Strengthening Families

How do I know if Strengthening Families is for me and my family?

If you can answer yes to one or all of these statements, strengthening families may be right for you:

My family currently receives services from more than one social service agency, such as WINZ, Housing New Zealand, Child Youth and Family, Early Childhood Education, School, community based social services (counselling, parenting, social work support), probation services etc.

I have children less than 17 years of age in my care. I would like to achieve a more ’joined’ up solution for my family/Whanau and get everyone working together for a better future for us all.

How do I get started?

Contact Hepi at Franklin Family Support Services 09 238 6233 or via e-mail on hepi@familysupport.org.nz or follow this link to the referral form www.familysupport.org.nz/resources/SFReferralform

Click here for all SF Resources

What happens next?

Hepi the Strengthening Families Co-ordinator will contact you to go through the details and set up an appointment to meet you and your Whanau/family. She will fill out a referral form with you and gain your consent to work with you and your Whanau/family. She will then set up an initial meeting with all of the organizations you invite including those you are currently working with and those from whom you wish to seek help.

Hepi or one of her facilitators will co-ordinate meeting dates and venues and facilitate the development of a plan to meet the goals you and your family/Whanau set. E.g. children attending school, receiving all WINZ entitlements, counselling or parenting programme arrangements in place etc in order to achieve a happy, safe and secure future for your Whanau.

And after the initial meeting?

At the initial meeting, an action plan is made; a review date is set where the commitments and progress of the agencies and your Whanau/family is reviewed. Any additional action points are included or ‘ticked off’ the to do list.

How long will this process take?

From the date we first receive your referral, we undertake to have the initial meeting within 15 working days. The review meeting is 6 weeks after the initial meeting or at a time that is dependent on tasks set on the initial action plan and further reviews are undertaken at appropriate times until you and the agencies working with your Whanau/family are confident that all are working well towards your goals.