Start Well

Start Well reframes how whaanau experiencing complex need are supported. It is a kaupapa-based model that centres whaanau aspirations and provides sustained, wraparound support that adapts as those needs evolve. Practitioners build long-term relationships, walking alongside whaanau through periods of distress, healing, and growth. Instead of managing referrals or ticking service boxes, practitioners hold the risk, provide continuity, and work across domains — often acting as a buffer against systems that have overwhelmed whaanau in the past. The model demonstrates what becomes possible when we privilege aroha, time, and relational trust over transactional service delivery.

Practice Elements

• Whaanau lead their journey and define what progress looks like.

• Practitioners provide consistent support across health, housing, addiction, parenting, and education.

• The intensity of support is flexible — it increases or decreases as needed.

• Practitioners hold risk and resist over-referral, maintaining whaanau trust.

• Whaanau do not have to re-tell their story or adjust to new workers.

“When they first met me I was at my lowest... now I’m in the light and I feel better, and they’re still here.” — Start Well Whaanau

Results and Insights

• Significant reduction in Police callouts and Reports of Concern.

• Measurable gains in housing stability, emotional wellbeing, and whaanau self-determination.

• Whaanau report feeling safer, more hopeful, and more capable of leading their own futures.

• Practitioners report lower burnout and higher professional satisfaction due to deeper engagement and less system churn.