A collective of whānau ora services are achieving better outcomes for Māori by working together.
Some of Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki's CEO's and leaders from the collective, including Awerangi Tamihere (fourth from left) and Lyvia Marsden (fourth from right). Photo: Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki
Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki have helped over 4000 families in the past two years.
Chair of Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki, Awerangi Tamihere, said a stronger united front is the key.
She said the collective of six different iwi and urban Māori social service providers now had a greater understanding of what whānau need across the board.
The collective includes the iwi Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua (Lower Te Tai Tokerau) and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia (Central Auckland), urban Māori Te Whānau O Waipareira Trust (West Auckland) and Manukau Urban Māori Authority (South Auckland), and Māori Providers Kotahitanga Collective made up of Papakura Marae, Te Kaha o te Rangatahi and Turuki Health Care (South Auckland) and Te Puna Hauora (North Shore).
"Whakawhanaungatanga is one part of it, but actually starting to share methodologies, our approaches, what works, the challenges, and having a for Māori, by Māori group means we can start to build a picture of the Māori outcomes across the whole of Tamaki," Ms Tamihere said.
Te Puna Hauora provide health and social services to around 15,000 people a year in Auckland's North Shore.
Founder Lyvia Marsden said being part of a wider collective had opened doors to changing the lives of even more whānau.
She said she would never forget when she received a phone call from a woman who found a better way of life as a result of whānau ora services.
"This phone call came through and it said, 'you sent me back home and I don't know how to thank you - I am part of the marae and I've given up drinking and I've got a small part-time job'."
"She said, 'thank you for my life'."
Outcomes like these are now being recorded collectively across all six agencies.
Te Pae Herenga o Tamaki director of data performance Brad Norman said knowing the impact their whānau ora services were having collectively revealed the greatest areas of need for whānau.
"We've looked at investing in warrants and registrations for cars, licensing for whānau as well, so that they are driving legally and safely. School resources, improvements in physical health, and gym memberships in some areas as well.
"It is about improving whānau in whatever their needs are in that moment that matters."
Mr Norman said in the past two years, 98 percent of the whānau who had used their services had achieved immediate outcomes.
Ms Marsden said the success stories would not have been possible without the support from the wider collective.
"There are dozens of stories I can tell you - children going to school with uniforms, cars fixed, we couldn't do that before.
"Because we've got this collective we've learned a lot, we've grown together, we've worked together and we've been able to crack it."
Ms Masden said she was fortunate to be a part of the collective she believed were beginning to make a big difference for Māori.
