Our Guiding Philosophy

Ā mātou rapunga arataki

Tātai Ora as an organisation is guided by a philosophy of ‘mana motuhake’, where we are committed to supporting whānau in their journey to attain a feeling and sense of self-determination, liberation, empowerment and control.

“It is our view that through action towards mana motuhake we can strengthen their resilience to violence, suicide and other harmful behaviours.”

Every person was born with the potential to be great and it is our mission to help people realise their greatness. We work alongside whānau to develop strategies and tools that improve whānau safety, build resilience and cultivate prosperity.

Understanding that every whānau and community has varying needs within varying circumstances, we ensure that each whānau and community is treated with the attention and respect that they deserve. It is important for us to understand their aspirations so that we can be clear and deliberate in supporting and addressing the issue of real transformation.

Our Approach

Ā mātou tikanga whakahaere

Our approach is strength-based, guided by the whakatauāki of the late Sir Norman Perry MBE:

“Kauaka e kimihia ko ngā mea kino i roto i te tangata, rāpua ko ngā mea pai, kia whakanui!”.

(Never seek to explore the negatives in any person; we should always find the positives and magnify them)

By focusing on the strengths and capabilities of our people, and by magnifying them, we believe we help create a positive sense of wellbeing within whānau and enhance their resilience and ability to combat all the barriers that hold us back from reaching our full potential.

We are proactive in the prevention of damaging behaviours that lead to poor health, suicide, poverty, social injustice and abuse.

Tātai Ora takes accountability for our whānau seriously. We invest and contribute to research as a strategy to improve our own practice and ways of engaging with our people.

Our Journey

Tō tātou haerenga

Our journey with whānau is underpinned by the notion that life is a ‘cycle of growth’ and our relationship is based on one of nurturing, and providing support and on-going mentoring to empower whānau to be their own leaders of change and growth.

Whānau are more likely to succeed when well supported through the early stages of their development. This is best illustrated through the Māori mythology of ‘Te Waonui a Tāne’ – a life cycle of growth, towards our greatest potential.

Everyone’s journey starts with a seed – Te Pū. The concept of Te Pū conveys potential. Even before a seed is planted or nourished, it has inherent potential — the capability to take root, develop, grow, and blossom.

It takes many many years for a Kauri tree to reach its highest potential and, much like its growth cycle, we understand that human development also takes time. Sometimes a very long time. And that’s ok!

We are mindful of the varying influences that whānau face and as such, we know that real change takes time. That’s why Tātai Ora are ‘in it’ for the long haul!