Selecting and Assessing Potential Agencies

Introduction

This topic covers information for recruiting and a checklist of questions for assessing agencies.

Recruiting potential agencies

Contact should be made with agencies that may potentially be suitable, or express an interest in taking offenders on placement.

Each agency, if interested, should be given information about the CW sentence and be assessed as a possible placement provider.

Agencies need be aware of the following:

• tools, equipment etc required for the task(s) to be undertaken by offenders will have to be provided by the agency
• sponsoring offenders on CW is completely voluntary, and
• no payment can be provided by Department of Corrections for the supervision of the offenders.

Note: There is a small amount of funding to enable CPPS to contribute towards agency costs if this will help increase their ability to accept placements. For further information see this chapter, CWA funding.

Assessing potential agencies

The following pages outline the questions to ask and areas to consider when assessing a potential agency. Each area is listed below.

• Nature of the work and supervision available
• Practical considerations
• Agency’s policies
• Agency’s ability and preparedness to fulfil the necessary obligations to CPPS
• Any special considerations, such as risk of offender contact with elderly, children or disabled persons.

Nature of work and supervision

Checklist of questions to ask:

• Does the agency meet the criteria contained in section 63 of the Sentencing Act 2002?
• Is the work available suitable?
• Does the agency have suitably qualified persons available to supervise offenders undertaking CW through their agency?
• What potential does the placement have for an offender to learn new work skills?

Practical considerations

Checklist of questions to ask:

• What is the agency's availability? (Consider number of placements, number of days/hours available.)
• Is the agency's location accessible, and what is their surrounding population?
• Does the agency have phone access?
• Are there any health and safety issues in relation to the type of work offered?
• Are first aid facilities available?
• Does the agency have sufficient equipment (including safety equipment) and/or tools available for the type of work to be undertaken?
• Are there sufficient provisions available to the offender, such as toilets, water, safety equipment and shelter?
• Are there provisions for work in wet weather?

Agency policies

Checklist of questions to ask:

• Does the agency have a harassment and complaints policy in place?
• What are the agency's policies regarding out-of-bounds areas, smoking and ACC?
• Does the agency have any restrictions on the type of offender?

Consider such things as:

Obligations to CPPS

Is the agency prepared to fulfill their obligations to the sentence, such as:

• filling out offender attendance records on a daily basis
• returning attendance records weekly
• providing access for CPPS staff to offenders
• reporting absences and non-compliance (such as lateness, failing to report, unscheduled departure and incidents) to CPPS staff as they occur, and
• undertaking an annual review
• providing accurate information when applying for CW agency funding.

Additional considerations

In relation to the type of work being offered, consider the following:

• Opportunities may be offered for reintegration of an offender into a community, for example, a marae or church.
• A desirable by-product of the sentence of CW is that participation in an agency work environment will assist offenders in developing skills and work habits that will prove of use after the termination of the sentence.
• Work through CWA placement must be undertaken with or through an agency. An agency is a formal body – individuals (including the elderly and disabled) are not classed as an agency. It is acceptable if the organisation works as an agent for individual old or infirm people.