Rise issue 28

“What is the most important thing in the world? I tell you. It is people, it is people, it is people!”

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Mäku e kï atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”

Community Joining up for Kawerau kids – Social Sector Trials

Cyber marae – connecting young Māori

Shed Project – opening the community to disabled people

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTISSUE 28 – NOVEMBER 2014

ISSN 1178-4709 (Print)

ISSN 1178-4717 (Online)

Printed in New Zealand by Blue Star Print Group (NZ) Ltd using

FSC® mix paper from responsible resources, using mineral oil free,

soy-based vegetable inks.

The information provided in this Ministry of Social Development

publication is intended to profi le initiatives, research and opinions related

to the social sector, and all reasonable measures have been taken to

ensure that the information set out in this publication is accurate.

However, readers are advised that:

» The Ministry does not implicitly or impliedly endorse the views

presented in this publication unless otherwise stated.

» The information provided does not replace or alter the laws of

New Zealand or any other offi cial guidelines or requirements.

» The contents of this publication should not be construed as legal

advice. Before relying on any information in this publication,

users should independently verify its relevance for their purposes.

Welcome to the November 2014 issue of Rise.

Community is a powerful thing. It joins

people with common values and goals.

It is something shared, inclusive and open,

as opposed to private or restricted. It also

means kinship, identity, belonging and

co-operation. Community is the opposite of

isolation, and it is indispensable in a social

sector committed to making a real difference.

In this issue, we’ve collected stories from

dedicated and inspiring people, organisations

and communities working together for our

most vulnerable New Zealanders.

In our cover story, we meet some of

the determined people who are bringing

Kawerau together to change things for the

children and young people in one of our

poorest communities.

In rural Hawke’s Bay, an innovative

team in a tin shed have created a social

media community that is building a sense

of identity, pride and belonging among

young Mäori.

On the Kapiti Coast, the Shed Project is

helping disabled people gain purpose and

belonging in their community, and in doing

so it is opening up their world.

KickStart Breakfast is a wonderful

example of how much we can achieve

when government, private enterprise and

communities join together with a shared

goal. On a smaller, but no less significant

scale, Northland mum Letitia Noah tells

a powerful story of change with the united

support of two women who both backed her

to succeed.

I hope you enjoy our stories.

Ka kite anö.

Brendan Boyle

Chief Executive, Ministry of Social Development

Brendan BoyleChief Executive

This issue of Rise is about community

Southern

Canterbury

Nelson/ Marlborough/West Coast Wellington

East Coast

Northland

Auckland

Taranaki/King Country/Whanganui

Waikato

Bay of Plenty

Central

Welcome

RISE: Issue 28 – November 2014ii

Contents

Cover storyJoining up for Kawerau kidsLeaders and organisations are joining forces for the babies, kids and young people of Kawerau – and rebuilding a community in the process.

Feature stories Technology, tikanga and a tin shedIn a shed in a paddock, a team with technology, talent and ideas is out to change things for young Mäori and whänau in rural Hawke’s Bay.

Kids and animals Canterbury SPCA is giving children in care a hands-on chance to care for animals.

KickStart A public-private-community partnership means more Kiwi kids are starting their school day on a full stomach.

Migrating to meaningful workThe Job Mentoring Service in Wellington helps skilled migrants and refugees bring their talents to the New Zealand workforce.

Changing the world, one shed at a time The Kapiti Shed Project is opening up the world for disabled people on the Kapiti Coast.

ArtsLab What do you get when you combine two talented jobseekers, a great idea and a lab that fosters young creatives into work?

Sanctuaries and safe havens In Hastings, diverse church and community leaders are learning to lead a united stand against family violence.

Spotlight on NorthlandA storm taskforce of jobseekers cleans up for farmers and growers, and a determined mum turns her life around, helped by a resolute work broker and a committed employer.

Spotlight on WaikatoA 17-year-old turns away from crime and drugs, an employer fi nds the right young guy for the job, and a new world in work opens up for 50-something Susan Mahara.

Regular columnsRegional round-up

Tips, links and news – ACCAN 2015, and Rise contacts

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Contact Rise Drop us a line at [email protected]

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RISE: Issue 28 – November 2014 1

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Technology, tikanga and a tin shed

RISE: Issue 28 – November 20142

In real life, AWA Transmedia Studio is a shed in a paddock. The last thing you expect, as you open the door, is to step into a sort of cyber marae. Here, surrounded by their own art and sculpture, a team of creative, tech-savvy and community-minded rangatahi are creating a virtual community for local young people.

AWA stands for aroha, whänau and

awhinatanga – love, family and community

support.

In virtual life, AWA is a social media hub

connecting young people with the good

stuff in their community and culture.

With a website and an app for their

smartphones, it shares projects, music,

videos, art and events with a wide community

of young people.

From a home-grown doco-series to

rap music and anti-bullying campaigns,

AWA is building the community based on

the kaupapa of tikanga Mäori, but serving

it up with the technology and credibility to

reach young people.

Reaching young MāoriTareha O’Reilly is the man behind the idea,

a community youth worker who became

increasingly concerned about the difficulty

connecting with young Mäori most in need.

“The penny dropped when I saw how

these kids used their smartphones and

digital technology for everything. I started

asking them questions and came to see that

if you want to even begin to reach them,

technology is where you have to start.”

Tareha got in touch with the Ideas School

at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT).

He brainstormed with Johnathan Rodgers,

a set designer and lecturer in screen

production, and EIT students helped to

sharpen the ideas.

The big step forward came when Tareha

saw an empty shed that belonged to local

families. All it took was one phone call and

the owners gave permission for him to fix it

up and use it.

But in order to reach and connect with

young people, Tareha knew AWA needed

to prove its credibility. Tipene Harmer was

his answer.

In a shed in a paddock near Waiohiki, a team with technology, talent and ideas is out to change things for young Māori and whānau in Hawke’s Bay.

Cyber marae: Rap artist Tipene Harmer in front of a painting by local artist DLT at the AWA Transmedia Studio. Both are committed to creating a tikanga-based virtual community to connect with Mäori youth.


Positive star qualityTipene is an established rap artist, signed

to Warner Music, with a big following,

especially in Hawke’s Bay.

His music is grounded in local stories and

reality, the messages in his lyrics are positive,

he’s acutely aware of the influence he has

and he takes the responsibility very seriously.

“You can be a cool rapper, but you

influence a large group of people, young

people especially, so the messages have to

be good ones. When I found that the tikanga

and messages in my music resonated…

it just made me want to be better.”

Tipene grew up in Flaxmere and his own

childhood was tough at times.

Like many locals, he ended up working at

the freezing works for a long time, all the

while working on his music.

“On that robot schedule there was almost

no room for anything creative, but I was

always doing stuff, cutting shapes out of the

meat or writing songs on the fly.”

Tipene’s arrival has lifted AWA to a whole

new level of credibility.

“He has brought a whole lot of other

talent with him. Some of the best now want

to come to this space,” says Tareha.

The main room in the studio is testament

to this – the ceiling is beautifully carved

in polystyrene by George Nuku, an

internationally acclaimed local artist who has

exhibited in Paris and London. This carving

is symbolic – it represents an underpinning

philosophy that threads through all of

the work that AWA does which is about

presenting the beauty, wisdom and strength

of Mäori traditions in a contemporary manner.

“We wanted it as sort of a cyber marae,

where there are certain principles and ways

of doing things.”

Ideas, projects and partners

AWA is a natural fit with E Tu Whänau,

a Mäori-driven initiative backed by the

Ministry of Social Development.

E Tu Whänau creates positive community

change based on values of aroha, tikanga,

whakapapa, whänaungatanga, mana

manaaki and körero awhi (that is, love,

knowing who you are, connection to

whänau, giving, open communication and

doing the right thing).

E Tu Whänau has since partnered with

AWA on key projects for change, including

positive messages that work for whänau.

“This is all about families and their

behaviours and that’s why I love the E Tu

Whänau values,” says Tareha. “We’re helping

to create safe communities by showing these

basic things that we’ve forgotten about

– breaking down the barriers and challenging

normalised behaviours.”

Ideas and projects are constantly bubbling

away, including an anti-bullying campaign at

local schools.

“The cool thing is we’re like the tuakana

[elder brothers], showing them behaviour

that they rarely see because they might come

from gang backgrounds or maybe mum’s

struggling on her own. So we’re like the

big brothers to thousands of little kids out

there,” says Tareha.

Another project, ‘Picnic at the Pou’, saw

school kids visiting carved figures (pou)

representing ancestors from marae across

Hawke’s Bay.

“We wanted the kids to have some

cultural connection with the area, to become

kaitiaki to the pou in the area.

“Then we hope they’ll go back and teach

their whänau about that awesome history –

it’s about sharing our culture with all of our

community and making our kids feel good

about their place in that history,” says Tareha.

At Taradale Primary School, AWA has

helped the kids to focus on the environment to

restore the mauri (vitality) to their local streams.

The REAL NZ‘The REAL NZ’ is the current big project

on the go, a 10-episode bilingual web series

of music, comedy and interviews with sports

stars, artists and leaders who role model the

AWA tikanga.

The show will be available on all social

media platforms and on AWA’s app.

“We will show the best, the worst, the

funniest and all things Mäori in Hawke’s

Bay,” says Tipene. “A lot of what kids watch

now is American and the values are not ours.

We want to offer something else, flood them

with something better, fill them up with all

the great stuff – tikanga and goodness.”

Cyber tikangaCyber safety is the focus of another

project – the team is developing a cyber

tikanga based on E Tu Whänau values to

keep whänau safe and culture intact during

online interactions.

“We believe this is ground-breaking stuff,”

says Tareha. “We’re using an indigenous

strengths-based model to deal with a very

current issue for our young people.”

From Waiohiki to the world“The ideas here are just banging out.

We are always looking for new ways to

express that our people are talented and have

potential… to be great, great creators whether

it’s in sports or music, or carving or street art.

“We’re taking these cultural gifts and

we’re using them in a new way – because you

can’t forget about innovation and technology

or you’ll lose the pulse of the kids.”

WEB LINKS

Check out AWA’s videos, music and background at:http://awatransmediastudio.comwww.facebook.com/AWATransmediaStudio

Download the free AWA app for iPhone and Android at:www.reverbnation.com/awatransmediastudio

Tareha O’Reilly, founder of AWA Transmedia Studio.


http://www.reverbnation.com/awatransmediastudio

http://www.facebook.com/AWATransmediaStudio

Joining up for Kawerau kids

Leaders and organisations are joiningforces for the babies, kids and young people of Kawerau – and rebuilding a community in the process.

5RISE: Issue 28 – November 2014

For early childhood teacher Mihiata O’Brien it was time to speak up.

She was seeing some good changes in her

small Bay of Plenty town, with a new Social

Sector Trial supporting Kawerau’s teenagers

and school children since 2011.

Fewer kids were hanging around town

during school hours; there was less vandalism

and bullying. More kids were hanging out

at the newly-upgraded youth centres, the

boxing club, holiday programmes, and at

church activities in the evenings.

New satellite polytech courses were

being run locally for school leavers, and an

alternative education programme was up

and running.

But nothing was changing for the

youngest, most vulnerable kids of all.

So, earlier this year, Mihiata spoke up

on behalf of her colleagues and peers for

Kawerau’s babies and preschoolers.

She told the community leaders of

Kawerau’s Social Sector Trial that by the

time those babies and toddlers were six, and

within the Trial’s target age range, it may be

too late for some of them.

She shared stories about babies attending

preschool dirty or unfed, still wearing last

night’s nappy, not having enough kai each

day, and unseen by health or social services.

ECE teachers were going above and beyond

to support families with their needs.

They felt the responsibility falling heavily

on their shoulders, with little co-ordinated

early childhood support for families.

It was a clear call to action for K-Oper-8,

the group at the helm of the Social Sector

Trial – iwi and social service leaders, police,

the Mayor, school principals, Grey Power,

Work and Income leaders – and for Trial

manager Kevan McConnell.

KevanSince 2011, the Kawerau community

has taken control of youth-focused funding

from the Ministries of Social Development,

Education, Health, Justice and the

New Zealand Police.

Overseen by Kevan and a local advisory

group led by Mayor Malcolm Campbell,

the community can reshuffle the funding

as it sees fit to achieve four goals:

getting more young people engaged with

education, training or work; reducing

truancy; reducing youth crime and

reducing drug and alcohol issues.

As Trial manager, Kevan has a direct line

to Government ministers and senior officials,

and the mandate to engage community and

government agencies at a local and national

level. With a professional background

in social services, and as a former gang

member, he also has the connections to

open doors that others can’t.

Kevan’s first moves were to get

community leaders, social service providers

and agencies around one table, and then

to ask the community itself about its hopes

and challenges.

It was a tough time to begin a Social Sector

Trial. In 2011 Kawerau was devastated by

“It’s not easy. We’re dealing with multiple problems that require multiple responses.”

Mihiata O’Brien

Kevan McConnell


the suicides of 13 young people, and divided

by the decision to close two of the town’s

six schools.

“We had 500 people at a community

meeting and it was pitchforks and torches

stuff,” says Matai Bennett, of Kawerau’s

Manna Support Services.

People had plenty to say about what they

needed and what social services weren’t

achieving. They wanted:

• local youth services that deliver what

local young people need

• opportunities for young people to grow

skills, confidence and knowledge for work

• a positive youth culture, with young

people engaged with each other,

the community and the larger world

• positive role models and mentors for

young people.

But the challenges were huge.

WarwickWarwick Godfrey is a sports tutor, boxing

coach, town councillor and community

representative for the Social Sector Trial.

He is also one of several people who have

put their hands up to mentor young people

as they make the step from school to work.

He says decades of high unemployment

have fed a strong inter-generational gang

culture, characterised by drug and alcohol

use, crime, and family violence.

Low self-belief, a narrow view of their

options, and high alcohol and drug use was

the norm among young people. They faced

limited work opportunities – a quarter of

the town’s workforce was unemployed on

census day, the highest rate in the country.

Isolated efforts by a whole range of

social service agencies over many years

had failed to make any lasting impact.

Services were duplicated and disconnected,

operating in isolation and competing for

funding. Regional providers lacked local

knowledge, and there was little useful

communication between social services

providers and schools.

“In 20 years, I’ve seen more pilots here

than Auckland airport, and I thought

the Social Sector Trial would be exactly

the same. But it’s not. This one has teeth,”

says Warwick.

One tableSo how do you support a boy who uses

alcohol and drugs every day, and doesn’t go

to school? How do you connect with him

and work with his family, where no-one is

in paid employment and drugs are a source

of income?

Sitting around a table on a Thursday

morning are 15 people from a range of

social service and community organisations,

including school principals, iwi and

community social services, a Child, Youth

and Family social worker, the truancy

officer, school social workers, the police

youth aid officer, a Ministry of Education

official and three members of the Social

Sector Trial team.

It’s the weekly meeting of the Kawerau

Engaging Youth Forum (KEY) to collectively

case manage Kawerau’s most at-risk kids.

The conversation is frank and challenging

as people debate the best options and next

steps, and assign roles and accountability.

Co-chairing the meeting, Kevan waits for

people to work things out, stepping in only

to keep action and accountability on track.

“It’s not easy. We’re dealing with multiple

problems that require multiple responses.

Even getting my four boys to agree around

the table at home is hard enough, let alone

four large Ministries and independent local

providers,” says Kevan.

“But in the end, they have to work it out.

You can’t just say ‘oh, our workloads are too

heavy right now’, because there are kids who

need help right now, right here. The Social

Sector Trial has made everyone accountable

for getting the results Kawerau needs.”

Tarawera High School principal Helen

Tuhoro says instead of working in silos, with

education having nothing to do with the

council nor social services, the Social Sector

Trial has worked like glue.

“It brings us around the same table,

focusing on the families we do all our

mahi around.”

Child, Youth and Family has set up

an office in Kawerau to be closer to the

community and partner agencies. It now

sits in the same building as the Social Sector

Trial team, along with a host of other

community services.

The results speak for themselves –

a 33 percent increase in school attendance

and a 25 percent drop in Youth

Court appearances.

In the first two years of the Trial alone,

the KEY Forum worked with 75 young

people to help them back into education.

Warwick Godfrey

Helen Tuhoro

Tahu Nehua

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And in May 2012, the number of

disengaged young people hit zero “for the

first time in living memory,” according to

Mayor Malcolm Campbell.

Nanny DollsMeet Mereana ‘Dolls’ Rua, 61, a life-long

resident and ‘Nan’ or ‘Nanny Dolls’ to almost

everyone in Kawerau, from kids to kaumatua

to gang families.

Dolls has become Kawerau’s first local and

fulltime truancy officer, replacing a regional

role based in Whakatane that was having

little impact on Kawerau’s truant kids.

Putting Dolls in charge of school

attendance was one of the first moves of the

Social Sector Trial.

“We moved funding around to make

that happen,” says Kevan. “We needed a

community leader in that role, trusted and

respected, to get through the door into

people’s homes.”

Dolls knows the whänau of all the

youngsters she deals with, and will knock

on any door to bundle them off to school

in her car. She’ll connect with their families

as well and she’s quick to spot where more

help is needed.

FayleneKawerau-born and bred Faylene Tunui

was recruited as co-ordinator for the Social

Sector Trial team at the end of the Trial’s

first year. Educated and strongly connected

to the community, Faylene has also become

the youngest member of the district council.

“I was raised in Te Ao Mäori. As a kid,

I went from marae to marae to tautoko

everyone. Everyone is whänau.”

As Social Sector Trial co-ordinator,

Faylene’s job has no easy definition – from

cross-agency facilitator to big sister and

aunty. She’s just returned from a meeting

with visiting Government Minister Anne

Tolley when the phone rings.

“Hey Aunty,” says a worried young male

voice on the other end. A senior student

has a work experience programme with a

local employer, but the boy’s Nan hasn’t

made it back from her doctor’s visit to drive

him there.

Faylene, who co-ordinated the

programme, grabs her keys, prints an extra

copy of his work placement forms just in

case, and heads out the door.

Recently, she’s been working with Work

and Income to link local employers with

training providers, offering much-needed

work training and experience in industries

where local jobs are.

JoelAcross the road from the skate park,

a youth centre is an after school hangout

for up to 60 kids of all ages each day, and

an alternative education programme during

school hours.

Youth centre worker Joel King-Hazel,

19, is chairman of Kawerau’s youth council,

a Youth Services mentor, and passionate

about making a difference. He says there’s

a sea-change going on for many young

people in Kawerau.

“Kids who have been coming to this

centre for months are not coming in drunk

or stoned anymore. And I’m not just ‘hey

you’, anymore. I’m Matua Joel.”

Also, he says local churches are starting

to see up to 200 young people at evening

services from Wednesday to Sunday.

Kevan says that historically different parts

of the community – churches, iwi, school,

businesses and agencies – didn’t relate

much. “But the Social Sector Trial supports

what we all do as a community.”

Doing what is neededThe decision to close two of the town’s

six schools was tough for Kawerau. The

teachers were made redundant and only

three were re-hired. The 40 new teachers

did not know the students. Parents of

intermediate-aged kids were worried about

possible bullying by seniors.

Key community social service agencies

Manna Support Services and Tuwharetoa

ki Kawerau Hauora committed to working

openly together alongside schools.

For a year volunteers from across the

community, from parents to police officer

to the Mayor, took turns to spend time with

students during lunchtime and school breaks.

“We wanted to help the kids and teachers

settle in, and to let them know that the

whole community was behind them.”

Nanny Dolls

Faylene Tunui

Mayor Malcolm Campbell


Matai Bennett and Chris Majoribanks are

the respective leaders of Manna Support and

Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau Hauora, and they

acknowledge change for the community will

be a long game.

“But at least we’re focused on how

to put things together, rather than how

dysfunctional everything was,” says Chris.

“We’re no longer looking across the

landscape and seeing gaps that we can’t

plug, because we can’t work together.

Now we can change services to meet real

community needs.”

Seeing a need to support young women

involved with gangs, they went out and

asked them what sort of training would

interest them if it were run locally.

Then they successfully challenged the

regional polytechs to offer beauty, fashion

and health training, based in Kawerau.

“We asked why the polytechs couldn’t

consider building our young people’s

confidence to the point where they can

take the step outside this community and

carry on learning.

“For some of those young women this

was their first ever success, the first thing

they felt proud of. And the transformation,

as a result, was amazing.”

MihiataMihiata, the early childhood teacher

who challenged the Social Sector Trial to

look after the 0 to 5-year-olds, is now part

of the team as the ECE Participation Project

Co-ordinator, with backing from the Ministry

of Education.

Ten years as an early childhood educator

in Kawerau and a lifetime growing up and

raising her own kids in Kawerau means she

is firmly part of the community.

In a short time she’s connected several

families with early childhood services,

and other support services to help their kids

stay safe and healthy, and engaged in early

learning education.

“It’s about helping families, using all the

agencies and skills we’ve got here. And it’s

about forgetting to protect our own patch,

and working together.”

Community leadersKevan is widely acknowledged in

Kawerau for his commitment and success

in uniting the community and providers and

taking the new approach forward.

Kevan says getting people like Faylene,

Mihiata, Dolls and Warwick on board has

been about “developing the right people,

people who weren’t on the radar of

conventional authority, but who are the right

people to lead.

“This community is staunch about who

they’ll listen to – if you’re not from here,

you’re not from here. There are good people

in this community. And I’ve gone out looking

for them.

“It’s about developing the next

generation to take this into the future.”

WEB LINKS

Learn more about Social Sector Trials in Kawerau and other New Zealand communities:http://www.msd.govt.nz/kawerau-sst-action-planhttp://www.msd.govt.nz/social-sector-trials

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http://www.msd.govt.nz/kawerau-sst-action-plan

http://www.msd.govt.nz/social-sector-trials

Caring for a pet can teach us a lot about good relationships with animals and people. That’s why the Canterbury SPCA is giving children in care a hands-on chance to care for animals – helped by Myrtle the dog, and Vinnie the guinea pig.

“We know how vital it is for children who

may have witnessed cruelty and negative

role modelling to have opportunities to

develop respectful, nurturing and positive

relationships with animals,” says Rachel

Norris, who is Child, Youth and Family’s

Rangiora site manager.

She says the partnership with the SPCA

came from a recent forum where children

in care were asked about the things that

mattered to them.

“The children told us that their pets and

other animals were really important.”

The SPCA was a perfect fit because its

education programme taught children about

compassion and empathy for their furry,

feathered and finned friends.

Richard, the SPCA Canterbury’s Education

Manager, is passionate about educating

children, particularly those who may be

at risk of developing negative behaviours

towards animals. He was very keen to work

with Rangiora’s children in care.

“If we can teach young people to be

empathetic towards animals, there is less

risk of cruelty later on – not just to animals,

but to people.

“Our core message is based on the Five

Freedoms of Animal Welfare. To a young

audience this means making sure that pets

have food and water, love and understanding,

shelter, exercise and vet care.”

Rachel and her team are very keen to

continue working with the SPCA.

“We have a great opportunity to support

children in care to develop a really good

understanding of what animals need, and

encourage them to become advocates for

animal welfare,” says Rachel.

The children enjoyed the session and

loved the hands-on time with the animals.

One young person said, “Having this

experience has inspired me even more to

work with animals.”

Another said, “Animal abuse is cruel and

it needs to be stopped. If a person can’t look

after animals properly then they shouldn’t

have pets.”

On their next visit, the children will get

the chance to have a look around the animal

centre, meet the animals up for adoption and

get hands-on with more animals, including

Bertie the cow and Doris the pig.

Kids and animals


KickStart

A public-private-community partnership means more Kiwi kids are starting their school day on a full stomach.

Ten-year-old Logan arrives early at school

every day, but it’s not to play with his mates

in the playground.

Instead, he looks forward to catching

up with them over a Weet-Bix and milk in

Wainuiomata Primary School’s hall.

He’s one of about 40 Wainuiomata

children who enjoy a daily fix of Weet-Bix

and Anchor milk as part of the KickStart

Breakfast programme, which serves more

than 95,000 breakfasts in more than 760

schools nationwide.

With support from the Government to

the tune of $1.9 million a year, Sanitarium

provides the Weet-Bix and Fonterra provides

the milk. Schools and their communities

provide the bowls and spoons and of

course the places and the people to run the

breakfast clubs.

Hungry“Children were coming to school hungry

and we were feeding them out of our school

finances, but the need was getting greater,”

says Deputy Principal Allison Burdon.

The increasing number of hungry children

prompted the school to sign up to KickStart

Breakfast. In just a few months, the teachers,

parents and community alike have embraced

the programme. With a pool of 20-or-so

parent and staff helpers, the breakfast club

goes through about 40 litres of milk and 660

Weet-Bix each week, ensuring that children

like Logan start their day in a good way.

It has made a huge difference,

says Allison.

“We had a lot of angry outbursts,

and when you asked the kids what they

had for breakfast they’d say, ‘nothing’.

We’ve identified those children and got them

to our breakfast club, and those outbursts

have subsided now.



“Our teachers are really noticing that the

children seem more settled in class and they

settle into work more.

“It’s also been good for other children

who probably don’t need breakfast, in that

it is building a culture within our school.

The breakfast table has a really nice feel

about it, and it’s good for them socially too.”

Bright brains and full tummies

Logan’s lot usually comprises two

Weet-Bix, sometimes more depending on

dinner the night before.

“Having breakfast makes my brain think

better. When I get milk in my head, when

I go to class I can think,” he says.

His school mates agree, with seven-year-old

Fanua saying that breakfast makes it easier

to do schoolwork.

Her friend Anatea says she’d always

arrive late for school and without much for

breakfast, but not any more.

“Now I come early and eat here. I like

it because I get to see my friends and my

tummy gets full.”

Teacher Deb Neho is one of a number of

staff who swing by the school hall to mingle

with students like Anatea over breakfast.

“It’s a great culture. It’s a great way to

start the day, for the kids and for me. I teach

years 4 to 6, and a full tummy really does

make a great day for learning.

“Then you get out into the playground

and kids are running to give you a hug

because you’ve just had breakfast with

them. It builds the bonds.

“They look at you as being normal, as in,

‘She eats and drinks with us, so she cares

about us out of the classroom as well’.

So the kids believe in you and then they

believe in themselves.”

Volunteer co-ordinator and school

administrator Marlene Bell says KickStart

Breakfast has had plenty of backing from

parents and the community.

“We have an amazing bunch of parents

who help out, like Tania, who comes in twice

a week with her three kids, of whom one

isn’t even at school yet, but she helps to

serve breakfast too.”

Strong partners – community, business and government

KickStart Breakfast was launched by

Fonterra and Sanitarium in 2009, serving

breakfast twice a week to children in

low-decile schools.

Since the Ministry of Social Development

came on board in May 2013, the programme

has expanded to five days a week and

opened up for all schools that want it.

That financial backing has prompted a

33 percent increase in schools involved.

As of term three this year, 761 schools were

enrolled in the programme. More than

half are now offering breakfast five days

a week.

“This is a genuine partnership between

the Government, the community and

New Zealand business,” says Ruth Palmer,

the Ministry of Social Development’s Family

and Community Services General Manager.

“It’s a great, practical way to make a real

difference in children’s lives by providing

them with nutritious food that sets them up

for the day.”

Fonterra too is “immensely pleased, and

very, very proud” of what it has done so far.

“The fact is, we are very good at making

nutritious products, as is Sanitarium, so it’s

really great that our businesses can help to

solve, in a small way, a big problem that

exists within New Zealand,” says Fonterra’s

Louise Aitken.

And there’s been plenty of positive

feedback, says Louise, along with some

touching experiences of her own.

“I’ve personally had an experience with

a 15-year-old who received his schedule for

his NCEA Level 1 exams. His school serves

breakfast three days a week, and he said to

me that he knew he’d pass his science exam

because it had fallen on a day when the

school had breakfast.”

Sanitarium also receives plenty of positive

feedback from students and schools.

“Through KickStart Breakfast, we’re

able to make a real and lasting difference

in our communities,” says Sanitarium’s

Hayley Scott.

KickStartacknowledgedThe Sustainable Business Council has highlighted the KickStart Breakfast programme as a successful example of how businesses can work with partners, in its Practical Guide to Effective Partnerships. The Guide provides practical guidance to businesses wanting to develop or enhance partnerships to deliver social and environmental change. A copy of the Guide is available on the Sustainable Business Council’s website at www.sbc.org.nz/resources-and-tools/guides/partnerships

WEB LINK

Learn more about KickStart Breakfasthttps://kickstartbreakfast.co.nz


http://www.sbc.org.nz/resources-and-tools/guides/partnerships



Migrating to meaningful workHaiou Wang is excited. She’s nervous too, but mostly excited. The Chinese native is about to start her fi rst job in her adopted New Zealand.

kia orakia ora


Haiou Wang chats to her job mentor Liz Chin, gleaning some last advice before Liz officially transforms from mentor to mate.

This time, rather than asking about how

to get a job, she’s asking what to wear on

the job, which calls for business-casual wear.

“Maybe for the first week or so wear

something a bit more dressed up,” advises

Liz. “The first impression always stays, and

you never know when you’ll be called to an

important meeting.”

Haiou’s new role is as Senior Planner

in Inland Revenue’s performance and

finance team.

Her experience in corporate finance at

KPMG in China, and her excellent English,

secured her the job, but she says she couldn’t

have done it without Liz’s guidance.

“Liz helped me to make sure it was

all done in the Kiwi way. She taught me

what the local job market was looking for.

She built up my confidence and helped me

to believe in myself. She took time in her

weekends. She’s my hero.”

The Job Mentoring Service

Haiou and Liz are a success story from

the Job Mentoring Service, run by English

Language Partners in Wellington.

“Our core business is developing English

language skills and social support and

helping migrants and refugees to settle,”

says English Language Partners’ manager

Zlata Sosa.

“But about 12 years ago we noticed

high levels of unemployment among skilled

migrants from non-English-speaking countries.

“Finding a job can be a prolonged process

for anyone, but especially for people who

don’t have networks and don’t know the

Kiwi way.

“So we set up the Job Mentoring Service

to help skilled migrants and refugees to find

meaningful work.”

The programme matches a trained

volunteer job mentor with a skilled migrant or

refugee from a non-English-speaking country.

They work one-on-one to help the

newcomer get a foot in the door of their

profession.

“We don’t find them the work, but

our volunteers help jobseekers to prepare

themselves for work in the New Zealand job

market and apply for jobs.

“It’s about teaching them what local

employers are looking for, and building up

their networks and confidence so they don’t

just take whatever work they can get.”

Zlata, an immigrant from Bosnia-

Herzegovina, knows the difference that a

meaningful job can make in a new country.

“They feel valued and useful.

They’re part of something, and all of their

family benefits.”

As per its funding agreement with Work

and Income, each year the Job Mentoring

Service must help at least 35 migrants to

gain meaningful employment.

In the past 12 years the organisation has

helped more than 350 migrants to find jobs.

The right matchMatching the right mentors and jobseekers

is the key to success. That task falls to

co-ordinator Olga Smith, who came to

New Zealand from the Czech Republic

and has a background in psychology and

social work.

“The three main things we look at are

personality, need and similarity of industry.

It’s a professional relationship, but they have

to be able to work together.”

The amount of work involved depends

largely on the jobseeker.

“We ask our volunteers to give each

jobseeker at least six months, usually

meeting weekly or fortnightly for an hour or

so,” says Olga.

“As the jobseeker grows in confidence

they can do more on their own. Sometimes

it’s more about the mentor being there for

questions, to run through interview scenarios,

or to cast their eye over a cover letter.”

Liz says she doesn’t think about the time

she gives.

“It’s not a chore, especially if you’re

matched with the right person.

“Haiou wanted a public sector job and,

since I work in the public sector, it was more

about sharing my knowledge of how that

job market worked, the processes and what

jobs were coming up.”

A job mentor also keeps people

motivated, says Olga. “It’s no fun sitting at

home on your own looking for a job, but if

you’ve got a mentor you’re meeting every

week, you keep going.”

Jobseekers are invited to attend Network

Nights too, to meet others and increase

their chances of finding meaningful work.

And mentors encourage them to take

up voluntary work for experience,

connections and – crucially – local employers

to act as referees.

“We recently had a woman who had

worked in human resources in Indonesia,

but was working in a supermarket here,”

says Zlata.

“Her mentor helped her to find volunteer

administration work at the hospital, which

led to a full-time paid job in medical records.

“Working at the hospital voluntarily

meant she heard about the job, had some

local experience, and had someone to vouch

for her.”

The service has no trouble retaining

its mentors. In fact, most take on new

jobseekers once their current one (or two)

gets a job.

Liz has now helped six people; another

dedicated volunteer mentor has helped 14.

Alice Hodder, who co-ordinated the

programme for three years until July 2014,

says the trend she most appreciated was

migrants helping migrants.

“About half of our mentors are former

migrants themselves – some have used this

service. They know how hard it can be to

find a good job here and how vital it is to

get some help.

“That’s a strong indicator of the success

of the programme and the great support it

offers coming back full circle.”

WEB LINK

The Job Mentoring Service helps skilled migrant and refugee jobseekers looking for meaningful work in Wellington. It trains and recruits volunteer mentors to support jobseekers and share their experience of finding work.http://jobmentor.org.nz


Changing the world, one shed at a time


Step inside the Kapiti Shed Project and the conifer scent of macrocarpa is the fi rst thing you notice.

One man smooths the rough edges of

macrocarpa blocks with a sanding machine.

Another uses sandpaper to fi nish the job.

Four other men carefully brush the blocks

with olive oil, giving them a rich, deep colour.

The shaped blocks are destined to become

children’s building toys.

It’s a scene that could be played out in any

shed around the country – men, tools, wood.

At lunchtime there’s a hot sausage in

a slice of bread; when they down tools,

a pint. On the weekends it’s a camping trip

or movie evening with fi sh and chips.

It all sounds ordinary enough, but to Denis

Wood, the Kapiti Shed Project’s founder and

dogsbody, it’s magic.

“It’s blokes and sheds. You don’t have to

do anything in the Shed. Just be in the Shed.

Hang out in the Shed. Just turn up.”

The Kapiti Shed Project came about after

Denis, who works in property maintenance,

noticed that activities on offer to men with

disabilities were very limited.

“These guys are like you and me. During

the day we’re not going swimming or

10-pin bowling. We do that on the weekend.

I can’t see why disabled people should

be any different. These guys are better

than this.”

At the time, Denis was tutoring young

unemployed men in building skills. Many

of them had learning disabilities, “and it

wasn’t long before they started to appear

on the weekends. Some came to help in the

workshop, others needed help, and some

just came to hang out and drink coffee.”

The Ministry of Social Development’s

Think Differently fund, along with help

from the Aotea Community Trust, Capital

Training and local businesses, allowed the

Shed to expand. It employed four people

and was able to offer bloke-ish learning to

many more.

“When the guys come to the Shed,

they fi nd out what they can do and we

give them the means to do it. When they

become employed, pay tax, get holiday pay,

contribute to KiwiSaver, then people realise

how much they’re really capable of.”

Many disabled people lead lives kept

artifi cially narrow by the fears of well-meaning

families and caregivers, Denis says.

“Caregivers can be our biggest obstacles

sometimes,” says Denis. “They don’t believe

at fi rst that these guys can do it; they think

they’re not up to it.

“But give them an opportunity to be

part of the workforce, and they’re away.

For some of these guys it’s only now that

people are starting to see them as adults.”

One of the Shed’s success stories is David

Ledingham, who is paid to wield a sander,

sew up kindling bags to sell, cook lunch

for the blokes and clean the workshop.

A man of few words, he says his favourite

job is sewing.

Denis says the Shed is helping to change

mainstream attitudes to disabled people,

just by being part of the Kapiti Coast

community. They initially encountered brief

discrimination, such as a pub that didn’t

want to serve them and a venue manager

worried about letting them hire his hall.

“But with a bit of understanding people

have really stepped up.”

Changing the world, one shed at a time

Photo above: Shed founder Denis Wood (far left) and the Shed team.


Because of Denis’s property maintenance

work, tradesmen and technicians regularly

pop in to the Shed, where they meet

the shed blokes and see what they can do

as workers.

“People are getting more accepting.

We do sausage sizzles and the guys are in

your face. If you want a sausage, you have

to talk to them.”

As well as making blocks and kindling,

the Shed men upcycle and renovate furniture

and other items to sell on Trade Me.

They fi nd treasure in other people’s

trash, such as perfume bottles and antique

tools, and shape silver forks into quirky and

useful hooks.

Trade Me listings – apt and often hilarious

– are composed by Shed co-ordinator

Robert Cruickshank, who has a background

in advertising and sales. Robert refers to

himself as a ‘word strangler’ and is also

behind the Shed’s Facebook page, Tumblr

blog and website.

“I spent three years trying to get work

and failing, failing, failing,” says Robert,

who has Asperger’s syndrome.

“Particularly when you’re young,

Asperger’s affects your social processing

because you don’t know what you’re looking

at when a social situation comes along. You

don’t develop the friendship or networking

skills that help get jobs.”

He’s now thriving.

“I like having things stable and getting on

with the job. I fi nd the Shed very supportive,

better than other jobs in the past. I know

exactly what the job is and what’s expected

of me. I like the autonomy.”

As well as increasing the paid positions,

Denis has plans for the future.

“The Shed Project was founded on my

belief that with patience and understanding

we could achieve social change, whereby

older men could teach and mentor younger

men, and by incorporating the disability

sector an understanding and respect could

be realised between different groups of men.

“We offer a working and creative

environment where older and younger men

can co-exist, fostering mutual understanding

and the sharing of skills and knowledge.”

He’s also clear on what success looks like.

“We battle for these guys, just to give

them a normal life. The day I go to the pub

and see a couple of these guys there without

support people, I’ll know we’re winning.”

WEB LINKS

Find out more about the Kapiti Shed Project at http://shedproject.co.nzhttp://shedprojectkapiti.tumblr.comwww.facebook.com/shedprojectkapiti

Photo above right: Shed coordinator Robert Cruickshank.

“The day I go to the pub and see a couple of these guys there without support people, I’ll know we’re winning.“


Jobs were scarce for architecture graduates when 23-year-old Paul Organ and 22-year-old Kurt Meyer left the University of Auckland last year.

When they registered with Work and

Income to look for work, they confi ded that

they had an idea to create a business app for

boarding schools.

“I’d been a boarder at Mount Albert

Grammar School, so I knew how hard it is

for staff to manage students with pens and

clipboards,” explains Kurt. “We talked to

boarding schools around the world, and they

all had the same problem.”

Kurt and Paul gained the chance to

turn their idea into reality when Work and

Income referred them to ArtsLab at the

Depot Artspace in Devonport. ArtsLab is

a six-month employment and professional

development programme for people seeking

careers in creative industries.

ArtsLab manager Lynn Lawton says that

people referred by Work and Income are

fi rst assessed for their potential in work or

self-employment.

“I was convinced that Paul and Kurt had

the skills, and the knowledge of the boarding

school environment, along with the passion

and drive to give their business idea a really

good go.”

“The ArtsLab programme gave us the

support and time we needed to do the

development,” says Paul. “We were feeling

nervous and excited at the same time!”

The pair approached staff at Auckland

Grammar School, which Paul had attended,

as well as Mount Albert Grammar. Their

approach was welcomed by both high

schools who were keen to be involved in

the development. “We tested it with the

boarding staff and they told us how they

would like it to work,” says Kurt.

Boardingware is an iPad app for boarding

schools. Forget about paper-based systems,

say Kurt and Paul. The app lets staff manage

student boarders via tablet, mobile phone

or computer.

The app quickly took off. By August

this year there were 10 customers in New

Zealand and seven overseas, with predictions

of around 50 customers by the year’s end.

The business is now a team of four, with

two people on contract who have bought

into the business.

In November Kurt and Paul will showcas e

Boardingware at the American Association

of Boarding Schools’ conference in

Washington DC. “We have several

customers in the US who love what we are

doing and have encouraged us to attend,”

says Paul.

Paul and Kurt say they love everything

about their business and are grateful for

the possibilities that ArtsLab opened up

for them. There’s a good chance that the

two will develop more apps and continue

to grow their company, employing more

people and generating overseas income for

New Zealand.

“That’s our next dream,” says Paul.

“The ArtsLabprogramme gaveus the support andtime we needed.”

ArtsLab

Q: What do you get when you combine two talented jobseekers, a great idea and a lab that fosters young creatives into work?

A: A business with a future and jobs for four people.

Paul and Kurt with ArtsLab manager Lynn Lawton.


It’s a Tuesday night in Flaxmere, and leaders from different Pacifi c communities and churches have gathered in the local community centre.

From Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati,

Tokelau, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands,

these men and women are keen to

learn how to lead the way against

family violence.

When they’ve fi nished their 16-week

course they will have the tools to run

stopping violence programmes in their

own communities.

Among the group is a mother

who says that she hopes parents

will learn different ways to discipline

their children.

“If we are brought up in a violent

discipline it is really hard to raise

children in another way – to know what

to do instead. We need to learn how to

raise our children differently.”

In the three years it has been

running, DOVE Hawke’s Bay’s Kainga

Pasifi ka programme has helped to

unite Pacifi c communities and churches

against family violence.

It’s a programme for change that

starts with leaders, developed in a

uniquely Pacifi c way by Tongan-born

Tevita Faka’osi, who is well known

in Flaxmere’s Pacifi c communities.

The businessman, church leader, Justice

of the Peace, employer and interpreter

is also the Kainga Pasifi ka co-ordinator

for DOVE Hawke’s Bay, a family

violence prevention organisation based

in Napier.

The Pacifi c way“I started looking at how to keep

families safe in a Pacifi c way. I said

to DOVE that if we want to reach

Pacifi c Islanders we need to involve

the community, we need to pick the

people who are respected in that

community, train them and send them

back to their community.”

The fi rst leader training took place in

2012, a 16-week course that focused

on helping participants to understand

family violence. For many church and

community leaders it was a personal

journey that challenged their own

attitudes and behaviour.

“They discovered that violence is

not OK. They learned the impact on

the families and children. Smacking is

a no-no, there is a better way,”

says Tevita.

“Then they started practising it

and they saw the change themselves.

Seeing it they believed it, and when

they believed it, they could change it.”

Since 2012, 22 church and

community leaders have gone through

the programme and taken further

training to lead stopping violence

programmes in their own communities.

They’ve already seen a drop in the

incidence of violence – people are

fi nding guidance and help from their

own leaders and churches, rather than

reaching the point where agencies like

New Zealand Police or Child, Youth and

Family are needed.

Call to actionIn 2013, the Offi ce of the Children’s

Commissioner (OCC) invited faith

leaders from all over New Zealand to

take a stand against family violence.

Leaders from churches across

Hastings attended workshops alongside

those already involved with the DOVE

Kainga Pasifi ka programme.

Subsequently, a think tank of

local church leaders and family

violence prevention practitioners

formed to support faith communities

in Hawke’s Bay.

About 128 church leaders from 36

congregations have since attended

training to respond to family violence

and partner abuse, as well as learn about

child protection, policy and protocols.

Family violence specialist and

counsellor Kara Duncan-Hewitt has

played a pivotal role.

In Hastings, diverse church and community leaders are learning to lead a united stand against family violence.

Sanctuaries and safe havens


A survivor of a violent relationship,

Kara has a passion to see faith

communities do more to support and

heal people affected by family violence.

“I once thought that my only way

out of my own abusive marriage was to

die. After all, marriage was supposed to

be forever and I feared, because of my

belief at the time, being on the wrong

side of God if I left.

“Faith leaders can preach from the

pulpit, they can lead from the top down,

they are often the fi rst people to be

contacted in family crises. It just makes

sense for them to know how to respond.

“For some people the church is their

whole life, and their whole social life.

While family violence services support

victims and perpetrators in many

practical ways, faith communities can

foster healing in the long term – they

are like a family.

“My hope is that faith communities

will become known as safe places for

victims and perpetrators to go for the help

they need.”

This initiative is supported by the

Hastings District Council, the OCC and

the ‘It’s not OK’ campaign.

Out in the openKayren Hatherell, pastor at Hastings’

independent Church of the Way, says

leadership from the OCC has opened

the way for churches to be open about

family violence.

“Many times we were called to a

family crisis but family violence and

child abuse weren’t ever talked about.

“We attended the OCC workshop

in Wellington and came back saying,

‘Yay, we can do it now, it can be

out in the open now’. And that has

certainly strengthened what we are

already doing.”

Spiritual wellbeingChris Badger is a counsellor who

works with victims of domestic violence.

“I was seeing client after client

coming in as a result of domestic abuse

– they would have been about 60 to 70

percent of my clients.

“With rates like that I thought

family violence must be in our church

community too, and if it is in our church

community, what are we going to do

about it?”

She belongs to Hastings’ Station

Community Church, which sent

representatives to the OCC workshop

in Wellington.

“At our church we have our pastor

and six other people involved in family

violence workshops.

“It is giving more eyes on this issue,

and teaching people to take a second

look and ask the right questions.

“My ideal would be that pastors

and leaders embrace the training, put

policies in place to protect vulnerable

people in their own community, and

offer support and training.”

John Drower, elder at S tation

Church, says churches should be

safe places.

“But to be safe we need to know

how to respond to family violence.

We have recognised stuff in the past,

but not necessarily had processes in

place to handle it. Now we’ve realised

we need to be more proactive.”

WEB LINK

This work is supported by the ‘It’s not OK’ campaign. Find out more at www.areyouok.org.nz

“Seeing it they believed it, and when they believed it,

they could change it.”


Spotlight on Northland

“It’s pretty satisfying toknow that we are helpingpeople who have beenreally aff ected.”



Northland growers and farmers could only stand by and watch in dismay as the worst storms and fl ooding in decades battered their crops and farms in July.

As the clean-up began, Maungakaramea

avocado grower Kathy Woods raced against

the clock to harvest thousands of avocados

lying beneath storm-battered trees on her

22-hectare orchard.

She was one of numerous Northland

growers estimated to have suffered a

collective industry loss of up to $13 million in

lost production, lost trees and tree damage.

She was also among the fi rst to receive

no-cost help from the Enhanced Task Force

Green crews, who were activated to help

with the clean-up.

Unemployed locals were recruited to

the teams, with the Ministry of Social

Development paying their wages and

the Northland Regional Council overseeing

the work.

For Manu Bilich, joining the Enhanced

Task Force Green clean-up team was both

a chance to work and a chance to lead. He

jumped at the opportunity.

With strong Te Uri o Hau ties, Manu had

lived and worked in Australia for the previous

10 years. Last year he returned home to

Ruakaka with his partner and two children

to care for his sick mother.

It was the right move, to be home with

whänau, and he was ready to work. But the

hard reality was that work wasn’t as plentiful

as it had been across the Tasman.

Manu had a wealth of experience and

qualifi cations in security, but he struggled to

fi nd work in his fi eld. He took a casual role

at the port and registered with Work and

Income as an active jobseeker.

Manu’s determination and initiative

quickly shone through to work brokers,

who keenly recommended him for

a leadership role with the Enhanced Task

Force Green clean-up. Not scared of change

and excited by the unknown, the former

security guard decided he would try his

hand at it.

In two months, Manu and his crew mates

have cleaned up 70 properties, in places

from the Far North to Whangarei. The crews

have worked on orchards and dairy, beef

and sheep farms, where they have repaired

fences, cleared debris and damaged crops,

and removed fallen trees.

Manu says the work has been hard

but rewarding. The experience of leading

a crew and the satisfaction of helping

people will be the two things he will

remember most, he says.

“It’s pretty satisfying to know that we

are helping people who have been really

affected. It is also really humbling when I am

able to guide some of my crew mates when

they aren’t sure of what to do.

“We have all worked really hard and I’m

looking forward to whatever opportunities

come about from it.”

When the clean-up fi nishes, Work and

Income will support the crew members into

other jobs.

As for avocado grower Kathy Woods, she

was delighted and grateful for the arrival

of several , much-needed extra pairs of

hands so early in the clean-up, saying it was

“really, really great”.

Key factsNorthland

spans from Te Hana in the south to Cape Reinga in the far north.

The economy

is based on agriculture, horticulture, tourism, forestry and wood processing, construction and marine engineering. Emerging industries include mining, aquaculture and the creative sector.

148,470 people

live in Northland. Nearly one third of Northland’s population is Maori – more than double the proportion for all of New Zealand.

Whangarei

contains one third of Northland’s population. The remainder live in small towns and rural areas.

Storm force

Northland



Courage and a determination to do better for her children have turned Letitia Noah’s life around, along with a resolute work broker and a committed employer.

Letitia Noah has made a commitment

to herself and her children to never look

back. But today the 46-year-old is going

to delve into her past in the hope that

her life change may inspire others to do

the same.

Letitia is quiet and shy, but she

is determined – she needs others to

know her story. She talks quietly of

growing up in state care without her

family, being physically, sexually and

verbally abused as a child, the lack

of contact with some of her grown

children, the loss of a partner to cancer,

and suffering from a severe case of the

chronic autoimmune disease lupus.

But for Letitia, rock bottom came

with the loss of her 12-day-old son,

born prematurely in August 2013.

Her eyes fi ll with tears as she explains

how, in those darkest of times, she lost

herself to alcohol.

“After I buried my son I went into

a downward spiral. I drank solidly for

a month. I can’t remember most of it.

The only memory is of the morning that

I decided that I needed to change.”

It was a change, she says, that

saved her life and changed the lives of

her children.

“I was woken one morning, after

a few days of binge drinking, by my

two children crying and saying they

were hungry.

“I went to look in the fridge and

there was nothing but bottles for me.

Then I went to the cupboard and there

was nothing but bottles for me.

“I didn’t know the last time they had

been fed. Even after all these years of

being on a benefi t I had never let my

children go hungry.

“When your children have looks of

hunger and desperation in their eyes,

you have to change. That was my

turning point.”

Letitia’s mood lifts as she describes

how her children are now the happiest

she has ever seen them. She says they’re

happy because they know their mother

is committed to giving them the best

she can.

She says words can’t express

the positive impact her work has had

on her family.

“They are walking around with their

heads held high. Their attitudes have

Work and Income workbroker Chrissy Murray with Letitia.

Where she wants to be



lifted and their pukus are full. We have

heaps of barriers in life, but I want

my kids to know that we are never

going back.”

This month Letitia celebrates her

one-year anniversary of working at

Edgewater Palm Apartments in Paihia.

It is a real milestone, given that she

had been out of the workforce for

almost 20 years.

Edgewater manager Nicki Kempthorne

says Letitia is a dependable, honest,

happy and loyal team player.

“She is happy to work on her own

and requires no leadership. In fact,

leadership has now become her role

– as we head into the summer season

she will run a team of six staff.”

It’s a stark contrast to how Letitia

describes the person she was one

year ago.

Depressed and grieving, she could

hardly bring herself to attend a Work

and Income employment seminar.

But she did.

She was so overwhelmed that

she decided she wasn’t going back.

But she did.

Every little step along the path to work

was challenging, especially photographs.

As a lupus sufferer, she has large

skin rashes on her face, which make her

self-conscious. She was horrifi ed to learn

that an employer might see her photo.

She’d never attended an interview either.

Work and Income workbroker

Chrissy Murray could see how little

self-belief and how much insecurity Letitia

had. “But I saw warmth and potential.”

Chrissy made a beeline for Letitia,

and worked closely with her as she

prepared for work. She also convinced

Nicki at Edgewater Palm Apartments

to consider recruiting from Work

and Income.

“Together we are piloting a training

programme with Work and Income that

transitions people from benefi ts into

paid employment,” says Nicki.

While Letitia struggled to sell

herself during the interview, Nicki says

she showed a defi nite and genuine

willingness to work. She says Letitia is

proof that the pilot training programme

can work.

Letitia says Chrissy and Nicki went

above and beyond to support her.

Chrissy continues to provide pastoral

and in-work support. And Nicki’s offer

for Letitia and her children to stay two

nights in the fi ve-star hotel completely

blew her away.

“On top of giving me a job and extra

hours, encouraging me to step up, and

training me to become a supervisor,

she gave me and my kids the best

Christmas we’ve ever had,” says Letitia.

“She accepted me, but she also showed

me that I could be more.”

Sometimes people ask Letitia,

“Where to from here?”.

Her reply is, “I’m already there.

“This is where I have always wanted

to be, a hardworking, happy mother .

I value myself and the work I do.”

“She is happy to work on her own and requires no leadership. In fact,

leadership has now become her role”.


Spotlight on xxxxSpotlight on xxxx Spotlight on Waikato

“He had more hope in me than I had in my own self.”


Spotlight on xxxx Spotlight on xxxxSpotlight on Waikato

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and for Susan Mahara that saying rings true.

The 50-something-year-old is happily

employed in the kitchen at Waikato’s

Trevellyn Lifestyle Care and Village, a rest

home and residential care facility.

She puts her success down to communal

support and encouragement and to this

day still can’t believe how much confi dence

others had in her along the way.

She remembers one Work and Income case

manager telling her, “You can do it, whaea”.

“He had more hope in me than I had in

my own self,” she says.

The road to employment began when

Susan was selected for work-focused case

management, a service that helps people to

prepare for employment.

At the time she was on a widow’s benefi t,

working voluntarily at a local community

centre as a cleaner and kitchen hand.

She wondered why ‘they’ wanted her to

work at her age. But her case manager was

confi dent that she could work – and get paid

for it.

An opportunity then arose for Susan to

participate in a caregiving and hospitality

course. She agreed to meet the course

provider and remembers thinking, “Please

don’t pick me”. But when selection time

came, they did.

Not wanting to be late on her fi rst day,

Susan caught the 7am bus into town and

was exceptionally early.

As for the course: “When the book came

out... and I’m reading through it… I was

just…”. Susan stops and stares into space.

She’s unsure how she made it through that

fi rst day; she didn’t think she was going

to make it.

“The fi rst week was the longest week,

but in the second I had more confi dence.

When the course fi nished I was just getting

into it! Those six weeks went so fast.”

Her course included two weeks’ work

experience at Trevellyn Lifestyle Care and

Village and at St Joan’s Hospital and Rest

Home, both in the kitchen.

After those two weeks ended Susan’s

phone rang. It was one of the Trevellyn

managers asking if she could go in for

an interview.

Armed with new-found interview skills

from the course, Susan got the job.

Now, as a part-timer and reliever

at Trevellyn, most weeks she works at least

15 hours, sometimes more than 30.

Up until now Susan has bought most

of her clothes from second-hand shops,

but her moko (grandchildren) have told

her that she can now afford to buy

brand-new clothes.

“And I have – I went and got me two new

tops and not from the second-hand shop.”

Despite her part-time work Susan still

receives a benefi t, albeit reduced depending

on her earnings, but she’s determined to fi nd

full-time work and come off it altogether.

Susan is thankful to those who have

helped her on her journey so far, especially

her case managers, course tutor and the

staff at Trevellyn and St Joan’s. Not one to

take credit, she reluctantly concedes that

maybe her hard work has also had something

to do with it.

You can do it, whaea

Key factsWork and Income

works with a range of industries to train our jobseekers with the right skills for the job, and to fi ll skill or labour shortages.

Employers

can save time and money with skilled workbrokers fi nding the right people for the job, and supporting them to succeed in work. We can tailor our no-cost recruitment service to meet employers’ needs, including wage subsidies, training and in-work support. Free phone 0800 778 008.

Work-focusedcase management

is about personalised support for people who need extra help to get back into work. That can include training and mentoring, help to arrange transport and child care, help to buy work clothes, managing debt, budgeting and life skills.

WEB LINK

Find out more about our employer services www.workandincome.govt.nz/business

Waikato


http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/business

A good match

Ray Woolly has had Lance Archuleta on his payroll for the past year. The boss of Hamilton garage door company Windsor Doors couldn’t be happier with 23-year-old Lance, even though he’d set out looking to recruit someone much older.

Ray’s previous experiences were that

young guys “broke things and wouldn’t

turn up for work”. This time when Ray

started looking for a new installer, he

wanted someone mature, married, with

a stable family life, maybe a mortgage

– someone who wanted to work, had a

reason to work and would turn up.

Knowing that Work and Income

helped people into employment and

helped employers to fi nd staff, offi ce

manager Lynda Jordain called to see

who was on its books. She met up with

Work Broker Sue Crackett to talk about

what they needed.

When Sue heard about the sort of

character they were looking for, she

followed her gut instinct and put forward

just one person for the position – Lance.

Lance was not the older person Ray

had envisaged. He was young, 23 in

fact, not married, with no children or a

mortgage – hardly the person Ray had

in mind.

What he did have was the right

attitude, and that was enough for Ray.

Lance had been a caregiver for a

number of years. When that job ended

he had picked up some contract work

laying cables. However, a downturn in

the industry meant his contract was not

renewed and he found himself living off

his savings and eventually applying for

the unemployment benefi t.

In Lance’s fi rst three months at

Windsor Doors, the company received a

wage subsidy from Work and Income to

help pay for training. He was teamed up

with experienced installer Rob Sutton,

who also helped to train him.

“Lance has picked it up quickly.

It’s not a hard job, but not everyone can

do it,”says Rob.

“If he wanted to he could go further

– to a sales rep and even to a branch

manager,” says Rob. “He’s learning the

business from the ground up.”

He’s happy with the way that Lance

has turned out and says he’ll turn

to Work and Income to recruit staff

next time.

Ask Lance about the job and he says,

“You’re standing on your own two

feet. Work keeps you busy and it gives

you security, and you can buy what

you want.”

Lance’s tip for jobseekers and new

employees is to be willing to fi t in and

learn a new set of skills.

WEB LINK

Learn more about how Work and Income can help employers to recruit and train their workforce. www.workandincome.govt.nz/business

Spotlight on xxxxSpotlight on Waikato


http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/business/

Spotlight on xxxxSpotlight on Waikato

Turning points

Just over a year ago Blake (not his real name) was on the brink of a prison sentence after a string of bad decisions, alcohol and drug abuse and repeat offending.

Today it’s a completely different

story. The 17-year-old is a new dad.

He’s clean and sober and fi nding the

potential that his social worker Pam

Porter always knew he had.

But it wasn’t that long ago that

Blake’s drug and alcohol abuse, repeat

offending and failure to complete any

of his Youth Court plans saw him sent

to a youth justice residence fi ve times

between 2011 and 2013.

His latest court-ordered sentence of

fi ve months’ supervision-with-residence,

starting in May 2013 followed by a

six-month supervision order, was his

last chance.

The Youth Court judge told Blake

that if he breached or offended again

he’d wind up in the District Court and

be sentenced to prison due to the

magnitude of the charges.

But for the fi rst time Blake completed

a Youth Court plan and he hasn’t

reoffended in more than 14 months.

“If things hadn’t clicked for me this

time I’d probably be in jail,” says Blake.

His turning point came when he

was ordered to attend a military-style

activity camp (MAC) programme

in Christchurch, delivered by the

New Zealand Defence Force.

“MAC opened my eyes. They taught

us the reality of what we were doing

and what we could have in life,”

says Blake.

“Physically it was mean, because I like

running and keeping fi t, and it pushes

you mentally and physically – any boys

going through the courts should have

an opportunity to do it.”

Blake also credits Rick and Linda

Wiringi’s Life Skills for Life programme

in Hamurana for its part in his journey.

Life Skills for Life consists of three

key components: education and

training (forestry), social and personal

development, and drug and alcohol

education and rehabilitation.

“Rick shows you respect no matter

what and I hadn’t had that before,”

says Blake.

Pam, who’s known Blake since 2010,

says Life Skills for Life and MAC have

changed him enormously.

“He used to be self-pitying but now

he takes responsibility for his own

actions and stops blaming everybody

else. That’s made a huge difference,”

she says.

Fatherhood is also helping to keep

Blake on track.

“I want to be a good father. I want

to be a good role model to my son,

and I want him to be proud of me.”

And Pam knows that’s realistic.

“For someone Blake’s age, he’s

very responsible and mature, and his

commitment to this child is huge.”

Pam knew halfway through his plan

that he’d turned a corner.

“This was the fi rst time that he’d

shown a willingness to make that change

and be different, and any change had to

come from within.

“He’s remained positive and

committed to maintaining the changes

he has made in himself and to his

lifestyle, and I’m really proud of him,”

she says.

Blake acknowledges that his past

actions and offending have affected

everyone, including himself.

“I know that temptations are always

out there, but when I look back on

what I did it is hard to understand why

I did them.

“I look at the past few years and

I wasted so much time. Everyone knows

the past is the past and it won’t change,

but the past has made me who I am

today and I would like to think that

I am a good dad and a good person.”

Education and training (forestry)

Social and personal development

Drug and alcohol educationand rehabilitation

Military-style activity camp (MAC)


round-up Regional

Southern Southern Cosy Homes: Work and Income Southern is working with other local organisations on the Cosy

Homes Project. The goal is that everyone lives in a home that is warm and healthy by 2025. The project

is still new, but work is under way to help low-income clients gain cheap or free insulation services.

Constructing Futures initiative: Housing New Zealand maintenance contractors are now recruiting

their staff from Work and Income jobseekers. Work and Income has been working with the Department

of Corrections to fi nd people who meet the needs of lead contractors and subcontractors.

Whänau services: Child, Youth and Family Dunedin has teamed up with Te Hou Ora Whänau Services

to launch the Te Ara Taiohi programme, which adapts to meet the individual needs of young people

and their whänau.

Canterbury Canterbury $3k to Christchurch: A new initiative to help with labour shortages in Canterbury is proving effective in

connecting Canterbury employers with skilled jobseekers from other areas. So far it has helped more

than 400 Work and Income jobseekers to move to Canterbury and fi nd work.

Thank you: Ministry of Social Development staff in Canterbury received many messages of support

following the Ashburton tragedy on 1 September. Other staff came from across the country to support

Canterbury staff and deliver client services through a diffi cult time.

Sharing knowledge: Te Oranga Care and Protection Residence is hosting training for professionals

across sectors working with young people. The training is based on the Neurosequential Model

of Therapeutics, which is a relatively new approach getting good results with at-risk youth.

Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Getting ready: Child, Youth and Family West Coast has teamed up with Civil Defence and local

city councils to develop a strong welfare response during a civil defence event, including running

welfare centres.

Seasonal jobs: Horticulture, viticulture, retail, hospitality and tourism will provide the bulk of new job

opportunities in the next few months across the top of the South. Buller and the West Coast will also

see increased opportunities with the annual infl ux of tourists. The apple sector is the major seasonal

industry employer in Nelson/Tasman, providing apple thinning jobs from around October to Christmas.

But the big demand for workers comes through the picking and packing season from February to May.

Work and Income starts early with seminars to prepare jobseekers for the work and meet with employers.


Central Central Children’s Team: The Horowhenua/Otaki Children’s Team began operating in September.

Children’s Teams are a new initiative to connect professionals from health, education, welfare

and social services into a single team to give individual support to vulnerable children and their

families. Children’s Teams have operated in Rotorua and Whangarei since 2013. Horowhenua/

Otaki is one of eight new teams now setting up elsewhere.

Students: During the summer, StudyLink Student Support Centres are very busy helping people

with fi nancial support for study. To help the 150 permanent StudyLink offi cers in Palmerston

North in the peak time, the Centre has taken on more than 100 temporary staff. Some of these are

Work and Income jobseekers who took an intensive four-week course covering key aspects of the role.

Wellington Wellington Healthier Porirua: A Social Sector Trial is under way in Porirua. The vision is that by working

more closely together, social service agencies can improve the health of the Porirua community –

keeping people well and providing prompt local treatment when people are ill. The trial began in

August 2013 and progress towards its goals has been impressive. The trial has been extended for

a further two years.

Hutt Valley partnership: The Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce is promoting Work and Income

clients to its members. The Chamber and Work and Income have signed a contract that sees

jobseekers undergo training to be work-ready for when employers have vacancies for staff. The goal

is that up to 150 clients will be employed during the next 12-months.

Taranaki, King Country and WhanganuiTaranaki, King Country and WhanganuiWhite Ribbon Day: On 25 November the Taumarunui community will reveal its new mural in the

middle of the town, painted with anti-family-violence messages created by local school children.

Vulnerable kids: Professionals from health, education and social services in Hawera have got

together with Child Matters and Child, Youth and Family to learn more about supporting vulnerable

children by knowing what to look for, understanding the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 and the

Children’s Action Plan, and knowing how to report a concern to Child, Youth and Family.

Recruiting for Taranaki employers: Work and Income has connected with Taranaki employers at the

Chamber of Commerce Members Showcase, to promote wage and training subsidies and recruitment

services, and to attract job opportunities for clients with employers planning to recruit in the coming months.

East CoastEast CoastWork for young people: Gisborne Work and Income organised an Industries for Youth programme

in September with a recruitment drive, including visits to worksites and employers. Out of 30 young

people, most gained work following the event.

Sefton House: A house for young people with high-need disabilities opened in Havelock North

in August, backed by the Open Home Foundation, Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and Child,

Youth and Family. Sefton House caters for two young people long-term and two on a respite basis.

Drive for work: Lacking a driver licence is a major barrier to gaining a job. Three hundred and seventy

East Coast region Work and Income clients are training for learners’, restricted and full driver licences.

They will complete professional instruction by the end of the year.


Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty Community guidance: Community response hui across the Bay of Plenty have been gathering

people’s thoughts on the issues facing young people, what success would look like for communities,

and where money should be invested to make a difference.

Award: Youth in Emergency Services (YES) won the Education and Child/Youth Development

category at the Trustpower Taupö District Community Awards recently. YES is a joint project of the

Ministry of Youth Development and Mangakino and Turangi emergency services, offering young

people a chance to get involved with local emergency services.

Mountain jobs: Twenty unemployed young people from the Central Plateau area gained pre-season and

in-work training on the Whakapapa and Turoa ski fi elds through the Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Cadetship programme.

Waikato Waikato Waikato Expressway: Work and Income has teamed up with recruitment agency Advanced Personnel

to provide staff to work on a brand-new section of State Highway 1 – the Cambridge section of the

Waikato Expressway. More than 30 Work and Income clients have been placed into work on the

roading construction project. We expect more to be placed when work begins on the Huntly section

of the Waikato Expressway next year.

New Kmart, new jobs: Kmart is opening a new store in Te Rapa, Hamilton in November. Work

and Income has managed this recruitment as part of the national agreement we have with Kmart.

More than 80 people have gained jobs at the new store.

Auckland Auckland Building workers: A Skills for Industry partnership with the Russell Group saw 26 Work and Income

clients training in-house with the company for a month. As well as construction skills, they focused

on literacy, numeracy and money management. The Russell Group offered permanent work to

21 of them, of whom 13 will continue their development in the company’s Core Strength literacy

programme. Read the full story at http://eeotrust.org.nz/awards/winners.cfm?content_id=22273

Foster Care Awareness Week: Caregivers provide the hearts and homes of Child, Youth and

Family. They are ordinary people who do an extraordinary job in providing love, care and support to

the children who need it most. The Auckland sites of Child, Youth and Family acknowledge and thank

each of their incredible caregivers.

Northland Northland Project Haere: Northland is taking an innovative approach to moving clients from benefi t to work

and personal independence. The Te Aupouri Mäori Trust Board trains, employs and mentors 18 to

24-year-olds and accommodates them to work on Christchurch rebuild projects. Intensive pastoral

support and a highly structured work-life environment help the young people to focus on working

hard and developing themselves through night classes and sport.

Northland cadetship success: Long-term employment is now a reality for 37 young Northlanders

who have taken part in cadetships in the past six months. The Northland Regional and Whangarei

District Councils’ cadetship resulted in jobs for fi ve of seven cadets. Two Corporate Cadetships saw

30 young people complete a business programme and gain work placements with local organisations.


Subscribe to RiseSubscribe to the printed magazine or Rise online (along with other Ministry publications and newsletters) viawww.msd.govt.nz/subscriptions

There is no charge to subscribe.

Rise onlinewww.msd.govt.nz/rise

Download past issues of Rise from the Ministry of Social Development website.

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Please email us at [email protected]

Rise in print, online or iPad – it’s your choice

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

I S S U E 24 – S EP T EM B ER 2013

Between us all – Te Ku- iti unites for young people

Aotearoa Reggae Allstars – singing against child abuse

Never give up – soccer’s Ben Sigmund and

Limited Service Volunteers

Whakakotahi


“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Mäku e kı atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

I S S U E 25 – D ECEM B ER 201325 – D E

It’s Not OK – tackling family violence in the heartland

Home for life – the foster family with a dream home

Onjeurlina Leiataua – our youngest Black Fern

Achievement


“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Mäku e kı atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”

From lost to leaders – former refugees make their mark


“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Mäku e kï atu. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!”

Kaha

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTISSUE 26 – MARCH 2014

“W“What is the most importWhat is the most important thhat is the most important thing“What is the most important tan ng in the wog in the world? the world?the worhee wwwoorrldd?annt t thingthinng in the wn the rld? I tell you. It is people, it is people, it is peop tell you. It is peell you. It is people, it is people, it is people!ople, iss people it is peops people, it is peos people, it is peois people, it ple!leple!e!it it is eop e, i leplele, ple ”””

“He“He aha te mea nui o te ao?He aha te mte mea nui o te aonuite mea nui o te aao? ao? Mäku e kï atu He tangata he tangatMäku e kï atu. He t. He tangata, hHe t gata, hHe tangata, he thehee ttanngatataa hhe tahee tangaannggatta!””Mäku e kï atu. He tangata, he tangatäku e kïku e k tangatata,a, hhehe e ttaan atta!a!”

Homes for those i

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTISSUE 27 – JUNE 2014

Tips, links and newsThe conference will examine and discuss effective child abuse prevention systems and explore innovations in prevention and intervention – from community-basedprogrammes, to indigenous initiatives and practices, to therapeutic health and family interventions, to statutory child protection and criminal justice responses.


http://msdnz.force.com/ManageContactDetails?token

can you give a young person

All young people need a safe, loving home.

If you can offer love, care and a sense of belonging

to a child or teenager, please call us now:

0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459)

a home?nggg

Documents

Rise issue 28