February 15, 2023
Public sector slated for slow adoption of whanau ora
Auditor-General John Ryan has found public sector agencies are failing to give Whanau Ora the support it merits.
That means many whānau might not be getting all the support available to address their needs and help them achieve their aspirations.
He says the public service needs clear expectations for progressing whānau-centred approaches where appropriate, and Te Puni Kōkiri needs a clearer and stronger mandate too broaden the initiative.
Since Whānau Ora was established in 2010, reviews have found it has been successful for many whānau.
But despite being urged by the Minister for Whanau Ora in 2019 to increase their investment support and implement more whānau-centred approaches generally, most public organisations have only trialled small-scale and time-limited initiatives.
Mr Ryan says some public sector processes and practices need to change to make it easier to implement whanau-centred approaches .