Ngāpuhi partnership

The agreement has been formed on the basis of te Tiriti o Waitangi and Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act which guides Oranga Tamariki to partner with iwi and Māori organisations to realise higher aspirations for tamariki Māori - Te puawaitanga mo ngā tamariki Māori.

The vision of the partnership is 'Kia tū tika ai te whare tapu o Ngāpuhi - where the sacred house of Ngāpuhi stands strong'. For Ngāpuhi, this means working together to ensure there are no Ngāpuhi taitamariki in state care, and being more involved in decision making that affects Ngāpuhi tamariki and whānau.   

Oranga Tamariki and Ngāpuhi Iwi Social Services have designed a whānau care service that aims to ensure tamariki who need care, are living safely with carers who have whakapapa connections to them through whānau, hapū or iwi.

The agreement is a natural evolution of work already done together including a Memorandum of Understanding in 2014 and the launch of Mahuru, the youth remand service in Te Tai Tokerau.

Mahuru enables taitamariki of Ngāpuhi descent who are placed on remand to remain within Te Whare Tapu o Ngāpuhi. Taitamariki with detention status 283(1)(D) under direction of the court, Police and Oranga Tamariki, can be referred to the service. 

There are 2 parts to the Mahuru service. One allows for a one-to-one placement with Ngāpuhi kaimanaaki who can provide a safe, loving home for taitamariki for up to 4 to 6 weeks while they are on remand. The second part immerses taitamariki in mana-enhancing activities including a tikanga Māori day programme where they are supervised by experienced mentors to achieve goals within their individual plans.

Mahuru has won 2 awards: an Indigenous Service Award held by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government in Melbourne, and the Most Innovative Procurement Award at the NZ Procurement Excellence Awards in Tāmaki Makaurau.