The government planned to redirect $1.7 million from various contracts with sexual abuse services from January.
Photo: Supplied/123RF
Sexual abuse support services facing cuts in the new year have been given an extra six months, but are being told not to expect any more than that.
The government planned to redirect $1.7 million from various contracts with sexual abuse services from January.
That included a long-running contract with HELP Auckland, worth about $380,000 a year, to provide long-term counselling for survivors of sexual abuse that weren’t eligible for ACC coverage.
But the Ministry of Social Development this weekend revealed it had extended the contracts.
“We informed providers on Friday that contracts had been extended until June 2026,” MSD spokesperson Mark Henderson said.
Kathryn McPhillips, the executive director of HELP Auckland, said she was informed about the extension late Friday afternoon.
“It’s wonderful, but we did get that email late or mid-afternoon on Friday. Luckily we hadn’t let staff go, or we would’ve been needing to frantically re-employ,” she said.
“We’ve been talking to clients and turning people away, so the lateness of it is really not good for organisation staff or survivors, but we’re very grateful to get the extension.”
McPhillips said MSD had been adamant that no more extensions would be given.
“They have been very clear there is no further extension after the 30th of June, but I’m really grateful. For us that means another 60 survivors can get their needs met who would otherwise be turned away, so that’s fantastic,” she said.
“The contract is one this organisation has had for a very long time, more than 30 years, it was basically our fundamental contract for counselling of survivors. It was the basis of our longer term recovery service.”
McPhillips said HELP Auckland’s crisis work, which was for people who had been recently abused, was under a different contract and remained unaffected.
“Alongside that sits funding from ACC, but that insurance model precludes anyone who doesn’t fall within the schedule for that act,” she explained.
That excluded people who had been sexually assaulted overseas, or those who had experienced digital sexual abuse.
“This contract allowed us to still see those people, and basically going forward those people will have nowhere to go,” she added.
She said the decision to end the contract raised questions about equity.
“The impacts of this kind of violence against you aren’t lessened because it happened in another country and you migrated here, or you were on your OE and it happened there,” she said.
“There’s a real question of equity of access here. Why should it only be that if it happened in a certain way, in a certain place at a certain time that you’re able to get help to recover? That’s not the kind of country we think New Zealand is.”
McPhillips said she would spend the next six months pushing for the government to keep the contract going.
“We’re going to keep trying to show the government that this is a really fundamental need, that it’s an issue of equity,” she said.
“The government’s long term strategy is to end sexual violence. Well, having services available to people impacted by it is really a critical part of that strategy.”
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666
Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds
Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463
Aoake te Rā bereaved by suicide service: or call 0800 000 053
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
