What are the Social Sector Trials?
The Social Sector Trials involve the Ministries of Social Development, Justice, Education and Health and the New Zealand Police working together to trial a change in the way social services are delivered to improve outcomes for young people aged 12-18 years.

The outcomes the Social Sector Trials are seeking to achieve are:

• Increase numbers of young people in education, training or employment
• Reduce offending by young people;
• Reduce truancy; and
• Reduce levels of alcohol and other drug use by young people.

The Wairarapa is the only one of the trials to have a fifth outcome – Reduce risky sexual behaviour by young people.

In order to achieve the outcomes, the Trials are intended to encourage:

• The use of cross-agency resources to effect positive change for young people in the Wairarapa;
• A collaborative, integrated approach by government agencies, local government, iwi and social sector organisations working with young people;
• Increased decision making at the community level;
• Identification of barriers to achieving outcomes; and
• New ways of working and innovative solutions.

Further general information on the Social Sector Trials can be found at the following link:

The Wairarapa SST
The contract for the Wairarapa trial is held by the Wairarapa Safer Community Trust (WSCT) which has contracted Julie Brunton and Matt Grant to manage the trial.

Trial structures consist of a Wairarapa Advisory group (WAG) that provides a strategic overview of the Trial while a Working Group sits under the WAG and is responsible for Trial implementation, including making recommendations for action to the WAG.  Groups responsible for specific actions under the Action Plan, such as the Truancy Taskforce, sit under the Working Group.

Contact
You can contact Julie and Matt on:

• projectteam@swscc.org.nz
• 027 458 7161