The Corrections annual PRIDE awards are given to staff members who demonstrate the PRIDE values of professionalism, responsiveness, integrity, diversity, efficiency and effectiveness in everything they do.
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Wellington on February 26, Chief Executive Barry Matthews thanked the winners for their contribution towards creating an environment of excellence at Corrections.
“The winners are outstanding staff members. They are talented, hard-working and ethical, and their work goes beyond the call of duty,” he said.
Corrections Kaumatua Des Ripi drew an apt metaphor to describe the PRIDE winners from one of the waiata sung at the ceremony.
“The song is about an old bird that shared its feathers with a young bird to enable it to fly again – and that’s what PRIDE at Corrections is all about – sharing knowledge and empowering others,” he said.
This year there were four individual winners and one group award.
The group award went to the Whakatane Service Centre Māori Network for their excellent work in recruitment.
Attracting the right staff is a priority for Corrections, and the Network ran a phenomenally successful public wānanga (or information evening) to help local people navigate through the job application process.
The first wānanga attracted over 86 attendees and resulted in 19 high-quality job applications for positions as probation officers and community work supervisors. It was so successful that there was no need to advertise further.
Sheryl Overington was Chairperson of the Māori Network at the time and puts its success down to the face-to-face nature of the wānanga.
“When you’re looking at the application process at home it’s just you and the computer. We were missing out on excellent people because they were put off by the process,” she says.
Other service centres who need more staff now plan to use the wānanga idea as a model.
The other PRIDE award winners were:
Cherryl O’Byrne – Health Centre Manager, Waikeria Prison
Marty Rickard – Catering Manager, Christchurch Prison
George Hinaki – Corrections Officer, Rimutaka Prison
Karl Bethell – Service Manager, Waitakere Probation Service Centre/Community Work Centre
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ISSN 1178-8453