(Week 4-6) Using a nga takepu lens, critique the practice issues in the placement setting and critique the role of information technology with your specific field of social work

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 load of around two thousand clients.  Through my practice I need to be able to give consistent care to my case load which in reality only clients which come into my workflow data base (Socrates), for review of disability support services get tended to first and needs assessments become the daily priority.  So when crisis arises with a client or Whanau the workflow will fall behind, meaning financial supports are not renewed on the due date at times taking two weeks work on a client who is receiving a high care package as the process is time consuming and many steps to getting the service coordination over the line.  The lengthy process needs to be reviewed and changes need to be made to accommodate this time consuming process and the free up case managers so Kanohi ke te kanohi visits to clients and Whanau become a priority.  Maori and pacific are not receiving the supports they are entitled too and Whanau are struggling to care for there loved ones living with disability, this needs to change to avoid crisis situations occurring.

Technology plays a large part within Taikura Trust and the employees working day. Teams meeting via online allows  Hui, training, FGC, formal and informal debriefs regarding crisis, new supports required, incidents, health and wellbeing of Client/whanau is a resource that's relied on heavily to  bring professionals, organizations and practioners together in a timely manner to discuss important needs of client and there Whanau.

Computer literacy is a barrier for a lot of Whanau and person living with disability, so within my practice I need to be mindful that sending a zoom or teams meeting invite may not be the suitable approach for many Whanau.  I use the phone a lot and assess if this is appropriate to receiving relevant information needed, if not I will visit the Whanau at home where possible.  Again Kanohi ke te kanohi is preferred practice as it allows the Practioner to engage Nga Takepu principles, Ahurtanga, Tino Rangatiratanga, Mauri Ora, Te Whakakoha Rangatiratanga, Kaitaikitanga, Tau Kumekume.