School Wellbeing Response

This prototype tested a school-based, integrated wellbeing model for tamariki and their whaanau, particularly those affected by family harm. The opportunity built on insights from the Family Harm Alerts prototype (2018–2020), which revealed a lack of consistency and integration across school-based services.

Objectives

Provide tailored support early to tamariki and address stressors for whaanau.
Build trauma-informed, safe learning environments.
Strengthen collaboration across staff, services, and community networks.
Promote resilience and positive mental wellbeing.

Key Elements

Cross-collaborative wellbeing team: Utilising tools like Te Whare Tapa Whaa Plans, Transition Plans, and Developmental Tools.
Trauma-informed training: For school staff and professionals to identify and respond early.
Nurse Advisor & School Counsellor: Better health integration and accessible mental health support.
Therapeutic sensory spaces: For self-regulation and behavioural support.
Occupational therapy input: To individualise and adapt learning environments.

The School Wellbeing prototype tested a school based integrated wellbeing model for tamariki and their whaanau, including those exposed to family harm, in Manurewa.

The opportunity for this prototype arose from the Family Harm Alerts prototype that was trialled across 17 schools in Manurewa, Papakura, and Franklin in 2018 to 2020. A key finding from this previous prototype was that there are a variety of supports in place at the schools, but there is no consistency of response to support tamariki including those experiencing family harm. This coupled with the understanding that there is also a range of health, social, and education services provided through the school that aim to make a difference for children and their whaanau; and in some cases services work well together, however, more often than not many of these services are found to be stand alone, working in isolation, duplicated and creating some confusion at different levels (individual, whaanau, community, school and provider). We identified an opportunity to test a school-based wellbeing response for tamariki and whaanau.

The objectives of the prototype included:

Recognise and provide early tailored support for tamariki and provide support to address the underlying stressors for whaanau.
Support school staff (teaching/leadership) to enhance trauma-informed and safe and supportive school environments.
Enable and foster collaboration and joint ways of working with existing communities, staff and networks.
Promote positive mental wellbeing and resilience for all tamariki.

The key elements of the prototype included:

Cross collaborative wellbeing team and practice: Establishing and enhancing collaborative practice with professionals already supporting schools as well as developing tools to support this practice. For example, through Te Whare Tapa Whaa Plan (one plan approach), the Transition Plan (supporting students starting school), and the Developmental Tool (notice, recognise, and respond to strengths and needs of students).
Trauma informed professional development: Providing training regarding trauma-informed approaches and child development for school staff and professionals to enable them to be better equipped at identifying when tamariki may need additional support
Nurse Advisor: Providing a support role to the Mana Kidz (school-based health programme) team to understand what opportunities exist for greater integration of the service into wellbeing practice and conversations within the school environment.
Counsellor within the school environment: Understanding the benefits of having a dedicated counsellor within the school team and environment.
Therapeutic sensory practice: Establishing dedicated spaces and tools to allow for informed sensory practice between staff and students to support with sensory development and behaviour needs.
Occupational therapy consultation and observation: Observing students to identify opportunities for individual supports to be put in place as well as strategies that will support the wider student environment.

System Change Examples & Opportunities

The key insights generated from this prototype informed frameworks and resources to better support school staff in identifying and addressing the wellbeing needs of tamariki in Manurewa.
There is further opportunity to apply learning and insights from this prototype into other cross-agency work programmes and priorities, including:
1. Supporting planning and implementation efforts on the Government Targets, specifically the target on increasing student attendance.
2. Informing the design and implementation of Kia Ora Ake (school-based wellbeing programme) that is jointly led by Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau and the Ministry of Education.
3. Linking with the Health & Education Collaborative to inform professional development/ training, with a particular focus on trauma-informed practice, child development, sensory development and spaces.
1. Working closely with the Change Lead and RTLB cluster Manager to systematically roll out the wellbeing team way of working, developmental tools, templates and resources across schools in South Auckland.
2. Supporting planning and implementation efforts on actions within the Oranga Tamariki Action Plan.
3. Feeding learnings into commissioning opportunities across health, education and Oranga Tamariki to enable adaptability.
4. Influence teachers training curriculum - incorporate child development, neurodiversity, and trauma-informed practice into the training programme.