WHĀNAU/HUNAU VOICE
Whānau/Hunau‑facing
Why sharing your experience matters
Whānau/Hunau live with the health system every day.
When services work well, it makes life easier. When they don’t, whānau/hunau often carry the stress, cost, and impact themselves.
By sharing experiences together, patterns become clear. This helps change things at the system level — not just for one person, but for everyone.
System‑facing
From lived experience to system evidence
Whānau/Hunau Voice is not anecdotal feedback. When analysed collectively, it identifies recurring system patterns, including:
- Access that exists in theory but not in practice
- Workforce instability affecting quality and trust
- Service models misaligned with island realities
This evidence supports informed system response and reduces reliance on assumptions.
WHĀNAU/ HUNAU VOICE INSIGHTS
Whānau/Hunau‑facing
What whānau/hunau told us
Whānau/hunau shared their experiences through kōrero/korer’, hui, and one‑to‑one conversations.
Some things came through again and again:
- Relationships matter — trust and feeling safe make a big difference
- Access can be hard because of timing, travel, or cost
- Seeing different doctors all the time makes care harder
- Privacy matters in a small community
These experiences aren’t one‑offs. They’re patterns.
System‑facing
Key themes from Whānau/Hunau Voice
Analysis of whānau/hunau engagement identified consistent themes:
- Relational continuity strongly influences care access and outcomes
- Access is uneven and shaped by eligibility, logistics, and workforce availability
- System friction accumulates and discourages engagement
- Confidentiality concerns affect help‑seeking behaviour
These themes indicate structural, not individual, issues.
WHĀNAU/ HUNAU HAUORA PRIORITIES
Whānau/Hunau‑facing
What needs to change
From what whānau/hunau shared, five main priorities stood out:
- Care that’s actually accessible on the island
- Seeing the same people and building trust
- Better support for māmā/metehine, pēpi/tchimit’ metoke, and whānau/hunau early on
- Mental health and addiction support that’s there before crisis
- Being able to age and die at home, close to whānau/hunau
- Housing and having local workers are important across all of these.
System‑facing
Whānau/Hunau Hauora Priorities
Five Whānau/Hunau Hauora Priorities were identified across the life course:
- Reliable, equitable access aligned to island realities
- Continuity, trust, and workforce stability
- Support for māmā/metehine, pēpi/tchimit’ metoke, and whānau/hunau in the first 2,000 days
- Mental health, grief, and AOD: prevention‑focused responses
- Ageing well and end‑of‑life care that enables whānau/hunau to remain on‑island
Housing and local workforce development are cross‑cutting enablers.
These priorities signal where system adaptation is required.
POSITIONING WHĀNAU/ HUNAU VOICE
Whānau/Hunau‑facing
Your voices aren’t starting from scratch
Whānau/Hunau have been sharing these concerns for a long time.
This mahi doesn’t replace earlier kōrero/korer’ — it strengthens it. Your voices are being carried forward so they don’t get lost or ignored.
System‑facing
Continuity and amplification
This Whānau/Hunau Voice work builds on existing research, engagement, and advocacy across Rēkohu | Wharekauri and Rangiauria | Rangihaute.
Findings reinforce long‑standing system issues rather than introducing new concerns, strengthening confidence that identified priorities warrant sustained response rather than reinvention.
GET INVOLVE
Whānau/Hunau‑facing
You can still have your say
Whānau/Hunau voice is ongoing. You’re welcome to share experiences, ideas, or concerns at any time.
Your kōrero/korer’ helps shape what happens next.
System‑facing
Ongoing engagement
Te Pūhana Ora maintains ongoing engagement to ensure whānau/hunau perspectives remain current and inform future system planning and accountability processes.
SHARE YOUR VOICE
Participate in surveys, hui, or community events.
→ Complete the Survey
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