Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives

2.3.18 Whānau aspirations for greater collective autonomy are central to many
whānau SMEs, and financial freedom to pursue activities and lifestyles that
are more consistent with whānau philosophies is a significant motivating
factor. Entry into an SME has provided many whānau with opportunities to
establish a better balance between work and family. This is an important
consideration for many whānau where <strong>the</strong>re are commitments not only to
o<strong>the</strong>r whānau members but also to wider Māori communities on marae and
trust boards, and in cultural and sporting activities.
2.4 Whānau Services
2.4.1 Prior to 1984, health and social services were <strong>the</strong> province <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> state and
state agencies or, in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> primary health care, <strong>of</strong> private practitioners.
A one-size-fits-all approach had little regard for cultural perspectives
or active whānau participation in service design or delivery. However,
devolution policies, accompanied by a separation <strong>of</strong> funder and provider
roles and greater contestability among providers, resulted in a major
transformation that has generated new systems <strong>of</strong> health care, education
and social work. The advent <strong>of</strong> a greatly expanded Māori workforce in
schools, hospitals, prisons and welfare agencies has significantly altered
standards <strong>of</strong> practice and made services more responsive to Māori. Māori
provider organisations have also emerged so that <strong>the</strong>re is greater choice.
Whānau can now opt for Māori language immersion education, Māori
health care providers, Māori social services – or for mainstream providers.
2.4.2 Some Māori provider organisations are small and have a single aim.
O<strong>the</strong>rs are large and have a mix <strong>of</strong> skills, including well-qualified
practitioners, management expertise and experience in governance.
Many iwi have successfully competed for contracts with government
agencies to deliver a range <strong>of</strong> services that span two, three or four sectors.
Consistent with a holistic philosophy <strong>the</strong> aim has been to provide whānau
with a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple needs with minimal
overlap, little inconvenience and no confusion. However, a lack <strong>of</strong> coherence
between sectors, and even within sectors, has led to multiple separate
contracts, each with different reporting requirements and expectations that
have precluded an integrated approach to service delivery.
2.4.3 Within metropolitan areas, urban Māori organisations have also emerged
as significant providers <strong>of</strong> whānau services. Though not aligned to any
single iwi, <strong>the</strong>ir aims have not been dissimilar to those <strong>of</strong> iwi – to provide a
seamless, comprehensive and relevant set <strong>of</strong> services that will lead to best
outcomes for whānau members and for <strong>the</strong> whānau as a whole.
2.4.4 The development <strong>of</strong> Māori provider organisations has been accompanied
by <strong>the</strong> expansion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Māori workforce across pr<strong>of</strong>essional, community,
cultural, research and administrative groupings. New models <strong>of</strong> practice
have been developed to meet whānau expectations and needs, and
providers have gained considerable experience in contracting, agency
practice, governance and management. However, <strong>the</strong> potential impact
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