Whānau Services
A strength of Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga is our ability to provide wraparound support to individuals and whānau who are finding things tough. We do this by responding to individual needs and helping people on their journey through life’s challenges and towards hope and transformation.
Our Whānau Services provide support that includes:
Navigating different services
- Social work support.
- Food support.
- Financial mentoring.
- Chaplaincy.
Specialist therapy and care
- Counselling and wellbeing services.
- Te Ao Māori trauma-informed care.
- Group support.
Youth coaching and mentoring.
- Education and employment coaching.
- Youth payment support.
- Youth Justice mentoring.
Early childhood education.
- Eden Cottage Early Learning and Care Centre.
Each aspect of our Whānau Services seeks to work closely with our Home Healthcare and Community Housing services to provide an integrated support experience.
The Whānau Centre
The Whānau Centre is a waharoa (gateway) to our Visionwest services. It is a place where we welcome, kōrero (talk) and connect as we together discover the areas of support each person or whānau really needs.
Our teams work in partnership with whānau, who remain the authors of their own stories. We listen to each person and tailor our response to meet their immediate needs while guiding and supporting in building long-term resilience. We focus on creating pathways to stability, connection and opportunity through culturally responsive and compassionate care.
Whānau Services – one service, many faces
Our Whānau Services are designed to respond specifically to the many different needs of individuals and families in our community. Support can range from practical assistance such as emergency food needs, budgeting guidance and emergency housing, to counselling, advocacy and connections to other wraparound services.
In times of crisis, we are there to provide urgent help. Beyond that, we remain alongside whānau as they plan for the future, restore dignity, nurture hope, and take the steps needed to flourish within their wider community.
We believe every whānau brings their own skills, wisdom and resilience, which we seek to build on as together we work towards lasting wellbeing and independence.
Whānau Services Team Day at Hoani Waititi Marae
Our Whānau Services Leadership
Our Whānau Services leadership team is overseen by Rāwiri Auty who, having been a Pou Ārahi (GM) for four years, became our Director of Whānau Services in August 2024. Hadleigh Pouesi joined us in October 2024 and, as a well-established champion of youthwork in Waitākere, leads our youthwork service Ōhinga Tū. Valeria Gascoigne joined us as Pou Ārahi Whānau (GM) in March 2025 and leads our navigational services and early childhood centre Eden Cottage.
In March 2025, Dustin Broughton commenced as our Pou Tikanga (Whānau Services), joining Billie-Jean Peita in this important tikanga support and with expertise in the cultural aspects of service delivery. Laela Toailoa is our Kaitaki Mahinga (Operations Manager) and she works with all our Whānau Services leaders to help provide an integrated support to whānau.
Hoani Waititi Marae Team Building Hui
A key event for the Whānau Services teams occurred on 14 October 2024 when we were welcomed onto the Hoani Waititi Marae for a team building hui. Our kaimahi spent a day in Ngā Tūmanako, the wharenui for the marae and, as part of the planned events, reflected on our values as Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga and the design of the inner part of our koru from its creator
Kelly Astle, who is a team leader in Ōhinga Tū.
Our navigational approach seeks to remove barriers for whānau so they can more easily connect with services that meet their specific needs.
We provide coaching and mentoring to young people, supporting them in reaching their goals through our dedicated team of Ōhinga Tū youth workers.
Specialist care is provided through our Wellbeing Centre and our groundbreaking Te Ao Māori trauma-informed care service, Mātanga Oranga.
We provide ongoing, transformational support tailored to each individual or family, aiming for lasting life change – not just one-off incidences of help.
Sereana’s Story
When Sereana moved to Auckland, she was excited about creating a home of her own for her children. Having lived with her parents, she longed for independence but the transition brought unexpected challenges.