Whanau Liason Worker Profile

What is a Whanau Liaison Worker?

The Whanau Liaison Worker is responsible for the development of support processes that assists the well-being, rehabilitation and effective reintegration of prisoners in Māori Focus Units and Northland Region Corrections Facility through facilitation and liaison with whanau, hapu and iwi.

What is the role of a Whanau Liaison Worker?

A Whanau Liaison Worker aims to strengthen relationships between prisoners and their whanau, hapu, iwi and community agencies. This includes assisting whanau of prisoners to understand the programmes and activities prisoners are engaging in so that they can better support the prisoner and help prepare for their release.

Using a Tikanga Maori approach, Whanau Liaison Workers provide the following support to prisoners:

• working directly with the prisoner's whanau, by putting in place strategies to resolve or manage identified reintegrative issues;
• assistance in achieving rehabilitation and reintegration goals;
• building or strengthening relationships between prisoners and their whanau, hapu, iwi and community agencies, to assist in their reintegration;
• liaising with whanau, hapu, iwi and community agencies on a prisoner's behalf;
• facilitating whanau hui (family group meetings) for prisoners; and
• providing support to prisoners when they undertake treatment programmes.

How do prisoners access this service?

Prisoners can access the service of a Whanau Liaison Worker if they are located in a Maori Focus Unit or the Northland Region Corrections Facility.

Where are Whanau Liaison Workers located?

Whanau Liaison Workers form part of the prison-based Regional Reintegration Teams. These teams are made up of Whanau Liaison Workers, Social Workers, Reintegration Case Workers and Reintegration Team Leaders.

Whanau Liaison Workers are based at the Northland Region Corrections Facility and at the Maori Focus Units in Waikeria, Tongariro/Rangipo, Hawkes Bay, Wanganui and Rimutaka prisons.

Locations 

Northern Regional Reintegration Team:

Services – Auckland Prison, Mt Eden Prison, Auckland Central Remand Prison, Northland Regional Corrections Facility, Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility.

Waikato/Central Regional Reintegration Team:

Services - Waikeria Prison, Tongariro/Rangipo Prison, Spring Hill Corrections Facility

Midland Regional Reintegration Team:

Services - Hawkes Bay Prison, New Plymouth Prison, Wanganui Prison and Manawatu Prison.

Wellington Regional Reintegration Team:

Services - Rimutaka Prison, Arohata Prison and Wellington Prison.

South Island Regional Reintegration Team:

Services - Christchurch Men’s Prison, Christchurch Women’s Prison, Rolleston Prison, Invercargill Prison and Otago Corrections Facility.