Heartland Services
Stories from the heart
of our communities
2012
www.heartlandservices.govt.nz
Heartland Services is administered by Family and Community Services,
which is part of the Ministry of Social Development.
Produced by
Family and Community Services
Ministry of Social Development
PO Box 1556
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
www.heartlandservices.govt.nz
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................ 2
Whangarei........................................................................................................................... 4
Pukekohe.............................................................................................................................. 6
Opotiki................................................................................................................................. 8
Kawerau............................................................................................................................. 10
Murupara............................................................................................................................ 12
Taumarunui........................................................................................................................ 14
Waipukurau....................................................................................................................... 16
Tararua................................................................................................................................ 18
Aranui................................................................................................................................. 20
Hornby............................................................................................................................... 22
Akaroa................................................................................................................................ 24
Wanaka............................................................................................................................... 26
Balclutha............................................................................................................................. 28
Gore.................................................................................................................................... 30
Introduction
Heartland Services has been providing New Zealanders
in small, provincial and rural communities with better
access to government and non-government services
since 2001.
Today, Heartland service centres can be found in
33 provincial towns and three urban areas – two in
Christchurch and one in Whangarei. In addition,
11 Heartland outreach centres serve a number of
smaller, more remote communities.
These service centres are one-stop shops that provide
people with face-to-face access to a wide range of
services. Currently, 19 government agencies and
more than 90 community organisations meet with
their clients at Heartland centres. These agencies and
organisations are service providers that people would
otherwise have to interact with by phone, email or the
internet, or who would have to travel to main regional
centres to meet in person.
The Heartlands initiative was a response to the
extensive rationalisation and centralisation of
government agencies in the 1980s that resulted in the
migration of many front-line services away from smaller
communities to larger regional centres. However there
were unforeseen side-effects to this centralisation;
by the mid-1990s there was growing evidence that
rural communities and families felt disenfranchised
and alienated due to the lack of face-to-face access to
government services.
Heartlands has been instrumental in addressing this
need. As well as providing government agencies with
a physical base from which to meet with clients on
a regular basis, Heartland centres have evolved into
community hubs that facilitate a co-ordinated, wraparound service response involving both government and
non-government service providers.
The centres add value to their communities by
connecting people to services and by connecting
services to one another. Heartlands also delivers
distinct benefits for participating government agencies
and community organisations:
• Cost-efficiencies – Heartland service centres are
a low-cost way for agencies to provide the public
with regular, ongoing access without the costs
associated with having to maintain a permanent
community presence.The shared use of Heartlands
facilities (administration, meeting rooms and
2
telecommunications) means service providers can
deliver their services more cost-effectively.
• Service delivery – The opportunity for face-toface contact with clients breaks down barriers
(distance, trust, etc) that may prevent some people
from accessing services that can help them. It also
creates opportunities for wrap-around solutions to
address clients’ underlying issues rather than just the
symptoms.
• Community collaboration – Sharing physical space
with other agencies and community organisations
leads to synergies and a teamed-up approach to
addressing clients’ needs. Co-location fosters stronger
working relationships and co-operation among service
providers.
The Heartlands model shows how collaboration and
co-ordination can improve the delivery of government
and community services to people in smaller centres. It
is also a model that has been adopted for other client
groups. For example, Early Years Service Hubs provide
a central point where families in high-needs areas with
children aged 0-6 years can access a range of services,
from ante-natal care through to parenting support and
education.
At the heart of each Heartland centre is a service coordinator who is often the first point of contact for
clients. On paper, the role of the Heartlands co-ordinator
is to make appointments for people wanting to meet
with representatives from visiting government agencies,
identify services that might help clients, and assist clients
access government forms, brochures and websites.
But as the stories in this document illustrate, Heartlands
co-ordinators play an integral role in connecting
clients to services that can help address their needs
in a way that makes the client feel respected and
valued. In many cases, this involves co-ordinating an
interagency collaborative response that eliminates the
often frustrating – and not always successful – process
of clients having to track down and then repeat their
situation to a succession of service providers.
As well as making it easier for people to access the
services they need, Heartlands co-ordinators connect
services to one another and help those services
understand each other’s business.
Heartlands co-ordinators tend to be well-connected
and networked in their respective communities. Their
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Heartland service centres help over
100,000 New Zealanders access the
face-to-face services they need every
year and many more are helped by
phone and email.
knowledge of their community, coupled with a personal
commitment and resourcefulness in assisting clients, is a
major factor in the success of the Heartlands initiative.
Co-ordinators are the hub around which the services
and the facilities revolve.
When locating a Heartland services centre in a
community, Family and Community Services leverages
off existing service provider networks and other linkages
between community groups and government agencies.
Most Heartland centres are co-located with other
community organisations or with a government agency.
Since 2001 the network of Heartland
service centres has grown to 36 locations
across the country from Kaitaia to Gore.
The benefit of co-location and a co-ordinated services
response cannot be overstated. The contribution
government agencies make, working side-by-side
with other agencies and community organisations,
is of more value to families than when each agency
works in isolation. Because clients usually have more
than one issue they need help with, and often do not
realise what support is available, having a number of
government and community services under one roof
presents an opportunity for a seamless, coherent
service response.
The newest Heartland centre was
established in Wanaka in 2011.
Communities where
Heartland SERVICE
Centres are
kaitaia
Also face-to-face contact between agencies and
clients benefits both parties. The opportunity to build
relationships with a person, one that is based on trust
and respect, opens doors to better outcomes for clients.
KERIKERI
Kaikohe
Whangarei
DARGAVILLE
HELENSVILLE
The success of the Heartlands initiative is reflected
in the 2011 Heartlands Customer and Agency
Satisfaction Survey results:
Kawerau
RUATORIA
Opotiki
Taumarunui
TURANGI
• 93% of customers (clients) said Heartlands made it
easier for them to access the services they need
Murupara
TAUPO
WaiRoa
HAWERA
• 90% of participating service providers said
Heartlands made it easier for people to access
the services they need
TAIHAPE
Waipukurau
Tararua (PAHIATUA)
takaka
• 97% of customers were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very
satisfied’ with the welcome they received from
their Heartland co-ordinator
westport
kaikoura
• 95% of customers were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very
satisfied’ with the services or information they
received from co-ordinators
• 90% of respondents – customers and service
providers – were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very
satisfied’ with Heartland centre facilities
(location, level of privacy, range of services,
hours of operation, disability access).
COROMANDEL
Pukekohe
hokitika
Aranui
Hornby
Akaroa
fairlie
twizel
waimate
Wanaka
oAMARU
TE ANAU
Gore
Balclutha
chatham
islands
3
Whangarei
Heartlands
“I like to know the person behind the service.
That helps me understand what the service can
do, and it gives me a personal connection when I
have a client who needs assistance.“
MONIQUE COOPER,
Heartland Services Co-ordinator, Whangarei
The Pulse and the Heartland centre
in Whangarei share more than the
same physical address. They also have
a similar philosophy about how best
to deliver services.
know they have their next step figured out,”
Monique says.
“For both of us, the emphasis is on engagement and
collaboration,” says Lee Andrews, executive officer
of the Whangarei Youth One Stop Shop Charitable
Trust, which operates The Pulse (Te Hotu Manawa) and
Heartlands.
For Monique, a key to making the right connection is
knowing the available service providers personally. “I
like to know the person behind the service. That helps
me understand what the service can do, and it gives me
a personal connection when I have a client who needs
assistance.”
“Service providers are far more effective when they’re
working together and when they strive to provide wraparound services for people. Regardless of the situation,
when someone comes through our door, our focus is on
identifying and bringing together the services that can help.”
The Pulse provides a number of youth-focussed
services, including a teen parent school and access to
a number of on-site youth development, employment,
social and health services.
Heartlands co-ordinator Monique Cooper is often the
first stop for those seeking out Pulse services.
“I see my role as connecting people to the services
they need. I don’t like them to leave here until I
4
“Anyone can point a person to a resource or give them
a brochure. I make a point of connecting the person to
the right service, and then I follow up with the client to
make sure they got what they needed.”
Many of the services that are in high demand have
a presence at The Pulse, including the New Zealand
Police’s youth development team.
“Most people have multiple needs, so it’s great to have
a range of services so close at hand,” Monique says. “It
makes it easier to connect people in a setting where
they’re already comfortable.”
Monique says the setting worked well for the young
mother who recently came to the Pulse with a dilemma.
“She already has a five-year-old at home and was trying
to work out whether she should take on her troubled
15-year-old niece, who had just been blacklisted from
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Whangarei Heartlands/The Pulse include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
School Attendance Services
(truancy)
Child,Youth and Family
(Youth Justice Team)
He Mataariki
(school for teenage parents)
He Kaakano (Childcare Centre)
Northland Health (public nurses)
New Zealand Police (Youth
Development Team)
Work and Income
Budgeting
•
Te Ora Hou Northland
(youth services)
•
Parent Support & Development
(ante-natal classes and parenting
programmes)
•
Law Clinic (free lawyer)
•
Early Years Services Hubs
Co-ordinator
•
•
Youth Development team
(NZ Police)
•
•
Social workers (wrap-around)
•
DADS Programme (parenting)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ticket 2 Mahi (job mentoring)
DTag Services (graffiti removal)
Tautoko Teina (mentoring
programme)
Alternative Action Co-ordinator
(NZ Police)
Community Health and Wellbeing
Development Project (Pool)
Christmas in the Valley
(community event)
Children’s Day (Children’s event)
HUBS co-ordinator
school. The mother came here to see if she could get
her niece into our alternative education programme.”
But her needs went beyond that, Monique says. “Once
she was comfortable talking to me it was clear she
could use some financial support and other social
services. I set up those contacts for her, and she and her
family were able to meet with many of those services
right here.
“Being able to talk to her face to face and knowing what
services are available in our community, that’s the key to
really helping people help themselves.”
Monique Cooper,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, W
hangarei
“I see my role as connecting people to the services
they need. I don’t like them to leave here until
I know they have their next step figured out.”
5
Pukekohe
Heartlands Centre
“ We’re a community house, and the Pukekohe
Heartland Centre is a big part of why we’re
viewed that way.“
Wendy Martin,
Manager, Franklin Family Support Services, Pukekohe
From the perspective of Heartlands
co-ordinator Louise Edwards*, being
co-located with Franklin Family
Support Services is an advantage for
the government agencies that meet
their clients there.
“It helps to break down the stigma that can be a
barrier for some people seeking assistance. When you
enter our building, no one knows why you’re here.
That’s important for people, especially in a
small town.”
Regardless of the location, or the reason for coming
through the door, Louise says the key to helping people
is gaining their trust. “You get good at reading a person’s
body language and their facial expressions. That tells
you when you’ve given them exactly what they need
or if there’s an underlying issue that the person is a bit
reluctant to talk about.
“If you take that extra bit of time to see if there’s
anything else you can help them with, then the
floodgates tend to open. It’s about showing that you
care and are genuinely listening to what people have
to say.”
6
As with many communities throughout New Zealand,
Pukekohe has felt the impact of the global economic
downturn. “Financial struggle has been a big issue for
many families in the area,” Louise says. “And that tends
to have a ripple effect on family dynamics.
“A family member might come to Heartlands to meet
with Housing New Zealand, but that leads to a need for
budgeting support and parenting support. Once you gain
their trust, clients are more willing to open up.”
Government agencies play a big part in building that
trust, Louise adds. “Participating agencies know they’re
part of a bigger, connected network here. They often
steer people back to us, knowing that we can help those
clients with the underlying issues that are causing their
current situation.”
Louise draws on the community’s strong network of
social service providers to help meet clients’ needs.
“We make a point of meeting regularly and staying in
touch with each other. That way we know who has
capacity for new clients, what client wait times are, and
also when there’s a new service in the area.”
The network, comprising 16 organisations, uses a
common referral system as a single-point of contact
for clients, making it easier for people who would
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Pukekohe Heartlands include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Age Concern
Housing New Zealand
Workbridge
Department of Labour*
Maori
Land Court
Transport to medical
appointments*
Family finance advice*
Early Years Service Hub*
•
•
•
English lessons*
Family finances*
Justice of the Peace*
•
•
•
•
•
•
Legal services*
Onsite counselling*
Parenting programmes*
Social worker*
Strengthening Families*
Community Law (Legal Aid)
•
•
•
Employment Relations
Department of Internal Affairs
Miscellaneous - phone use, faxing,
photocopying
• Work forms
*Services are through Franklin Family
Support Services.
otherwise have to navigate the service provider
network on their own, says Wendy Martin, manager of
the Franklin Family Support Services.
“Collaborating like this also makes sense for service
funders. It means we’re able to deliver a breadth of
services that the community requires, but without
reinventing the wheel or duplicating each other.”
* Louise has recently left the position of Heartlands coordinator to take on a new role as Strengthening Families
co-ordinator, based at Franklin Family Support Services.
Replacing her as Heartlands co-ordinator is Rebecca Clarke.
Wendy Martin and Louise Edwards,
Heartland centre, Pukekohe
“It helps to break down the stigma that can be a barrier
for some people seeking assistance... no one knows why
you’re here.That’s important... especially in a small town”
7
Opotiki
Heartlands
“Having a Heartland Centre in our community is
gold. It’s tremendous that so many government
services use the centre to meet with people
face-to-face.“
Christina Degendorfer,
Manager, Tirohia Te Kopere Trust, Opotiki
One thing you won’t see when you
enter the Opotiki Heartland centre
is the Respectful Organisation Award
it received in October 2010 for its
“sustained respect to people who
experience mental health issues”.
Not that the centre isn’t proud of the award. It’s just
that display space is at a premium, and Heartlands coordinator Gaylene Kohunui prefers to use that space to
promote the services that Heartlands can offer clients.
“We’re a relatively small operation here,” Gaylene says,
“but we’re huge in terms of the services I can connect
people with.”
The Respectful Organisation Award was presented by
the Tirohia Te Kopere Trust, which operates the Opotiki
Mental Health Support Centre. The centre provides
peer support and advocacy for people with mental
health issues.
“We present this award annually to an organisation,
business or individual who has helped reduce the
stigma associated with people who have a mental
illness,” says Christina Degendorfer, manager of
Tirohia Te Kopere Trust.
8
“Gaylene at Heartlands is a great example for others.
She gives the same attention and high level of service
to everyone who walks through the door, regardless of
their circumstance. People get the assistance they need
when they deal with her.”
The small but busy Heartland centre, which is located
next door to the Work and Income office, is the
gateway to more than a dozen government agencies.
“Having a Heartland centre in our community is
gold,” Christina says. “It’s tremendous that so many
government services use the centre to meet with
people face-to-face.”
For Gaylene, scheduling meetings with various agencies
is only one aspect of the service she provides. “I feel
I’ve succeeded if I can put people with the services they
need, so that they don’t have to come back again and
again because the service I recommended wasn’t the
right fit.”
Gaylene makes a point of knowing the available service
providers first hand. “We have a good providers’
network and there are a lot of cross-referrals. I like to
know who’s doing what, so that I can be pretty sure
what a client can expect when I recommend a particular
service. It’s important that I know my stuff.”
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Opotiki Heartlands include:
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
Eastbay REAP Whakatane
•
Youth Transition Services
•
•
Strengthening Families
•
NZ Victim Support
•
Housing New Zealand
Maori
Land Court
•
PAFT (Parents as First Teachers)
•
Department of Labour
•
Baywide Community Law Service
•
•
Whakaatu Whanaunga Trust
•
Child,Youth and Family
Accident Compensation
Corporation
•
Family Law barrister
•
Career Services
•
•
Te Ha o te Whanau Trust
•
Life Unlimited Hearing
Therapy Services
New Zealand Teachers
Association
•
Opotiki Community Centre
•
Ngaitai Iwi Authority
•
Eastbay Timebank
•
Te Puni Kokiri
•
Healthcare New Zealand
•
NZ Army Defence Force
•
WERA Consultants
(work brokers)
•
District Health Board
(B4 School Check)
•
DHB hearing and vision services
for under fives
She also makes it easy for organisations to meet
their clients at Heartlands. “I provide a neutral
setting that emphasises trust and confidentiality.
And I try and provide a positive experience for
people when they come into the centre.
“If people know they can trust you and that
what they say here is held in confidence, they’re
more willing to talk about their issues. And
they’ll refer you to their friends. A lot of people
come in because of word-of-mouth.”
Gaylene Kohunui,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Opotiki
“We’re a relatively small operation here... but we’re huge
in terms of the services I can connect people with.”
9
Kawerau
Heartlands
“Our- focus is on the wellbeing of rangatahi and
whanau in the Kawerau district. Having a place
that makes our clients feel welcomed and that
allows us to connect to a wider network of
services is invaluable.“
Tauhe Apihai,
Administrator, Te Huinga Social Services Trust, Kawerau
It’s not an understatement to say
that Kawerau has seen better days.
“The global recession has hit our community hard,” says
Heartlands co-ordinator Ru Heather. “There’s a lack of
jobs, many people are on benefits or pensions, and we
have one of the highest gambling rates per capita in the
country.”
As a result, Ru says, demand for services runs
high, particularly for community mental health and
relationship services to address the high incidence of
alcohol and drug abuse and anger management issues.
But against this weak socio-economic backdrop, a
strong community spirit is on full display at 60 Onslow
Street, which is home to Kawerau’s Heartland centre.
With a Work and Income office across the road, and by
being co-located with such services as Eastbay REAP,
Parents as First Teachers, Neighbourhood Support Trust,
Safe Kawerau Kids Injury Prevention Project, Pacific
Health, Plunket and Strengthening Families, Kawerau
Heartlands is part of a cast of service providers that
covers all age groups in the community.
“This is the place where service providers come together
to help people in our community,” Ru says, “There’s a
10
strong network of social service providers in Kawerau
– both in this building and in the area. And we’re all
committed to connecting people to what they need.
“At Heartlands, we definitely make it easy for people
to access services that aren’t based here. In addition
to the services in our building, 20 government and
non-government agencies use our Heartlands meeting
rooms every month to meet with their clients. And if I
had more meeting rooms available, I could definitely fill
them.”
One key to the centre’s success is Ru herself, who is
affectionately known as the service providers database
queen.
“Initially my database was a handy reference of names
and phone numbers of available services. Over time
I’ve expanded it to include profiles of service providers
and specific details such as hours of operation – I don’t
want to just give people a phone number; I want them
to have a good understanding of what to expect when
they show up for their appointment.”
Ru prides herself on knowing what services are available
as a possible resource for people in need. “I make it a
point of knowing all the service providers in the region,
and I’m constantly updating my database.
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Kawerau Heartlands include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Baywide Community Law Service
Housing New Zealand
Inland Revenue Department
Maori
Land Court
Child,Youth and Family
Career Services
Youth counsellors
Adult counsellors
Community Mental Health
Relationship Services
Problem Gambling Foundation
•
Voyagers
•
•
Department of Building and
Housing
Adult Literary and Numeracy
tutor
•
Eastbay REAP
•
Hearing and vision technicians
•
Plunket
•
Audiologist
•
Parents as First Teachers (PAFT)
•
Optometrist
•
Neighbourhood Support
•
Sexual Heath Nurse
•
•
District nurses/Paediatrician
SKKIPP – Safe Kawerau Kids
Injury Prevention Project
•
Diabetes and continence nurses
•
Pacific Health
•
Before School nurse
•
Child car seats
•
Strengthening Families
•
Sign Language course
“If I don’t know the answer to a client’s question,
I find out – it helps that particular client, and after
I update my database I have another resource
option for the next person who needs it.”
Another key to success is the centre’s location
and ambiance. ‘We’re neutral ground for
government agencies,” Ru says. “It’s fair to say that
we’re well respected in the community – we have
a reputation for helping people and for offering
privacy and confidentiality.
“At the same time, we offer a warm, relaxed
atmosphere. We want people to feel welcomed
and to know straight off that we’re here to
help them.”
Ru Heather,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Kawerau.
“This is the place where service providers come together
to help people in our community.”
11
Murupara
Heartlands
“Heartlands allows you to do business with government
agencies face-to-face, which is what many local people
prefer. It also helps to build trust – I’ve been Murupara’s
IRD contact for five years, and people come to know
that any issues can be dealt with immediately.“
Edward Nathan,
Community relationships representative, Inland Revenue Department, Rotorua
Work and Income and Probation
Services are the only government
agencies that have permanent offices in
Murupara. But the door that opens onto
a broad range of government and nongovernment services is the front door of
the Heartland centre at 22 Pine Drive.
“I grew up here, and I know everyone and everyone
knows me. They know I’ll listen to them and they trust
that I’ll know who can help them out. And I do. That’s
my job, and I love it.”
“Having access to agencies like Inland Revenue,
Housing New Zealand, Maori
Land Court, community
law and budgeting services is a big plus for our small
community,” says Heartlands co-ordinator Anishia Reti.
Anishia recalls a woman who recently came in looking
for assistance with budgeting. “I got her an appointment
with Budgeting Services and after she came out of that
meeting I made a point of talking to her, asking how
things were going. And that just opened the door to
other issues that I was able to help her with.
“One factor is the convenience – these agencies
aren’t based in Murupara so if they didn’t come
here on a regular basis, people would have to find
their way to Rotorua. That’s an expensive trip if
you’re on a limited income or don’t have your own
transportation.
“And once you get to Rotorua, you’re faced with
walking into an office where people don’t know you.”
Being just another face isn’t an issue when you’re talking
to Anishia. “Our Heartlands is very community-focused.
People know we want to help them, and they trust us
to do just that.
12
Anishia says the key to helping someone is to listen
to what they have to say. “When they see that you’re
listening to them and that they can trust you, they start
to open up.”
“By the time she left the centre, she had appointments
with Housing New Zealand, Inland Revenue,
Strengthening Families and community law – and all of
the appointments were held in this building.
“I also put her in touch with a case worker at the
Work and Income office just down the street – we
have a good working relationship. With the client’s
permission, I gave the case worker some background
on the woman’s situation so that she wouldn’t have to
repeat her whole story.”
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Murupara Heartlands include:
•
Housing New Zealand
•
•
Inland Revenue Department
Te Puni Kokiri
•
Maori
Land Court
•
Budgeting Services
•
Strengthening Families
•
Rotorua Community Law Centre
•
Internal Affairs Department
•
Department of Labour
•
Accident Compensation Corporation
Anishia adds that there have been three constants
in Murupara during the recent economic downturn
– the church, the marae and the Heartland centre.
“This centre is an important community hub for
people here,” she says. “When they come through
the door, I can offer them access to a lot of
services that can make a difference in their lives.
“That’s what community is all about – helping each
other when someone needs a hand.”
Anishia Reti,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Murupara.
“Our Heartlands is very community-focused.
People know we want to help them, and they
trust us to do just that.”
13
Taumarunui
Heartlands
“Heartlands has been invaluable to the Maori
Land Court. It has allowed us to interface kanohi
ki te kanohi (face-to-face) with our people, and
Briar has been essential as a conduit into the
Taumarunui community.“
Adrian Poa,
- Land Court, Whanganui
Team member, Advisory Services, Maori
Taumarunui Heartlands co-ordinator
Briar van Buel believes face-to-face
contact with clients leads to better
outcomes for families.
“People are more honest and open when they’re
standing right in front of you,” she says. “When a client
tells me to my face that they will go and see a particular
service we’ve discussed, I know they will. Their face
doesn’t lie.”
Briar also likes to meet with service providers face to
face. “My approach is to get to know the front-line staff
because they’re the ones my clients will deal with. That
way, when I’m working with providers to identify the
most appropriate wrap-around services for a client, I’ll
know what they can do for that client. It also makes it
easier to identify if there any service gaps that need to
be filled.”
Co-located with the Taumarunui Work and Income
office, Briar is often either the first or final point of
contact for visitors to the Marae Street office. “The
Work and Income staff here know that I can connect
people to a variety of services, so they’ll point clients
my way. And we get a lot of people coming in for
14
StudyLink student allowances, so I often handle those
requests.”
Briar sees her role as helping to match people with
services that can help them. “Many people don’t know
what services are available or what process to follow. As
a result, they often have to repeat their story to every
agency they go to. That’s a frustrating experience.
“If I can be their go-between and help with a coordinated response, that’s a good feeling. People come
to the centre because they want to make a change. I’m
not solving their problems; I’m just helping them take
the next step.”
Briar is a familiar face at Taumarunui’s monthly
networking meeting of service providers. “Initially,
just health services attended, but now we get
representatives from a range of services. It’s a great
way to hear who’s doing what, discuss trends and see
who needs help with a case. It’s also an opportunity
for service providers to better understand each
other’s organisation and how they can work together.”
She adds that the meetings often attract 40 or more
organisations from throughout the Waikato region.
“Because of Briar’s extensive networks, I have been
able to establish and develop relationships with other
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Taumarunui Heartlands include:
•
Housing New Zealand
•
Trust Waikato
•
Inland Revenue Department
Maori
Land Court
•
Child,Youth and Family
•
•
Accident Compensation
Corporation
•
REAP (Community Law)
•
•
Taumarunui Community
Kokiri Trust
StudyLink
•
•
Seasons (Taumarunui District’s
children’s grief and loss
programme)
Thrive Group and Taumarunui
Garden
•
Vinnies Community Care Centre
•
Ministry of Justice
•
Department of Corrections
(Community Probation Services)
•
Work and Income
•
Department of Internal Affairs
•
•
Department of Building and
Housing
•
Public Trust
Te Puni Kokiri
•
Career Services
Maori
organisations in Taumarunui, for example Te Waka
Pu Whenua and Hinengakau Development Trust,” says
Adrian Poa, team member, Advisory Services, Maori
Land Court. “It has also provided the opportunity to
work with other agencies to deliver training to the
community.
“Our ancestress, Hinengakau, used the metaphor of a
taura whiri (woven rope of muka) that linked the people
of the river. In a very tangible and visible way, Briar
has been the taura whiri linking the various threads of
government agencies and community organisations with
the Taumarunui community.”
Briar van Buel,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Taumarunui.
“People come to the centre because they want to
make a change. I’m not solving their problems –
I’m just helping them take the next step.”
15
Waipukurau
Heartlands
“There’s a good network of services here, and
having direct access to that network helps us
address any difficulties or needs that clients
have before things get out of control for them.“
Anne Preston,
Probation officer, Department of Corrections
“Our Heartland’s centre is known as
the community’s one-stop, know-itall place, and we’re proud of that,”
says Waipukurau Heartlands coordinator Carol Osborne.
“We’re in business to know what’s going on in the
community,” adds Debbie Bellamy, who shares coordinator duties with Carol. “People say we’d be good
detectives because we ask so many questions.”
Despite their reputation, Carol and Debbie don’t claim
to have all the answers. “But if we don’t know,” Debbie
says, “we tell the client we’ll get back to them. And we
do – we don’t like to leave things unfinished.”
Carol and Debbie say the secret to their detective work
is the quarterly service providers’ networking meetings
that they host at the centre. “About 30 government
agencies and NGOs tend to be represented at our
meetings,” Carol says.
“We keep it informal, and everyone brings a plate. It’s
a great opportunity to put faces to organisations and
hear what everyone is up to. And if we hear about a
new service, we make a point of looking them up and
introducing ourselves.
16
“The networking meetings are also an excellent way
for new services to the area to spread the word about
what they offer, and for them to get to know our existing
services. A lot of strong working relationships come from
these meetings.”
Carol says another key to success is that the Heartland
centre is seen as part of the community. “People don’t
see our centre as a government office, even though
this is where people can come to meet with or access
government services.”
“People see us as one door to a number of services.They
love the fact that we can give them face-to-face contact
with government services that they would otherwise have
to travel as far as Napier to see. And they know we’re good
at connecting people to the services that can help them.”
The Department of Corrections’ Community Probation
Services is one of many agencies that use the centre’s
rooms to meet with clients.
“Heartland’s benefits us and it definitely benefits our
clients and their families,” says probation officer Anne
Preston. “There’s a good network of services here, and
having direct access to that network helps us address any
difficulties or needs our clients have before things get out
of control for them.
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Waipukurau Heartlands include:
•
CHB Support and Counselling
Services
•
Department of Corrections
(Community Probation Service)
•
Community Law Centre
•
Food Bank
•
Inland Revenue Department
Maori
Land Court
•
•
CHB Playcentre Association
•
•
Learning Innovations (numeracy
and literacy tutoring)
Department of Building and
Housing –Tenancy Services
•
ACC – Workbridge, Accomplish
•
Problem Gambling Services
•
•
At Work Solutions
Department of Internal Affairs –
Passports, Immigration
•
Epilepsy NZ
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
Wellstop
•
DOVE Hawkes Bay
•
Strengthening Families
“Whether the need is for Work and Income,
a literacy tutor or a food parcel, Carol and
Debbie know which service provider can
assist with any situation. It makes it easier
to provide wrap-around services for clients
when that kind of co-ordination and
community knowledge is present”, says Anne.
Debbie Bellamy and Carol Osborne,
co-ordinators, Heartland centre, Waipukurau
“People see us as one door to a number of
services. They love the fact that we can give
them face-to-face contact with government
services that they would otherwise have to
travel as far as Napier to see. ”
17
Tararua
Heartlands
“There’s no stigma attached when you walk into
a Heartland Centre.You could be here for any
number of reasons. That’s important, especially
in smaller communities.“
Ann Creek,
Behaviour support specialist, Tautoko Services, Wairarapa
The elderly, hard-of-hearing woman
who has become a regular visitor
to the Tararua Heartland centre in
Pahiatua is an example of why people
gravitate to Heartlands when they
need assistance.
“She’s like many of our clients, in that she has a lot
of pride and she doesn’t like being seen as helpless,”
says Heartlands co-ordinator Talitha Vandenberg.
“But every so often she needs a helping hand.
She’s come to trust that I will help her without
patronising her.”
On the first visit about three years ago, Talitha recalls,
the woman was encountering roadblocks in getting
her first hearing aid. “She clearly had a hearing
impediment, and therefore couldn’t communicate very
well. She felt that no one had any time for her.
so we text back and forth. It’s our version of face-toface communication.”
Talitha knows that without the Heartland centre,
many people in the area would struggle to access the
services they need. “This is a low socio-economic
area, so getting to the bigger centres like Dannevirke
and Palmerston North is definitely a barrier for some
people.
“Heartlands gives people local access to these services.”
The service providers themselves use the centre for
monthly networking meetings. “I meet a lot of people
from different organisations here,” says Ann Creek,
behaviour support specialist with Tautoko Services.
“Being able to physically meet other agencies helps
build stronger relationships. We end up using each
other’s knowledge to help our own clients.”
“I got her to write down her questions, and I would
write my responses. That’s how we ‘talked’. Once I
understood her situation, I was able to help get her
hearing aid sorted.
Talitha echoes that sentiment. “I think we all look
forward to the meetings. They’re an opportunity
to catch up, trade stories and see how we can help
each other. And it’s a place where new agencies
can introduce themselves and get plugged into our
network.”
“Ever since, I’ve been her go-between for whatever
agency she needs to deal with. She has a mobile now,
Being aware of the available services and their capacity
for new clients helps Talitha connect the dots for
18
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Tararua Heartlands include:
•
Work and Income
•
Maori
Land Court
•
Tautoko Services
•
Child,Youth and Family
•
•
Red Cross First Aid
•
Rangitane O Tamaki Nui Rua
•
Ministry of Justice
Te Puni Kokiri
•
TIPS parenting courses
•
Housing New Zealand
•
•
Diabetes education courses
•
Wairarapa Law Centre
Department of Building and
Housing (Tenancy Services)
•
Sign language classes
•
Department of Internal Affairs
•
Wairarapa REAP
•
Electoral Commission
•
Strengthening Families
•
•
Te Kotuku Co Ltd
•
Inland Revenue Department
Department of Corrections
(Community Probation
Services)
people. “Knowing who can help in a particular situation
is all part of enabling clients to see what’s possible to
get them to the next step.”
Talitha sees a lot of clients who come to see Work and
Income, which meets clients at the centre three days
a week. “We have a good working relationship, and the
Work and Income staff often point their clients in my
direction so that I can connect them to other services
that can help them out.
“If I can connect them with the right services, I won’t
see them again, which tells me they’ve taken the next
positive step.”
And Talitha looks forward to repeat visits from one
particular client her hard of hearing friend. “Sometimes
she just drops by to say hi or for help topping up her
mobile.”
Talitha Vandenberg,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Tararua
“Being able to physically meet other agencies helps
build stronger relationships. We end up using each
other’s knowledge to help our own clients.”
19
Aranui
Heartlands
“We benefit from the trust that the community
already has for Heartlands. We also benefit from
being connected to so many organisations that
Heartlands has relationships with.“
Sera Thompson,
Support worker, Aranui Pacific Hub
Well before the September 2010
Christchurch earthquake, the city’s civil
defence department conducted a survey
to identify emergency co-ordination
points in the event of a disaster.
In Aranui, that co-ordination point was the Heartland
centre on Hampshire Street.
And when disaster did strike, Aranui Heartlands was
quick to respond. “The immediate need was distributing
food and water, so that was our focus for the first seven
days,” says Heartlands co-ordinator Rachael Fonotia.
“We were distributing food and basic supplies to
hundreds of people every day.
Once that part of the response shifted to other
distribution points, Rachael says the centre turned
its attention to meeting the broader needs of the
community. “It was important to bring our service
providers together in a co-ordinated way so that
we weren’t duplicating each other or missing key
community needs.”
Prior to September 2010, eight people worked at the
Aranui Community Trust, where the Heartland centre
is co-located. “We have 18 working here now, including
20
three people who do earthquake recovery support
work full-time. We also have a Pacific Hub based here to
assist our Pacific Island community.”
A key-post earthquake action was what Rachael calls
‘the Listening Project’. “We knocked on every door in
our community. That’s 2,800 doors. It wasn’t about just
seeing if anyone was there. We listened to what people
told us and we asked them what they needed.
“It took us nine weeks to knock on every door. But it was
worth it. It gave us a very good picture of what people
needed, and that has helped shape our response activities.”
With a co-ordinated community response, Rachael says,
needs could be met quickly. “We had one client who
was referred by his minister. Sewerage was leaking into
the man’s yard, making his house uninhabitable. Because
we have New Zealand Housing and the earthquake
response people on-site here, we were able to quickly
relocate him to a healthy home. It’s an example of what
can be achieved when agencies work together.”
The Listening Project reflects how Heartlands relates
to the Aranui community. “We don’t just wait for people
to come to us,” Rachael says. “Our approach is to be
out there in our community.” Examples of this approach
include a mobile health van that visits primary schools, and
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Aranui Heartlands include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Supergrans Budgeting Service
Christchurch City Council
Community Development advisor
Work and Income
Housing New Zealand
Earthquake Support coordinators
Community Education Services
Aranui Neighbourhood nurse
and range of health services
New Zealand Police
(Aranui Community Constable)
Tangata Ata Motu
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Partnership Help
NZ Police Pacific Liaison
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
Vaka Tautua
Department of Labour
Community Law Canterbury
Department of Building and
Housing
Child,Youth and Family
(Youth Justice)
Family Support worker
Foot care specialist
•
•
Inland Revenue Department
Maori
Land Court
•
Otautahi Women’s Refuge
•
Pacific Trust Canterbury
•
Te Puawaitange ki Otautahi Trust
•
Immigration Services (DIA)
•
CPIT – tertiary education provider
•
Pacific Hub
•
Pacific Island Evaluation
•
Career Services
•
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
supporting the ‘get football back on the park’ initiative that
provides low-cost sports programmes for juniors.
Sera Thompson, a support worker with the Aranui
Pacific Hub, says being co-located with Heartlands has
many advantages. “We benefit from the trust that the
community already has for Heartlands. We also benefit
from being connected to so many organisations that
Heartlands has relationships with.
“This is the central place for the community; it’s the heart
of the community. T
his is where people come for assistance
and where organisations come to offer assistance.
“There’s a strong spirit of co-operation in this building.
We don’t want anyone to fall through the cracks.”
Rachel Fonotia,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Aranui
“It took us nine weeks to knock on every door.
But it was worth it. It gave us a very good picture
of what people needed, and that has helped shape
our response activities.”
21
Hornby
Heartlands
“To achieve better outcomes for our clients, we
need to partner with other service providers
who offer services we can’t. That’s how we
strengthen our communities.“
Michael Corson,
Service centre manager, Work and Income, Hornby
In the immediate aftermath of the
February 2011 Christchurch earthquake,
Hornby Heartlands co-ordinator June
Foster-Campbell had one thought in
mind – getting her government agencies
back in front of the community.
“Our building was okay, we were open for business, but
understandably a lot of agencies based in other parts
of the city had to take care of their own people before
they could resume their Heartlands visits.
“In the days after the earthquake, I talked to all 23 agencies
and community services that use our centre to meet their
clients.The first thing I asked was if they were okay and if
they were open for business. If they were, I asked when
they could get back to our Heartland centre.”
Most of the agencies were keen to resume – and even
increase – their Heartlands visits as soon as possible.
“They already knew we were the hub for the Hornby
community, and most of them were participating here
pre-earthquake,” June says. “But now they saw us as
essential to being able to meet with their clients face
to face. We offered them an alternative way of doing
business post-earthquake.”
22
Michael Corson, service centre manager for Hornby
Work and Income office, which is co-located with the
Heartlands centre, says Heartlands offers a unique
opportunity for government agencies. “Heartland
centres, whether co-located or stand-alone, are run by
and for the community,” he says.
“The Hornby community supports this Heartland
centre because there’s demand for the services it gives
people access to, and because it delivers the services
the community says it needs.”
For a government agency such as Work and Income,
Michael says, the benefits of having a Heartland centre
close at hand are immediate. “To achieve better
outcomes for our clients, we need to partner with
other service providers who offer services we can’t.
That’s how we strengthen our communities.
“Being co-located allows you to strike while the iron is
hot, so that you’re responding to the whole person, not
just one particular need. Heartlands is an opportunity
for individual services to work together and provide
wraparound services for people.”
The reputation of Hornby Heartlands extends well
beyond its community borders. “A few years ago, we
had a woman from Gisborne show up on our doorstep
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Hornby Heartlands include:
•
Age Concern
•
•
Smoke Free, Cancer Society
•
Child,Youth and Family
(Youth Justice)
Employment Plus
(ACC referrals)
•
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
Strengthening Families
Maori
Land Court
•
Community Law Canterbury
•
Integrated Family co-ordinator
•
Workbridge
•
CPIT – tertiary education
provider
•
Justice of the Peace
•
•
Work and Income
Kingdom resources
(budgeting)
•
Human Rights Commission
•
Family Planning Clinic
•
Salvation Army
•
Life, Unlimited – hearing clinic
•
Green Prescription Clinic
•
Careers New Zealand
•
New Zealand Super, Senior
Services, MSD
•
Partnership Health community
worker
•
Hornby Presbytarian
Counselling
•
Housing New Zealand
•
Otauhi Social Services
•
Employment Advocacy
with her three young children,” June recalls. “She had
just left an abusive relationship and they were sleeping
in their car as they headed for Christchurch, where the
woman had a friend.
“Someone in Gisborne had told her, ‘When you get to
Christchurch, go to the Heartland Centre. They’ll help
you.’ And we did. I was able to arrange shelter and
food for the family, Work and Income got her benefits
transferred here and we lined her up with other
services that could help her make a new start. It was a
great team effort and a good outcome for the family.”
Jane Foster-Campbell,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Hornby
“Being co-located allows you to strike while the iron
is hot so that you’re responding to the whole person,
not just one particular need.”
23
Akaroa
Heartlands
“Our Heartlands Centre is front and centre in
engaging our young people. I would call it an
essential service – it helps keep the fabric of the
community together.“
Sue Grimwood,
Community development adviser, Christchurch City Council
The picturesque Banks Peninsula
community of Akaroa was spared the
brunt of the earthquakes that struck
the Christchurch region in 2010 and
2011. But it played a significant role
in assisting families affected by those
earthquakes.
“I’m very proud of the way our community pitched in,
specially after the initial September 2010 earthquake,”
says Heartlands co-ordinator Kerry Little. “Akaroa
suffered some physical damage, but nothing on the scale
of Christchurch.”
In the days and weeks following the September
2010 earthquake, Akaroa Heartlands became the
primary response centre for families arriving from the
Christchurch area.
accommodation, and then matched that up with people
who needed a place to stay. During our first two days,
about 50 people came to us for assistance. By the
second week, we had more than 120 requests for
accommodation and food packages.
“We had a lot of lists on the go, and a lot of volunteers
who kept everything moving. The response from the
community was incredible. It was a very busy time, but
no one complained.”
Sue Grimwood, Akaroa-based community development
adviser with Christchurch City Council, is not surprised
that the Heartland centre was front and centre for the
earthquake response. “It’s our community hub. This is
where people come when they need assistance.”
“Our first step was to bring our service providers
network together, so we could co-ordinate a response
that met the needs of these families,” Kerry says.
The centre has taken a particular interest in engaging
the community’s young people, Kerry says. “We have
social and employment programmes aimed specifically
at our young people. And we make sure the youth
voice is heard at our community forums. Their input is
important.”
The initial priorities were for food and accommodation.
“We got the word out that Heartlands was the
distribution point for food and blankets. We also
put out an appeal for anyone who could provide
Kerry says local businesses contribute by hiring local
young people during the busy tourist season. “Having
a job can help turn things around for a young person.
We have one employer who has stuck with a young
24
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Akaroa Heartlands include:
•
Accident Compensation
Corporation
•
Community and Public Health
•
Strengthening Families
•
Department of Labour
•
Youth Affairs
•
Driver licensing
•
Department of Internal Affairs
•
Women’s Refuge
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
Family Support Services
•
Work and Income
•
•
Budgeting Services
Department of Corrections
(Community Probation Services)
•
Child,Youth and Family
person who had once offended. And that support and
commitment has paid off – the young person hasn’t reoffended.”
In fact, says Sue Grimwood, Akaroa’s youth offending
rate has been zero for a few years, which is a claim few
other communities can make.
“The Akaroa community is committed to its youth, and
our Heartland centre is very active in engaging our
young people. I would call it an essential service – it
helps keep the fabric of the community together.”
Kerry Little,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Akaroa
“We had a lot of lists on the go, and a lot of volunteers
who kept everything moving. The response from the
community was incredible. It was a very busy time,
but no one complained.”
25
Wanaka
Heartlands
“We have had people come to the Heartland
Centre who never imagined they would need
help making ends meet.“
Kate Murray,
Manager, Community Networks Wanaka
New Zealand’s newest Heartlands
Centre is an example of responding
to a community’s needs.
Until early 2011, Wanaka Heartlands was an outreach
centre of the Heartland centre in Queenstown.
Heartland Outreach centres, which are usually found
in very small and remote centres, aren’t staffed on a
full-time basis and are mostly limited to government
brochures and forms.
That changed when the Queenstown Work and
Income office – which had been co-located with the
Queenstown Heartland centre – was converted to a
Community Link and, as a result, became the primary
point of contact for a broader number of government
services.
At the same time, the growing Wanaka population
wanted more face-to-face access to government
services in their own community.
To help address that need, Heartlands made a full-time
commitment to Wanaka. And it hasn’t regretted the move.
“We have a very good working relationship with
the Community Link in Queenstown,” says Wanaka
Heartlands co-ordinator Barbara Jungen. “And it’s a
26
great example of how a Heartlands and a Work and
Income office can complement each other.
“Wanaka residents still need to go to Queenstown
when first signing up for a benefit, for example, as that
has to be done in person. But they can come to our
Heartland centre to renew their benefit, as that can be
done by fax.
“Not having to make the trip to Queenstown
every time you need to renew a benefit is a major
convenience for people.
“That’s the role of a Heartland centre – making it easier
for people to access government agencies that aren’t
based in your community.”
Wanaka Heartlands, which is co-located with
Community Networks Wanaka, is still growing its list of
government agencies that use the centre to meet with
clients. “We’ve got a few agencies that visit regularly,”
Barbara says, “but I want that list to get much longer.
We’ve got the space, and the demand is certainly here.”
Being able to deal with a person face-to-face is the key,
Barbara says. “We have lots of forms, and they serve a
purpose, but having the opportunity to sit down with
the person is how we get to the root issues, and that’s
how we help them navigate the services processes.”
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Wanaka Heartlands include:
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
School Holiday Programme
•
Public health nurse
•
Community Law Centre
•
Budget advice
•
Justice of the Peace
•
Strengthening Families
•
•
Food Bank
•
Department of Corrections
(Community Probation Services)
Department of Internal Affairs –
Immigration
•
Central Volunteering
•
Wheels to Dunstan
•
Work and Income
•
Meals on Wheels
•
Community social worker
•
Total Mobility Agency
Barbara recalls a woman who recently came to the
centre to request a food parcel. “I told her we could
help her with that. But I didn’t want her to just go away
with a food parcel. By talking with her I was able to find
out more about her situation and then connect her to
services that can help her to break the cycle that got
her to the point of needing a food parcel.
“We know what services are out there and we’re pretty
good at connecting people with the service that can
help them.”
Barbara Jungen,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Wanaka
“That’s the role of a Heartland centre – making it
easier for people to access government agencies that
aren’t based in your community.”
27
Balcultha
Heartlands
“People appreciate the face-to-face contact.We have
a telephone service to the area, but it’s really good
to meet with people.You can review documents
on the spot, and you make a connection and gather
information that is not possible over the phone.“
Meghan Zetko,
Barrister and solicitor, Dunedin Community Law Centre, Dunedin
The Balcultha Heartland Centre
prides itself on its face-to-face
service. “We’re the go-between for
government agencies and organisations
that don’t have a permanent
presence here,” says Heartlands coordinator Jackie Holgate. “We give
these agencies a human face in our
community.”
“Even when the request is for something as
straightforward as a form, although most government
forms are available online these days, if you don’t use
that particular form frequently or if you’re not very
computer literate, what you really need is someone
who can ensure you’re using the right form.
“Downloading a form sounds simple, but it can be quite
frustrating to find out days or weeks later that you sent
in the wrong form or didn’t fill it out properly.
“It only takes a few minutes for me to determine
what’s required, and I make sure they know what steps
to follow. It gives people a positive experience when
dealing with a government agency.”
28
Enterprise Clutha’ Development House, where the
Heartlands centre is co-located, is a busy place. More than
20 community groups and government agencies book out
its rooms for client visits and meetings every month.
“We have a steady stream of scheduled client meetings, but
we also have a lot of walk-ins,” Jackie says. “People often
come in looking for a particular thing, and once they hear
what else is available the common reaction is ‘I didn’t know
you could get that here’.”
Because Balcultha is in a major farming district that depends
on transient farmers, Heartlands has become an important
one-stop shop for farming families new to the area.
“We must be doing something right as a lot of people come
to us because someone they know has been in,” Jackie says.
“But we also have a strong network of service providers in
our community, and they know we’re good at connecting
people to the services they need.
“Not surprising given the mobile farming population,
there is a growing demand for assistance with
employment-related, tenancy and housing issues. Being
able to access New Zealand Housing, Tenancy Services
and the Dunedin Community Law Centre here has been
very popular with people. In many cases, the alternative is
a long drive to Dunedin.”
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Balcultha Heartlands include:
•
Dunedin Community Law Centre
•
Community Development
•
Career advice
•
Department of Building and
Housing
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
•
Housing New Zealand
•
Business Support and
Development
Not for Profit training
workshops
•
•
Department of Labour
•
Youth development programmes
Free room and equipment for
not-for-profit organisations
•
NZ Immigration Service
•
•
Department of Internal Affairs
Mentoring for Young Enterprise
Scheme Students
•
Accident Compensation
Corporation
•
4 Trades Apprenticeship
Programme
To keep abreast of available services and the needs of
the community, Development House hosts a service
providers’ forum every six weeks.
“It’s an opportunity to share information, identify gaps
and capacity,” says Linda Moore, executive officer
of Enterprise Clutha. “And if we see a demand for a
service that’s not available here, we work together to
find a way to fill that gap.
“We’re a proactive network – we don’t wait for services
to find us. For example, the lack of a drug and alcohol
counselling service for young people was raised at
one forum meeting. So we looked at what was needed
and then found a service that was willing to come to
Balcultha on a regular basis.”
Jackie Holgate,
Heartland centre co-ordinator, Balclutha
“We must be doing something right as a lot of
people come to us because someone they
know has been in.”
29
Gore
Heartlands
“The Heartland Centre is a convenience to us and
to our clients. It’s like having a permanent office
here, and it means our Gore area clients don’t have
to travel to Invercargill when applying for housing.“
Lesley Savory,
Housing Manager, Housing New Zealand, Invercargill
The first of June isn’t a good day to
be on the road in Southland. Unless
you’re a cow.
Known as Gypsy Day, this day is when hundreds of
Southland dairy farms change ownership and herds of
cattle hit the road, heading for greener pastures.
But animals aren’t the only ones on the move that day
– for every herd of cattle there are farm owners and
workers relocating themselves and their families.
“The impact on schools and social and recreational
services can be quite significant,” says Gore Heartlands
co-ordinator Robyn Morris, who shares the position
with Linda Hall. “It’s not uncommon for families to end
up in a community to which they have no connection, so
they come to us for help finding the services they need.”
Linda says the most frequent questions for these
newcomers are about employment contracts and
tenancy agreements, and Inland Revenue forms. “It often
starts with a basic request – for example, a form – but
once you start talking with them and they realise the
number of services we have access to, then their list of
needs suddenly gets longer. They just start trusting that
you can point them in the right direction.”
30
Linda adds that the centre is also seeing an increase in
the number of foreign farm workers to the area. “We
work closely with Gore’s Newcomers’ Network, which
has just moved into our building – this makes it easier
to provide wrap-around services for these workers and
their families.”
Gore Heartlands shares space in the Community
Connections Centre, which is also home to
Strengthening Families, Relationship Services, Southern
Adult Literacy, and various youth-focused services.
The Heartland centre hosts monthly service provider
networking meetings as well as community meetings on
such subjects as parenting and suicide support. “There’s
a strong community spirit in this centre,” Robyn says.
“The organisations that are based here and those that
use our facilities to meet with their clients work well
together. There’s a lot of collaboration. There’s also a
sense of privacy – when people pull into our parking
lot they could be here for any number of reasons. That
anonymity is appreciated.”
More than a dozen government agencies and
community groups use the centre for client meetings,
Linda says. “For them, it’s a neutral place to meet
privately with their clients. It makes their jobs that much
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
Services people can access through Gore Heartlands include:
•
Accident Compensation
Corporation
•
Southland Community
Law Centre
•
Housing New Zealand
•
Gore and Districts
Youth Worker Trust
•
Strengthening Families
•
Inland Revenue Department
•
Adventure Development
•
Relationship Services
•
Nga Kete
•
Timebank
•
Migrant Services co-ordinator
•
Southern Adult Literacy
•
Pact Southland
•
Southern Directionz
•
Active Rehab
easier. And I know their clients appreciate the face-toface contact. They like coming here.”
For staff at Accident Compensation Corporation’s
Invercargill branch, Gore Heartlands is like a second
office. “Robyn and Linda make us feel very welcome,”
says Invercargill-based ACC case manager Lee Greig.
“Meeting clients here not only makes it easier for our
clients in terms of travel, but it also allows us to more
easily co-ordinate with other agencies when the need
arises.”
Rpbyn Morris and Linda Hall,
Heartland centre co-ordinators, Gore
“It’s not uncommon for families to end up in a
community to which they have no connection,
so they come to us for help finding the services
they need.”
31
HEARTLAND SERVICES CENTRES
Contact Details as of 1 November 2011 for updated details please visit www.heartlandservices.govt.nz
NORTH ISLAND
Location
Phone, FAX & Email
Address
Hours Open
Kaitaia
Ph: 09 901 0425
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
34-36 Commerce Street
KAITAIA 0410
Mon,Tues,Thurs, Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Wed 9:30am – 5:00pm
Kerikeri
Ph: 09 901 7033
[email protected]
Work and Income, Upper Level
Keri Centre
Fairway Drive
KERIKERI 0230
Mon,Tues,Thurs, Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Wed 9:30am – 5:00pm
Kaikohe
Ph: 09 901 7202 Fax: 09 405 2605
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
Memorial Avenue
KAIKOHE 0405
Mon,Tues,Thurs, Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Wed only 9:30am – 5:00pm
Whangarei
The Pulse
Ph: 09 438 0004 Fax: 09 438 0004
[email protected]
55 Raumanga Valley Rd
Raumanga
WHANGAREI 0110
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm
Dargaville
Ph: 09 901 5310 Fax: 09 439 5942
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
68-72 Normanby Street
DARGAVILLE 0310
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2:30pm
Coromandel
Ph: 07 866 8358 Fax: 07 866 8358
[email protected]
Coromandel Independent Living Trust
Tiki House, 45 Tiki Rd
COROMANDEL 3506
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 3:00pm
Helensville
Te Awaroa
Ph: 09 420 9761 Fax: 09 420 9317
[email protected]
102 Commercial Road
HELENSVILLE 0800
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2pm
Pukekohe
Ph: 09 238 6233 Fax: 09 238 3891
[email protected]
Franklin Family Support Services Building
2 King Street
PUKEKOHE 2120
Mon – Fri 9am – 4pm
Opotiki
Ph: 07 315 5790 Fax: 07 315 5790
[email protected]
93A Church Street
OPOTIKI 3122
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2:00pm
Ruatoria
Ph: 06 986 9615
[email protected]
Hearing Centre, Hekiera Road
RUATORIA 4032
Mon - Fri 10:00am - 2:00pm
By appointment only
Kawerau
Ph: 07 323 8608 Fax: 07 323 8607
[email protected]
Heartland centre
60 Onslow Street
KAWERAU 3127
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm
Murupara
Mobile: 021 186 1143
Ph: 07 366 5230 Fax: 07 366 5230
[email protected]
Heartland centre
22 Pine Drive
Civic Square
MURUPARA 3025
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 3:00pm
Taupo
Ph: 07 906 6024 Fax: 07 376 5613
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices, 2nd Floor
77 Heuheu Street
TAUPO 3330
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2:00pm
Turangi
Ph: 07 906 6065 Fax: 07 386 0218
[email protected]
Turangi Community Link,
Ohuanga Road, Town Centre
TURANGI 3334
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2:00pm
Taumarunui
Ph: 07 904 5267 Fax: 07 895 6584
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices,
Meredith House
Marae Street
TAUMARUNUI 3920
Mon – Fri 10:00am-2:00pm
Wairoa
Ph: 06 904 0494 Fax: 06 838 3094
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
236 Marine Pde
WAIROA 4108
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Taihape
Ph: 06 901 0109 Fax: 06 388 0304
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
32 Tui St
TAIHAPE 4720
Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Wed 9:30am – 5:00pm
Hawera
Ph: 06 902 2810 Fax: 06 278 3309
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
15 Union Street
HAWERA 4610
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 1:00pm
Waipukurau
Ph: 06 858 5452 Fax: 06 858 9994
[email protected]
Heartland Services
125 Ruataniwha Street
WAIPUKURAU 4200
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 4:00pm
Tararua
Ph: 06 376 7541 Fax: 06 376 6916
[email protected]
102 Main Street,
PAHIATUA 4910
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2:00pm
32
Heartland Services – Stories from the heart of our communities
SOUTH ISLAND
Location
Phone, FAX & Email
Address
Hours Open
Takaka
Ph: 03 525 6151 Fax: 03 525 9322
[email protected]
Heartland Services Golden Bay
65B Commercial Street
TAKAKA 7110
Mon – Thurs 9:00am – 4:00pm
Fri 9:00am – 3:00pm
Westport
Ph: 03 789 9013
[email protected]
District Court Building
11 Wakefield St
WESTPORT 7825
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 12:30pm and
1:30pm – 4:00pm by appointment.
Hokitika
Ph: 03 906 6653 Fax: 03 755 8065
[email protected]
Heartland centre
49 Tancred St
HOKITIKA 7810 c/- Work & Income
Mon – Fri 10am – 2pm.
Kaikoura
Ph: 03 909 9292 Fax: 03 319 5547
[email protected]
Te Whare Putea Heartland Services
Community Resource Centre
3/78 Beach Road
KAIKOURA 7300
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 4:00pm
Chatham
Islands
Ph: 03 305 0146 Fax: 03 305 0146
[email protected]
Chatham Islands Council,
Tuku Road
Waitangi
CHATHAM ISLANDS 8942
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 3:00pm
Aranui
Ph: 03 963 7072
[email protected]
Heartlands centre
37-45 Hampshire St
Aranui
CHRISTCHURCH 8061
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 4:00pm
Hornby
Ph: 03 961 9248 Fax: 03 964 6176
Mobile: (029) 2006 298
[email protected]
Heartland centre
c/- Work and Income
25 Shands Road
Hornby
CHRISTCHURCH 8042
Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Wed 9:30am – 5:00pm
Akaroa
Ph: 03 304 8659 Fax: 03 304 8659
[email protected]
Heartland centre
39 Rue Lavaud
AKAROA 7520
Mon – Thurs 10:00am – 4:00pm
Senior net Friday
Green Prescription Friday
Fairlie
Ph: 03 685 8496 Fax: 03 685 8449
[email protected]
Fairlie Resource Centre
67 Main Street
FAIRLIE 7925
Apr to Sep: Mon – Fri 10:00am – 4:00pm
Oct to Mar: Mon – Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
Twizel
Ph: 03 435 0687 Fax: 03 435 0617
[email protected]
Twizel Community Care Centre
Mount Cook Street
TWIZEL 7901
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 2:00pm
Waimate
Ph: 03 689 6226 Fax: 03 689 6226
[email protected]
Old Post Office Building
The Resource Centre
75 Queen Street
WAIMATE 7924
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm
Oamaru
Ph: 03 904 2988 Fax: 03 434 2009
[email protected]
Work & Income Offices
23 Coquet St
OAMARU 9400
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 2:00pm
Te Anau
Ph: 03 249 7754 Fax: 03 249 7754
[email protected]
Fiordland Community House
Heartland Services
21 Luxmore Dr
TE ANAU 9600
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 4:00pm
Wanaka
Ph: 03 443 7799 Fax: 03 443 7803
[email protected]
Heartlands Wanaka Service Centre
73 Brownston St
WANAKA 9305
Balclutha
Ph: 03 418 4048 Fax: 03 418 1399
[email protected]
Enterprise Clutha Trust
Development House
6 John St
BALCLUTHA 9230
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Gore
Ph: 03 208 9633 Fax: 03 208 8480
[email protected]
Community Connections Centre
1 Charlton Lane
GORE 9710
Mon – Fri 10:00am – 4:00pm
33
www.heartlandservices.govt.nz
34
2012