"The opportunity came up and we have always said we would go to where there was a need for our support. Where disabled people and their whānau need that facilitation and support to enable a good life for the disabled person.
"With an initial emphasis on family governed support, the focus is always on being person-centred and empowerment," says Fern.
"ConneXu becomes the bureaucratic shield where the disabled person, and their whānau, determine what a good life looks like. We partner with them to make that happen, and we get involved to the level they require us to."
Getting involved can mean anything from advocating for funding to managing human resources, payroll, and PAYE requirements for support staff, as well as working with the disabled person to create goals and a whole life plan, or partnering with them to find a home, flatmates and support they want and require.
"Often the families and whānau are very busy with the back-office stuff and that can cause stress – this way we can alleviate that pressure. They can return to having a great supportive relationship with their loved one, without all the added work behind the scenes – we can take care of that for them."
ConneXu started in Te Awamutu in the Waikato nearly 33 years ago and has grown over time to cover the wider Waipa District, Hamilton, Tauranga, the Mount and Papamoa, with some presence in Matamata and Rotorua too.
"We are really excited with this move into the Lakes District and to be able to work with new disabled partners and their families.
"We are under no illusions that there will be a challenge heading into a new region, like finding great new team members. Still, we also relish the chance to show people how ConneXu does it differently, and how we help to enable good lives for those people we work with.
"As families, the people of the Lakes District are already very well connected. They were already using individualised funding and had some awesome staff working alongside them already, however they wanted some additional support from an organisation to partner up with them," added Fern.
This move into the Lakes District is also a great example of the current system transformation being rolled out within the disability sector, which sees a more significant emphasis on the disabled person and their family and whānau having greater choice and control over their lives and determining what a good life looks like for them.
"We see this expansion as creating a triangle for us. I don't believe we have any plans to expand further than this. But if people reach out to us and there is a gap then we are happy to do our best," adds Fern.
Recruitment inquiries can be made to 0508 0 CONNEXU.
