Manawa Pou is provided by Te Aka Matua Kaupapa Service, a service committed to the achievement of health equity that results in Māori patients and their whānau being able to have at the least the same, if not increased, health status as those populations less impacted. Achieving health equity requires a whole of government and system approach and increased focus on improving access to services for Māori.

Te Aka Matua Kaupapa Service mission is to:

• Support a focus on tangata whenua
• Support transition from secondary specialist services to primary or community care
• Prioritise māmā and pēpi, tamariki
• Prioritise high need rangatahi, pakeke and koroua / kuia.

Manawa Pou

Manawa Pou is a cultural and navigational inpatient service.

We are a small but focused team who are driven by the collective understanding of the importance of contributing to achieving Māori health equity for all Māori patients and their whānau. The team take ownership and collective responsibility in efforts to deliver quality and culturally safe services.

Tikanga Māori underpins our model of care and recognises the importance of Māori protocols.

Manawa Pou will respect you and your whānau throughout your stay in hospital, as they make their regular ward rounds, by ensuring:

• Kanohi ki te kanohi mihi whakatau (first brief face-to-face meet and greet)
• Whakamārama i te kaupapa (introduction of the service available)
• Te mana o te tangata (your right to make an informed choice to receive ongoing cultural support or not).

What does the service do?

We provide specialised cultural support to turoro / tangata whaiora / patient and their whānau:

• Māori cultural traditional healing therapies as appropriate
• Tautoko / support and manaaki / care in times of emergency, grief and loss of life;
• Tautoko / support to make informed decisions about their care
• Tautoko / support to increase understanding of their own health issues by assisting and facilitating kōrero / discussions with clinical staff when they have questions about their treatment and care
• Tautoko / support to facilitate and improve communications and processes to help clarify cultural understandings between clinical colleagues and turoro / tangata whaiora / patient and their whānau. This may include:
  - kanohi ki te kanohi / face-to-face hui / engagement-meetings and facilitation
  - whakatau, karakia and / or
  - te reo Māori communications.

Mortuary

We tautoko / support whānau in times of grief and loss of life by providing cultural support in accordance with whānau needs identified by whānau. Support can include, but is not limited to:

• karakia, protocol and process information – acknowledge and invite whānau who may have their own Kaumātua to administer karakia and tikanga
• assist with any general information about funeral service providers if requested by whānau.

After Hours On-Call Service

We provide a limited after hours service for emergencies due to grief and loss of life situations - contactable through on-site Duty Manager.

Whariki Gardiner is our Pou Manukura (Manager)
Mobile: 027 363 0295

Our dedicated team of Manawa Pou are:

Te Aka Matua Kaupapa Service also provides Manawa Ora (Whānau Support) Community Mental Health.