4 June 2015

Te Pou O Raukura Waikato Services to Close

Trustees for Te Pou o Raukura Waikato Social Services have announced the decision to close down the company.

Trustee Huirama Matatahi said the decision was made due to a range of factors and was led by issues relating to financial management of the organisation. The company would close effective immediately.

He said staff were advised of the decision at a meeting yesterday.

Mr Matatahi said the immediate and primary concerns were for the continuity of care for whaanau who had been receiving support from Raukura Waikato Social Services and that the needs of staff were being addressed.

Trustees were working with contract funders to explore the possibility for current programmes to be transferred to other suitable Waikato-Tainui providers. This would ensure that whaanau continued to receive the support they needed.

Mr Matatahi said Trustees were also hopeful that transferring its programmes would result in some staff retaining their jobs. He said the Trust was committed to doing its best to see this happen and confirmed that amongst its priorities was ensuring staff were paid wages owed.

Mr Matatahi said the Deloitte report, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development, had raised serious financial management issues and Trustees were taking appropriate action. He confirmed that Trustees had notified police and that an investigation was underway.

Mr Matatahi said no further comment would be made until the outcome of the police investigation was known.

ends

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