Our practice approach

[bird sounds, water sounds and music]

Ko te reoreo a kea ki uta

Ko te whakataki mai a toroa ki tai

He kōtuku ki te raki

He kākāpō ki te whenua

Our manu have many voices within their respective domains. In their place and time, they use these to collectively call out their destiny.

It’s our destiny, place and time to unify our voices for advancing the oranga of all tamariki/mokopuna, children, whānau and families in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The overall design of the tohu represents a Toroa (Albatross) within the stylised shape of the Puhoro. All ancient kōrero detail the sighting of manu as a sign that landfall is near. This kōrero aligns with us coming together united upon our waka, to head in the same direction, on the same course to new beginnings and challenges. The Toroa also represents to soar to great heights, to compete and to succeed.

The Puhoro pattern represents the movement and displacement of water as our waka moves forward into the future, as well as the movement and displacement of air as the Toroa is in flight. With this, we acknowledge that at times there will be great resistance and turbulence.

Within the eye of the Toroa is a white Pītau. This represents te tamaiti and our concentrated focus, our practice lens. Emanating from the eye are 4 ovals woven side by side, representing our aspiration for partnered practice. These represent from the centre: whānau (inclusive of whānau whānui – extended family), hapū, iwi, village, Oranga Tamariki and those who we work alongside.

The pattern on the outer side of the eye is the Raranga pattern (the weave). It represents our binding, our strength and resilience. The imagery on the inner side of the eye is a stylised feather. This reminds us that a korowai always begins with the first feather.

The pattern at the top of the Toroa is Waewae Toroa (the footprint of the Toroa). This represents the spiritual residue of those who have been before us.

The mirrored image creates the tail of a Tohorā (whale), representing the ability to navigate long distances as well as the ability to traverse great depths and to move within a safe close distance to the shallows. The Tohorā also represents the inner strength and resilience required to sustain us through the many challenging journeys ahead. The left imagery represents Te Taha Tane, the right represents Te Taha Wahine. The triangles at the centre represent maunga and whare.

[whale sounds]

With respect to ancient kōrero of many cultures of our world, the Tohorā reminds us that before mankind walked upon the land and before the lands rose from the sea, this was the domain of the Tohorā.

By looking back, we anchor to the past learning, this is our place and time to advance the oranga of all tamariki and whānau.

This diagram illustrates a continuum of practice approaches for Oranga Tamariki work with Māori. The continuum captures both where the practice of Oranga Tamariki has previously concentrated and where it is currently focused and intentionally moving towards. A mainstream approach to practice is located at one end of the continuum with a Kaupapa Māori approach being located at the other.

The mainstream approach is labelled ‘Western/Eurocentric’ and described as an approach to practice designed for a generic population, with standard components of practice quality (sometimes with cultural add-ons). Oranga Tamariki has the decision response tool, safety and risk screen and child and family consult tool.

Tuituia is located in the diagram between the mainstream approach and the Māori-centred position, as are the following enablers for quality practice with Māori:

• leadership
• policy, guidance and tools
• partnerships
• mana tamaiti objectives
• functions
• culture
• strategy
• quality systems
• section 7AA quality assurance standards
• competency.

The centre space illustrates a Māori-centred approach to practice, which shows the Crown working with, and for, Māori to develop and use interventions founded in Te Ao Māori principles and worldviews while located within a Crown context. These approaches, while intentionally designed by, with and for Māori, are by their nature inclusive and therefore benefit all tamariki and whānau with whom we work. The wording used in the diagram is:

• Māori-centred position
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi frames our practice relationship between the Crown and Māori
• The application of Te Ao Māori principles and a mana-enhancing paradigm for practice delivered in the context of the Crown.

Also in the centre space is the following list of Oranga Tamariki practice:

• Kairaranga ā-whānau (in house)
• Te Maioha
• Te Toka Tūmoana
• Te Kete Ararau
• Whakamana Tangata
• Māori Cultural framework Competency
• Hui ā-whānau
• Family group conference.

In closer proximity to the Kaupapa Māori end of the continuum but still in the Māori-centred space is partnered practice delivered through working in partnerships with iwi, Māori and other providers. The list under ‘Partnered practice’ includes:

• Iwi-based family group conferences
• Kairaranga (iwi based)
• Mokopuna Ora
• Whānau care initiatives.

The following list sits between the Māori-centred position and Kaupapa Māori:

• Mahuru
• Remand Service
• Te Awe
• Whānau Tūhonotanga.

As a Crown agency, Oranga Tamariki cannot move to a Kaupapa Māori position, which is developed by Māori, for Māori and under Māori control and based on mātauranga and mohiotanga Māori Te Ao Māori worldview, knowledge and understanding delivered through te reo Māori me ōna tikanga approaches. The following list sits under the heading ‘Māori/Iwi’ in the Kaupapa Māori space:

• Iwi-designed parenting programmes
• Māori Women’s Welfare League
• Māori Women’s Refuge
• Rūnanga ā-Iwi Social Services.

This continuum is based on work undertaken by Tā Mason Durie in the 1990s to develop a continuum of bicultural approaches for working with Māori.