Get Safe seeks ideas and help to keep its services operating

March 4th, 2011
[by David Armstrong]

Get Safe Motueka has been unable to recruit a suitable manager since October 2010, and has only an interim Board. It used Wednesday's Community Whanau meeting to ask for help and ideas on how its vital service in violence prevention can continue operating.

The only remaining Board member and interim chair, Marian Lyders, and interim Board member Renee Alleyne addressed the largest ever Community Whanau meeting (34 attending), setting out the recent history of the agency, the crisis it is facing, and the options being considered to retain the service, and heard suggestions from several attending.

Get Safe Motueka has been working in the area of delivering education, support and counselling to individuals and groups that ultimately benefit children and the wider family/whanau in Motueka, Mapua, Tapawera and the surrounding district since 1992.

Get Safe had four Board members up until September 2010, at which time three members had to resign due to significant problems in their own personal circumstances. Their building was also seen to be unfit for use due to recent flooding in the town. Shortly afterward, the general manager also had to leave for Australia for personal reasons.

An interim Board was assembled to try to hold the operation together until a new team could be assembled. They advertised twice for a new general manager but no suitable applications were received, and discussions on Wednesday suggested this could have been due in part to there not being a cohesive governance structure (Board) in place.

The interim board arranged for a few people who were very familiar with the work of Get Safe to help with advice and planning, and to look at options to take the agency into the future. They decided to take their dilemma to the Community Whanau for "community consultation".

Marion said Get Safe's finances are "strong", but it was acknowledged that this would be the case only until current CYF contracts run out in the middle of this year and if they are not renewed then this could be a different story.

The two options that the advisory group put forward are:

To create or find a healthy governance board that can lead Get Safe into a strong future
To explore an alternative way of administering Get Safe services to Motueka

Option 2, it was agreed, could involve the services coming under the governance umbrella of another existing social services agency in Motueka - a kind of merging of governance while still providing a distinct and targeting service.

Those interested in helping with solutions were invited to a "strategic planning" meeting at the Community House on March 23rd, to put forward their opinions and suggestions.

Answering questions, Marion said Get Safe ideally needed six Board members, and that they should serve for at least two years and not all retire at the same time, so continuity could be achieved.

Get Safe staff present at the meeting said they were all happy in their work, but they would like to see "board issues" sorted out. They said the working team is "strong".

A representative of Child, Youth and Family (CYF) said that although there were serious issues to be addressed mainly regarding inadequate premises, it is "critical that Get Safe continues in Motueka".

Further background:

Get Safe is the only agency in Motueka that has provided a range of violence-related services to make families, women and children safer in our community. Get Safe has the proven experience and expertise to provide a collaborative and coordinated response to family violence. Individuals and families in the community are provided with the support network and the skills to build healthier relationships and deal with conflict more effectively.

The core business of Get Safe is to work with men and women who are either perpetrators or victims of family violence. Get Safe also supports at risk youth in the Motueka area. Funding from these services is contracted through the Ministry of Justice, Community Probation Services and CYF. The contracts are regularly audited for their quality of services, evidence of their success, financial and legal accountabilities throughout the organisation. Funding for current contracts is secured until 30 June 2011.

In the last financial year it was anticipated that Get Safe services would directly affect over 600 individuals in the Motueka district through the support, education and counselling services provided by the 8 part time staff employed by Get Safe. There has been a 25% increase in demand for Get Safe services in the district over the recent year.

Currently the structure consists of Stopping Violence programme providers, two counsellors, a family/whanau worker who also provides education programmes for women, a youth worker, a Coordinator of services (who also is the acting manager). Financial management is contracted out to School Support Services.

Comment by Linda Glew (Facilitator and supporter of Get Safe):
[Posted 9 March 2011]

There was a huge response to Get Safe's invitation to the community to attend the presentation of the organisation's dilemma. Thank you to all of you for your participation - the Board and staff were heartened by your interest and support.

It is important to clarify a couple of points made in the presentation through the input of the CYF representative, Helen White:

For any agency to take over the provision of Get Safe services there is the need for CYF and Ministry of Justice to go through an approvals process. This is not a simple process to go through for agencies. I think Helen White made this clear at the meeting.

The other point I would like to make is that the remedial matters Helen referred to at the meeting have been resolved and there are no outstanding matters - what has not happened yet is confirmation of these resolutions in writing to the CYF auditor. There is no Building WOF required, and systems are in place for client confidentiality.

It is also important for those present at the meeting to know that progress has been made on locating another venue for continuing to provide services within Motueka.

Staff, Board and Get Safe supporters are committed to continuing services that reduce violence to women, children and families in the Motueka area. We hope that the meeting on 23rd March will provide a way forward in ensuring our community's needs are being met through the specialist services of Get Safe.

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