COMMUNITY SERVICE

Referrals from Child Youth and Family, Police Youth Aid and Youth Court are received. The setting up of an appropriate placement with a community provider for the Young Person is arranged and supported. Completed hours of work ordered through the Youth Justice system are recorded and Court reports are provided by YCD and follow up to ensure ongoing support is continued. Young people are assessed and offered ongoing support in a Case Management role.

STREET YOUTH WORK PROJECT

The Street Youth Work Project works with Young People who are at risk of or are sex working and are under the age of 18 years. This project has a case management component and works with a “Harm Minimisation” focus. We will encourage Young People identified as at risk to look at options for their future. Staff work on the street 3 nights per week and run a DropIn service, home visits where appropriate and promote sexual health checks with a sexual health specialist nurse on site at arranged times.

FRESH YOUTH EVENTS

YCD branded FRESH Events are designed to provide rangatahi from high deprivation areas of Christchurch active recreation opportunities in a safe, and welcoming environment, that minimises common participation barriers through the activity being free, local, well-timed, and co-designed to meet various needs. Furthermore, these events will be designed to acknowledge the young person as a whole, with wrap around services such as youth-workers being provided to ensure not only physical wellbeing is catered for, but emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing is too.

WHANAKETANGA

Ministry of Youth Development provides the funding to work with potential leaders of the future. YCD works in schools and community to encourage participation in culture, school, education, sport, arts through learning and leadership development. We will support Young People to plan and run events for other Young People or for Whanau, participate in activities such as Dragon Boating, Culture Groups and provide a mediation type role between Young People and whanau where appropriate improving communication between the generations.

WHAKATU-TIA NGA WERO (SYSC)

A course for Young People with a history of offending between the age of 15 and 18 years. This was a new initiative funded by the Ministry of Youth Development and came out of the Youth Offending Strategy.

The course has been running since February 2003 and provides Young People the opportunity to address the issues that may have led to the offending/behaviour. As of the 1 July 2009 this course is now funded by Oranga Tamariki.

The course content has an holistic approach, it is an opportunity to develop skills such as Cooking, numeracy, and literacy, first aid, driver’s license, Drug and Alcohol Education, Stopping Violence and physical/Sexual Health & wellbeing.  There are some trips away out of Christchurch tramping, Marae stays and team building. There are lots of experiences to be a part of on this course and we encourage full participation. 

There are limited places and referrals are through Social Worker or Police. Young People attend with a school exemption or under section 71 of the Education Act. There is no closed start date, and an interview will determine the appropriate individual plan for the Young Person.

TRANSITION TO INDEPENDANCE

Through Oranga Tamariki, YCD can now provide Youth Work support for Young People moving toward independence. We will work along side Oranaga Tamariki Transition team to provide the practical support to improve outcomes for Young people moving into independent living situations.

Too often it is the small things that stand in the way of Young people maintaining a safe, warm and appropriate living space such as a feeling of isolation and loneliness, lack of basic skills and confidence. we will be there for as long as it takes.

FAST TRACK

Initially launched in south and west Auckland late in 2022, the Fast Track protocol was developed by Oranga Tamariki and NZ Police to activate a community-led response to serious or persistent offending by children aged 10 to 13.

The Fast Track response will mean when a child is identified or apprehended by Police for offending behaviour, information will be shared with the appropriate personnel within 24 hours, with an agreed plan on how to deal with and support the young person confirmed in 48 hours.

In collaboration with Nga Maata Waka, YCD and Purapura Whetu are co-creating an innovative service model for a community-led response to serious or persistent offending by children aged 10 to 13.

The purpose of this mahi is improve the well-being and life course outcomes for Taiohi and their whānau through the provision of tailor-made support services.

The Kaimahi will take a whole whanau approach and aims to address factors that maybe influencing the offending behaviour.

CASE MANAGEMENT

Through the projects run at YCD Young People are case managed providing assessment of need and referrals to specific and appropriate agencies for things such as, Drug and Alcohol, Stopping Violence, Abuse and Grief Counselling, Whakapapa, Victim Support and Legal advice. Young People are also encouraged to reconnect with old interests such as Sport, the Arts, Cultural Groups, Church and other activities. All services offered at YCD are inline with the Youth Development Strategy, Youth Offending Strategy and the Youth Health Strategy.