The Maori Language Commission redesigned Māori Language Week this year so that whether we are in lockdown or not, New Zealanders can come together to celebrate te reo Māori.

The Commission aimed to get one million people speaking, singing and celebrating te reo at the same time in an unprecedented Māori Language Moment at 12pm on Monday, and the team at PARS team joined in. Click below to see our video.

Ko PARS Tenei – Kia kaha te reo Maori!

What this means for PARS Inc – Auckland.

As an essential service provider, under Alert Level 3 PARS will continue to deliver the best and safest care to our clients while also protecting our employees. This means:

Essential front-line staff will be working from the office and can be contacted on 09 630 0862.

The remainder of PARS staff in Auckland will work remotely, and can also be reached via 09 630 0862.

The office will remain closed to the public.

General enquiries can be made via info@pars.co.nz.

Nau mai, piki mai, huihuia mai rā koutou ki te whakanui
i te haeatatanga o tētahi rā hou ki runga i Te Pā.

In early 2019, PARS embarked on what was to become an evolutionary journey; one that would see the unfolding of a way forward that strongly positions our organisation as a kaupapa Māori provider, honouring our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to our tangata and whānau.

Early discovery sessions with the PARS board and team led to the creation of our ecology of care, Te Pā Tūwatawata (Te Pā); the documenting of our determination  and dedication to creating a safe and secure environment for Māori to reassert rangatiratanga through the traditional practices of social justice – tikanga and mātauranga Māori.

Having defined our drivers and objectives, our collective vision became clear – PARS exists to provide a living, thriving ecology of care, that heals, restores and transforms our people. With a shared understanding of our objectives into the future, we reflected on how to best deliver on this vision. What followed was a year-long consultation focused on capturing the voices of our people; from the board table through every level of the operation, and externally, to ensure that PARS’ governing guidelines provided a strong foundation for success. The resultant suite of recommendations for changes to our constitution was approved by PARS’ members at our 2020 annual general meeting; fully supporting our commitment to working in accordance with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our core values of manaakitanga, wairuatanga, rangatiratanga, arohatanga, whakapapa and whanaungatanga.

The refreshed constitution recognises the distinctive indigenous rights of Māori as tangata whenua, and defines PARS’ culture of inclusiveness, unity and fairness, in which all individuals are valued, treated with dignity, and empowered to achieve their potential. This became the foundation upon which to develop a strategic plan that is based on a Mana Ōrite (shared respect and responsibility) framework. The strategy gives effect to our mission to whakakaha (strengthen and intensify) the cultural, social, economic and political imperatives of whānau – changing one generation at a time through establishing meaningful relationships and transformational partnerships that enhance the mana of our people, in an unrelenting pursuit of equal power, control and authority.

As each stage of the process has come to fruition the next has become clear, and with a robust future-proofed foundation and strategy now in place, we are excited to announce our next step.

From today, 20th May 2022, PARS Inc will officially launch “Te Pā” – a brand that encapsulates our vision, mission and values, and the promise to our people of intergenerational whānau transformation. Our team remain committed to service delivery excellence and our services will continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of our people.

We want to thank all who have been a part of this journey; our Board and team, our funders and  supporters, and most especially – the reason we are here – our tangata and whānau. We would especially like to acknowledge the influence of our tūpuna in the informing and unfolding of this journey.

Kia tupu, kia hua, kia pūāwai ai Te Pā ā muri nei!

Te Pā will grow, develop and flourish long into the future!

This week, the Spend My Super blog features PARS and our commitment to stemming the tide of intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.

TUI AH LOO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
25 JUNE 2020
Kiwi children living in poverty is an unacceptable reality, and the needs of our most vulnerable only become more-so during challenging and unprecedented times such as those in which we are currently living. However, while some of us are only experiencing real isolation, separation and lack for the first time, for many, this is their day-to-day reality. Isolated from services, isolated from support, isolated from nurturing and the innate human need for connection with others. If many felt a little ‘stir-crazy’ during lockdown, imagine what a lifetime of isolation in its many guises can do to us when we are denied our most basic needs.

Spend My Super charity partner PARS, People at Risk Solutions, is an NGO with over 140 years’ experience in delivery services within the justice system, and we are committed to making a long-term difference for the children and young people in Aotearoa. These times in which we find ourselves may be unprecedented, but the need for our services remains the same: Providing interventions that will positively impact the lives of New Zealanders for generations to come.

PARS works with at-risk youth and their whānau, to collectively heal the mamae (pain) caused by the many forms of disadvantage they have experienced. Our approach is based on our belief that we are the kaitiaki (caretakers) of the precious taonga (treasures) that are our children and young people. Our approach is holistic; addressing not just the need for food, clothing and shelter, but also the intergenerational poverty of the mind, the spirit, the body.

Today, we are focused on supporting those who are already in the pipeline of disadvantage, and into the future we aspire to diversify our services to help prevent young people from entering the pipeline in the first place – to forever improve the trajectory of the lives of our young people by prioritising the youth voice, youth justice and positive youth development principles.

The guiding principles of our Ecology of Care, Te Pā Tūwatawata (Te Pā), are underpinned by enhancing the mana of all we work with, and a key driver is to remove isolation. Te Pā is a space of support, whanaungatanga (connection and shared experiences), access to resources and a therapeutic environment that enables change, and the restoration and healing of intergenerational trauma.

With the support of our donors and stakeholders, the dedication of our team, and the hard work of our clients and their whānau, we are moving ever closer to our vision of a living, thriving ecology of care that heals, restores and transforms: All of us working together to provide Aotearoa’s children of today and tomorrow a fairer and brighter future.

PARS is delighted to announce the delivery of a new service for the Out of Gate (OOG) Reintegration Service and Remand Reintegration Programme, contracted by Ara Poutama – Department of Corrections. The service will support tangata (participants) who are serving a short sentence (under two years) and those on remand (for any length of time) with reintegration services aimed at assisting participants and their whānau through the transition from prison back into the community.

Te Hokinga Mai – Raki is an innovative solution inspired by our unrelenting pursuit to improve wellbeing for tangata (participants) and their whānau, and aligns with the future direction of Ara Poutama:

Kotahi ano te kaupapa; ko te oranga o te iwi.
Let there be one unifying purpose to your work; the wellness and well-being of the people.

Te Hokinga Mai literally means “to return home”, which encompasses our ethos of supporting tangata to return to their whānau and thrive following a period of incarceration. Raki refers to the Northern Region (Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau/Northland).

PARS will deliver Te Hokinga Mai – Raki in partnership with Ngāti Hine Health Trust, Kāhui Tū Kaha and ProCare. We have a history of working together and have agreed to pool our considerable resources to deliver OOG to the Northern region. Collectively we have been delivering services to New Zealanders for over 140 years, and we are all dedicated to improving the wellbeing of our tangata and whānau. We offer a vast range of core business services, which include existing corrections/justice system services (such as reintegration services across the five prisons in the Northern region), health, education, housing, employment, cultural wellbeing, and Whānau Ora services. PARS is proud to be the lead provider for the consortium and will work collaboratively on all aspects with our partners.

The name Te Hokinga Mai – Raki also reflects an important relationship we have with another provider consortium located in the Hawkes Bay/East Coast area, Te Hokinga Mai – Takitimu-Horouta, with whom we have agreed to mutually support participants and their whānau to return home between our geographic areas. This is one of several collaborative alliances or relationships PARS has with multiple stakeholders across Aotearoa.

At PARS we look forward to the challenges that will arise and the creative solutions that our consortium will develop as we strive to heal, restore and transform the lives of our tangata and their whānau through a kaupapa Māori approach.

E hara taku toa
I te toa takitahi
He toa takitini

My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

TUI AH LOO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PARS is pleased to share the formal evaluation of our PARS/Te Ira Rangatahi Service.

Originally established in 2015, PARS/Te Ira is a rangatahi-centred and whānau-inclusive service supporting rangatahi aged 12-24 years to reintegrate into their whānau and/or communities of choice, and specialises in enabling rangatahi to get out and stay out of the justice system. The model has evolved over the intervening years as we have reviewed and refined our offering to better meet the needs of our tangata (clients).

At PARS, our services are based on our belief that we are the kaitiaki (caretakers) of our future leaders, and PARS/Te Ira is one way in which we strive to actualise our call to action; Not one more generation of disadvantaged children and youth.

A comprehensive evaluation of PARS/Te Ira was carried out across an 18-month period from mid-2018 to December 2019. Evaluators, Shea Pita & Associates, gathered a range of quantitative and qualitative data to assess the service and applied a kaupapa Māori approach — a Māori way of being, thinking, and doing — to their process.

The evaluation revealed a significant number of strengths and successes, and as CEO I am proud of our team and the positive difference they are making in the lives of our rangatahi and their whānau. As noted in the evaluation: “PARS/Te Ira staff were consistently described as excellent at building relationships with clients, despite barriers including distrust of the system and cultural diversity”, and “…genuinely focussed on rehabilitation and good outcomes for the rangatahi they work with”.

I would also like to acknowledge the support of the legal sector and our tangata.

When the external participants were asked if they would recommend PARS/Te Ira to others, there was an overwhelming positive response.

“All the other Judges ask about PARS/Te Ira because… there is a huge need for it.”
— District Court Judge

“[PARS/Te Ira] has the backing of… the legal profession out here and you’ve got the judiciary supporting, the police prosecuting agencies… the crown are the same too.”
— Public defence lawyer

“I never really had any hopes or saw a future for myself, like a real future… I have goals now and things I want to work towards. Not just for myself, but for my kids’ future as well.”
— Female, 27

“Helped me to have confidence in myself and hold my head high… they’re awesome. They helped me learn how to find my way and not always look back, just keep moving forward.”
— Male, 19

We thank Shea Pita & Associates for their thorough evaluation, helpful insights and thoughtful suggestions for potential development opportunities. He mihi maioha kia koe e te Rangatira Sharon.

With the support of our stakeholders, the dedication of our team, and the hard work of our tangata and their whānau, we are moving ever closer to our vision of a living, thriving ecology of care that heals, restores and transforms our people.

We thank Shea Pita & Associates for their thorough evaluation, helpful insights and thoughtful suggestions for potential development opportunities. He mihi maioha kia koe e te Rangatira Sharon.

With the support of our stakeholders, the dedication of our team, and the hard work of our tangata and their whānau, we are moving ever closer to our vision of a living, thriving ecology of care that heals, restores and transforms our people.

TUI AH LOO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Recently Māori Television aired an episode of the excellent bilingual current affairs show, Marae, regarding the incarceration of women in Aotearoa New Zealand.

An appalling sixty-two percent of women in our correctional facilities are wāhine Māori.

When compared to the United States, Canada and Australia, Aotearoa has the highest rate of imprisonment of indigenous women, and the majority of these wāhine are aged between 16 and 29.

These facts are an indictment of our society and not something the tīpuna (ancestors) of these wāhine would want for their mokopuna! No child born in Aotearoa is born to fail; all children are born with the utmost potential. And yet in Aotearoa we are failing Māori, especially our wāhine, the very foundation of our whānau and communities.

While this reality doesn’t surprise me, it still fills me with dismay. As wāhine Māori myself, it has gone straight to my heart, where it sits as a leaden and ever-present weight. A reminder that we must do better by our rangatahi, our wāhine, and Māori.

Generally, the data presents a grim picture of Māori in the justice system. As Dame Sian Elias was quoted as saying when she was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, “Māori imprisonment rates are a calamitous state of affairs for the health of our society.” (Hōkai Rangi, Department of Corrections (2019), p.8).  In 2012, McIntosh and Radojkovic interviewed wāhine Māori in prison, aged 16-25 years. Their research hypothesised that intergenerational transfer of social inequalities had normalised harm and prison. This meant that for some, a prison pathway was becoming accepted as the norm and just a “part of life”. The research also suggested that gender-based solutions would be required to combat intergenerational inequalities and the normalisation of negative expectations.

We all know that the issues are complex with myriad contributing factors, but complexity is no just cause for inaction. We simply cannot assign human beings to the too-hard basket! In a world where equity is on more agendas than ever and great minds are debating the issues, we already know that a kaupapa Māori model of self determination with appropriate support works! At PARS we are recognised as having a niche role in working with at-risk clients in the justice system with our vision of creating and providing an environment that shifts the emphasis from service and programme delivery for tangata (clients), to providing a space and place for restoration and healing of intergenerational trauma and mamae (pain).

Aotearoa has a global reputation for being a strong, united, deeply caring nation, and PARS’ goals support those values. In disrupting the pipeline to prison for wahine, we will all undoubtedly face many challenges and will need to come at the issues from many angles. But without society’s focused attention on intergenerational disadvantage, this issue will inevitably drop from sight until the next time the spotlight is turned onto it. Let us make sure this is not the case! PARS will continue working hard for wahine entering the justice system and will not stop until the tide has turned and today’s young wāhine Māori can become tomorrow’s resilient, strong, proud wahine toa.

Watch the video here

Today we want to acknowledge May Mackey, devoted champion for people in prison for most of her adult life. Mā, as she is affectionately known by all who are fortunate enough to know her, turned 100 years of age on the 12th of May. Proud mum of five and great-grandmother of more than 50 children, Mā is still going strong! A woman of great Christian faith, she dedicated her life to helping others; first as matron of Māori girls’ hostels, then as a prison visitor in the Department of Corrections’ Kaiwhakamana kaumātua volunteer programme, which she continued until the incredible age of 93. Her mahi was recognised with the awarding of a Queen’s Service Medal at age 98 for her “compassion and aroha and prayer support without judgment” to people in prison.

Always gracious, Mā takes no credit for her years of dedication. In her own words, “The significance of a person is not in themselves. It’s in whom they represent.” Mā, you inspire us to be better people. Congratulations on your 100th birthday!

On behalf of the  PARS Inc Board, our CEO Tui Ah Loo, our staff and many volunteers, we would like to say thank you for being there for us. You are dearly loved by us all.

Nō reira, tēnā koe e te Māreikura