Navigators

The Navigators offer a wide ranging service to people whose homes are affected as a result of the earthquakes and, in collaboration with those people, develops a comprehensive recovery plan based on the most up to date information that enables them as a whānau to make informed decisions about their future direction.

Up to ten Navigators (some funded by the District Health Boards (DHBs), some through Whānau Ora services and others through lotteries allocations) have been helping people connect with the services they need across the three districts. Organisations involved included:

  • Canterbury Wellbeing North Canterbury Trust (Hurunui) funded through the Canterbury District Health Board
  • Presbyterian Support Services (Hurunui) funded through Canterbury District Health Board
  • Te Rūnanga O Nga Maata Waka (Kaikōura and Hurunui) – Funded through Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu Commissioning Agency
  • Te Tai o Marokura (Kaikōura) funded through Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu Commissioning Agency
  • Te Hauora o Ngati Rarua (Marlborough) funded through Te Waipounamu o Te Waipounamu Commissioning Agency
  • Kaikōura Healthcare, Te Ha o Te Ora (Kaikōura) funded through the Canterbury District Health Board.
  • One Whānau Ora Connect role (coordinator to facilitate the navigator team) was seconded from Te Rūnanga o Nga Maata Waka by Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu for the first year of post-response recovery.

By the end of September 2017, Navigators in Kaikōura and Hurunui had registered 291 households, of which 80 are resolved and 205 are active.

The four top presenting issues for registered households have been financial hardship, waiting for insurance scopes of work, needing independent insurance advice, and living in uninsured damaged homes.

In Marlborough, Te Piki Health Navigator visited 95% of the homes in the wider Seddon area and found winter warming and insurance matters to be key issues.

Te Pūtahitanga

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu (South Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency) funded five Whānau Ora Navigators, and Canterbury DHB funded another two part-time Navigators and a support team. The Marlborough DHB also funded navigators to support local communities.

The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency is particularly appreciative of the efforts made by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Rūnanga o Nga Maata Waka, Positive Directions Trust, He Oranga Pounamu, He Waka Tapu, Te Ora Hou, Te Puāwaitanga ki Ōtautahi, Kākākura Trust, and Whānau Ora Navigators who have overseen and implemented the Kaitoko Whānau workforce consistently since the first earthquakes impacted on Christchurch in 2010.

On 14 November 2016, those impacts returned with the 7.8 earthquake which struck throughout Hurunui, Kaikōura, Wairau and beyond. In the immediate wake of the turmoil, a team of Whānau Ora Navigators came together to support the whānau left reeling from the shock of the shakes.

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu appreciates the journey that impacted whānau will take, is far longer than the immediate door-knocking exercise or provision of emergency assistance.

In addition to the Whānau Ora Navigators, Canterbury District Health Board resourced two additional Earthquake Navigators in Kaikōura and North Canterbury. All Navigators are centrally coordinated and supported with the aim of ensuring consistency of service, effective workload distribution, collegial support and the collection of accurate data on which decisions for future planning can be based.

Additional support was available to whānau through a Rū Whenua Resilience Fund initiated by Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu. The fund was financial support to strengthen resilience of whānau in response to some of the delayed issues facing them after the earthquake. The Fund was a one-off grant available to whānau that could be accessed via a Whānau Ora Navigator. This funding can be used for:

  • Emergency home repairs up to $1000
  • Specialist advice, eg technical advice from engineers, builders up to $1500
  • Assistance with heating costs up to $500 (including firewood, gas, power, dehumidifiers and heaters).