Mana Ake is operating at Mt Pleasant School. "Mana Ake – Stronger for tomorrow" is a Government response to enhance wellbeing and promote positive mental health for children in Years 1 to 8. Mana Ake kaimahi (workers) work alongside schools with children and whānau, to promote wellbeing and provide support when a wellbeing or mental health concern is identified.

Mana Ake aims to intervene early to ensure the right support gets to the right children at the right time.

Mana Ake kaimahi can support:

• CHILDREN - individual work with children, individual children and their whānau at home and/or at school; and groups of children delivering programmes that support resilience, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and coping with change;

• PARENTS/WHĀNAU - providing workshops, advice and guidance, support in the home, support to access community resources;

• TEACHERS - to implement classroom programmes that promote wellbeing;

• SCHOOL SYSTEMS - connect schools and whānau to community resources that enhance school wellbeing goals.

Mana Ake workers will share goals and intervention approaches with children, families, schools and other pastoral care team members, as appropriate, to ensure everyone is informed about how best to support the child and their family/whānau.

Mana Ake kaimahi will be visiting our school regularly.

You can read more about the rest of the Mana Ake team here

You are most welcome to speak to me (our school SENCO jane@mtpleasant.school.nz) to discuss your children’s needs and whether a request for support is appropriate.

Attached to this article is a brochure with more information about Mana Ake.