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An internal report examining Christchurch’s court security team reveals a “toxic and sad” workplace culture with staff “pulling sickies” as they hate being at work.
In the leaked report, staff also allege nicknaming, and say the local management approach is the “core influence” for the state of workplace culture, with a tendency for management to “blanket blame” and resort to “very punitive and immediate disciplinary approaches”.
The report titled Health, Safety and Security Scan for the National Security Operations (NSO) Team in Christchurch was sent to staff on Thursday.
The scan was conducted in August and September last year involving interviews with 23 NSO staff from Court Security Officers (CSOs) to the regional security manager. Court registry officers and other staff were also interviewed.
The report, obtained by the Herald, said the prompt for the scan started after NSO staff members at the Christchurch Justice Precinct raised concerns directly with the Public Services Association.
“The purpose of the scan was to assess the current state to understand what is working well and where improvements can be made, and consider various perspectives.”
The Christchurch NSO team consists of two Court Security Managers, two Senior Court Security Officers and 25 Court Security Officers. The team provides security services to the Christchurch High Court, District Court, mental health hearings, Youth Court hearings as well as the Timaru District Court and Ashburton District Court.
“The report identified four key subject areas for improvement. These relate to leadership, respect, leave and differences in approaches to mahi.”
The report said the Christchurch NSO team encountered difficulties in “fostering cohesive collaboration” between CSOs and regional leaders.
“Many staff members expressed that their level of engagement is primarily motivated by their personal values and the urge to assist others.
The report titled Health, Safety and Security Scan for the National Security Operations (NSO) Team in Christchurch was sent to staff on Thursday. Photo / George Heard
“The barriers to engagement among CSOs stem from strained relationships within the CSO team and with management.”
The report said the consensus was that the workplace was “toxic and sad”.
It had been in this state for the past five years, staff said, with some saying it had improved, and others saying it had worsened.
Many were looking for new jobs and admitted to “pulling sickies” due to the workplace culture.
“Statements in interviews revealed that there is nicknaming, gossiping, and general disrespectful behaviours that occur amongst NSO at the precinct.
“There were many examples provided in the interview of breaches of confidentiality. This has had a detrimental effect on the integrity of the team.”
Additionally, all staff apart from the Court Security Managers and a small number of CSOs, said they did not see the Ministry’s Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence, known as RISE values, in their team.
“The majority stated that respect is the biggest value that is missing at the site.”
Only three staff applied for the Senior Court Security Officer role as they saw it as a “complex and toxic opportunity, due to how management operate”.
“Many stated they were hesitant to apply because ‘they didn’t want to be anywhere near that’ – (management / work environment).”
Some staff also said they were “embarrassed” to work at the ministry due to the “lack of de-escalation and customer service techniques” by some NSO staff.
The local management approach was deemed by staff as the “core influence” for the state of the workplace culture.
The report said that non-NSO staff who were interviewed thought “very highly” of the management from an operational perspective but sensed there were “cultural issues within the team”.
The NSO team felt they had no visibility of their Regional Security Management and perceived some management styles as being “overly militant and autocratic”.
“Staff feel like they aren’t spoken to like humans and often feel very patronised.
“Staff feel that there is a strong culture of favouritism and that this influences specific rostering choices, overtime delegations and who gets approved leave.”
Staff also said there was a tendency for management to “blanket blame” with “very punitive and immediate disciplinary approaches”.
The report said there were 25 CSOs currently employed at the Christchurch precinct, with five full-time equivalent vacancies.
Non-NSO personnel provided “favourable feedback” in relation to operational effectiveness.
“Non-NSO staff mentioned that the team consistently maintains a visible presence and promptly responds to requests for assistance.”
The report said the operational effectiveness of the NSO team was “of a good standard”, but noted there were some key areas of concern including perceived operational shortages.
Rostering of CSOs was seen as “favouritism” by most of them and was not effective as it created “shortfalls in the team development”.
“As well as this, if the individual who holds that portfolio is away, this could result in a single point of failure.”
The report’s findings said that overall the NSO team was “committed to the safety and security of all court participants”.
“They enjoy helping people and value the responsibility they have to protect and respect people in the Christchurch community.
“However, it is evident that the Christchurch NSO team culture is fractured.”
Three key areas were identified as requiring attention - approaches to leadership, mutual respect and tactical response.
“There is a strong presence of authoritarian, militant management amongst management at the precinct. It is important to note that there are many other factors that are contributing towards the issues for the workplace, but throughout this scan, it was made evident that this leadership/management style does not align with many staff at the precinct and is therefore driving the dysfunction.”
It was recommended that regular one-on-one mentoring and coaching for NSO management personnel was implemented at the precinct to “address leadership shortfalls”.
The team had a “diverse demographic makeup”, that seemed to have contributed towards divisions, the report said.
“This lack of mutual respect appears to have historic origins in the Christchurch precinct, and continues to be fuelled by cliques, lack of effective leadership, lack of open and honest communications, and a failure to recognise differences such as age, gender, race, sexual orientation, work background, CSO tenure and life and professional experiences.
“By failing to create an environment of mutual respect, Christchurch NSO is missing significant benefits such as a more positive workplace culture, collaborative decision-making, better creativity and innovation and a reputation that ensures higher quality applicants for future vacant positions.”
There was also a “divergence of opinions” regarding when it was suitable for a “hands-on” approach as opposed to using “de-escalation techniques”.
“A considerable number of staff have expressed discomfort concerning instances of physically imposing and intimidating behaviour exhibited by certain CSOs and CSMs (Court Security Managers). Conversely, there are staff members who feel uneasy working alongside some CSOs, due to their reluctance to use hands-on approaches.”
It was recommended that a specialised workshop, focusing on de-escalation tactics, was developed and offered for all staff.
The report said the scan had brought to light “several risks to the ministry”.
“It is crucial to recognise the potential harm these risks could present.”
It had been decided that a two-day team mediation was necessary in the early stages of 2024.
“Encouraging the participation of all NSO staff from the precinct is seen as advantageous, allowing everyone to express their views and ensuring an efficient and productive path forward.”
An external party was likely to facilitate the team mediation process.
In response to questions from the Herald, Ministry of Justice deputy secretary of corporate and digital services Kelvin Watson said the Ministry took all matters of wellbeing seriously and was committed to “providing a healthy and safe workplace”.
“The purpose of the scan was to assess the current workplace culture to understand what is working well and where improvements can be made.
“The scan indicated that there were aspects of the way in which the team operates that can be improved and made recommendations for how the team dynamics could be improved.”
The PSA and the Ministry had worked collaboratively throughout the scan, he said, and were committed to continue working together as they “embed the recommendations” to ensure the Christchurch Court Security leadership and team feel “valued, supported, and empowered to thrive”.
Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
