Previous work & Lived realities:
Making Changes Together
A previous area of focus for SASWB was working in prototypes. Prototypes served as a powerful foundation for testing and learning how to work differently together—across agencies, providers, and communities—in ways that centred tamariki and whaanau wellbeing.
Each prototype was a practical demonstration of collaboration, trust-building, and flexible, kaupapa-aligned practice that challenged existing system norms.
While they played a critical role in shaping new ways of thinking and acting, the South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board no longer relies on prototypes as its primary method.
The Board applies current insights, values, and ways of working (including those developed through earlier prototypes) to guide its broader strategy, relationships, and system-level action to better support tamariki and whaanau.
South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board (SASWB) prototypes provide an overview which includes the aims, objectives and their key components, along with insights gained. Each summary highlights examples where the prototype learning focussed on tangible change or improvement. Efforts of the prototypes prioritised supporting whaanau wellbeing, local priorities, and aspirations of community stakeholders.
By engaging with the learnings from these prototypes, we hope readers come away with a deeper understanding of how whaanau-centred, kaupapa-based practice can be activated within complex systems.
Te Huarahi Ngaatahi — Connecting Pathways
What is required to enable positive sustainable outcomes for whaanau at risk of statutory intervention? What system change opportunities are available to support a more whaanau-led and collaborative way of working?
A school-based integrated wellbeing model for tamariki and their whaanau, including those exposed to family harm.
Emphasises a unified agency response that allows for cross-agency information sharing and a whaanau-focused approach that provides resources and rapid support to help protect whaanau and their tamariki mokopuna from stigmatising systems.
Early years investment is fundamental to breaking cycles of intergenerational harm. This includes working together to build sustainable wellbeing systems that invest in the early years (0-5) of tamariki and their whaanau.
How can support be flexibly and effectively redistributed within a universal (intended for all) children’s service to better understand and support peepi, tamariki, and whaanau whaanui (wider relationships) requirements and aspirations?
A home-based or place-of-safety (vs attendance at “parenting programmes” locations) holistic psychosocial support for Start Well whaanau traversing the spectrum of distress, mental health, trauma, child development (e.g., foetal alcohol spectrum disorder), and parenting.
Do play-based approaches for preschool-aged tamariki successfully integrate into the Start Well service? Do the play-based approaches in this service context offer similar benefits to parenting programmes?
Multi- Disciplinary Cross Agency Team (MDCAT)
A collaborative way of working that brings together Government agencies and Non- Government Organisations (NGOs) to collectively support whaanau experiencing family harm and other health and social stressors.
Using frameworks and resources which support marae and MDCAT staff, a central point of contact (the Kaiaarahi) and wrap-around support services, referrals, and directives protects mana aa-whaanau and eases whaanau stress from multiple-agency koorero.
A harm prevention tool, the alert system raises the school’s awareness of a child’s potential vulnerability following exposure to a ‘red flag’ family harm incident. Schools maintain confidentiality and privacy when responding to alerts while providing ‘extra eyes’ and additional care.