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FAMILY/WHANAU DEVELOPMENT

Growing Strong and Healthy Families/Whanau

"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Family/Whanau Development is about working alongside families/whanau as they create change in their lives. Our first mihi (greeting) is to the whanau we work alongside. The work of change in families is a huge task and we acknowledge the steps they have taken on this journey. They continue to be an inspiration to us and others. Kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui! (Be strong, be brave, be big hearted!) We love this mahi and are aware that we are privileged to be able to walk with whanau as they journey along this path.

Our Kaupapa

Here at Te Aroha Noa we aim to work in a truly strengths-based way - working with people's strengths and enhancing them further. We are not deficit-focused or problem-saturated so we can allow whanau to see a way forward to a brighter future for themselves.

For an overview of how we work

 doc An Overview of How We Work.doc (0.02MB) 

Following are stories from families that we have been working with;

doc Mary's story.doc (0.02MB) 
doc Robbie's story.doc (0.03MB) 


We practice ways of working that are relational and transparent; while always looking for more in families. Families and team members work collaboratively together and we all learn and teach along the way, this is the concept of ako which makes our practice adaptive and fluid in design.

  • Relational: We set aside time to get to know who families truly are and what strengths they bring to their lives. We also address the constraints that can get in the way of families being who they truly want to be.
  • Transparent: Families/Whanau are kept informed and are provided with copies of all the reports we write. This transparency allows trust to be formed.
  • More: Families/Whanau are always more than they initially present and there are always possibilities for growth and change.
  • Ako: We are all learners and teachers and so our practice adapts to the families/whanau we are working with.

Who's on the Family/Whanau team?

Bruce Maden - BSc (Psych), MA Social Work Applied.
Elizabeth Maden - Diploma in Teaching.
Ange Watson - BSW (Hons) and currently undertaking Post-Graduate Diploma in Social Service Supervision
Sheryll Horn - Diploma in Counselling and currently undertaking Bachelor of Social Work
Pania Taylor-Millar - Diploma in Social Work

What are some of the outcomes for the families we have journeyed alongside?

  • Parents are dreaming bigger dreams for themselves and their families.
  • Parents are feeling more supported in their journey one Mum described it as "now being able to walk in the sun shine".
  • Empowering parents to be assertive and have a voice interacting effectively with those in authority.
  • Families/whanau bring us new ideas which expand our service.
  • Families/whanau in the community are committed to supporting each other more.
  • Families/whanau are noticing strengths they never realised they had. These strengths are opening up more possibilities for families/whanau. Families/whanau are now asking themselves how they can utilise these in other areas of their lives.
  • Parents are taking risks, or as they describe it, a leap of faith, to respond in different ways to situations and people.
  • Supporting a child to access resources that will give him/her the opportunity to reach his/her full potential.
  • Modelling appropriate ways of working with families/whanau to other professionals. Professionals have taken on different views of families/whanau which families/whanau feel is more mana-enhancing for them. This different view offers different opportunities in ways of working with families/whanau.

Ako - We are all part of a Learning Community

Families/whanau teach us to be flexible, respectful and patient (change can be a slow process).  We are constantly awed by families' willingness to actively participate collaboratively with us.  Families show commitment that inspires and motivates us.  We endeavour to work with families in a way that is most effective for them, constantly reflecting on our process so that we retain our focus. We thank the families who have allowed us to be part of their lives and who have taught us so much.  

Thanks

All my life I kept my dreams

Tucked somewhere deep inside;

Till one by one you pulled them out

With nothing left to hide.

You pointed to my deepest dreams

You told me I should try

Then gently told me I had wings

And showed me how to fly.

Then somehow you reached in my heart

Made words flow like a stream

With loving inspiration

You became part of the dream

I never would have dreamed my dreams

They never would have come true

Those dreams would not be realised

If God had not sent you

This poem was presented to thank us for the mahi undertaken with a family and while the poet acknowledges the impact we had on her life she is now flying solo.