New Napier emergency whare Te Iti Kahurangi caring for children as young as 3

Children are greeted with a hot meal and fresh clothes when they arrive the Tamatea-based home owned by Oranga Tamariki but run by Roopu a Iwi Trust. Photo / Kamaji Ogino, Pexels

When the call comes in the middle of the night, the kettle goes on and some kai is heated up on the stove top.

Being greeted with a hot meal upon arriving at the emergency whare for youth is about making them feel welcome, explains Maureen Mua, chief executive of Roopu a Iwi Trust, which runs the service.

The six beds in the Tamatea-based home have been consistently full since it opened in December.

Operating out of a former family home that had been closed down for a number of years, the trust partnered with Oranga Tamariki to meet a demand for improved emergency care options for children and rangatahi.

"We were given the opportunity to go in and run the home," Mua said.

"We took over the day-to-day operations and ensure the rangitahi that are in the home are looked after."

The rangatahi often arrive at night having been referred by Oranga Tamariki. Some are as young as 3, while most range from 12 to 16.

"We will take them in whatever hour of the night."

For example, they might take in a young person who has been placed into Oranga Tamariki custody by police because there is nowhere safe for them to go at that point in time.

When they arrive, they are greeted with hot food and an offer of fresh clothes.

They get their own room and a Manaaki plan is put together for them.

"That makes people feel comfortable."

A more long-term plan can be sorted out in the daylight, Mua said.

Rangatahi stay from a few days to a few weeks, though the service is incredibly flexible.

"It's about emergency placement. It should never be long term.

"The ultimate goal is that they're moving onto something stable, but we've started the process."

The whare, Te Iti Kahurangi, is run by a group of eight mature wāhine who work in shifts to avoid the burnout rates often seen in caregivers and guardians.

Each was handpicked by Mua.

"It's about the right people for the job," she said.

"These ladies have life skills. They're nannies and aunties and their skills can't be taught."

Davina Winiata, left, of Oranga Tamariki Napier, and Maureen Mua, of Roopu a Iwi Trust, which have partnered together in a new emergency youth accommodation service. Photo / Paul Taylor

She said having a home-cooked meal and someone to ask about their day helped provide stability.

"Sometimes they want a hot meal and an auntie or nanny figure to talk to.

"It's about the people. It feels like a home."

The new home had also had an important impact on the women and their community.

"It's about transformation of their communities.

"It's an opportunity for them to further themselves and ensure their own whānau are not falling into the system."

One caregiver at the whare, who did not wish to be named, has eight tamariki and 20 mokos and says she treats the rangatahi who stay in the whare like her own.

"These kids remind me of my own kids. We try to be firm but fair."

Another, with nine children and 24 mokopuna, was in care herself as a child and has always had a passion for working with youth at risk.

"What I think is most important for the rangatahi is trust and showing them that you care."

Mua said she was grateful to Oranga Tamariki for the opportunity to run the home and hoped to see the model replicated.

Davina Winiata, site manager Napier Oranga Tamariki, was also optimistic about how it was going.

She said local social workers had noticed improvements and positive changes in rangatahi who had stayed in the home.

"One of the indicators for me that it's working well is that usually in our family homes it's common for kids to run. But we haven't had one person try to do that.

"They want to be there."

The home is open 24/7 and has a kaupapa Māori approach of care underpinned by Roopu a Iwi Trust's own values.