Specialist Family Violence MOU Boosts Māori Support Services in Waikato

Whānau facing family violence problems in the Waikato region are set to benefit from a new collaborative approach between two well-established Māori service providers anchored in kaupapa Māori and te ao Māori.

Te Kōhao Health and Tuu Oho Mai Services today signed a memorandum of understanding that unlocks an instantaneous increase in services being made available for whānau already engaged in services across the two organisations. The FVSV skill set of the combined kaimahi workforce will also be strengthened.

“The purpose of this inaugural signing is to integrate our collective resources and operational expertise. This will result in our whānau receiving the best cohesive support whoever they are and wherever they live,” says Lady Tureiti Moxon, managing director of Te Kōhao Health.

The NGO, which has been operating for 29 years from Kirikiriroa Marae, offers 35 education, health, social and justice services to 8500 throughout Waikato, and 80 per cent are Māori.

Whānau can expect quality, timely and highly responsive whānau-centric and whānau-focused quality services from two providers where cultural responsiveness is not an aspiration, it is the norm.

The partnership boosts the workforce by setting a strong foundation to absorb the pressure in the FVSV sector as they both build mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga.

Tu Oho Mai Services chief executive Poata Watene. Photo / Supplied

When appointed to her portfolio in 2020, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Marama Davidson was briefed that one in two Māori women experienced intimate-partner violence.

The new working relationship between the two entities will prioritise quality response for Māori and will be fostered by Māori cultural values and practices to ensure the best possible outcomes for whānau, hapū, iwi and the community.

“We must always focus on our people and are grateful to be working with Te Kōhao Health. This MOU is about kotahitanga, kaitiakitanga and Kiingitanga. Cultural capability is our priority given the disproportionate representation of Māori across all sectors,” Tuu Oho Mai Services chief executive Poata Watene said.

Watene is also a member of the independent rōpū, Te Pūkotahitanga, appointed by Minister Davidson to advise her on FVSV and monitor the delivery of Te Aorerekura, the 25-year National Strategy and Action Plan to prevent FVSV.

“We can theorise Te Tiriti o Waitangi — or normalise it in our everyday kaupapa where our people receive an uncompromised level of cultural responsiveness. Our organisations live and breathe kaupapa and the preservation of mana and whakapapa is fundamental to what drives us.”

The signing will bundle services together to counter silos and ultimately strengthen whānau resilience.

“We’re in the people business. Sustainability and resilience progresses over time, but often whānau are trying to achieve this in isolation, which is a significant barrier to meaningful change.”