Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Achieves Accreditation

Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Achieve Quality Health New Zealand Accreditation

Newly appointed Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has commended Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau Trust, New Zealand’s largest Kaupapa Maori service provider for people with an intellectual disability in achieving accreditation to Quality Health New Zealand.

”In organisations it’s the little things that can have the biggest effect. For example, at Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau the term “client” or “patient “is replaced with “mokopuna”, which in the context of its organisational kawa means “to be a reflection of you” in practice this means “to treat anyone as you would like to be treated,“ said Shane Jones.

“For mokopuna, accreditation means that the services they receive meet or exceed the highest quality of life standards available in New Zealand. Whanau can also have confidence that their love ones receive quality care and safe services,” said the minister.

Minister Jones congratulated the Trusts Chair John Marsden, his board, CEO-Tui Tenari and the team at Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau for this achievement which acknowledges the commitment to continuous improvements and the quality of life programmes delivered to all mokopuna, a strategy established by Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau to manage its risk by gaining the accreditation.

Accreditation meant that Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau was examined on mokopuna and cultural appropriateness of services; the care and quality of life services to mokopuna; the governance, management and service systems; the safety of services, personnel and facilities; and the commitment to continuous improvement. To be accredited, a health service must measure up against the standards and demonstrate its commitment to quality.

Quality Health New Zealand is a subsidiary of Telarc SAI Global Ltd. It was formed in 1990 with the objective of upgrading the standard of public and private hospitals and health services in New Zealand. It has developed national quality standards for clinical, management and quality improvement systems, against which a health service is evaluated.

Minster Jones said “The trust not only recognises the importance of its mokopuna but has rewarded staff with tangihanga and health insurance entitlements as well as dollar for dollar superannuation schemes through Kiwi saver, these programmes do not normally exist in the disability sector.”

“As Associate Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations I encourage claimants to invest in robust structures and processes that are set against internationally recognised standards. Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau’s strategic approach could be applied to many sectors including treaty negotiations,” said Minister Jones.

ENDS