Te Huarahi Ngaatahi – Connecting Pathways

Overview

Te Huarahi Ngaa Tahi explores what it takes to enable sustainable, positive outcomes for whaanau experiencing challenges that place them at risk of statutory intervention. It re-centres the lived experiences of whaanau, wraps support around their unique journeys, and shifts the role of government agencies from service controllers to collaborative partners. The prototype dismantles silos through co-located work and shared responsibility between Clinical Nurse Specialists, social workers, and community-based kaimahi.

Key elements of this approach:

  • Joint practice between Clinical Nurse Specialists and Social Workers

  • NGO as the primary relationship holder with whaanau

  • Relational continuity beyond immediate safety concerns

  • A holistic health approach as an alternative to Gateway

  • No KPIs – outcomes focused on whaanau reality

Critical enablers:

  • Investing time to build relationships first

  • Whaanau-led practice at every stage

  • Continuity of support that carries beyond the crisis point

  • Collaboration between the Te Huarahi Ngaatahi team and wider services

“Pushing my kids into the future to make it better for them... once they have succeeded, I will enjoy the journey with them.”
Te Huarahi Ngaatahi Maamaa

Insights from THNT have supported reconfiguration of system resources to better support tamariki and whaanau, for example Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau created a senior clinical nurse position to support tamariki at risk of statutory intervention.

Building on these learnings, a clinical nurse specialist position was created in the youth residence space, to reconfigure health resource to better support tamariki known within Oranga Tamariki, who are entering residence.

There is also potential to apply learnings from this prototype to other cross-agency work programmes and priorities, including:

During this prototype, Gateway’s focus was on identifying the health and education needs of tamariki that have often gone unidentified and/or unmet but, at times, Gateway did not go far enough to ensure whaanau had the support they required to address their needs fully.

An alternative health pathway was tested in this prototype which focused on understanding needs more holistically, addressing those needs earlier, and until they are met.

Key Learnings

  • Outcomes improve when support is grounded in relational trust and cultural strength

  • A non-clinical, low-barrier entry point to wraparound support enables early response

  • Holistic approaches to health allow early intervention before formal assessments like Gateway

  • Being whaanau-led requires systems that are responsive, not prescriptive

System Change Examples & Opportunities

  • Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau created a senior Clinical Nurse role to reduce reliance on Gateway and directly support tamariki at risk.

  • A Clinical Nurse Specialist role was embedded in the youth residence space to support tamariki entering care.

  • The Gateway Review (led by Oranga Tamariki, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education) considered insights from this prototype to reshape how tamariki needs are identified and met.

  • Learnings informed cross-agency implementation aligned with new Government Targets, particularly in tamariki and whaanau wellbeing.

Opportunities include rethinking:

  • Capability – strength-based, trauma-informed practice

  • Contracting & Policy – low caseloads, no KPIs

  • Partnerships – open communication and support networks

  • Practice – whaanau timelines, Aroha, Tika, Pono

Te Huarahi Ngaatahi – Connecting Pathways