Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri wins awards

November 5, 2004

Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri wins awards

Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri has kicked started their 10th birthday celebrations by winning two awards at the Te Matarau Hauora Awards in Wellington.

The Hawke’s Bay Maori health and social services organisation won the Healthy Maori Organisation Award and Excellence in Community Health Work Award – presented to Tania Gray.

Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri was also joint runners up in the Supreme Award for Maori Health Provider Award and was highly commended runners up nine of the 14 award categories.

This included Excellence in Maori Nursing, Excellence in Management, Excellence in Linicla Leadership, Excellence in Health Promotion and Health Education, Mana Wahine, Excellence in Support Work or Counselling Work, Service Innovation, Excellence in Tikanga and Te Reo Maori, Excellence in Quality.

Te Kupenga Hauora - Ahuriri Chief Executive Officer Audrey Robin was thrilled that the organisation and its staff had been acknowledged for the support they offer throughout Hawke’s Bay.

“It was a perfect way to kick off our 10th birthday celebrations and mark’s the efforts of all our staff over the last ten years,” Mrs Robin said.

Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri was chosen as the winner of the Healthy Maori Organisation Award as the organisation demonstrated a strong focus on being healthy at an individual and organisational level.

The judges awarded Tania Gray the Excellence in Community Health Work Award because she was driven by tikanga Maori in her work in the community. She has a strong focus on Kohanga Reo and Tamariki wellbeing and good linkages across the region.

The organisation, based in Napier, celebrated its 10 year birthday today (Friday November 5) which was held in conjunction with their Annual General Meeting with special guest Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia.

The organisation has grown from working out of an old hospital ward to providing professional health services to more than 3000 people. The organisation started with two part time staff under two small service contracts and now boasts 22 staff and twelve service contracts, covering many areas of health, education and social services.

“We initially concentrated on a limited part of Napier’s population but we now offer our services to Hawke’s Bay residents from Mahia to Takapau.

“The enrolled population of Te Kupenga Hauora has grown to over 3000, who enjoy the provision of free mobile services – in other words we take our services to our communities, not expect our communities to come to us,” Mrs Robin said

Te Kupenga Hauora is living proof that Maori health providers are highly professional and fully accountable organisations. Te Kupenga Hauora recently completed its Gap Review, the first phase towards achieving accreditation under ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems Standards.

It has also recently completed the District Health Boards Technical Advisory Services (TAS) audit, in addition to a Needs Assessment, conducted through Te Puni Kokiri’s Strengthening Management and Governance Programme.

Te Kupenga Hauora currently has contracts with Hawke’s Bay DHB, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Maori Development (Te Puni Kokiri) and Child Youth and Families (CYFS). Te Kupenga Hauora originally rented an office at Te Taiwhenua O Te Whanganui A Orotu in Owen Street Napier, before occupying an old ward at the now closed Napier Hospital from 1994 to 1999.

The organisation moved to its current premises in Sale Street in 1999 due to the closure of the hospital and enrolment and contract growth.

The building was initially leased but was purchased almost a year ago, with the assistance of a significant grant from Eastern and Central Community Trust.

The organisation offers a range of health, education and social services, targeting, but not limited to, Maori, with a particular focus on tamariki and rangatahi in Decile 1 and 2 schools and whanau/residents in the lower socio-economic areas of Napier and nominated areas of Hawke’s Bay.
Services currently delivered include Tamariki Ora/Well Child/Vision & Hearing tests Whanau Facilitation/Support Whanau Ora Outreach Immunisation Service School Health Oranga Niho/Dental Education Kaupapa Maori Mental Health Day Activity Programme Kia Piki te Ora O te Taitamariki Whanau At Risk Social Work in Schools (SWIS) Direct Resourcing

In 2002 Te Kupenga Hauora was one of nine national providers selected to implement a pilot project for the planning, funding and purchase of services, which deliver local solutions to address gaps in existing services.

Mrs Robin says that the latter is a key growth opportunity for the organisation.

“We have a strong desire to move beyond the delivery of services, to managing the enrolled population’s funding, including needs assessment function, service design, provider selection, monitoring and service effectiveness,” she said.

Te Kupenga Hauora is developing a project called Direct Resourcing Initiative where trained social workers work with children, parents and schools to provide one-on-one support and advocacy in the school environment.

The programme is aimed at children at risk of poor educational and social outcomes. It also provides courses in developing self-esteem, making the right choices and coping with grief.

ENDS

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