Todd Muller: Wraparound service a 'lifesaver'

Todd Muller MP for Bay of Plenty. Photo/John Borren

A review of a new service for students with the highest needs has found it is improving behaviour and educational outcomes. Almost all of the families involved in the study saw the Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS) as a major improvement for their children with some describing it as a life-saver.

Introduced in 2012, IWS is an intensive, personalised service that supports children and young people with high and complex behavioural and learning needs.

Wraparound is an intensive, individualised care, planning and management process for children and young people to support them in their learning. Students in the service are supported to stay at, or return to, their local schools, behave in a positive and social way and enjoy a successful home and school life by facilitators who work with them, their families, local schools and other government agencies.

The review of the service was conducted by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research which evaluated the case files of 28 students and surveyed IWS team members, teachers and principals.

It found that that while progress for some students took longer than others, the service was delivering improved learning outcomes and independent living skills, and was being positively received by families and whanau.

I am particularly pleased to hear that it is providing strategies for parents to support their children and empowering them to work constructively with schools and other government agencies.

To get better long-term results, we need to not only look at where existing services could be improved, but also where we need to innovate to get bigger breakthroughs. To help with this, the government is looking at greater involvement from not-for-profit an private sector providers alongside its agencies. A cross agency approach has been taken for many of the education initiatives that are implemented, including IWS, and it is extremely beneficial to the success and consistency of the initiative.

The service is part of the Ministry's wider Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiative that includes other initiatives that strengthen relationships both at home and school and creates positive environments to improve students' chances for achievement at school and beyond.