Residential Services
Fact sheet: May 2009
Our goal
Residential Services provide a safe environment where we can meet the needs of
our most challenging and vulnerable young people. Our ultimate goal is to provide
children and young people who come into our care with the best possible
opportunities to turn their lives around.
To help us achieve this we provide;

A safe and secure environment for children and young people

An integrated service plan to address health and educational needs

Evidence based programmes to stabilise and address behaviour including
reducing re-offending

Programmes to enhance knowledge, skills and identity

A comprehensive plan to transition them successfully back to education,
training and employment opportunities; and to a permanent stable living
arrangement.
Admission to a residence
All requests for admission are received from Child, Youth and Family (CYF) site
social workers. Referrals for admission to care and protection and youth justice
residences are coordinated in national office by the residential services advisory
team.
Criteria for youth justice admissions
Young people in youth justice residences tend to be between 14 and 17 years of age
and are subject to an order of the Youth Court. These orders are Arrest (s235),
Remand (s238 1(d)) and Supervision with Residence (s311) under the Children,
Young Persons and Their Families Act (1989).
There are also provisions under the Criminal Justice Act (1985) for young people on
remand, or serving a sentence to be referred to a residential placement.
Criteria for care and protection admissions
All children and young people admitted to care and protection residences have a
legal status which places them in the custody of the Chief Executive of the Ministry of
Social Development. In addition, if their behaviour is such that they are placing
themselves or others at risk and there is no viable community placement available.
In general children and young persons in care and protection residential care are
younger than those in youth justice residences.
What happens in a residence?
Upon admittance to a residence a needs and risk assessment is undertaken if not
already available for the young person for their social, health and educational
development.
Children and young people attend school in residences and are provided with a
range of programmes to meet their individual needs including; understanding the
residential environment, vocational training, reducing re-offending, life skills, cultural
identity and a range of sporting activities.
The residence works with the young person, their field social worker and
family/whānau throughout their stay to plan for their transition back to the community
when the placement is completed.
Youth justice residences*
Residence
Location
Number of beds
Korowai Manaaki
Manukau, South Auckland
40 plus six Criminal
Justice Beds
Te Puna Wai O Tuhinapo
Rolleston, Christchurch
40
Lower North Youth Justice
Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North 30
* Korowai Manaaki provides up to six beds for young persons sentenced under the
Criminal Justice Act who are transferred by agreement to CYF because they are
considered at the time to be too vulnerable to be in the youth wing of a prison.
Care and protection residences*
Residence
Location
Number of beds
Whakatakapokai
Manurewa, South Auckland
20
Epuni
SCDU
Lower Hutt, Wellington
10
10
Te Oranga
Shirley, Christchurch
10
Puketai
Andersons Bay, Dunedin
8
* The sexual offenders programme Te Poutama Arahi Rangitahi in Christchurch (12
beds) is managed by Barnardos.
Further information
The following pages outline some useful information that is specific to each of our
youth justice and care and protection residences.
Care and Protection Residences
Epuni
Epuni is located at 441 Riverside Drive (North end), Lower Hutt, Wellington. The
residence manager is supported by a team of 25 full time staff providing 24 hour
care.
Epuni is one of four Child, Youth and Family (CYF) care and protection residences in
New Zealand. Epuni caters for children and young people aged 10 – 16 years of
age. The residence operates two independent facilities; the care and protection unit
and the severe conduct disorder unit.
Care & protection residence
This is a 10 bed mixed gender residence providing planned placements for
approximately three months. Residential social workers are assigned to a young
person on admission to provide individual care plans to meet their needs. The young
people are also supported by residential social work supervisors and residential
youth workers. The team deliver programmes to meet individual care plan and
treatment objectives.
The severe conduct disorder unit (SCDU)
Opened in 2004, the SCDU programme is a joint venture with Youth Horizons Trust.
The programme provides a 10 bed specialist therapeutic unit and a four bed (step
down) family home. The programme delivered by the SCDU is delivered from and
forms a part of Epuni residence. The SCDU programme is only available to children
and young people from the Lower North Island region.
The programme operates in line with kaupapa Maori and western/tauiwi youth
focused frameworks. The service aims to deliver and further develop evidence
based treatment interventions for young people experiencing severe conduct
disorder and co-existing mental health difficulty.
Whakatakapokai
This residence is one of four Child, Youth and Family (CYF) care and protection
residences in New Zealand and is located at 400 Weymouth Road, Clendon Town,
Manurewa. The residence manager is supported by 44 full time staff providing 24
hour care.
About the residence:
Whakatakapokai is a 20 bed mixed gender residence, which was opened in July
2006. Whakatakapokai caters for children and young people aged 10 – 16 years.
Residential social workers are assigned to a young person on admission to provide
individual care plans to meet their needs. The young people are also supported by
residential social work supervisors and residential youth workers. The team deliver
programmes to meet individual care plan and treatment objectives.
Puketai
This residence is one of four Child, Youth and Family (CYF) care and protection
residences in New Zealand and is located at 40 Elliot Street, Andersons Bay,
Dunedin and sited within an urban housing area. The acting residence manager is
supported by 17 full time staff providing 24 hour care.
About the residence
Puketai is an 8 bed mixed gender residence that receives young people from across
New Zealand and caters for children and young people aged 10 – 16 years.
Residential social workers are assigned to a young person on admission to provide
individual care plans to meet their needs. The young people are also supported by
residential social work supervisors and residential youth workers. The team deliver
programmes to meet individual care plan and treatment objectives.
Te Oranga
This residence was opened in October 2005 and is one of four Child, Youth and
Family (CYF) care and protection residences in New Zealand; it is located at 60
Horseshoe Lake Road, Shirley, Christchurch. The residence manager is supported
by 26 full time staff providing 24 hour care.
About the residence
Te Oranga is a 10 bed mixed gender residence with a two bed secure unit that
receives young people from across New Zealand and caters for children and young
people aged 10 – 16 years.
Residential social workers are assigned to a young person on admission to provide
individual care plans to meet their needs. The young people are also supported by
residential social work supervisors and residential youth workers. The team deliver
programmes to meet individual care plan and treatment objectives.
Youth Justice Residences
Korowai Manaaki
Korowai Manaaki is located at 24 Kiwi Tamaki Road, Wiri, off Roscommon Road in a
light industrial area close to the Wiri Mountain. The residence manager is supported
by a team of 123 full time staff providing 24 hour care.
Korowai Manaaki is one of three Child, Youth and Family (CYF) youth justice
residences in New Zealand and operates in the central region for young people aged
14 to 16 years of age.
About the residence
This residence is a 46 bed unit and has an additional six beds specifically designated
as criminal justice beds for young offenders who have been sentenced to
imprisonment. The admission process into those beds is undertaken by the
Department of Corrections prison service and is assessed on the basis of age,
vulnerability and risk in a prison environment. If available these beds are used for
Youth Justice purposes.
Residential social workers are assigned to a young person on admission to provide
individual care plans to meet their needs. The young people are also supported by
residential social work supervisors and residential youth workers. The team deliver
programmes to meet individual care plan and treatment objectives.
Lower North Youth Justice
The Lower North site opened in 1999 and is located at 19 Mohaka Place, Kelvin
Grove, Palmerston North; this is a light industrial zoned area. The residence
manager is supported by 82 full time staff providing 24 hour care.
This site is one of three Child, Youth and Family (CYF) youth justice residences in
New Zealand and operates in the central region for young people aged 14 to 17
years of age.
About the residence
This residence is a 30 bed male only residence and receives young people from all
over the country.
Residential social workers are assigned to a young person on admission to provide
individual care plans to meet their needs. The young people are also supported by
residential social work supervisors and residential youth workers. The team deliver
programmes to meet individual care plan and treatment objectives.
Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo
The residence is located in Runners Road, Rolleston, Christchurch, this is a rural
area. The residence manager is supported by 98 full time staff providing 24 hour
care.
Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo is one of three Child, Youth and Family (CYF) youth justice
residences in New Zealand and operates in the central region for young people aged
14 to 16 years of age.
About the residence
Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo is a 40 bed mixed gender residence operating as four 10
bed units with a 7 bed secure unit. The residence principally caters for South Island
youth although up to 40% of residents are from the North Island.
Residential social workers are assigned to a young person on admission to provide
individual care plans to meet their needs. The young people are also supported by
residential social work supervisors and residential youth workers. The team deliver
programmes to meet individual care plan and treatment objectives.