Our Services:

• Family Works Northern
• Enliven Positive Ageing Services
• Coactive Collaborative Disability Services
• Budgeting Service
• Connecting with Parishes
• Presbyterian Opportunity Shop
• PSN Foodbank

Family Works Northern

Family Works work alongside children, young people and their families to make positive and lasting differences in their lives – working toward a vision that New Zealand becomes the best place in the world to raise children.

Based in 11 centres and over 50 schools in the Upper North Island, Family Works Northern staff offer strength-based solutions for families who are facing challenges such as family violence and other forms of abuse, parenting, step-parenting, separation, and grief and loss.

Children and families are referred to our service from government and/or community agencies, schools or health professionals - or they self-refer.

Our Services

All our family-directed programmes and services aim to:

• overcome the effects of abuse
• overcome problematic behaviour
• develop parenting skills
• strengthen family relationships
• help children and young people make positive changes
• increase confidence and self-esteem

We offer support regardless of race, beliefs or background. Nearly half the families we deal with are NZ European and a third are Maori.

Counselling and social work:

Trained and experienced family workers are available in all our Family Works service centres. Family Works is the largest provider of the Child Youth and Family Services funded Social Workers in Schools (SWiS) programme, having 27 social workers in over 54 primary and intermediate schools and more recently, one high school.

Parenting programmes:

Family Works supports parents with encouragement, practical skills and strategies. Programmes include The Incredible Years, Parenting through Separation, and Strengthening Step-Families.

Family Works also hosts five Family and Community Services funded Strengthening Families coordinators,in addition to being a lead agency for the strengthening families initiative. Strengthening Families assists families with difficulties by ensuring that the family, and the agencies working with the family, have an agreed plan, clear goals and a coordinated approach.

Family violence:

A number of programmes and activities offer support to families and children, affected by family violence. They help resolve conflict, foster positive family relationships, build self esteem and encourage healthy choices. Women Against Violence (WAVE)is for women in abusive relationships to learn and share experiences in a group setting. Restore helps children and young people overcome the effects of family violence.

Family Works is contracted by the Ministry of Social Development to provide five child advocates to help raise awareness of the impact of family violence on children, develop stronger links between agencies that work with children and assist agencies and communities to be focused on the needs of children.

In addition, we have a Family Violence Prevention Advocate, Jude Simpson, who knows the disastrous impact of child abuse and domestic violence first hand. Now living a life free of violence she helps others break free from the cycle of violence.

Development programmes for children and young people:

The Wilderness Experience is a four-day outdoor adventure programme designed to help troubled young people make positive changes. The Wilderness Experience is based in Whangarei.

More detailed information is available on the Family Works Northern section of the national Family Works website - www.familyworks.org.nz