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Our People

The Survivor Experiences Service team come from diverse backgrounds with knowledge and understanding of abuse in care.

The Survivor Experiences Service team

The Survivor Experiences Service team

Executive Director

Polly Martin

Polly joined the Service in July 2024 from the Crown Response Unit, where she held the role of Survivor Voice & Insights Principal Engagement Advisor since September 2023. In that role, Polly oversaw the Crown Response Unit’s engagement with survivors of abuse in care from Māori, Pacific, disabled and Deaf communities. She was also responsible for survivor insights to inform the design of the future redress system.

"This role brings an opportunity to further enhance connections with survivor communities and ensure their experiences are heard and inform the future redress system.”

 

Polly manages four teams in the Survivor Experiences Service consisting of:

  • Contact and Support Centre
  • Private Sessions
  • Engagement and Communications 
  • Planning and Reporting

For Survivors

We have a large and diverse team who will support you through your journey of healing. We have:

  • contact and support centre staff - these are the people you will interact with when you first contact the Service, on the phone, via text or post.
  • private session facilitators - these are people who will organise your private session and will be in the room when you share your experience - they make sure everything runs smoothly. 
  • Kaitakawaenga - this is a person who leads the private session and who you will directly share your experience with. 
  • wellbeing/oranga support contractors - these are people who will help support you with anything you need for your wellbeing before, during and after the private session.

Our team will help guide you through the process in a way that works for you. Our staff are highly trained, compassionate and flexible in meeting your needs.

Community Engagement

We also have staff who travel around the country to meet with different communities, organizations and people to raise awareness of the service and gather insights about what the Service should look like.

We have Māori, Pacific, Deaf, Disabled, LGBTQIA+, Rangatahi and incarcerated engagement staff.

If you are interested in meeting with our any of our engagement staff, please send us an email: engagement@survivorexperiences.govt.nz