Te Huringa ō Te Ao – Sustainable behaviour change for men to restore whānau wellbeing

Over the last month, I have been privileged to join the procurement panel for Te Huringa ō Te Ao. This new family violence service supports sustainable behaviour change for men to restore whānau wellbeing. The service is for tāne and men harming and hurting their partners and children who realise it is time for change.

Te Huringa ō Te Ao offers a wide variety of flexible, proactive, and culturally responsive support that encourages reconnection to self, whānau, and community. This support is tailored to meet the holistic needs of men, families and whānau while continually challenging men to own their behaviour, to be safe and to keep safe. This represents a shift away from short-term, prescribed programmes and a system that puts the onus on women to stay safe.

Te Huringa ō Te Ao aims to create opportunities for local communities to reimagine support for men harming others by centring whānau voice. Together, we aim to think differently about how we support men on their journeys of change to break the cycles of violence and to create and sustain intergenerational change.

The name Te Huringa ō Te Ao was gifted to this kaupapa by E Tū Whānau at MSD. Te Huringa ō Te Ao represents the limitless potential of change and transformation. It speaks to the profound moments in the lives of tāne and men that ignite key shifts that will influence and support change. This name reflects how all people have the opportunity to come together to reimagine sustainable change for tāne and men, whānau and community. It speaks to the aspirational opportunity that change and transformation can have for individuals, their whānau and whakapapa.

It has been a delight to meet a range of providers working on/proposing innovative ways to engage with tane/men. This is a 9.5-year funding stream, so it is not insignificant funding. It is great to be part of a dynamic and thoughtful group of highly experienced people who make decisions. Some will miss out (the need is much greater than the resource), and others will have the opportunity to create something groundbreaking.

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