Whaikaha

My social work practice begins with rangahau of the whanau before a professionals meeting, what's the crisis?  why is there crisis? what are the formal and informal supports in place?  what is the financial package available? what is going on with the client and the wider whanau? The gathering of incident reports, current medical reviews, medications and support plans over the past three months.  Within my practice I need to place myself in all areas of the clients environment, school, home, community, medical to ensure a wider scope of the current situation. Social workers in Aotearoa offer advice and support to Whanau and individuals with personal or social issues.  Social workers can work with Whanau to simplify language and law, advocate for human rights and also facilitate professional meetings/tasks between client and community services, family group conference (FGC), they also investigate complaints of concern regarding children safety, connecting  t...

On week two of  placement I was on Tangihanga leave.  I found while on Tangihanga leave I was able to engage and implement my practice and Tautoko , Taha Whanau.  The Tupapaku was a young teenaged boy, my nephew in which I have only known for just over a year, who suicided. My whanau have been estranged for many years and in this situation my sister opened her home for Tangi as our nephew was returning back to Christchurch where his mother resides and to be laid to peace with his biological  grandmother lay. My siblings and myself saw the responsibility to look after the Tupapaku as he was of our Whanau, and my fathers brothers Moko, we did not hesitate to open our Whare for Tangi to take place.  During the process of Tangi, Whanaungatanga needed to be built and restored with Whanau and the safety of our tamariki was paramount.  Our Whanau  needed to be Kaha (strong), Haumaru (safe), with many Kaitiakitanga  in this small space. Tau Kumekume prese...

Taikura Trust has a high turn over of staff, which leaves departments short of employees and the time to train someone new in a position takes up to six months and by the ninth month the employee would just start to understand the structure and process of Disability supports.  Managers state care management will take up to two years to learn and with the change within Ministry of Health and providers emerging services can create further confusion and learning, the job is for ever evolving.  By Taikura not having enough resources in the way of staff the job can become a tick box service due to the heavy caseloads, case managers taking up to three hundred clients.  I've seen in the Disability sector that clients will always sit on a case load due to there vulnerability and constant support they need for life outcomes. The managed support team consists of approx. eight connector case managers, two specialists, one manager and four facilitated support employees for a case loa...

Within my placement at Taikura Trust (NASC) the theory and model of practice is Enabling Good Lives (EGL).  Its an approach that supports disabled people, to make there own choice and have more control over there lives and Whanau.  They can decide on supports that are more suitable for them and plan the lives they want to live.   The connector case manager when allocating supports and funding need to ensure they are implementing what the client is wanting from there lives, ensuring they guide and offer options along the way if they seem to be struggling with the decision, the Practioner needs to be careful not to push what they believe the person and Whanau need.   The vision of EGL is to make use of natural supports and what is true to the client and Whanau.  The principles based approach will ensure the organization stays on track to progress the vision of the client and Whanau. The EGL principles will be used in needs assessments and help guide deci...

Within my placement at Taikura Trust, there is a high need for social worker practioners in the organization and the managed support team.  The Case management team work closely and along side registered social workers  from Non government organizations (NGO's) and Oranga Tamariki. Case managers have similarities within there job title, assess the needs and circumstances and support systems of clients.  Social workers need to know law, it provides guidelines to assist the social worker in making crucial decisions involving peoples lives. The role of a social worker is to built relationships and have the ability to build trust within the organization and community. Nga Takepu applied principles outline a cultural framework, when we look through the lens of Nga Takepu the framework is used holistically moving back in forth to build strong healthy foundations and relationships with the people social workers support, their colleges', community and the organization.  ...