Wha¯ nau Ora overloaded, review warns

Areview of the Ma¯ori and Pasifika-focused Wha¯nau Ora development agency says providers are overwhelmed by demand and often dealing with crisis situations better handled by the likes of medical professionals and social workers.

The long-awaited review of the agency, carried out by a panel headed by Caren Rangi, said demand for Wha¯nau Ora outstripped the funding and resources available to partners, providers and wha¯nau entities to provide support.

“In some areas, the level of demand was overwhelming, and fundamentally impacted [the] approach being taken by partners and providers . . . This raised concerns that in some cases, navigators were required to address situations that should be the domain of clinicians or qualified social workers,” the review said.

That diverted resources to situations that should be the responsibility of central government agencies and/ or the non-governmental organisations they contracted to provide such intervention.

The review also criticised government agencies, saying they should be meeting their own service delivery responsibilities instead of leaving them to Wha¯nau Ora.

“There have been difficulties in building understanding among government agencies [in Wellington] about the Wha¯nau Ora ‘story’ — what it is . . . and how government agencies can work with Wha¯nau Ora.

“We were told of numerous occasions where not only were Wha¯nau Ora partners meeting the service delivery responsibilities of other agencies, they were also expected to do so,” the review said.

The review panel suggested the reach of Wha¯nau Ora be even wider, such as more localised commissioning options in some areas to keep the agencies close to the wha¯ nau and communities they serve; and further into rural and deprived populations.

It recommended Te Puni Ko¯kiri work with other agencies to capitalise on opportunities and address the perceived barriers that inhibit the uptake of Wha¯nau Ora.

Wha¯nau-centred strategies should also be embedded in the machinery of government through mechanisms such as Budget 2019, the Living Standards Framework and legislation.

Wha¯nau Ora Minister Peeni Henare said he had asked Te Puni Ko¯ kiri to work with other social sector government agencies to see how the Wha¯nau Ora approach could be implemented.

He will report back to Cabinet later this year with its findings.

The agency, a flagship policy of the Ma¯ori Party, aims to improve Ma¯ori and Pasifika wellbeing and provide opportunities for development.