Social Work With Maori Clients in New Zealand

Task 1 : Explain how Te Tiriti O Waitangi applies in the social services, you must include an overall explanation as well as giving at least three(3) specific examples of how Te Tiriti impacts in the area of assisting people to resettle in the community following residential care.

One of the important concepts to emerge is that Te Tiriti O Waitangi is a living document this means that it was never meant to freeze iwi and their aspirations at the time of signing, but was intended to continue to protect their interest and status as tangata whenua into the future. Another important concept is that Te Tiriti applies not just to Maori and the crown but to all new Zealanders, guaranteeing us all the right to live here peacefully as actives and develop New Zealand together.

The Treaty ensured that Maori, would be given full authority status and prestige with regard to their possessions and interest, the treaty also states that their possessions would be protected, and also the ‘’Mana’’ to control them in accordance with their own customs and having regard to their own cultural preferences.

The treaty established a partnership, and the treaty partners are under a duty to act reasonably and in good faith with one another, the needs of both cultures must be respected, and compromises may be needed in some cases.

Te Tiriti O Waitangi applies in social services by ensuring that all social services have a bi – cultural perspectives e.g. physical environment, protocols and practises.

Partnership

• applies in social services by respecting Maori traditional spiritual rites, it describes a relationship between two parties, the concept of partnership applies to all Maori, and it describes the way in which Maori can relate to each other. Partnership means enabling the Maori voice to be heard and Maori perspective to influence the type of health services delivered to Maori people and the way in which they are delivered. It also ensures that social services have a bi – cultural perspective.
• Consultation with Maori leadership and management when organisational policies are being discussed in order to ensure Maori have rangatiratanga rights over taonga,they have equity rights’, to full participation in decision making ,treaty follows that Maori should expect to achieve this outcomes and participate in society .
• In good faith between two sides (Maori and Crown) social services organisations ensure needs of Maori are pritorised when engaging with Maori or when creating policy that could affect Maori.

Protection

• Is also an other principles which can apply in social services .For Maori, a secure cultural identity depends on access to the cultural social and economic resource of tea o Maori (the Maori world),especially te reo /tikanga the Maori language ,whanau, their lands and natural resources.
• Protection of Maori identity is likely to be positively correlated with good health, better educational outcomes ,and greater employment we have to ensure that our work practises and environment are culturally appropriate and comfortable for Maori ,and that Maori have opportunities to pursue their employment aspirations and interest, Maoris to have protected rights to make choices that best serve their culture, that line with tika and kawa,their traditions and customary practises, work in environments that feel safe and nurturing.
• Maori should be allowed to exercise their Tino Rangatiratanga overall of their taonga and benefit from these taonga, social service worker must respect the right of Maori where Maori can enjoy their taonga in social service settings.

Participation

• Maintaining active lines of communication amongst there people family, participating in the karakia, koranga, kai, Whanau-Hui.
• Embracing the four corner stones of health i.e. Te Taha Wairua (spiritual) Te Taha Hinegaro (Mental) Te Taha Tinana (Physical) Te Taha Whanau (the family).
• Providing freedom for Maori to speak Te-Reo and to participate in any Maori spiritual or cultural practises.

Permission

• Consultations of all levels with MÄori perspectives, allowing them to speak in their own language Te reo/Tikanga, involve them with kaumatua’s, families support.
• Let them participate in any MÄori spiritual or cultural practises, also involvement of MÄori models of health i.e. Te Whare Tapa Wha to be applied rather than western models when working with MÄori.

• Services accessibility for the Maori should be permitted. While engaging with Maori clients we can involve a translator who can translate Te reo with Maori clients, allowing them to practise their own culture.

Task 5 Application of social service theory

Explain how your actions throughout the process of assisting people to resettle in the community following residential care were guided and supported by valid theory for social service practise. Include examples.

As a social worker you have to apply all four principles of Treaty O Waitangi. The four principles are Partnership, participation, protection, and permission

• A social worker should ensure that the needs of Maori client are taken into account when interacting with Maori or when creating policy that could affect Maori consultation or having Maori representative on the steering committee or their board while creating organisation policies and procedures to ensure that they allow Maori to rangatiratanga over their Taonga.
• Social workers must consider cultural values, principles or beliefs under the guidance of Te Tiriti O Waitangi for Maori.
• Working together with whanau Hui, involve families for support, allowing client to do her karakia, mirimiri, and involve the client in Maori culture.
• A social worker we should always provide safety and confidentiality for the client, respecting clients dignity and integrity, values and beliefs, social worker should build a trust with understanding each other and should have a holistic approach at all times.

Te Reo/Tikanga and Development of Iwi and Maori

• Social workers should provide appropriate cultural supervision ,allowing the client to involve in their maoridom ,events like karakia, mirimiri, Maori community, peer group members, providing clients right to speak their language (Te Reo) involving whanau-hui,engaging the client into marae activities, providing the safety and reassuring the client that he or she is the part of facility.
• Social worker need to provide appropriate cultural supervision and training so all social workers provide culturally appropriate and safe practise when working with Maori, they should have integrated approach towards Maori wellbeing models and traditional knowledge within the framework of engagement.

Social work ethics

• Social worker should be professional ,always provide clear information’s to the clients and following the ANZASW code of ethics ,promoting the clients wellbeing, involving the whanau, and always maintaining their professional boundaries ,showing respect and all relevant information’s should be kept confidential and provide safety to the client.

Maori models of Practise

Maori models of practise should have a holistic approach, we as social worker have to develop good relationship, understanding health, and wellness of whakapapa, have to understand the Maori models of health, e.g Te WhareTapa Wha-four corner stones of Maori health.

Taha Tinana (physical health) provides safe environment, basic needs and inclusiveness. However for Maori physical well-being is intertwined with spiritual, emotional and family well-being.an example of the connection between Te taha wairua and Te taha Tinana is how for Maori the body and things associated with it are tapu. The concept of tapu (meaning sacred) was the basis of law and order and health in traditional Maori society.

Taha Hinegaro-(mental health) provide education ,brochures in Maori language about the sickness, if possible translate, involve Kaumatua,whanau,friends for support. We need to consider the bigger picture retains the essence of the individual while addressing the needs of the whole, Maori think can be described as being holistic, healthy thinking for many Maori is about relationships, communication through emotions is important and more meaningful than the exchange of words and is valued just as much.

• We need to consider Te Taha hinegaro, be aware of the different cultural values and beliefs around health and the individual and whanau.
• Being respectful and open to these different beliefs and values will ensure meaningful engagement and connections can occur.
• In considering chronic care conditions, need to change the focus from individual management to whanau self – management.

Taha Wairua(spiritual health)-practising culture, going to marae, performing karakia, mirimiri, healing body and mind, using herbal medicines. Te Taha Wairua is more on spiritual wellbeing. We need to consider the spiritual wellbeing and health of Maori people, breakdown of relationship could be seen in terms of ill health or lack of personal identity.

Taha Whanau (family health) consultations at all levels of Maori, they must have equal access to all levels of services provided to Maori’s always have to provide care nurturance, which relates with Maori identity and sense of purpose. Within all whanau there are roles and responsibilities, families contribute to a person’s well-being and most importantly a person’s identity. The challenge for practitioners will be in supporting the change from an individual focus to that of a whanau focus.

Referencing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Wait

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+TREATY+OF+WAITANGI+AND+SOCIAL+POLICY.-a054024005

http://whakapapa.maori.org.nz/archives/viewthread.php?TOPIC_ID=3532&Page=

http://www.maori.org.nz/papapanui//archives/viewthread.php?TOPIC_ID=3532

http://moodle.unitec.ac.nz/mod/page/view.php?id=162