Asha Innes is a Mana Whānau Family Worker at Lifewise. Asha explains that Mana Whānau is an in-home intensive parenting support programme that supports families/whānau to stay together. The programme was designed to keep tamariki who are at imminent risk of being taken into care by Oranga Tamariki, to stay living safely with their own whānau and in their own communities. It was inspired by evidence that tamariki generally do better in the care of their whānau and by the strongly held conviction that there are safe alternatives to removing tamariki from their whānau.
Mana Whānau is offered by Lifewise in Auckland and Wesley Community Action in Wellington. The programme focusses on reducing risk of harm to tamariki instead of removing tamariki from their homes. Staff work intensively with whānau in their homes for up to 65 hours a week. The times and the number of hours worked are those that suit whānau. This can include early mornings, evenings and weekends. The programme is an authentically whānau-led process, flexible and tailored to the needs of each whanau.
Asha Innes, Mana Whānau Family Worker at Lifewise
Asha has been working in the Mana Whanau team at Lifewise for three and a half years.
1. What do you enjoy most about your work?
As the Mana Whānau programe is an intensive in-home parenting programe we get to spend a lot of time with the families that we are working with. My role allows me the time to form a relationship and make a connection with whānau. It is throughout this process that trust is built and families become open and receptive to support and change. I like that it is a whānau led programme and they identify what their stressors/challenges are, and together we come up with some goals that they would like to achieve. It is very much about what they want - not what we think they need!
2. What does a typical day look like for you?
At Family Services we always start our day with a karakia, waiata and a check in to see what were all up to for the day! From there it can look different on a daily but typically it would be spent with whānau in their home working on goals that they have identified they would like support with.
My role is flexible so I work around when whānau need me the most. This could include coming in the evenings to support with bedtime routines, which can be the most stressful part of the day for some, or supporting whānau to implement rules and boundaries in the home. I may be supporting whānau to a counselling session one day or to a medical appointment the next. If I’m not with whānau then I am in the office writing up notes and finding resources and information that can be useful for whānau.
3. What is on your to-do list?
Shortly I will be begin working with a new whānau so I will be preparing for that, and as we get closer to the Christmas and holiday period, working with my team of how our service can best support our families in the community.
4. What excites you most about the work? What do you love most about your job?
In my role we like to celebrate the small wins with our families! This could be Mum learning a new positive parenting strategy, putting it into action and getting a good result.
I also love to see the positive growth in people, they may have once been at a stage in their lives where they faced many challenges where drugs and alcohol and domestic violence was a part of their lives and now they’ve left that all behind and are learning, growing and wanting to make some good choices for their own lives and that of their children. That’s what I love about the work that we do!
5. What have you learned since you started?
The more I have worked with different whānau over the years, it reinforces to me that everyone has strengths, skills, and potential and as social workers we should always focus on building on their strengths rather than focusing on the negative. When you emphasis the good stuff, it builds up people’s confidence, self-worth, and independence.
6. If you could change two things about the world, what would you change & why?
That is a big question that I have a long list for, but two that come to mind would be:
education should be free from primary school right up to university and accessible to all children all over the world. Education gives children and youth the knowledge and skills they need to face life’s challenges. Education provides opportunities, and it can also be a key driver for reducing poverty.
NO WAR!! It is pointless. It destroys communities and families, psychological harm to adults and children, death and destruction to our planet.
7. If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?
Before you pass judgement on a person’s situation or choices they make, please ask yourself, what could have led this individual to this point in their lives, what is their story? You just never know so please, show a little empathy.
8. What is worth smiling about right now?
The thought of Christmas and summer approaching. The beach, bbq’s, activities and time spent with my own whānau!
You can find out more about the Mana Whānau programme here:
Carol Barron, National Coordinator
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164 | Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz