27 June 2023
Bail Support Services goes live in Southland and Otago
Bail Support Services (BSS) went live in Murihiku (Southland), and Ōtākou (Otago) on May 29 and 30 respectively, making it the seventh region in the country to implement the service.
Bail Support Services is an opt-in service that can be accessed when individuals apply for bail or EM Bail. Bail Support Services provides judges with relevant information required for them make informed decisions on bail applications.
Bail Support Officers work with defendants, their whānau, and their legal counsel to strengthen bail applications and identify any unmet social needs.
BSS National Manager Charmaine Roberts says the team of eight kaimahi (staff) across the two sites, which includes six Ara Poutama Aotearoa staff, and iwi partners Waihōpai Hauora in Murihiku and A3 Kaitiaki in Ōtākou, are excited to get stuck in and start supporting people who are moving through the justice system.
“The implementation of this service has been a massive effort from the BSS Programme and Operations teams. We would like to thank our iwi partners for their commitment to helping individuals and their whānau as they navigate the bail process,” Charmaine says.
BSS Operations Manager Claire Coom says the teams from both sites came together for the first time in late April to attend a Pōwhiri and Noho at Te Tomairangi Marae in Invercargill, with a focus on whakawhanaungatanga and building a solid team foundation.
“The teams have been working hard to get up to speed with BSS mahi by attending sessions on the foundations of BSS including our whakapapa, values and Kaupapa with our Learning and Development Team. A3 Kaitiaki also held valuable sessions on the Ara Poutama Strategy Hōkai Rangi and Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Claire says.
Lead Bail Support Officer for Murihiku and Ōtākou, Kelly Aitcheson, says the regions have been very receptive to the service coming, and she is excited to start doing the mahi.
“The buy-in of our stakeholders is vital to us running a successful service. We have held multiple hui with counsel, judiciary, police, prison kaimahi and other key agencies over the past few months, and it is really encouraging to see how enthusiastic they are about the service coming to the region.”
The BSS Programme team is now turning their focus to Manawatū/ Wairarapa and Taupō/Rotorua/Tokoroa services which are set to go live later in the year.
Curious about the role of a Bail Support Officer?
You can check out a story from the Public Sector Journal about their work here (see page 18):
https://lnkd.in/gfsEtMxr
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