Whitireia joins forces with Child, Youth and Family Services
Whitireia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Child, Youth and Family relating to the provision of
services and collaboration around the development of Pacific Social Work Models of Practice(s) that will provide best
social work practices for Child, Youth and Family staff when working with Pacific families.
This MoU will provide a foundation for the future, and one that will benefit Pacific children and their families. The
partnership has been formed with Whitireia on the back of Child, Youth and Family Services looking ‘from a Pacific
perspective’, what they should be doing as practitioners when working with Pacific communities. Whitireia were chosen as
the preferred partner by Child, Youth and Family due to its established Social Work programme and its Pacific research
and social work practice capability.
This MoU is significant for Child, Youth and Family said Paul Nixon, Chief Social Worker. “The journey we take to help
the Pacific community will be more beneficial working with Whitireia. We will be building a framework which will build a
core for Pacific practice.”
Dr Kathy Holloway, Dean of the Faculty of Health at Whitireia commented on the importance of the partnership also. “We
share a common interest with Child, Youth and Family around the prevention of abuse and neglect, protection of children
and young people, and ensuring young people’s pathways to adulthood are free from offending behaviours. We look forward
to working together to develop and consult on ethnic specific practice models and in turn developing a Pacific Social
Work Practice Approach which will be used by Child, Youth and Family when working with Pacific families.”
The signing of the MoU is the first step in a partnership that will make a significant difference to the Pacific society
in New Zealand.
ENDS