How it works

Strengthening Families provides a way for families to get coordinated access to services – the aim is to offer help before a whānau or family has serious problems requiring intensive or statutory intervention.

By promoting cooperation between community organisations, social services and government agencies, everyone works more efficiently and keeps the whānau or family at the heart of the process.

The Strengthening Families process is available for any whānau or family when more than 1 community support organisation or government service is required – it is free and 100% voluntary.

The person or people helping your whānau or family could be a:

• budget advisor
• truancy officer
• social worker
• medical specialist
• counsellor
• teacher
• other support worker.

Together, you work out what support your whānau or family needs and what each service is going to do.

To get the process started, you can complete a referral form and your whānanu or family members who will be involved need to complete a consent form.

You will not lose access to any support you're receiving from other agencies if you start to receive support from Strengthening Families.