OUR SERVICES

NUMA has innovated Whānau Ora services by developing a forward-thinking data capturing software service called, ‘Whānau Tahi’. The benefit of this innovation is it allows a more responsive and customised approach to delivering on demand services to our whānau.

We partner regularly with central Government Agencies including the Ministries of Health, Justice, Māori Development and Education.

Our connection to Māori and whānau is through our flaxroots services including education through; Kura, broadcasting via radio and television, kanohi ki te kanohi with Whānau Ora programmes and many other impactful initiatives.

NUMA and Whānau Ora

Whānau Ora in the North Island is funded by Te Pou Matakana – a NUMA initiative. It’s supported by Te Puni Kokiri with Government backing by the Ministries of Finance, Health and Social Development, and Housing.

By placing whānau at the heart of all service delivery, the Whānau Ora approach is an empowering process determined by each whānau to resolve issues, build skill-sets and strengthen relationships according to their own specific circumstances.

Whānau Ora is about partnering with whānau to be resourceful, resilient, and self-nurturing and the consequence creates happy, healthy lives. A whānau that has economic security and the ability to create its own wealth is a whānau that participates fully in society and develops its own solutions to successfully deal with life’s challenges.

Whānau Ora shifts the focus from individuals to collectives, from sectoral interventions to inter-sectoral collaboration, from crisis intervention to capability building and from process indicators to measures of outcome.

Whānau Ora is a journey, not a destination, and is unique for all whānau. At all times Whānau Ora Kaimahi walk the journey alongside whānau supporting and guiding appropriately and responsively. The achievement of Whānau Ora is the recognition that Māori must be able to live, act and associate as Māori. The initiative has both tangible solutions to immediate issues, as well as long term strategies to resolve complex entrenched problems.

NUMA and Restorative Justice

NUMA is one of the country’s leading provider of Restorative Justice Services serving programmes throughout the northern region. Restorative justice is a transformative process for resolving crime that focuses on redressing the harm experienced through restorative dialogue about a change in behaviour through holding the offender to account for what they have done.

The process involves all parties affected gathering together for a kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face) meeting called a restorative justice conference. This allows all whānau present to acknowledge the harm that has been caused. It’s an opportunity for whānau – in a controlled environment – to explain to the offender how the crime has impacted on their life.

Research shows that restorative justice can be very beneficial and can help with the often lengthy and painful process of moving forward after experiencing a crime. There is no standardised process to outline how the conference should run but the intention is that the offender takes responsibility for their actions, apologises and makes amends.

The conference may conclude with the two parties discussing if there is anything the offender can do to work towards putting things right.

The 2011 Ministry of Justice Restorative Justice Victim Satisfaction Survey found that a large majority of whānau felt the restorative justice conference had been of benefit to them: 77 percent were satisfied with the overall experience of restorative justice; 74 percent felt better after participating in the process; and 80 percent would recommend restorative justice to others in a similar situation.

Often an agreement will be drafted after the conference. This agreement lists the actions or activities the offender has agreed to complete in order to take responsibility, including any action the offender will undertake to address the underlying causes for his or her inappropriate behaviour.

Whānau Ora services are often employed at Restorative Justice conferences particularly if health, financial or even kai (food) is critical for victim healing. Often, the offender requires and receives Whānau Ora services as well.

NUMA Reintegration Services: Out of Gate Services

NUMA are specialists in Kaupapa Māori Services. NUMA affiliated members have worked with whānau leaving prison for over three decades. Our Kaiarahi are experienced in dealing with issues that need immediate care I.e. accessing accommodation, processing documentation for identification, and contacting whānau.

The negotiation skills of Kaiarahi with WINZ, Corrections and Probation Officers to Police produce positive results so whānau can get on with reintegration and rebuild their lives.

The values and principles employed by the Out of Gate team are based on manaakitanga, tautoko and awhinatanga. These traditions also shape the way Kaiarahi work with all whānau. Before release, after they are out of the gates and back into the community.

NUMA Kaiarahi travel the journey of reintegration. NUMA has also established short term accommodation called Whare Manaaki based in South Auckland.The Whānau Ora team is also available to the extended whānau.