Kaupapa Māori Practitioner - Christchurch Women's Prison

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• New position, exciting time to be part of the Māori Pathways Programme
• Based onsite at Christchurch Women's Prison
• Show us your ability to converse in Te Reo Māori now!  

'Kotahi anō te kaupapa, ko te oranga o te iwi' - ‘There is only one purpose to our work:  the wellness and wellbeing of our people.'

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is recognised as an international leader in the field of rehabilitation and are committed to providing high quality psychological approaches to the people in our care.  Humanising and healing are one of the key principles of Hōkai Rangi, our over-arching strategic direction.

As part of Hōkai Rangi, we are committed to addressing the over-representation of Māori in our care and recognise the importance of working alongside Māori to change this.  Guided by the Braided Rivers Approach (He Awa Whiria), this role will support the blending of both western approaches and Te Ao Māori into our practice and programmes.

Ngā kawenga | About the role

The Special Treatment Unit (STU) expansion is part of the overall Māori Pathways programme and includes the development of a service specifically for women in Canterbury. This service will aim to deliver services that represent a blend of Te Ao Māori and more western approaches.  Part of the Special Treatment Unit (STU) expansion is the establishment of these roles in each of our STU's across the motu, including at Christchurch Women's Prison.

A key focus for this role will be to work with the women using our services to support them to connect with their culture and to strengthen the cultural protocols and initiatives within the prison, working alongside therapy and custodial staff as well as local iwi and another important departmental initiative Te Mana Wāhine.

You will collaborate with all other cultural support positions (on site/regionally) to help with smooth transitions across the site and seamless services for people in our care.

He kōrero mōu | About you 

You will have a passion for working with the people in our care, enjoy building relationships, and being able to work independently or as a member of a close-knit team.  It is necessary to have an established awareness of tikanga and knowledge of Te Ao Māori, as well as the ability to converse in Te Reo Māori.

You will use a Te Ao Māori lens to your approach, be active in the wider community, have knowledge and comprehension of current Māori Models of Health and be able to relate well to iwi.

Knowledge and experience within Corrections or Social Service is preferred as is a suitable tertiary qualification.

Some of your key accountabilities will include:

• Promotion of Te Ao Māori within the service
• Support the weaving of Te Ao Māori and psychological approaches within the programmes and service
• Develop and support staff to understand Te Ao Māori healing processes, knowledge and cultural protocols towards embedding these into the practices, processes and policies
• Early and continuous whānau involvement in their rehabilitation and reintegration
• Expanding opportunities to engage with Te Ao Māori such as Te Reo, tikanga, kapa haka and whakairo
• Engaging external partnerships with iwi, Māori organisations, community agencies or individuals where support is required
• Support the strengthening and sense of identity and belonging of the people in our care through policy design and support
• Identifying opportunities to support engagement and partnering with Iwi
• Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role

Utu ā-tau | Salary

The mid point of the salary range is $96,007 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $81,606 - $115,209 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Ko wai mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu.

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy - Hōkai Rangi (https://corr.nz/hr).

It is an exciting time to join us, and we continue to seek out talented individuals who are committed to an inclusive, vibrant workplace. We recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, and that of the collective talent in our whānau. 

We welcome applications from disabled and neurodiverse communities, all cultures, faiths, and Rainbow communities, as we appreciate the richness of experience that diversity brings to our organisation. We strive to make our recruitment process fair and inclusive, and we encourage applicants to discuss reasonable accommodation with us if required at southernrecruitment@corrections.govt.nz.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

If you have any questions please contact:  southernrecruitment@corrections.govt.nz

To view the job description, click 'apply' and you will be taken through to our careers site, where you can view this.

To apply, please submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success - we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values. 

Applications close on: Friday, 31st January 2025

All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency. Applications received via email will not be considered. 

If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz or email our team at  southernrecruitment@corrections.govt.nz