(Back row) CPPS Service Manager and hui organiser Lisa Taitua, with facilitators from the Christchurch
Manawa Ora Manawa Toa programme, (back) Tane Keepa, (front) Rihari Karena and Hone Stevens.
Tikanga Maori programme providers committed to motivating offenders to make positive change joined together in Christchurch recently to network, discuss issues and plan for the year ahead.
The southern region hui, held in June, followed the successful northern and central region hui held earlier this year, and will occur annually from now on.
Programme providers from Wellington to Invercargill converged on Christchurch for the hui, each with a Te Roopu Rapu Aratika representative from the CPPS Southern Region Maori Network.
“We decided to bring everyone together to meet people relevant to providers from within the Department,” says George Nathan, Kaiwhakahaere for the Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast area.
“This was the perfect opportunity to tautoko one another, e nga iwi katoa.”
Each provider gave a presentation about what their programme involved, allowing others to gather information and take ideas back to their own courses.
“A lot of the tikanga programmes work independently and don’t have the time or the ability to network with others in their region,” says George. Workshops and presentations by CPPS representatives were well-received by attendees with topics including how to access the appropriate funding, the review processes for tikanga Maori programmes and changes in the sentencing structure and their potential effect on providers.
CPPS staff members were also keen to reinforce the help that they’re able to give the providers in their everyday work.
“We have ways and means to provide on-going support for the providers and we have a real interest in helping them through any issues they might confront,” says George.
The two-day hui was organised by Christchurch Service Manager Lisa Taitua, and facilitated by Neil Campbell, who is part of the Treaty relation team based out of Auckland.
It was well supported by CPPS senior management with Southern Regional Manager Paul Tomlinson, National Māori Advisor Lawrence Tawera and Treaty Relations Manager Charlie Tawhiao in agreement that the hui was a success.
With a great turn-out and excellent feedback from those involved, everyone’s looking forward to next year’s southern provider hui.