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Welfare Response Wins Prime Minister’s Award
The Care in the Community welfare joint agency response to COVID-19 won this year’s Prime Minister’s Award at Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards.
Te Tohu a te Pirimia | The Prime Minister’s Award was jointly awarded to: Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Health, Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Ministry of Education, Te Arawhiti, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Te Puni Kōkiri and Kāinga Ora for the unified response across the Public Service to keep communities safe during isolation with COVID-19, exemplifying a locally-led, nationally-supported model.
Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards are awarded annually to celebrate outstanding public services and initiatives, motivated by a spirit of service, that make a positive difference for New Zealanders. The judging panel chose the response for the community led, regionally enabled and nationally supported model that ensured people had access to food, health, housing, and welfare services that enabled them to isolate at home when they needed to.
Taking onboard the lessons from the previous COVID-19 outbreak, agencies partnered with providers, iwi, and community groups to ensure people were supported.
The outcome of the response meant that thousands of people and their families were able to access services that were in high demand throughout the Omicron outbreak.
A total of 70 entries across all Award categories were received from across the public sector, highlighting the outstanding work of individuals, agencies, organisations and joint initiatives with iwi and communities.
Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes said it is important to acknowledge public servants who are delivering for communities.
“Thousands of public servants go above and beyond to deliver essential services to the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand,” said Mr Hughes.
“These Awards are about recognising exemplary work that embodies the spirit of service. It is work like this that makes a real difference in our country.”
The Prime Minister’s Award is the overall winner and is selected from the winners of four categories:
· Te Tohu mō ngā Hua E Pai Ake Ana | Better Outcomes Award
· Te Tohu mō te Ratonga Whakahirahira | Service Excellence Award
· Te Tohu mō te Tūhonotanga a Ngāi Māori me te Karauna | Māori Crown Relationships Award
· Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Mahi Whakahaere | Leadership in Governance Award
This year’s Awards were held on 15 September.
| Award | Winners |
Leadership in Governance Award Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Mahi Whakahaere | Establishing a partnership: the Taumata Arowai Board and Te Puna Taumata Arowai |
Māori Crown Relationships Award Te Tohu mō te Tūhonotanga a Ngāi Māori me te Karauna | Te Kāhui o Matariki, a Māori Crown journey from creating to celebrating a new public holiday Te Arawhiti | The Office for Māori Crown Relations Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture and Heritage |
Service Excellence Award Te Tohu mō te Ratonga Whakahirahira | Care in the Community Welfare Response Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga | Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs Te Manatū mō ngā Iwi ō te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa | Ministry for Pacific Peoples Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education Te Arawhiti | The Office for Māori Crown Relations Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Te Tari Mātāwaka | Ministry for Ethnic Communities Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development Kāinga Ora | Homes and Communities & National Bowel Screening Programme Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health - National Screening Unit |
Better Outcomes Award Te Tohu mō ngā Hua E Pai Ake Ana | Afghanistan Resettlement ResponseHīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Manatū Aorere | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga | Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education Te Tari Mātāwaka | Ministry for Ethnic Communities Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa | New Zealand Police Oranga Tamariki | Ministry for Children Kāinga Ora | Homes and Communities Te Tai Ōhanga | The Treasury Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa | New Zealand Red Cross Waikato Refugee Forum Christchurch Resettlement Services New Settlers Family and Community Trust (NFACT) Manawatu Multicultural Council ChangeMakers Resettlement Forum |
Young Leader of the Year Award Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | Mary Soonaoso TiumaluTe Manatū mō ngā Iwi ō te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa | Ministry for Pacific Peoples |
Hei Tūtohu i te Hiranga o te Mahi Kaupapa HereSpecial Commendation for Policy Excellence | Strategy and Policy COVID-19 GroupTe Tari o te Pirimia me te Komiti Matua | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |
Lifetime Achievement Award Te Tohu Oranga Angitū | Peter LorimerTe Tai Ōhanga | The Treasury |
Prime Minister’s Award Te Tohu a te Pirimia | Care in the Community Welfare Response Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga | Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs Te Manatū mō ngā Iwi ō te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa | Ministry for Pacific Peoples Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education Te Arawhiti | The Office for Māori Crown Relations Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Te Tari Mātāwaka | Ministry for Ethnic Communities Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development Kāinga Ora | Homes and Communities |
The Commission’s website provides all the details of finalists and winners.
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