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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4.3.3 The whānau-centred model recognises that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> circumstances <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
individual whānau members inevitably impact <strong>on</strong> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r people in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
whānau and vice versa. According to many hui participants, while it might<br />
be more manageable to deal <strong>on</strong>ly with <strong>on</strong>e individual who has a specific<br />
problem, an approach that disregards <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wider circumstances <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
whānau will be flawed. It may have provided a short-term fix that satisfied<br />
an immediate c<strong>on</strong>cern, but more <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten than not would fail to effect a more<br />
sustainable change. Implementing a whānau-centred practice model can,<br />
however, be difficult. The <str<strong>on</strong>g>Taskforce</str<strong>on</strong>g> heard that, apart from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
focus <strong>on</strong> individuals, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r reas<strong>on</strong>s why <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> holistic<br />
approach is difficult.<br />
4.3.4 A major problem is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> suitable tools to measure whānau<br />
wellbeing. Despite <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> increased acceptance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> as a signal<br />
for a whānau-centred approach, services have tended to retain accustomed<br />
ways <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> measuring both inputs and outputs, and have generally reported <strong>on</strong><br />
gains made by individuals ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than measuring wellbeing for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau<br />
as a whole. Sometimes individual measures such as child health indicators<br />
are used as proxy measures for whānau health, but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are generally<br />
unable to capture <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wider dimensi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau functi<strong>on</strong>ing and seldom<br />
provide clues about whānau potential. The Ministry <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Social Development’s<br />
Social <str<strong>on</strong>g>Report</str<strong>on</strong>g> series has introduced some measures that reflect outcome<br />
domains relevant to whānau, including household crowding (ec<strong>on</strong>omic<br />
standard <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> living), and c<strong>on</strong>tact between young people and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir parents<br />
(social c<strong>on</strong>nectedness). The Families Commissi<strong>on</strong>’s reports <strong>on</strong> family form<br />
and functi<strong>on</strong> also c<strong>on</strong>tain useful universal indicators that have relevance<br />
to all families. But generally <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a paucity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> indicators that can be<br />
employed by whānau practiti<strong>on</strong>ers or by funding agencies.<br />
4.3.5 Many hui participants fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r described a mismatch between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir c<strong>on</strong>tracts to deliver services to whānau members and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> realities<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir work. Ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than ignoring wider whānau needs and simply<br />
c<strong>on</strong>centrating <strong>on</strong> individuals, as c<strong>on</strong>tracts prescribed, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten tried to<br />
address <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau situati<strong>on</strong>, even though <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> additi<strong>on</strong>al time and effort<br />
were not required or funded. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir view <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re was a need for c<strong>on</strong>tracts for<br />
whānau-wide interventi<strong>on</strong>s that recognised dependencies and synergies<br />
within whānau, and could be measured by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> gains made by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau.<br />
Iwi social services deal<br />
with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whole whānau,<br />
yet we are currently<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tracted to provide<br />
services to individuals.<br />
4.3.6 Generally hui participants did not dismiss <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> importance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tracts<br />
that had specific targets for individuals. The questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y raised, however,<br />
revolved around <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> link between an individual who required assistance<br />
for pers<strong>on</strong>al reas<strong>on</strong>s, such as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> management <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> diabetes, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
implicati<strong>on</strong>s for whānau. In that case a primary resp<strong>on</strong>sibility to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> diabetic<br />
patient was recognised. But a parallel resp<strong>on</strong>sibility to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau was also<br />
identified. A Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> perspective would not <strong>on</strong>ly require <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> diabetic<br />
patient’s interests to be c<strong>on</strong>sidered but would also expect that whānau<br />
members were equipped to support <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> recommended management plan<br />
and were given <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> necessary informati<strong>on</strong> and motivati<strong>on</strong> to adopt lifestyles<br />
that would reduce <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> likelihood <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> diabetes for o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r whānau members,<br />
especially younger generati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
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