Te Hiringa - Supported Accommodation Service
Te Hiringa came out of the Whare Oranga Ake and is a five-bedroom facility with a live-in Whare Matua (House Parent) and reintegration support.
The idea came from the challenge regarding a lack of suitable housing when tāne are released from prison; a challenge we saw where tāne were waiting between 12–18 months to access supported housing. The other trend we saw was that tāne were being released to unsuitable accommodation that was overcrowded, unsafe or placed the tāne at risk of being recalled to prison.
Te Hiringa has two areas of service delivery
The name Te Hiringa was gifted to us by one of our staff, Hōri Reti, and his explanation behind Te Hiringa is as follows:
It allows the time for reflection, protection and future preparation, planning and innovation to take place.”
Te Hiringa is a short to medium-term accommodation based on the five pou of Kahungunu Health Services:
- Te Pae Āhuru Mōwai – Safe and supported living environment
- Te Pae Whakapapa – Whānau are connected and healthy
- Te Pae Tiakitanga – Individuals are thriving in Te Ao hurihuri
- Te Pae Ōhanga – Employment / training opportunities are realised
- Te Pae Hononga – Restoring community connections for vibrant well-being
The whare has two housing support workers, and they are responsible for working alongside the tāne to help them and their whānau come up with a plan and to help them obtain sustainable housing once they leave Te Hiringa.
All potential tāne are vetted by a panel which is made up of the KHS community reintegration manager and members of the Department of Corrections managerial staff.
We assess the tāne for suitability and eligibility. A key part of this process is assessing how they will fit into the house and neighbourhood.