Milestones

Visionwest’s move to shared leadership

Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a core part of our mission to build hope and transformation. A key part of actioning this commitment to a true partnership between Māori and Pākehā was to put in place a shared leadership model which saw Lisa Woolley in the role of Tumu Whakarae and Matua Fred Astle in the position of Tumu. On Thursday 8 August 2024, a special event was held at Glen Eden Baptist Church to officially recognise this hugely significant step.

The Shared Leadership Event included local dignitaries and representatives from throughout our local community. In addition to the keynote speakers specifically mentioned below, those in attendance included Sir Michael Jones, Sir Bob Harvey, national and local body politicians, representatives from partnering organisations, and representatives from many of our funders.

Full details of this event and Visionwest’s journey to shared leadership here.

Gaining the ACC Maximise Independence Contract by Home Healthcare

The gaining of the ACC Maximise Independence Contract is a hugely significant moment of Visionwest Home Healthcare.

Maximise Independence aims to provide kiritaki (clients) with greater choice and control over home and community support, following the life changing impacts of an injury. It connects kiritaki with Support Workers who have the skills and training to manage highly complex and individualised needs. The provision of personalised care and a stable team of Support Workers provides trust and confidence that their cares will be delivered maintaining their mana and ensuring they remain safe in their home and in the community.

There are two difference ACC contracts for home healthcare providers:

• Return to Independence – usually short-term clients who have suffered injuries that will affect them only in the short term.
• Maximise Independence – longer-term clients who have debilitating injuries that will be with them long-term.

It is the second of these contracts that Visionwest has gained. Up until gaining this contract, Visionwest could only provide care to ACC clients through a third-party care provider – we were, in effect, contracted to that provider. We are now direct ACC providers of Maximise Independence. ACC Case Managers can choose to refer clients directly to Visionwest Home Healthcare. This referral process has been, as expected, slow to take off but we expect that over time we will see a significant increase in clients supported by through this contract as we become known as a provider of Maximising Independence services.

Māori capabilities development within Community Housing

A key milestone was our first Kaimahi Māori Wānanga at Piha in early 2025. In a kaupapa Māori environment, kaimahi reflected on practice, strengthened unity, and committed to embedding tikanga in daily service. This wānanga not only strengthened internal cohesion but also laid the foundation for a unified approach to Māori capability development.

To carry this work forward, Community Housing has established three dedicated rōpū to develop and deliver the Māori Capability Strategy:

• Rōpū Kaimahi Māori – the implementors, ensuring tikanga is embedded in daily practice.
• Rōpū Whakahaere Māori – the planners, guiding and coordinating Māori capability initiatives.
• Rōpū Rautaki Māori – the strategists, setting direction and shaping long-term outcomes.

At a strategic level, Housing continues to advance Māori capabilities through a multi-faceted framework:

• Governance and Partnerships – Upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi through Māori voices in leadership and strengthened partnerships with iwi, hapū, marae, and Māori providers.
• Workforce Development – Providing training for kaimahi in tikanga and te reo, and creating pathways for Māori staff progression.
• Service Practice – Embedding Māori wellbeing models such as Te Whare Tapa Whā and Whānau Ora across housing, health, and financial mentoring services.
• Community Outcomes – Reducing barriers to housing and services, and co-delivering wraparound supports with marae and Māori organisations.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate that Māori capabilities are not add-ons, but are central to Visionwest Community Housing’s identity. They shape the way we work, inform the decisions we make, and strengthen the outcomes we achieve with whānau.

Le Aute – Transitional Housing for young Pasefika women

Le Aute, meaning The Hibiscus, is Visionwest’s Pasefika-focused youth housing initiative, though it remains open to all young women in need. The whare provides safe transitional housing for wāhine aged 18–24 years, supporting them towards independence and long-term stability.

In December 2024, the three-bedroom home was filled for the first time. By May 2025, one wāhine had successfully reconnected with her whānau, while one was supported to relocate to transitional housing in Christchurch. An update from her support navigator states that she is actively studying and engaged with her supports through our team in Christchurch. Currently, Le Aute is home to one of the original residents along with two new wāhine, one of whom transferred from Whare Hiwa in August 2025.

The home’s location, close to campus, makes it easy for residents to access Visionwest services such as Money Mentors and Mātanga Oranga. Alongside this, each wāhine receives the support of a youth mentor as they study, work, or actively search for employment.

Referrals to Le Aute come through MSD as well as self-referrals, ensuring that young women who are motivated to create brighter futures for themselves can find a place of belonging, support, and hope.

Le Aute is overseen by Margaret Manu, our Youth Transitional Housing Lead within the Visionwest Community Housing service.

Housing Outreach Team

Over the past year, the number of people sleeping rough or in cars has doubled due to reduced emergency housing and wider financial pressures. By May 2025, our Housing Outreach team was supporting 124 whānau, up from just 60 a year earlier. Increasingly, the team is seeing more Māori wāhine on the streets, as well as homelessness linked to head injuries and mental health challenges, adding to the complexity of their mahi.

What began with one staff member, Team Leader Jeremy Nicholls, grew in November 2024 to a team of four covering West, Central, and North Shore Auckland. The team works closely with partners including the Salvation Army and Kāhui Tū Kaha, alongside local boards and housing providers, to strengthen networks and find solutions.

Most rewarding of all, the team has supported whānau off the streets and into safe accommodation – whether permanent housing, transitional support, or boarding houses.

Read more about our Housing Intake Team in the Community Housing section.

Intergenerational Learning Centre (ILC) feasibility study

While still in the early planning stages, the building of an Intergenerational Learning Centre (ILC) is an integral part of the Glendale Road site development. The ILC co-design project design is an innovative initiative to develop a learning and care environment that fosters intergenerational connections between older people and young children. The project will incorporate community housing for older people with an early childhood learning centre.

In April 2024, the Selwyn Foundation approved a grant of $97,531.50 to cover costs for a feasibility study and field visit for the ILC project. Visionwest commissioned Dr Sarah Greenaway from the Centre of Social Impact to prepare this work. The deadline to complete this work and report back to The Selwyn Foundation was 8 May 2025 giving a 12-month period to investigate and report back. This deadline has been met, the report is completed and will be available soon.

The study incorporated input from a variety of people including 41 community members who were interviewed or were part of the testing process, and 30+ community members and stakeholders including 60+ staff and Trustees who attended walkthrough events where they were able to voice their opinions on the concept and how it could be best implemented.

The study found that there are numerous benefits from ILCs and intergenerational programmes for older and younger people, parents, and staff. Intergenerational practice is a proven strategy to reduce ageism – one of the systemic factors that has detrimental impacts on older (and younger) people’s wellbeing.

Overall, it was determined that the ILC concept is desirable – potential users want it and are likely to use it and that Visionwest has the relevant skills and experience to implement the ILC. However, the viability of the ILC requires further exploration as funding will need to be secured for both the development costs as well as staffing once the ILC is operational. There are key physical design and staffing requirements that need to be met for the ILC to be a success.

We look forward to developing this initiative further as the Glendale Road development continues to take shape.

Kai support and the Friday Fruit and Veggie initiative

Food remains one of the most in-demand services at Visionwest. For many whānau who find themselves in hardships, food is one of the first areas where they experience scarcity. Our Pātaka Kai is open three days a week and on each of these days around 100 individuals or whānau come onsite to request an emergency food parcel. This in addition to whānau accessing Manaaki Kai, our social supermarket.

Another initiative that is supporting the food needs of our wider community is the Visionwest Fruit and Veggie Bag. Anyone in our wider community can purchase a bag of seasonal fruit and vegetables, enough for an average family for a week, for just $16. At a time when the cost of living is challenging most households, this is an enormous help to many.

Bags can be picked up on a Friday when there is also a cheap community meal offered to anyone who wishes to purchase one. This is in addition to Te Kapu, a free weekly community lunch run by Glen Eden Baptist Church with support from Visionwest. Our Friday Fruit and Vege Bag initiative is now supporting over 100 people each week.

Read the Whai Manaaki Kai section of this Annual Report to find out more about our kai support work. We also want to thank the many businesses and organisations with whom Whai Manaaki Kai has key cornerstone partnerships with. Foodstuffs North Island Ltd, Fair Food, New World Green Bay, Fresh Choice Glen Eden and others make Visionwest’s food support service possible.