The Support Victims Deserve: Why We’re Changing How We Work

By James McCulloch, Chief Executive, Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support

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If you’ve ever been shaken awake by bad news - a break-in, a violent incident, a tragedy touching someone you know - then you understand how suddenly life can change.
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Each year, thousands of New Zealanders experience that moment. Last year alone, over 50,000 people across the motu received support from Victim Support. Most never expected to need us - until the moment they did.
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We believe every person harmed by crime deserves access to free, confidential and practical support – a belief that began 38 years ago with one volunteer, and still drives our purpose today.
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Over the years, the number of victims and the complexity of their needs have grown exponentially, and the model we’ve used has become untenable. Demand for our services has increased by 37% since 2018. That is why we must continue to grow and refine our focus.

“We’re building a stronger, more sustainable service – one that reflects the changing world we live in, and the growing needs of those we support.”
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As of today, Victim Support has made two significant changes – the result of careful planning to ensure we continue delivering the best possible support to victims.
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We’ve moved to a fully staff-based model, and stepped back from providing suicide bereavement support, making space for specialist services to take the lead.
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Both decisions are focused on one goal: providing consistent, high-quality support to victims of crime across Aotearoa.

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We are immensely proud of our volunteer legacy. Volunteers have played an important role in helping us deliver frontline support, changing countless lives for the better. We are deeply grateful for their dedication, compassion and service.
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But the reality is that formal volunteering is declining nationwide. It has become increasingly difficult to sustain a volunteer programme at this scale.
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Today, over 85% of support is already delivered by our trained staff. By moving to a fully staff-based workforce, we’re increasing consistency and accountability – all key to supporting people in crisis. It also means we can reinvest in new frontline roles, boosting our reach in communities.

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“This isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what we do best – supporting victims of crime, and doing it well.”
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We have also made the deliberate decision not to renew our suicide postvention contract with Te Aka Whai Ora when it ends in June.
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We didn’t step into this space lightly when we helped fill this support gap, and we don’t step away from it lightly either. Our team has made a real difference supporting people bereaved by suicide.
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As specialist suicide postvention services grow and focus squarely on the distinct needs of suicide loss, we’re confident there are now providers better equipped to deliver support unique to suicide grief.
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That’s why we’re working closely with the new provider, Te Rau Ora, to ensure a smooth, compassionate transition. Anyone currently receiving suicide bereavement support from us will continue to be treated with care and manaakitanga during this change.

To be clear - this is not about doing less. It’s about focusing on what we do best, and continuing to evolve so victims of crime get the very best support.
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We offer support to anyone affected by crime or a traumatic event - whether they’ve reported it to Police or not. We’re there to provide emotional support, practical assistance and guidance through the justice process that follows. From Stewart Island to Kaitaia, we’re here 24/7.
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We’re building an even stronger, more sustainable service to manage demand. One that reflects the changing world we live in, and the growing needs of those we support.
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Our role is to make sure that when something goes wrong, the right support is there – timely, confidential and free of charge.
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That’s why we’re changing how we work. Not to scale back, but to serve communities like yours even better.

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