Rikki TeTau, Ngati Kahunganunu, has recently taken on the role as General Manager, Palmerston North Methodist Social Services. We invited Rik to and to share a little about himself and his vision for the future.

Your background?

I have a background in Alcohol and Drug (AOD) and Mental Health services, managing for Crisis Prevention Richmond NZ and AOD respite. Prior to taking on the role here, I worked five years for the Salvation Army as Community Ministries Manager. Before that I was working in the health sector with Access Community Health. I am a Registered Social Worker.

What drew you to this role?

The Methodist Church has always been the heart of the community working within the area. I was looking for a challenge in an environment that truly cared and supported community and each other. PNMSS offered me the ideal role in the ideal environment. This is a warm, friendly environment where we all are here for the community. This has created a workplace that feels like home to the team and the community. The service delivery within PNMSS is a balance of support, education and wrap-around services that are truly client-centred and focused. It is an environment I have found to be welcoming and culturally sensitive.

Is there a typical week in the workplace?

A week’s work can include anything from supervision, managing financials, attending meetings and community engagements, supporting the team in the food bank and even making coffee on occasion, accompanied by a shared lunch. Budget time has come around quickly and a lot of my focus had been on this. Each day brings exciting new challenges. We are continuing to look at the evaluation of services and community needs.

Balancing the multitude of expectations day-to-day can be hard and at times overwhelming, but always worth it.

Plans and priorities for the future?

We have exciting plans to redevelop our outdoor space to be better utilised by our young people and counsellors. There is also an upskilling project on the horizon that will lead to job opportunities for disabled people. We have a vision for a new look to the food bank, wrapping support around community members and users to respectfully meet their needs, whilst encouraging independence and future food security.

I want to continue to develop the firm foundations of PNMSS and find optimum means to serve our community in ways that best meet their needs.