Community Whanau to help coordinate service providers

November 4th
[by David Armstrong]

The monthly Community Whanau meeting yesterday agreed to help the Nelson Bays Primary Health Organisation build a directory of information, for both a community noticeboard and for printed material, showing people needing help where to find it in Motueka.

The need for a facility such as this was reinforced at the meeting as those attending described the individual services offered by the groups they represented. Twenty two people attended the meeting, one of the largest attendances this year. (View information about the Community Whanau meetings.)

Services provided, in many cases largely unheralded, range from help with diabetes and asthma, epilepsy and mental health, career guidance and budget advice, disabilities and primary health provision.

Jane Kinsey, of the Nelson Bays PHO, told the group of work being done to provide a noticeboard at the Community House which will show in diagrammatic form how newcomers, visitors and residents can quickly access services classified (for now) under "Emergency", "Social Needs & Housing", "Newcomers", "Health Advice", "Employment & Money Worries" and "Relationship Worries & Stress".

She asked groups to suggest any variations to these categories and name groups that should be included on the noticeboard. It was also suggested that an 0800 number be set up as a single contact point to direct people to services, a facility which works well in Golden Bay. The Community House receptionist, it was pointed out, already performs this function at present during mornings.

The Community Whanau decided to bring their suggestions as to which service providers should be included to their December 1st meeting.

The meeting also heard that career guidance services are now being extended more fully into the Motueka community, with staff working with groups who can then go on to help youth in schools. Courses are being set up locally on training people into retail and computing jobs.

Get Safe Motueka reported that its anti-violence course for men is currently fully subscribed with a record 15 men attending, about one-third of them self-referred. It is heartening that men are beginning to address these problems.

>> , to be added to the page. [If this link doesn't work, use this form instead]

[ Return ]