A day in the life of Bridget Swan, the Whānau Support Worker at Aratupu Preschool and Whānau Hub, Christchurch Methodist Mission. Aratupu Preschool and Whānau Hub is the early childhood education centre located in Papanui, Christchurch, and serves a diverse community from the wider Christchurch area. Aratupu is located next to WesleyCare, Christchurch Methodist Mission’s residential eldercare facility.
L-R: Kelly - Kaiako/Teacher; Bridget - Whānau Support Worker; Aratupu parent and tamariki
Bridget’s role as Whānau Support Worker is to support a holistic approach to the wellbeing of children and their families. Bridget tells us a bit about her role:
How long have you been working in your role?
Six months.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The wide variety of the things I get to do each day.
What does a typical day look like for you?
No one day is the same, but my day usually starts the same way. At 8.30am I join the other staff at Aratupu in welcoming whānau to the centre.
Every Tuesday morning we have Coffee Group, where parents have a coffee and catch up. The parents choose a topic they want to talk about and I find the resources needed to make that happen. Topics include: money & children, Work and Income entitlements, child development and behaviour, meal planning, other cultures and cultural activities, planting succulents, harakeke weaving and the traditions behind this, etc.
I spend a lot of my time engaging with the tamariki at Aratupu and I work with whānau that need or want something. This could be anything - including food, family violence issues, housing, clothing. Sometimes I am just a listening ear and sounding board for whānau to talk to.
I make referrals to other support services when this is necessary, and support the parent to access the most appropriate service to meet their needs.
Sometimes I will visit whānau in their homes – it depends what the whānau wants. I am led by them.
Aratupu has a whānau room on site which has coffee and tea, and parents can have a drink on their own or with each other. Parents will often ask me to have a cup of coffee with them in the whānau room, where we can talk in private.
I often will arrange for parents to meet to see each other, especially when I think they will be able to offer each other good peer support.
What is on your to-do list?
My to-do list is very long and includes things like: organising the annual market where whānau run their own stalls, so this involves a lot of planning.
My main focus is on building relationships and trust with the parents at Aratupu and identifying what I can do to support them.
What do you love most about your job?
I love watching parents getting where they want to go – reaching their full potential. My role is to facilitate them to achieve this.
Just last week, I had a father come in very excited. He told me that he had found a permanent home to live in. Previously he was living in emergency housing.
It is often little things that make a substantial difference in people’s lives. We have set up a free shop at the entrance of Aratupu with stocks of basic supplies, like milk and bread, so people can shop for free without having to ask for help. This is a really simple thing to do and is mana- enhancing for parents who are trying to make their dollar stretch as far as it will go.
What have you learned since you started?
This role has reinforced my belief that everyone wants to do the best they can. They are just limited by their resources and skills. So if people are given the resources and skills they need, they are able to achieve their best life.
I want to break the generational thinking that limits parenting skills – if you have not been parented well, it is likely that you do not have the skills to parent well yourself. Often family violence, alcohol and drug abuse are now intergenerational. So if we can break these cycles, everyone will have a better future.
If you could change two things about the world, what would you change & why?
I would like to see equitable chances and opportunities for everyone, so individuals and communities can thrive.
And in an ideal world, everyone would have mana, and feel proud about who they are. That inherent self-confidence to hold their head high and walk tall.
If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t be scared to look for ways to strengthen yourself – trust in your inner voice to know what is best for you.
What is worth smiling about right now?
The tamariki that I have the privilege of working with always make me smile. It is a real privilege and honour to advocate for them and their whānau. This is how I approach every day.
You can find out more about Aratupu from their website: https://www.aratupu.nz/
Carol Barron, National Coordinator
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164 | Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
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