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Pathway to Cultural Accreditation

01 July 2022
20220602 094922

One of our organisation's goals is to ensure mana whenua is recognised and partnerships are developed with iwi, marae and Māori providers. To do this, and to bring our values to life, we established Te Rauemi Atawhai (TRA) - our cultural framework.

CEO Barry Helem says that bringing our values to life "is an aspirational journey that is reflected in the mahi we do every day. We will be an organisation that 'walks the talk' and demonstrates integrity and credibility as a true partner with Māori in our community."

We’re delighted that eight staff have already completed their Cultural Accreditation with several more to undertake theirs in the next month. 

Our very own CEO, Barry Helem became one of the first in the organisation to achieve the recognition, alongside one of our Family Works team members, Chloe Kinajil.

To meet the requirements of Te Rauemi Atawhai, staff learn about New Zealand’s indigenous heritage, customs, and responsibilities to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, as well as the basics of Te Reo. They are assessed on their competency by our Kaiārahi, Kim Manahi, based on three key standards/pou.

Once cultural accreditation is achieved, staff are presented with a taonga (pounamu necklace) at a special ceremony/He Whakanui, to celebrate their achievement.

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