PĀNUI
NEWS
Service Spotlight: The Mandated Space
18 / 09 / 2025
When people hear the word “mandated,” they usually think of rules and court orders. At He Waka Tapu, we see it as something more, an opportunity for tāne and rangatahi who’ve been directed by the courts or probation to step into a kaupapa Māori space where change is possible, and where accountability sits alongside support, culture and healing.
Kaupapa driven mahi.
Our mandated space carries a wide range of programmes. Toi Ora and Te Whāriki Whakamana bring tāne together in group settings to confront violent behaviours and learn new ways of managing conflict. Riaka is also part of this kaupapa, with a strong court-directed focus, making sure accountability is front and centre. For those living rurally, Te Ara Whakamana offers remote delivery so distance doesn’t block anyone from being part of this mahi.
The kaupapa stretches beyond Ōtautahi too.
Mana Tū ki Hakatere is our non-violence programme for tāne in Ashburton, running weekly on Tuesdays at Ashburton Probation. By being out in the community, closer to where people live, we’re breaking down barriers to engagement and making sure support is accessible.
The mandated space is also about meeting people where they’re at. We run groups at probation centres, aligning session times with reporting schedules so whānau don’t have to choose between fulfilling probation requirements and attending a programme.
Breaking down barriers to change.
For our rangatahi, the mahi takes on a different shape. The programme for boys aged 13–17 blends culture, activity and wellbeing, waka ama, whakairo, gym, disc golf, fishing and breath work, all wrapped around kōrero that helps them understand behaviour, heal from trauma, and build healthier relationships.
Rangatahi also get tautoko through LSV camps, which run quarterly, and our own wānanga, held quarterly for all tāne in our non-violence programmes. The wānanga is holistic, deeply Māori-focused, and the only one of its kind in Christchurch, offering a unique space for tāne to ground themselves in tikanga while working through their journeys of change.
"New sentencing reforms are projected to add about 1,350 more people to the prison population, with resulting imprisonment rates potentially rising to 238–263 per 100,000 by 2035, surpassing even countries like Iran (228 per 100,000). "
- University of Canterbury Senior Lecturer Linda Mussell.
We’re active in Christchurch Women’s Prison too, ensuring that wahine inside are also able to access kaupapa that supports them to live free from violence.
Protection orders are part of our mahi as well, helping whaiora understand what they mean, how to use them to keep safe, and what their boundaries are, quite often it’s the lack of education in this space which can be a contributing factor to reoffending.
What’s powerful is that this mahi is working. Our metrics show more graduations, more tāne and rangatahi completing their programmes and walking away with stronger connections to themselves, their culture and their whānau. That’s the heart of the mandated space, not just compliance, but transformation. A chance for people to be held to account, while also being reminded of their mana and their potential to choose a different path forward.
At the end of the day, the Out of Gate team are more than navigators, they’re connectors, advocates, listeners, and sometimes just that one stable presence in a world full of uncertainty.
“It’s not about ticking boxes,” says Nikki. “It’s about being someone they can call, someone who shows up. And when you’ve got nothing else, that can mean everything.”
