(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

During my placement within Taikura Trust I saw many practice issues which at times were very sore on the Ngakau (heart, mind, soul, affections).  DSS (Disability support services) are not easy to navigate and confusing to most, including the managed support team (Case managers), support facilitators that work for Taikura Trust. Whanau, hapu & iwi need to work hard to understand tax, how the supports can affect benefits/pensions through MSD (Ministry of Social Development) DSS is allocated into funding packages that are coordinated and sent to contracted providers under the MOH (Ministry of Health). 

These packages can be allocated at an hourly rate, in units or at a daily rate.  Once with the provider they take their cut for administration, payroll etc.  Taikura Trust allocate hours to the need through the needs assessment process and have no idea of actually how much of the funding package the Whanau end up with at the end of each week, this is an issue as many Whanau go into crisis and case managers are trying to figure out how this can be when planning and assessment into the need of hours weekly is calculated to what they believed  to be a sufficient amount of funds, every contracted provider takes a different percentage from the supports, watering down the funds to the Whanau.

Currently a new technology has been introduced so people living with disability are able to access Taikura Trust faster and have a quicker response via online.  This is a concern as our most vulnerable are untrained and hold no computer literacy knowledge?? Language barriers, comprehension and the ability to operate or even have a device that they are able to use or access online services? Taikura Trust really needs to stop operating in a way that is designed for the people working in the sector and really brainstorm what people living with disability need and how they can communicate, this is huge as every person disability is different to the next, community hubs and drop-in centers need to make available throughout the communities so people that are able can drop in for a chat, information be updated and physical check head to toe and through korero we can check on these vulnerable people.  Registers of where people are living with what disability needs to current and MOE,MOH,Whanau, Hapu, Iwi stay connected and updated in the same system.  

As covid hit Aotearoa it highlighted how many households were living without internet access, its expensive and people with disability are living alone on benefits, little support and low wages.  With high living costs and Auckland being one of the top 100 most expensive cities to live in the world.  Aotearoa is in a health crisis and our people living with disability are needing more support than ever.