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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Ideally whānau members will<br />
choose <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most appropriate<br />
pathway <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> healing for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m.<br />
Whānau need to be supplied<br />
with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> right informati<strong>on</strong> to<br />
make informed choices but<br />
ultimately … supported [in]<br />
whatever choices <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y make.<br />
Whānau Self-Management<br />
6.2.3 Whānau wellbeing is largely dependent <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau to<br />
determine <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own pathways and manage <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own affairs. Most whānau<br />
are already self-managing ins<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ar as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y make <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own decisi<strong>on</strong>s, care for<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own people and supply <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own needs. They are knowledgeable about<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own communities, can access those goods and services necessary<br />
for <strong>on</strong>going development, are active participants in a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> networks<br />
and have patterns <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> leadership that provide c<strong>on</strong>tinuity between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past<br />
and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> future. Self-managing whānau are able to draw <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> skills <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />
own members in order to advance <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir collective interests. The assets <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />
hold in comm<strong>on</strong> are well managed in accordance with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir own traditi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Importantly also, self-management is underpinned by a set <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cultural<br />
values and traditi<strong>on</strong>s that not <strong>on</strong>ly include a link to hapū, iwi and Māori<br />
communities but also to values such as generosity, sharing, cooperati<strong>on</strong><br />
and mutuality.<br />
6.2.4 A whānau capacity for self-management may be diminished by illness,<br />
lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong>, separati<strong>on</strong> from o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r whānau households,<br />
dysfuncti<strong>on</strong>al intra-whānau relati<strong>on</strong>ships, financial insecurity, inadequate<br />
resources ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> whānau or within wider communities, and an<br />
absence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> leadership.<br />
6.2.5 Effective Whānau <str<strong>on</strong>g>Ora</str<strong>on</strong>g> services will support and streng<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> leadership<br />
in whānau. Sometimes self-management can be undermined by wellmeaning<br />
agencies that assume leadership roles but without ensuring that<br />
whānau leadership is developed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> point that self-management becomes<br />
possible. Often whānau leadership is dismissed – sometimes because it<br />
is not visible to helping agencies, or presents a threat to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m, or because<br />
leadership is frequently matriarchal and not necessarily linked to perceived<br />
status or obvious power.<br />
Healthy Whānau Lifestyles<br />
6.2.6 Because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y have influential, close and enduring relati<strong>on</strong>ships with each<br />
o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, whānau are in unique positi<strong>on</strong>s to promote lifestyles that can lead to<br />
optimal health and wellbeing. Whānau can shape lifestyles by establishing<br />
codes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>duct that will endorse healthy behaviours. Setting an example,<br />
applying a c<strong>on</strong>sistent set <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> values, disseminating informati<strong>on</strong> to whānau<br />
members and observing safe practices in homes will all c<strong>on</strong>tribute to<br />
positive lifestyle choices. But lifestyles are also shaped by peers, societal<br />
pressures, global fashi<strong>on</strong>s and public policies. While whānau sway is <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
<strong>on</strong>e determinant <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lifestyle, it has <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> advantage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> being a lifel<strong>on</strong>g influence<br />
with a capacity to mould healthy nutriti<strong>on</strong>al habits, establish guidelines for<br />
appropriate c<strong>on</strong>duct, model relati<strong>on</strong>ship building, and dem<strong>on</strong>strate good<br />
parenting as well as positive ageing.<br />
6.2.7 Although web-based communicati<strong>on</strong> can reduce distance, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> provisi<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a whānau basis for healthy lifestyles is made more difficult by whānau<br />
mobility and geographic separati<strong>on</strong>. Whānau influence must compete<br />
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