Canterbury Police are excited to be launching a six-month pilot in partnership with He Waka Tapu and Integrated Safety Response, focused on engagement with family harm perpetrators in the Christchurch Central Custody Unit.
Under the pilot ‘Navigators’ from He Waka Tapu will work with family harm perpetrators both inside and outside of the custody environment, to address the causes of offending and reduce the incidence of family harm in our community.
The initiative is being run as part of the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilot – a multi-agency initiative to ensure the immediate safety of victims and children, and to work with perpetrators to prevent further violence.
“ISR takes a family and whānau centred approach, with the aim of integrating services to ensure that not only is immediate safety ensured, but families and whānau also receive the long-term support they need to prevent further harm,” says Ilene Te Whetu, Canterbury’s ISR Acting Director.
Under the pilot partnership with He Waka Tapu, a ‘Navigator’ will be available in the Christchurch Central Custody Unit as part of a perpetrator outreach service following a family harm episode. The Navigator will begin an engagement process with a view to developing an immediate safety plan as well as longer term engagement, intervention and planning.
He Waka Tapu has been active in the Canterbury community for more than 20 years, working with men to prevent family harm and build whānau wellbeing, alongside alcohol and drug education, harm reduction and health services.
“We are all about giving people hope, and helping them plant the right seed so they can see a future for themselves,” says He Waka Tapu founder Daryl Gregory.
“He Waka Tapu is fundamentally about helping people sail towards their destination and the vision they want to create – hence the use of ‘Navigator’ for the people we have working alongside our clientele.”
He Waka Tapu Chief Executive Officer Jackie Burrows adds “Being the difference for whanau is important having the ability to connect with whanau at a time that matters can be all that’s required to make a change and this is what we like about this partnership”.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been established between NZ Police and He Waka Tapu to provide continued oversight and monitoring of the six-month pilot.
“The use of Navigators is unique to this initiative and we’re excited to be able to partner with He Waka Tapu and Police to support family harm perpetrators in this way to mitigate the risk of further harm to our families and whänau,” says Ms Te Whetu.
“The engagement the Navigators’ can provide will be instrumental in connecting with the men entering the precinct, this will feed directly into Safety Assessment Meetings, which are a key plank in the multi-agency ISR pilot’s work with families and whänau to reduce harm.”
Canterbury Police Custodial Manager Inspector Peter Hegarty agrees, “This initiative is about taking every opportunity to improve the lives of our people, our communities and our loved ones.”
“It is targeted at the perpetrators of family harm and looks to initiate an intervention when the consequences of the harm are most apparent to the perpetrators - as they sit in the Police cell waiting for court but still clearly aware of what they have done to their partner, whanau, community.”
The pilot aims to enable people to take the first step to get help and solve the problem and will be made easier with the right people in the form of the He Waka Tapu ‘Navigators’ there to guide them.
Social Harm Manager, Acting Inspector Vicki Walker says the pilot will be instrumental in offering people a way out of the cycle of violence and building safer whanau.
“The pilots priority is to address causation, thereby enabling safer whanau and for police to deliver on our business alongside our partners”.
“We are excited about working with He Waka Tapu ‘Navigators’ in this way to increase connectivity with perpetrators utilising their skills and personal experiences to offer a way out of the cycle of offending” said Vicki.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre