Tihei: Governance Group will provide oversight for Te Ara Mātua

Members of the goverance group (from left): Oranga Tamariki Māori partnerships and communities deputy chief executive Darrin Haimona, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chief executive Chrissie Hape and Oranga Tamariki service delivery deputy chief executive Rachael Leota, Karen Bartlett (absent).

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII) and Oranga Tamariki met in August to stand up a governance group that will provide oversight of the implementation of Te Ara Mātua and ensure its success.

Te Ara Mātua, launched in April this year, is a new and improved way to support whānau in Te Matau-a-Māui through early intervention to limit whānau involvement with Oranga Tamariki. Te Ara Mātua responds to the findings of whānau voices outlined in the Kahungunu-led ‘Kōrero Mai Whānau’ report.

Governance group builds on Strategic Partnership Agreement

The newly established governance group acknowledges the mana ki te mana relationship between NKII and Oranga Tamariki which was formalised in the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2021.

Members of the governance group include NKII chief executive Chrissie Hape and Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executives Darrin Haimona and Rachael Leota, who are the delegated representatives of chief executive Chappie Te Kani. Te Tairāwhiti/Hawke’s Bay regional public service commissioner Karen Bartlett has also been invited to join the governance group by NKII.

“Setting up a governance group is a key step to ensure that the changes and shifts we need to make at site, regional and national levels in Oranga Tamariki are done in collaboration with Ngāti Kahungunu and with whānau at the centre,” Haimona said.

“Ngati Kahungunu and Oranga Tamariki can’t do this on their own. The integration of support across multiple Crown agencies/funders and [the] NGO sector is important to enable the success of Te Ara Matua. I am grateful therefore that Karen, as the public sector lead for Tairāwhiti, East Coast has agreed to join the governance group,” Hape said.

Governance ensures success of Te Ara Mātua

The governance group is responsible for initiating and ensuring the overall success of Te Ara Mātua, approving and establishing parts of the project. The group has three key roles: vision, governance and value or benefits realisation.

The group is also responsible for organising action, authorising changes, providing resources and creating space to enable sustainable regional change for the implementation of Te Ara Mātua.

The governance group is supported by a steering group set up to provide regional strategic advice and guidance to ensure the whānau voice is represented in all decisions, removing barriers and identifying resource opportunities for whānau wellbeing.

The steering group manages the project and is responsible for Te Ara Mātua’s implementation. They are accountable to the governance group, who provide governance and investment across the lifetime of the project.

Background Information

In 2019, the ‘Kōrero Mai Whānau’ project took place at Waipatu Marae and provided a platform for Ngāti Kahungunu whānau and hapū to share their experiences and interactions with the state.

In April 2021, NKII signed a strategic partnership with Oranga Tamariki formed under the foundation of iwi Pinepine te Kura, a traditional Ngāti Kahungunu oriori [lullaby]. ‘Pinepine te Kura’ [little tiny treasure] upholds and reinforces Ngāti Kahungunu’s view of tamariki and mokopuna as taonga.

In April of 2023, NKII, alongside Te Wero partners and with the support of Oranga Tamariki, launched Te Ara Mātua, a plan that seeks to reduce the number of tamariki and their whānau coming into Oranga Tamariki Care.

Next steps to realising Kahungunu whānau aspirations

The Te Ara Mātua governance group is set to meet on a bimonthly basis – moving to quarterly as the implementation of Te Ara Mātua progresses and is reviewed once Te Ara Mātua is implemented.

Terms of reference have been drafted and are being reviewed by the Te Ara Mātua governance group, which seeks to formalise the group’s vision, purpose and function.