Improving wellbeing is a central achievement challenge for Te Taura Here o Ōtautahi.

Particularly in this Covid year, kura and our collective ECE group have noticed concerns about attendance and increasing referrals to outside agencies.

Our kāhui ako is introducing a new ākonga/whānau te oranga hinengaro role [mental health wellbeing] at the beginning of 2021. This person will work with tamariki, ākonga, whānau and kaiako across our kura and ECEs.

They’ll strengthen connections and collaboration between school counselling and wellbeing teams with external mental health services, to help ensure that tamariki and ākonga receive effective wrap-around support.

The person in this role will also form a valuable connection as someone outside a student’s regular school setting, supporting them and their whānau face to face, developing relationships and acting as a role model. Where tamariki and ākonga may be struggling to re-engage with school or their ECE centre, the new role will develop ‘re-integration to school’ plans in collaboration with them and their whānau.

We’ll look forward to introducing our new wellbeing team member in our term 1 kāhui e-news.