Nannies against P seek support for new safe house

Lawyer Bruce Lyall (back left), Maude Williams, Robbie Warner, Anne Hakiwai, Rose Hiha, Lovey Edwards and Jane Beattie and Areta Te Huia (front left) and Memory Kaukau. Photo/Warren Buckland.

The nannies who are left to pick up the pieces are hoping to secure a safe house to protect themselves and others from the effects of methamphetamine.

In March at a Nga Kairauhii meeting a trustee broke down while sharing her "harrowing" story of a family member addicted to P and before long others around the table shared similar stories.

'Nannies against P' was instigated and chairperson Areta Te Huia said to move forward they needed to secure funding and resources so they could have a safe house, an 0800 number and education.

The group is already preparing a claim for the Waitangi Tribunal with lawyer Bruce Lyall but want the community's help.

Nannies against P is not a professional health provider but instead a support group who want to walk beside those who have gone through what they have experienced.

The group have held three hui where up to 500 people attended and a common problem shared, was that nannies who were trying to get help were being pushed from "pillar to post".

Ms Te Huia said the "unique" group would act as the one stop shop where people could come to before they approached health providers.

"We would point them in the right direction and guide them and walk beside them the whole way so they get to the right provider.

"If they get pushed in different directions and told to go from person to person a child could be murdered or abused by the time they get help, we need to stop this."

As an outsider My Lyall said they were an inspiring group of woman and found it compelling that every nanny had a story personal to them.

"It is not something that is restricted to just one person and since they started I have had clients across the country say that they shared a common experience and want to help."

Mr Lyall said the recommendations in their claim to the Waitangi Tribunal would be along the lines of funding so they could establish a safe place to provide their support network.

"There seems to be an element of a safety gap with a large focus on punishment and rehab for users but with support groups like the nannies left out."

The nannies want to have education about the "tell-tale signs of the drug" as most people didn't recognise the symptoms of someone on P.

"We need to know about it so we know how to keep safe."

"If we work on the wellbeing of nannies they will then be able to work with other nannies and their own whanau as who is best to do that than the nannies themselves."