Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
Whanau Ora : Report of the Taskforce on Whanau-Centred Initiatives
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This scenario dem<strong>on</strong>strates how Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> may work in practice<br />
In this whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r is a sole parent who is in part-time/casual employment.<br />
She receives additi<strong>on</strong>al social assistance to supplement her income but finds it very<br />
hard to make ends meet. She moved away from her whānau during her teens and<br />
has had very little c<strong>on</strong>tact with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m since. She has three children:<br />
• Her 16-year-old s<strong>on</strong> has repeatedly been caught driving without a licence.<br />
He worked for five m<strong>on</strong>ths as a builder’s labourer but stopped going to work three<br />
weeks ago as he did not want his employer to know that he did not have a licence<br />
and had been to court for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fences.<br />
• Her 12-year-old daughter has just been referred to Streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ning Families as a<br />
result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> repeated school absence.<br />
• Her 8-year-old s<strong>on</strong> is repeatedly noted by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Police for roaming <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> streets late at<br />
night. Often when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Police return him home, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is no adult present. This has<br />
led to a notificati<strong>on</strong> to Child, Youth and Family.<br />
This whānau has lived in a Housing New Zealand Corporati<strong>on</strong> home for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past<br />
11 years. In recent times <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> neighbourhood has become unsafe, with increased<br />
youth gang activity.<br />
The mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r is c<strong>on</strong>tinually focused <strong>on</strong> trying to provide for her whānau – <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten<br />
working late into <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> evening or <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> morning, leaving <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> children unsupervised.<br />
She relies <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 16-year old to get <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> younger <strong>on</strong>es <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f to school. If <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> older boy<br />
goes to work, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 12- and 8-year olds get <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mselves <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f to school. The mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />
doesn’t know that, because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 12-year-old is being bullied <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> way to school,<br />
she <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten does not get to school. This has led to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ning Families referral.<br />
Quite <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r is working late, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 8-year-old wanders from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> house.<br />
He has begun hanging out with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> local youth gang for compani<strong>on</strong>ship, hence <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
police interventi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
This mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r is so focused <strong>on</strong> providing a living for her family that she has neglected<br />
her own health. She does not have a regular doctor and has never had a breast or<br />
cervical screen.<br />
In this scenario <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau is currently involved with:<br />
• New Zealand Police<br />
• Work and Income<br />
• Child, Youth and Family<br />
• Schools<br />
• Streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ning Families.<br />
Each interventi<strong>on</strong> is focused <strong>on</strong> an individual family member: unlicensed driver,<br />
truant child or unsupervised child. All interventi<strong>on</strong>s are happening in isolati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
each o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r and n<strong>on</strong>e focuses <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau as a whole.<br />
Under Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> this whānau would be c<strong>on</strong>nected with a Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> provider<br />
at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first instance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> need. The referral could come from any agency or from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
whānau itself. The Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> provider would work with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau to build<br />
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