, got into journalism, really

enjoyed it and here I am.”

A recent graduate currently interning at

Radio NZ, it was Jamie’s manager who first

told him to get involved.

Along with the quality of the catering

and the shoe polish in the bathrooms, he

says the one surprise has been the people

(despite describing himself and fellow

journalists as “symbiotic parasites”).

“Some of the writers are exceptional:

the MPs as well. They are such passionate

people, quite odd for teenagers in high

school.”

He says for the press gallery the highlights

are when “you see people’s colours fly”.

“It gets quite venomous.”

Reporting on topics as diverse as the

Skycity Convention Centre deal and the

preservation of Te Reo Mäori, the tight

schedule can make filing stories exhausting.

“I get a real buzz off the pace in a

newsroom, although the deadlines have

been creeping up, getting a little too close.”

Jamie says he’s privileged to have

experienced the Youth Press gallery at such

a young age.

“Really action-packed, fantastic. I didn’t

think it would be as good as it has turned

out to be.”


youth in emergency servicesA man collapses unconscious into a river. Meanwhile, someone else is lost in the bush. There’s also an injured person to be rescued from a cliff face and a fire to be fought as well.

It’s a lot to deal with in a single weekend, but the young

people who were part of the Youth in Emergency Services Project

were well prepared.

Before the drama-packed weekend camp, they had spent the past

month training with various emergency services in Rotorua.

Youth in Emergency Services is a trial project by Ministry of

Youth Development and Rotorua emergency services. The aim is to

open doors for young people to volunteer or follow a career path in

emergency services, as well as building connections between young

people and their communities.

Schools or youth social services nominated young people they felt

would benefit most from the experience.

For 17-year-old Ikilua Apitai, Youth in Emergency Services has

opened doors to a career he’d like to pursue.

“It really opened my eyes to what they do. I thought St John just

took people to hospital, but they keep them alive. They do everything

they can. I'd like to train as a paramedic.”

The programme offered five emergency service tasters over four

weeks: St John Ambulance, NZ Fire Service including Lake Okareka Rural

Fire and Operational Support, River Rescue, the NZ Police’s Land Search

and Rescue Team, and Civil Defence’s Emergency Response Team.

The orientation culminated in a weekend camp where the young

people took part in a number of emergency scenarios. At the end of

the camp, the young people could apply to volunteer and train with the

service they preferred.

The project is being evaluated with a view to expanding into more

communities.


proud of every day Three years after the September earthquake, Christchurch social workers and case managers reflect on life and work, what’s changed, what’s important and how it’s often the little things that matter most.

Heather DugganWork and Income case manager, Kaiapoi Community Link

The biggest thing for me is we are all one big team here. Now,

people go out of their way to help each other. We share our innovations,

changes, everything we do. No doubt about it. I think that’s something

we need to do more of as an industry.

I feel like I’m lucky, being in Rangiora, that my damage wasn’t

that bad. However, I know that some people feel embarrassed that

they’re still stressed and depressed, and they are not mentioning the

way they feel.

I’d say 99 per cent of the medical certificates that come across my desk

in Kaiapoi are for anxiety and depression. That’s our clients; our staff must

be exactly the same. And this is nearly three years on, so this is huge.

You try that bit extra to put yourself where your clients are. For

case managers, if you are really going to listen and have that person

going away feeling like you’ve helped them, that means your interview

is not going to be the 30 minutes that you have been allocated. You

are going to have to spend an hour with them. You do that because

the clients need it.

Hundreds of staff in Christchurch do this. It’s huge.

I’m proud of every day.

After September we were at work the very next day, and still there

are not enough hours in the day to finish the work.

Every day when I go home I feel good about what I’ve done.

Watch more – Proud of every day: Heather Duggan

http://youtu.be/9O8fo-hHlFE

Jan Hansen Youth Justice social worker, Te Oranga

Right from the start, everybody accepted the fact that we just had to

do what we had to do. We were all squashed in a little marae. It got hot,

it got cold, it got loud.

We have our own desks now, but we’re still coming in every morning

not knowing if it’s going to be hot or cold. I keep slippers and a blanket

in my drawer just in case.

Not having an office has its pros and cons.

One of the pros is meeting kids at a park or picking them up from

course. It’s done through necessity, but it’s a good thing.

We’re able to work on the move. Whoever came up with the idea

of iPads should get a pay rise; pull over and send a three-line email and

it’s done.

It may be very small stuff, but it saves the time.

And thank God for Google Maps.

For our team, it’s the small things: having the ability to take EQC

(Earthquake Commission) leave, meet with the professionals. I’ve had to

do that for myself. If you need to leave, you are allowed to – there’s still

work to do, but it’s secondary to making sure you are ok.

Give it however many years and this place is going to be awesome.

It’s going to be new. We are going to have a new sports arena, new

roads, a great sewerage system.

It’s a shame we won’t have the old buildings, but we’ll have new

ones. And that’s ok. That’s why I want to stay in Christchurch.

Watch more – Proud of every day: Jan Hansen

http://youtu.be/cwavkqdEFoY


http://youtu.be/cwavkqdEFoY

http://youtu.be/9O8fo-hHlFE

what makes you feel All Right?Check out www.allright.org.nz or www.facebook.com/allrightnz

All Right? is a Christchurch-focused campaign to help people realise

that they’re not alone, encourage them to connect with others, and

support them to boost their mental health and wellbeing.

All Right? is led by the Mental Health Foundation and the

Canterbury District Health Board, supported by the Ministry of

Health, the Ministry of Social Development and SKIP, and the

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.

Sharon Muirhead Child, Youth and Family senior practitioner, Hornby

My heart is in Christchurch, I have a home in Christchurch, my work

is in Christchurch.

I can see in another few years it is going to be a beautiful city.

We’ve gone through a lot together, all of us, in the last few years.

At one stage we had no workspace. A few of us would get together

and work at home.

When we were told that instead of three Child, Youth and Family sites

in Christchurch there were going to be four, we were asked if we would

like to choose one closer to home.

I was thrilled. Every night I walk through my door at home at 10

minutes past five [instead of much later] and it’s wonderful. It’s made so

much difference.

We’ve moved three times since the earthquakes and this site is

temporary as well. A shift is always unsettling, so we’ve had to be more

flexible. Some of us have had to move out of our homes as well as work

so we’ve drawn strength from each other.

We’re still very supportive of each other – especially now. It’s different

now because a lot of people are still trying to get their houses repaired.

Even just taking furniture out of the house, it’s huge.

At our office we do laughter yoga and breathing techniques. I’ve been

with Child, Youth and Family for 10 years and we wouldn’t have had

that before the earthquakes. I’ve got to admit it did feel good when I left

the session. Learning how to laugh, making faces at each other, seemed

quite silly at the time, but it was relaxing.

Watch more – Proud of every day: Sharon Muirhead

http://youtu.be/I3vnlWClwPY

Michael Lane Work and Income case manager, Linwood Community Link

I turned 64 three weeks ago. I’ve been with the department since the

first of December 1980. I’ve never been so proud of our department as I

was during the earthquakes.

I was working in Lyttelton at the Civil Defence Centre. You’d hold your

breath at the start of the Lyttelton tunnel and the taxi would go like hell

and you’d let the breath out the other side, because the last thing you

wanted was to be trapped in a tunnel in an earthquake.

Dealing with Lyttelton people – what a wonderful group they were. If

a big boulder was about to come off the hills and crash into Mrs Jones’s

house, the men would come with picks and shovels and dig a hole for the

rock to fall in. It was tremendous and we were part of that. They needed

our help and our help was immediate. And you felt good.

Now, a lot of clients we’re seeing here at the Linwood office – still in a

red zone area – those people have never recovered. We all know that life

won’t be the same, but they don’t see it getting better. You hear about

the rebuild, all the facts and figures, but you ask a person who lives this

side of town and they’ll say “Where?”

It’s just learning those techniques and tricks to look after yourself better.

There’s a lot more open discussion about mental and physical health.

It’s an ordinary subject now, but it never used to be. That would be the

biggest thing you’d notice at the moment.

We’ve been on resilience training – I highly recommend it – as part

of our Bounce Back Better programme. Whoever came up with that,

I salute you. Tremendous. I’d like to see all Christchurch people do it.

Watch more – Proud of every day: Michael Lane

http://youtu.be/uTcK8krFDAs

: ): / ?


http://youtu.be/I3vnlWClwPY

“Kids come running to give him cuddles and high fives and their parents follow.”

RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 RISE: Issue 24 – September 201316

the bear that caresHe turned up to recruit much-needed foster caregivers and community support for Christchurch kids in Child, Youth and Family care.

But Foster Bear has helped to focus

people’s generosity in a way that leaves his

chief minder, social worker ADELE SHERRY,

amazed and humbled.

Foster Bear arrived in Christchurch about six

months after the February 2011 earthquake,

when Child, Youth and Family suffered a

sharp fall in the number of people able to take

children into their homes.

“We had a big job on our hands trying to

recruit more caregivers in a difficult situation,”

says Adele.

“We needed to get out in the community

and get people to talk to us. We changed our

whole recruitment strategy. It’s not just Foster

Bear, but a bigger willingness to look outside

the square and ask 'what can we do different

and how can we improve things?'”

Foster Bear was a hit from the moment he

first walked into a Rugby World Cup fan base.

A succession of school fairs, church galas and

community days followed.

“Kids come running to give him cuddles and

high fives and their parents follow.

“He has become that popular that we have

people ringing us to ask if we can be part of

their event. He’s Christchurch’s Mickey Mouse.”

Foster Bear was doing a great job of

raising awareness, but in terms of caregiver

recruitment and community support, Adele’s

expectations were not overly optimistic

“because of what everyone was going through

with the earthquakes”.

She was wrong though.

Christchurch still needs more caregivers,

but more people are stepping foward for the

training which enables them to see if the role is

right for them.

“Even though they are still waiting for

their own lives and homes to be sorted with

insurance and EQC, they are still willing to help

our children in care.”

People, communities and businesses have

stepped up in other ways too.

Whitcoulls is one of many businesses which

have become regular supporters.

“They sponsored teddies for evey child

and young person in care in 2011. Even the

teenagers were queuing up for them. The next

year they actually rang and said they’d like to

support again!”

Adele also recalls picking up some Christmas

presents donated by a Rangioria community for

last year’s Kids in Care Christmas party.

“It was a mountain of boxes. Wrapped

presents. For our kids.”

She was even more astounded to learn that

the two Rangiora churches started collecting

early this year, because they were concerned

that last year’s effort was not enough.

“And that giving spirit just keeps going. It

amazes me every single day.”

care for kidsChild, Youth and Family needs caregivers,

particularly for 10- to 16-year-olds.

If you’d like to know more call 0508

FAMILY. In Christchurch, please contact

Adele: [email protected]

or 03 9615612

RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 17

It’s 4pm on a Tuesday in the

dead of winter and 60 Trentham-

based Limited Service Volunteers

sit to attention as best they can

for guest speaker, football player

BEN SIGMUND.

The volunteers are dog tired. They’ve

been up since 5am for another day

of intense physical exercise and other

activities – something these 18- to 25-

year-olds are still getting to grips with.

It is the second week of an intense

six-week course for unemployed

young people, run by the New Zealand

Defence Force in partnership with Work

and Income. Already you can sense that

the young participants have bonded

into a team.

Ben Sigmund, All Whites and

Wellington Phoenix football star, stands

in front of the 60 young people. He’s

incredibly humble, incorrectly assuming

that his young audience has never

heard of him. But things have changed

for football in New Zealand. Ever since

the 2010 All Whites’ electric World

Cup qualifier game against Bahrain and

their defeat of Italy at the World Cup

itself, their profile has risen dramatically

among New Zealanders.

Ben was eager to come to Trentham

to talk to the young volunteers. He

knows what it’s like to lose direction as

a young person.

Born and raised in Christchurch, Ben

dabbled in rugby but it was football

where his talents lay. By the time he was

18 years old, he was an All Whites player.

But he was impatient and felt like nothing

was happening in his life.

“So I turned to my buddies. Being

the age we were, we took to drinking,

partying, having fun. I guess you could

say that I lost my way. It was easy to do. I

gave up on football as I clearly had other

priorities.”

Ben’s young audience listen carefully.

They know what it’s like struggling to

find your way in the world. They also

know that Ben eventually followed his

dreams and they’re keen to know how

he did it.

Ben is a down-to-earth presenter who

builds an easy rapport with the volunteers.

He’s also open about his mistakes and

incredibly funny.

He recounts how he turned his

life around.

“I was sitting in the pub with my

mates watching an All Whites game.

The All Whites were being beaten. I was

sitting there following one of the players

and saying to myself ‘I could do better

than that, if I was there I would’ve done

that differently’.

“Then I took a long, hard look at

myself. I didn’t want to be one of those

guys that you see sitting in the pub at 60

RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 RISE: Issue 24 – September 201318

years of age saying ‘I could’ve been that

guy. I could’ve done better than that’.

“I put my beer down, said goodbye to

my mates and told them I was going to

join the All Whites again. They laughed.

But I really didn’t want to end up as that

person in 30 years’ time. I didn’t want that

fate. So I’m happy to be here talking to

you today – and being proud of what I’ve

achieved.”

Some of the volunteers are by now

standing at the back to stretch their

aching limbs, eyes on Ben as they listen.

Ben was 23 when he started playing

again and he knew he had a long way

to go to prove himself as a footballer

once more.

“I was labelled as a party boy, a

no-hoper. There was only one thing I

could do to show I’d changed my ways

– and that was to have another crack

at becoming a professional footballer.

Twenty-four is starting to get a little

bit old in football terms – in any sports

really. So I moved to Australia and

played for a semi-professional team.”

Ben got a lucky break during this

time. He got a call from the All Whites to

play in their game against Wales where

they secured a 2–2 draw. Ben’s name

was back on the map in New Zealand

football. He returned to Australia, but

it was around this time the Wellington

Phoenix football team was established.

“I told myself I would do anything to

get onto that team. I loved the idea of

playing from home. The first year I didn’t

get in, so I had to bide one more year

and played in Auckland to stay fit.”

It soon became apparent that the

Phoenix needed more defenders. So

Ben decided to act in the only way he

knew how.

“I phoned Ricki Herbert [then

Phoenix manager] every day. Every

day it was ‘ring, ring, ring’, straight to

answer phone. He must have had me on

caller ID thinking, ‘that Ben Sigmund, I

can’t be bothered calling him back’. So

I left a message saying ‘Ricki, you may

as well answer, because I’m just going

to keep ringing!’

“Within five minutes, he called back.

He said there was a good chance that

they would sign me. He said ‘give me

three weeks’. Three weeks passed. He

then said ‘give me another month’. I

blagged and told him a US team wanted

me to go over right there and then. He

said ‘give me five minutes’. So I got a

one-year contract.”

The room cracks up laughing at his

story of persistence.

Ben takes this moment to remind the

volunteers to never give up.

“I didn’t sign professionally until I was

26 – most people do at 17 or 18 years

of age. I had seven years working as a

professional footballer and I’ve loved it

to bits. I recommend never giving up

because it’s never too late.”

Tiredness has lifted among the

volunteers. We’re all wide-awake

from listening to this tale, and already

thinking about how to apply this level of

dedication to our goals and dreams.

Ben stays around for at least an hour

afterwards. Autographs are signed, the

football is kicked around, much joking

and laughter ensues.

Tomorrow is another day of physical

and mental challenges with new friends.

Limited Service Volunteers may be a

difficult journey, but many will leave with

a new sense of purpose, new friends, job

prospects and a kick-start into the next

chapter of life.

RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 RISE: Issue 24 – September 2013 19

Matthew Thorpe and Daljeet Singh

Limited Service Volunteers is a free six-

week residential course run by the New

Zealand Defence Force on behalf of the

Ministry of Social Development, supported

by the Police. It’s for unemployed young

people who need to boost their life

skills, confidence and motivation to

find work. In 2010, LSV was expanded

from its traditional home in Burnham,

Christchurch to Trentham in Upper Hutt

and Hobsonville in Auckland.

The goal is every year to motivate and

prepare 1,500 young people for the path

to employment. Instructors and mentors

give them basic skills: how to listen and

follow instructions, be part of a team,

work and live with discipline, present

themselves, eat and exercise well, write a

CV and talk to an employer.

Since 2010, more than 5,000 unemployed

young people have been referred to LSV

through Work and Income. More than

half have either found work within eight

weeks of the course, or gone into further

training or education.

learn morewww.msd.govt.nz/what-we-can-do/

children-young-people/lsv/index.html

It seemed a pointless task, washing

cars in the pouring rain. But MATTHEW

THORPE held the back chat and set out

to do what his boss asked.

He remembered his Limited Service

Volunteer (LSV) instructor’s refrain: “I

don’t want tears; I want results”.

Somehow, Matthew’s task became

a matter of pride; his cars would be the

cleanest on the car yard.

A year ago this would not have

happened, Matthew says. He’d left school

and completed a tourism course, but

struggled to accept authority and after six

months of job applications and rejection,

he gave up. Unemployed for 15 months, he

began smoking a lot. He was aimless and

confused.

Worst of all, he felt he was failing his

adopted mother and the family he loved.

Then a mate handed him a pamphlet

about LSV. “Hey, we should do this,” he said.

Matthew thought “I’m doing nothing

good at the moment. I need to change”.

He signed up for the first LSV intake

at Trentham Army Camp in April 2010.

He threw himself into the course and

graduated top of his platoon.

Matthew’s first day at LSV was also

DALJEET SINGH’s first day in the

new role of Work and Income LSV co-

ordinator at Trentham. She’d made

the move from Christchurch to head

Trentham’s new LSV programme.

“I was a work broker and enjoyed

working with young people. I’d been

involved with LSV at Burnham and could

see the difference it made.”

Over the last three years, Daljeet has

worked with the Defence Force to change

LSV from what was seen as army training

to a comprehensive pre-employment

programme.

For the young people during and

after LSV, Daljeet is both mother figure

and mentor. At pre-course seminars, she

doesn’t sugar coat their expectations. The

army instructors have high standards of

discipline. Cigarettes are rationed. There

is no alcohol, no mobile phones or ipods.

Daljeet knows that many will be scared

about making friends, homesick and

unsure about their physical ability. Just

before the course begins, she phones

to offer encouragement and make sure

they turn up for the bus on day one.

She’s also there during the course with

encouragement and a sensible chat if

someone starts to lose heart.

Trentham LSV takes young people

throughout the lower North Island. In

week three, Work and Income work

brokers visit from the regions. By now the

young people are focused and keen to talk

about job and training opportunities.

Daljeet also keeps contact with many

LSV graduates after they have finished.

Only a small handful of graduates from

that first Trentham intake of 130 are

currently receiving a Work and Income

benefit. In fact, 12 of them now work for

Work and Income.

As for Matthew, with a new attitude

and his graduation report, he found work

straight out of LSV. He has not been

unemployed since that first job. He keeps

his LSV trophy on his desk and is saving

money for a trip to learn about his South

African birth parents.

Daljeet sometimes invites him to speak

about his experience to other young people

at pre-LSV seminars. He strongly believes in

LSV and tells other young people so.

“It made such a difference in my life.”

lasting change

Limited Service Volunteers


http://www.msd.govt.nz/what-we-can-do/children-young-people/lsv/index.html

Collective Impact After years of watching community groups try in isolation to tackle Porirua’s social, health and education needs, Mana Education Centre decided a new approach was needed.

web linksPorirua’s Shine Collective:

www.shineporirua.org.nz

Cincinnati’s Strive Project:

www.strivetogether.org

Canada’s Vibrant

Communities Project:

www.vibrantcommunities.ca

“A lot of money goes into Porirua, but it

hasn’t got the results the city wants,” says

director Angela Ryan.

The Centre organised a hui in June,

drawing more than 200 people from

education, business, cultural, social and youth

sectors, council and churches.

The resulting collective, Shine, agreed to

work together to get better results for under-

25-year-olds in Porirua. Shine has started by

focusing on student achievement.

“Schools can’t work any harder than they

are…it needs the whole community involved.”

With funding from Philanthropy New

Zealand member the Todd Foundation and

Porirua City Council, Shine consulted widely,

getting all 35 local schools, polytechnics and

Massey University on board.

Now various collaborative projects are

underway between schools, with parents and

involving literacy experts.

international experience

Philanthropy New Zealand Chief Executive,

Liz Gibbs says Shine is a good example of a

cutting edge approach called Collective

Impact, which is transforming communities

overseas. She says Government, business and

communities must join forces to tackle our

toughest problems.

Shine is modelled on Cincinnati’s Strive

project, which successfully halted years

of high school dropout rates. In a recent

Stanford Social Innovation Review, social

impact consultants John Kania and Mark

Kramer describe how the non-profit Strive

brought together 300 leaders from local

foundations, city officials, school boards and

hundreds of education advocacy groups.

Four years on, more students are

graduating, enjoying higher grades and better

prepared to enter their first year of school.

Kramer and Kania say while a collective

approach needs significant investment in

time and developing shared systems, the

isolated approach dominating the social

sector inhibits large-scale progress.

Canada’s Vibrant Communities

Liz Weaver of Canada’s Tamarack

Institute visited Wellington recently to speak

on the success of the Vibrant Communities

initiative in reducing child poverty in

Canadian cities.

Vibrant Communities was launched

in 2002 to reduce poverty for a million

Canadians through policy and systems

change. Collectively, national and provincial

governments, businesses and community

groups have moved 209,000 Canadians out of

poverty. In the past year, Ontario lifted 40,000

children out of poverty with another 90,000

on track to follow in the next five years.

With one in four New Zealand kids

living below the poverty line, Philanthropy

New Zealand’s Chair and Todd Foundation

Executive Director Kate Frykberg says

Collective Impact seems a no-brainer.

“If a community gets behind a common

vision and dovetails activity in pursuit of that

vision, then the benefit must increase. It’s not

easy, but the potential impact is huge.”


Spo t l i g h t o n Ch i l d , Yo u t h and Fam i l y M i d l a n ds

“Now I’m in a role where I can make a difference in other lives.”


Key factsMidlands region

New Zealand Police

child protection teams are established in five sites, with a sixth co-location to be set up during 2013.

More than 1,050 tamariki

Homes

Our work

and rangatahi from the Midlands Region are in Child, Youth and Family’s care, with about 759 living either in foster care, extended wha- nau or family, or in Child, Youth and Family homes.

include care and protection family homes in Whakatane, Rotorua, Tauranga and Hamilton, Te Maioha o Parekarangi Youth Justice Residence in Rotorua and a ‘supervision with activity’ residential facility in Hillcrest.

depends on caring, dedicated foster caregivers. To find out about becoming a caregiver, visit www.cyf.govt.nz or call 0508 FAMILY (0508 227 377).

Midlandsof Child, Youth and Family covers the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, with sites at Hauraki, Waikato East, Waikato West, Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane, Taupo and Tokoroa.

a voice for childrenIt was the speaker’s voice that RENÉE GAGE-

BROWN remembered first. When she looked

again, the face was familiar too. It took Renée

back to her childhood.

The speaker was JULIE PEAKE. She was a

Child, Youth and Family forensic interviewer,

invited to lecture a class of Wintec social science

students. But 11 years earlier, she had been

Renée’s social worker.

Now Renée was on her own way to becoming

a social worker, having been inspired more than a

decade earlier by the woman who was standing at

the front of the room.

Renée hadn’t seen Julie since she was a

10-year-old in State care. She recalls the day her

life changed, when she and two siblings were

collected from school and taken into care, not

understanding what was happening or why her

parents had to “go away”.

“Julie was our first social worker and she

was amazing. She made everything so much

more bearable for us, especially because we

were so young.”

Eventually, when Julie moved into a new role,

Renée’s file was handed over. Renée’s memories

after that are hazy; she doesn’t recollect a new

social worker and suspects her foster carers

stopped communicating with the Children’s,

Young Persons’ and Families Service.

In her late teens, Renée “went off the rails a bit”

until age 17 when she decided to do something

positive. That led to a Degree in Social Services.

“I had looked up to Julie so much. Social workers

may not be aware of the difference they can make

in a kid’s life, but she became my inspiration for

anything I’ve ever done in relation to social work.”

After that Wintec lecture, Renée didn’t

approach Julie, fearing unwanted memories would

be unearthed. But later she emailed a message

about the impact Julie had had on her life.

Renée is now a social worker with an NGO

provider. She sees a future working with families

and youth, particularly pregnant teenagers and

young mums.

“Now I’m in a role where I can make a

difference in other lives.”

Today Julie Peake works for Child Matters, an

organisation that educates people to recognise

and respond to child abuse. She says Renée’s

story highlights how social workers can affect

children and young people.

“For me the power is that during the time I

spent with Renée as her social worker she felt

listened to and safe, and she’s been inspired to go

into this great profession. I feel really honoured.

“The social worker is often the most

important person in a child’s life in times of crisis

and change. We need to remember that, because

working in care and protection you often don’t

see the impact you make at the time.

“We need to believe children and validate

their fears and worries – listen to them, let them

speak and tell you how they’re feeling.”

Like Renée, Jackie Allen – a former Child,

Youth and Family social worker and now

manager of Parentline – has personal experience

of State care.

Jackie went into care almost 35 years ago at

the age of 12. She was discharged at 17 after a

number of foster care, family home and kin-care

placements. She had several social workers and

recalls losing one she was close to.

“I was devastated when I found out one of

my social workers told me she was going away.

I really liked her and it broke my heart – her visits

had been a highlight for me.”

Her experiences have given her a rich insight

into the role of social workers.

“You’ve got to advocate for them; you have to

stand up and be their voice.”


At 3am on April 15, Sonia and her

nephew John saw a brilliant shooting star

as they walked along their driveway.

Seventeen-year-old John was about

to leave for three weeks in Nepal. Sonia

hoped the shooting star was a sign of

good luck. Now she’s sure it was.

“John’s been a changed person since

coming back from Nepal. He’s more

positive, more confident and outgoing –

his whole ähua (nature) is different.”

With his new-found confidence,

John is doing things he’d never have

considered a year ago – like singing and

playing his own guitar composition in a

school talent quest.

John has lived with Sonia, her husband

Kelvin and their kids since he was seven,

when he and his brother became wards of

the court. “John and his brother came to

us with a lot of challenges. They were our

nephews, but we’d never met them – we

were complete strangers.

“John didn’t like school and he

didn’t have the best attitude. When the

opportunity came up for him to go to

Nepal with World Challenge as part of a

school group we thought it might be a

chance for him to turn things around,”

says Sonia.

John raised almost $3,000, working

part-time and fundraising. He bought

special gear including a sleeping bag for

sub-zero temperatures. Child, Youth and

Family also contributed towards the trip.

Despite the pending adventure,

John’s behaviour took an inexplicable

turn for the worse. Sonia says he began

to “self-destruct”.

“He started acting really badly, getting

into trouble and doing things completely

out of character. I really wanted John to go

to Nepal, but his behaviour had to change.”

Put on notice, with strict boundaries

and many whänau hui, John’s behaviour

improved. Nepal was back on the cards.

He says Nepal was “an incredible,

life-changing experience”. But it was the

people that had the most profound effect.

“I was just looking at the kids and

how they live and thinking how we have

everything in New Zealand. They hardly

have anything – they go to school and they

go home. They only have a little bit of food.

The people there are so poor but happy.

“It made me want to change and

want to be more confident and positive,

and to be more helpful. I want to try and

get as much as I can out of life now.”

John’s school group was popular with

locals, and was invited to stay overnight

at seven teahouses – family-run ventures

providing food, tea and a place to sleep.

“The children seemed to look up to us

as role models and treated me like a big

brother, probably because my skin was

the same colour as theirs.”

Nepal also gave John an unscheduled

first ride in a helicopter after he sprained

his ankle on a mountain trek and was

flown to a hospital in Pokhara. Other

unforgettable experiences included riding

an elephant, trekking and camping in the

wilderness.

Back at home, John says he’s learned

the rewards of staying focused on a

goal and never to give up on yourself or

your family.

And the results of the school talent

quest that John played in? He won!

it made me want to change




Thirty years ago, LANCE EDMONDS

wasn’t interested in school, had problems

at home and got into a lot of trouble. But

although his father was absent, Lance had

positive male role models around him.

They were his mentors and that made all

the difference.

These days, as team leader of Te Ako

Rangatahi youth mentoring programme in

Hamilton, Lance brings that experience to

young offenders’ journeys towards a more

positive future.

Working alongside experienced

mentors Rob Whitiora, Denise Rewi-Wetini

and others, Lance says that adults who

once walked in the shoes of the 14- to

16-year-olds they work with are key to the

programme’s success.

“The kids can tell if you’re not being

straight up with them. They’ve already had

enough of that in their lives.”

Anglican Action runs Te Ako Rangatahi

and also provides a range of social

services, including a prisoner re-integration

programme. Missioner Karen Morrison

Hume says Anglican Action has committed

to teenagers tracking towards prison

because in supporting adults coming out of

prison, it is obvious that the damage began

when they were young.

Anglican Action set up a youth

mentoring service and court-supervised

camps in 2011 through the Fresh Start

programmes offered by Child, Youth

and Family. When Lance came on board

in August 2012, the team named the

programme Te Ako Rangatahi and

strengthened its focus on whänau.

“Getting alongside whänau, family and

wider social networks is critical,” says Karen.

Lance agrees. “We can take them away

on camp and work with them, but they

still need to come back to that same home

environment. Mentoring means walking

alongside someone and seeing them

change, but also bringing about change for

the whole family.”

Lance says there has not been a young

person the programme hasn’t helped.

“The young people that come to us are

medium to high needs. They come through

the court system. They might be first time

offenders or old hands. Some may have

been in a youth justice residence. As long

as someone wants to be helped they can

be helped.”

In less than one year, Te Ako Rangatahi

saw 18 out of 25 young men get back into

school, alternative education or training.

“This team goes above and beyond,

but our reward isn’t necessarily an entire

transformation; it’s seeing a small seed

of change sown. It might be something

like the new way a young person engages

with their whänau, or it could be just

going to school every day. Here, no change

is trivial.”

learn moreabout Anglican Action’s Te Ako

Rangatahi mentoring programme

www.anglicanaction.org.nz

well-worn steps


Spo t l i g h t o n Ch i l d , Yo u t h and Fam i l y Te Wa i p ounamu

“...it has helped them to feel part of the community.”


Key factsTe Waipounamu Rohe

Around 1000 children

The region

In Christchurch

In the year to June

or Southern Region of Child, Youth and Family covers the entire South Island.

and young people across Te Waipounamu Rohe are in Child, Youth and Family care.

has 12 care and protection sites, six youth justice teams, two care and protection residences and one youth justice residence.

a redesign of sites means that services are better placed to give prompt, effective support to vulnerable children, young people and families across the city.

2013, the region received 25,076 reports of concern about children and young people. 12,312 needed further action, with 3,134 substantiated findings of child abuse or neglect.

Te Waipounamupooling together

Julie Cave’s three foster children can

hardly wait for summer. That’s so they can

practice their newly gained swimming skills

in the Lower Moutere school pool.

Watching her three foster children learn to

swim has been a highlight for Julie.

“Going to the Aquatic Centre has also

helped them to feel part of the community,

because it means they get to do the same

things other kids do.”

Julie’s foster kids are just three of 60

vulnerable Nelson and Marlborough children

getting free swimming lessons in a pilot project

set up by Child, Youth and Family, Water Safety

New Zealand and Sealord, through the Sealord

Swim for Life initiative.

“It’s something that we’d have struggled to

provide otherwise, especially given where we

live,” says Julie.

The project focuses on kids who are either

in foster care or referred by health nurses,

teachers or other professionals. It aims to give

them opportunities to enjoy the water, gain

confidence and learn to swim.

It is hoped that the pilot project will be a

blueprint for other parts of the country.

Child, Youth and Family Regional Director

Southern Kelly Anderson says it is an exciting

opportunity that has been welcomed by both

caregivers and children.

“We really care about our most vulnerable

children having the same opportunities and

experiences that are available to other New

Zealand children.

“Teaming up with Water Safety New

Zealand and Sealord has provided an excellent

chance for children in care to develop skills that

will help them on their way to reaching their

full potential.”

Water Safety New Zealand CEO Matt

Claridge says the pilot project extends the well-

established Sealord Swim for Life programme,

developing swimming and water safety skills

where they are most needed.

“Sealord Swim for Life is already working

with children from low-decile schools around

the country, getting them in the water learning

to swim. Working with Child, Youth and Family

to focus on particularly vulnerable children is a

logical next step.”

Sealord General Manager Human Resources

Siobhan Cohen says Nelson/Marlborough was

a logical place for the pilot to take place given

the company’s strong presence in the region.

“We’re extremely excited about working

with Child, Youth and Family to make a

difference to the lives of these children. The fact

we can do this in a region that’s so important

to our business is an extra bonus.”

Depending on each child’s ability, the

lessons focus on building confidence in the

water and extending each child’s swimming

ability so they can be safer in the water.

Sealord Swim for Life is a partnership

between Sealord and Water Safety New

Zealand. It aims to make sure Kiwi kids get

opportunities to learn to swim by working

with regional sports trusts, local authorities,

schools and pools. The initiative also helps

get kids in the water by organising transport

to pools, paying pool entry fees and training

swimming teachers.

Since it was launched in 2011, more than

189,000 children nationally have participated in

Sealord Swim for Life. This number is expected

to grow to 250,000 by the end of 2014.



Personal letters to kids in care

are Susan Allen’s unique way of

transforming standard reports into a

real connection with the children she

supports.

Every time the Nelson-based social

worker visits a caregiver and child, she

is busy gathering information about the

child’s wellbeing and environment. Later,

after she has completed the standard

‘visit to child’ report, she reframes the

information into a letter to the child.

“It’s about what is happening in their

lives, in language and images they can

understand,” says Susan.

As well as capturing the child’s voice,

opinions and ideas, Susan uses illustrations

reflecting each child’s interests and

personality.

“It’s about building hope and building

the good things in their lives, so it’s

important to frame things positively. It

needs to be a sensitive, strengths-focused,

honest recollection of the things they said

and did and what we talked about when

I visited.”

She sends the first letter with a clear-

file so that the child can collect the letters.

Copies are added to their official file as a

running record of their time in care, and

also sent to caregivers.

Susan, who has been a social worker

for 17 years, writes creatively in her spare

time and volunteers with young people

with learning needs. She says the letters

are an adaption of a communication tool

called social stories and she’s keen to

mentor others to use the letters.

“The right words written back to kids

can help them put things into context

and make things clearer,” she says. “It’s

also a great way to get to know the child,

because you have to really listen to their

perspective.”

Feedback from caregivers and other

social workers using the letters has been

good: “It keeps their focus strongly on the

child and their voice.”

in other words

Dear LizzieWhen I arrived you were sitting in the sun

in your pink dressing gown and pyjamas watching Shawn the Sheep on T V. You had a cough.

Nannie said you had been sick since last night and she’d made an appointment at the doctor. We talked about getting a thermometer to watch your temperature and we rang the nurse to talk about your symptoms. Nannie had made up a day bed for you both, as she had the flu too. You went to Nannie for a cuddle and she held you close.Even though you were not feeling well, you talked to me about your friends at play school and your garden. You said: “My favourite colours are purple and pink.

I am going to grow purple and white flowers in my garden as big as the trees.”

We looked at the blossom trees outside your house. One tree was pink, the same colour as your dressing gown.

Nannie told me that she takes you to the library sometimes as you like to sit and read and play with the toys there. You have lots of books of your own and we talked about Winnie the Pooh.

Nannie said that your mummy comes every week and stays overnight to spend time with you.

Thank you for talking with me Lizzie and I will see you next time I visit.

From Susan, the social worker



Dozens of Canterbury organisations have

teamed up to support Canterbury families

who need help to live without violence.

“All of our agencies are acutely aware

that when a community has survived a

major disaster, it will typically experience

a significant increase in family violence,”

says Sergeant Jim Sole of the Christchurch

Police Family Safety Team which is part of

the Canterbury Family Violence Strategy

Collaborative.

The Collaborative involves about 30

government and non-government agencies,

including Child, Youth and Family. It formed

in 2011 after organisations got together to

improve the way family violence-related

organisations work together to help

families affected by family violence.

The Collaborative’s latest project is the

Canterbury Can campaign to reduce family

violence by changing attitudes and raising

awareness of the help that is available.

“We’re promoting the message that

friends, family and neighbours should never

ignore family violence,” says Sergeant Sole.

Canterbury Can aims to educate

the community and give people the

confidence to take action and seek help. It

is supported by the It’s not OK campaign

and complements the message that it is OK

to help.

High profile locals championing the

campaign include Sir Mark Solomon,

Reverend Mike Coleman, Anna Galvan,

Sophia Fenwick, Sela Faletolu, Jason Gunn

and Janine Gunn-Morrell.

Canterbury can stand up

against family violence


>

Southern

Nelson, Malborough, West Coast

Canterbury

Southern

The Otago Careers Festival saw Work and Income teaming up with local sports stars and

employers to present motivational seminars for job seekers, including information about local opportunities

and what it takes to keep a job. Immigration New Zealand and Work and Income also ran information

sessions for employers.

A foster care campaign is beginning in Otago and Southland. It targets communities, schools and malls

to raise people’s awareness of foster caring and to recruit new foster caregivers.

Seasonal meat workers in Otago and Southland can gain free dairy industry training to boost their

off-season work prospects. Work and Income has partnered with industry training provider Tectra and the

Otago and Southland Branch of NZ Meat Workers and Related Trades Union to provide training towards NCEA

Level 2 Dairy.

Canterbury Senior Services managers around the country met in Christchurch to see the impact that the

earthquakes have had on senior clients, and ways to promote health, wellbeing, balance and resilience.

Parenting Week saw Work and Income staff taking part in school events to increase the awareness of

the support that is available to families.

School principals and education staff came to a home-cooked breakfast at Child, Youth and Family’s

new site at Nga Hau e Wha marae. The aim was to build connections, relationships, communication and

partnership between schools and Child, Youth and Family.

Canterbury Can is a new campaign against family violence, supported by 30 organisations, to change

attitudes and raise awareness of help available for families struggling with violence.

Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Working with Mäori: Child, Youth and Family Blenheim invited key Mäori providers and

community partners to a hui at Omaka Marae in August. They developed a plan to guide Child, Youth and

Family Blenheim in their future work with Mäori.

Getting people into work: With the July 15 changes to the welfare system, Work and Income service

centres are supporting greater numbers of people to find jobs or develop skills for work in the future.

Supporting the effort, many local organisations are providing training, work preparation skills, mentoring

and in-work support for our clients.

Presentations can be arranged for organisations which would like to know more about the welfare reforms

and how we are working differently. Contact Community Liaison Advisor Jill Harris on 03 989 7046.


East Coast

Central

Wellington Wellington

The Hutt Valley Innovation Better Public Services Project has launched two new initiatives.

Schools have signed up to a new project to tackle non-attendance, plus a new outreach van is now taking

social services into communities.

Regional health and disability advisors plan to train frontline Work and Income staff to better support

inclusion of clients with disabilities, following the recent NZ Disability Support Network conference.

Work and Income’s new Youth Service was a highlight for a South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare

group who visited Kilbirnie Community Link to learn about Work and Income’s work.

The July earthquake displaced many Lower Hutt MSD staff. Sharing workspaces with Naenae and Porirua

Community Links and the Lower Hutt Service Centre, staff are using the chance to gain insight into different roles.

Central Health and disability advisors have visited all medical practitioners in the region with information

on welfare changes and how Work and Income now supports clients with ill health or disability. Advisors

are continuing to connect with midwifes, community mental health providers, social workers, pharmacists,

clinicians and primary health nurses.

Seasonal work opportunities for clients in the horticulture and viticulture sectors are a big focus for Work

and Income’s Labour Market team leading into summer.

Training courses to help people back into the workforce are available across the Central region. Funded

by Work and Income, the courses boost skills and confidence, help with CVs and interview skills. To learn

more call Work and Income on 0800 599 009 or talk to a case manager.

East Coast A memorandum of understanding now exists between Child, Youth and Family and

Te Runanga o Ngati Porou in Gisborne. It marks a formal partnership to protect and nurture Ngati Porou

tamariki and mokopuna.

Explaining welfare reform to social service, iwi and advocate groups and exploring new ways to work

together is a major focus in the East Coast region. More than 35 hui and presentations have been held

so far. In Flaxmere, 15 agencies got together with Work and Income, including Careers NZ, the Hastings

Budget Service, Te Whare Karamu Teen Parent House, Footsteps Early Childhood Education, Literacy

Aoteoroa and In-Work Support. Service Centre manager Mo Waiwiri said “The great thing was getting to

know each other and learning more about our roles and how we can better work together.”

Taranaki, King Country and Whanganui A new partnership between Training for You in Whanganui and Feats in Taranaki will help

more Work and Income clients move closer to work. Sixty-five clients are training towards the National

Certificate in Health Disability and Aged Support Level 3, leading to opportunities such as healthcare or

dental assistants, nursing or medical support, caregivers, therapist aides or community home support.

Whakatipuranga Rima Rau is a collaborative project in Taranaki to promote health and disability sector

careers for Mäori. Launched in 2010, it aims to fill 500 jobs over 10 years. Out of 57 students who have

been in the project’s Incubator Training Programme for two years, 19 are moving into further health studies.

All 13 Taranaki secondary schools are involved, with 185 new students entering the Incubator Programme

this year.

Taranaki, King Country,

Whanganui


Bay of Plenty

Waikato

Bay of Plenty Social Sector Trials have begun in Rotorua and Whakatane, joining established Trials which have

run in Tokoroa and Kawerau since 2011 with encouraging results. The Trials take a community-driven

approach to help young people do better. The aim is reduce youth offending, truancy and alcohol and

drug use, and increase numbers in education, training or work.

A Youth Symposium in June saw 60 people from local and central government developing a Youth Action

Plan to improve young people’s NCEA Level 2 results and reduce rheumatic fever rates, long-term welfare

dependency and youth offending. Learn more on the Collaboration Bay of Plenty website: www.cobop.govt.nz

Work and Income is continuing to connect with key stakeholders on the July welfare changes.

Learn more on www.msd.govt/about-msd-and-our-work/work-programmes/welfare-reform/index.html

Northland A trial Children’s Team is gearing up to begin work in Whangarei. Children’s Teams are a key part

of the Government’s Children’s Action Plan to get better results for vulnerable children, and reduce child abuse

and neglect. Child, Youth and Family is among agency and community-based professionals working with

Whangarei Children’s Director, Lianne Egli, to design the new collaborative service for at-risk kids.

The Te Hiku Social Accord is a partnership between the Crown and three Far North iwi – Ngai

Takoto, Te Aupouri and Te Rarawa. The goal is to boost social and economic development in the rohe.

The partnership is taking shape with monthly meetings and an avocado industry event in Kaitaia, which was

the first in a series of initiatives to boost work opportunities for locals.

Waikato Koroneihana – the celebration of the 2006 coronation of King Tüheitia – included an expo at

Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia. Child, Youth and Family and Work and Income spent three days

talking with visitors, discussing the new welfare reforms, and promoting positive parenting.

Youth Service providers in the Waikato are working intensively with 1,100 young people who are not in

employment, education or training, or who are receiving a Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment from

Work and Income. Youth Service was set up a year ago to support 16 to 17-year olds and 16 to 18-year-old

parents to remain in or return to education, training, or work-based learning. This service provides young people

with one-on-one mentoring and support to thrive in life and work.

Northland

Auckland Auckland Young people in the Limited Service Volunteer programme marched out this month in the fourth

of five courses at Hobsonville this year. The six-week residential programmes support young people into

work or training by improving self-discipline, confidence and motivation.

StudyLink is busy in secondary schools helping prospective tertiary students apply online for financial

assistance for 2014 study.

Nigel Kapa is the new Northern Regional Team Manager of the Ministry of Youth Development. Nigel

has been with MYD for 18 months as a Youth Development Advisor and was previously the Auckland City

Council’s youth worker co-ordinator.

National Social Workers Day on 25 September is a chance to celebrate the work of hundreds of social

workers who quietly make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people.


tips,links and news

Con t ac t R i se

Do you have suggestions, feedback or story ideas for Rise?

Please email us at [email protected]

R i se i n your i nbo x

Would you like us to email you a link when a new issue of Rise appears online?

Drop us a line at [email protected]

R ise for t he i PadRise is available as a digital iBook on your Apple iPad. As well as flicking through the magazine on-screen, you can access extra video and photo galleries, and interactive web links. Plus it will update itself whenever a new issue is available. Find it on the Apple iTunes App Store by searching for Rise magazine.

www.msd.govt.nz/rise

R i se on l i ne

Download past issues of Rise from the

Ministry of Social Development website.

Get the right person for the job with a made-to-measure Work and Income partnership.

At Work and Income’s Employer Services,

a win-win partnership with Downer finds

the workers that the business needs and

has given more than 120 Work and Income

clients a door into work.

Downer is a large provider of engineering

and infrastructure management services in

Australasia and the Asia Pacific region.

Work and Income and Downer have

developed a tailor-made partnership to

match, train and place Work and Income

clients into meaningful jobs.

It starts with a pre-employment

programme including unit standards,

driver licences, life skills training and an

introduction to Downer culture.

“We have the flexibility to select

candidates and commit only after our

two-week pre-employment training

programme shows us that they have the

right attitude and aptitude,” says Downer

Executive General Manager Chris Meade.

“Our offer rate has been over 90 per cent.

Our retention rate is also high.”

“Downer enjoys Work and Income’s

willingness to come up with new solutions

for new situations,” says Chris.

Since the Canterbury earthquakes, the

availability of skilled labour to support the

re-build has become a national priority.

Employers aren’t always able to find

workers with the right skills in the place

where they’re needed.

“When the potential candidate supply

in Christchurch ran dry, Work and Income

came up with candidates who were selected

and trained in other locations,” says Chris.

With a guaranteed offer of work,

relocation support and on-the-job

mentoring from Downer, all but one of the

recruits are in work.

“Together we are doing something

right!” says Chris.

l ear n mor ewww.workandincome.govt.nz/business/


Work with usA made-to-measure partnership with Work and Income’s Employer Services gives you the right people with the right skills for your job

Learn more www.workandincome.govt.nz/business

[email protected]

“With new solutions to meet our needs, our partnership has trained and placed over 120 unemployed people into meaningful roles. Together we are doing something right!”

Chris Meade | Downer

“With Work and Income, we’ve got a nationwide network dedicated to

finding and training the right people for our jobs.”

Graeme Ham Accor Hotels

“We’re very proud of the life-changing work we do with

young people, supported by Work and Income.”

Michael Barnett Auckland Chamber of Commerce

“Often, all people need is a break and they’ll be your

best employees.”

Graham Burke Workzone Scaffolds

rise issue 24

Documents

support people

good work

social sector trial

social sector professionals

issue of rise

te kiti story

private sector

te kuiti