What is People for us?
People for Us is a peer (kaiarahi) service who will visit disabled adults and tāngata whaikaha Māori who live in DSS contracted residential services to find out if they are safe, living their good life and experiencing high quality support and services. They will assist those with safety or wellbeing concerns to follow the relevant pathway to resolve them.
What is a kaiarahi?
Kaiarahi (peer workers) are a disabled person, tāngata whaikaha Māori employed to check in with other disabled people or tāngata whaikaha Māori regarding their wellbeing and safety.
What can I expect?
Disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, and their whānau and families/supporters can expect someone who will listen and support your decisions. This awhi will be grounded in tikanga Māori values, stories and beliefs.
Who is delivering People for Us?
There are three organisations who are selected to deliver People for Us.
Te Ahi Kaa: a Kaupapa Māori organisation working in Waikato and South Auckland.
Vaka Tautua: a by Pacific for Pacific organisation working in Auckland.
People First: a national organisation by and for people with learning disability.
Please contact us if you have any questions:
peopleforus@teahikaa.co.nz
Living safe
Living Mana Motuhake
High quality supports and services
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ means questions people ask a lot.
If your question is not here, you can contact us.
We are happy to help!
Why?
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that there hasn’t been enough support or checks on disabled people in residential care. This has made it easier for abuse to happen.
People for Us is set up to listen to disabled people who might be most at risk.
What is Safeguarding
People for Us helps keep disabled people safe and makes sure they are looked after well by using these safeguarding rules.
Safeguarding means:
protecting a person’s right to make their own life choices
keeping people safe and well
acting to prevent and respond to abuse, violence, or neglect.
What does peer visit mean?
A peer (kaiaarahi) means someone who has a lot of things in common with another person like being disabled.
They will be one of the visitors that talk to disabled people in residential services about their safety, wellbeing, and the quality of their support. Alongside an kaimanaaki (assistant).
Who is delivering People for Us?
Three organisations deliver the People for Us service:
People First New Zealand (visiting across Aotearoa New Zealand)
Te Ahi Kaa (visiting Tāngata Whaikaha Māori in Waikato and South Auckland)
Vaka Tautua (visiting Pacific communities in Auckland)
How was People for Us developed?
People for Us was developed with community input and a Project Working Group set up by the Insights Alliance from Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha.
In 2023, over 420 people, including disabled people and their whānau, were involved in the design process.
Is People for Us a free service?
Yes, the People for Us service is fully funded by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
How do referrals work?
Once you fill out all the information on the referral page it gets sent to a visiting team. The visiting team will contact, schedule and undertake the visit.
Who can make a referral?
Anyone can make a referral.
This could be:
a family member
a support worker
a provider
a friend
someone who helps you
yourself
You can make a referral if yourself or a disabled person living in residential services may be experiencing violence, abuse, or may not be getting the right assistance and services.
What is a DSS-contracted residential service?
This is a residential service for disabled people that is funded and contracted by Disability Support Services (DSS) under Ministry of Social Development (MSD).
Who are the visitors?
The visitors are people who come to talk with disabled people about how things are going.
There are 2 visitors:
a disabled person who leads the visit. This person is called the Kaiaarahi / Peer Support
a second person who assists the Kaiārahi. This person is called the Kaiaawhina / Assistant
What happens if the visitors are worried about someone’s safety or wellbeing?
The visiting team will decide what to do based on what they find out.
They might:
do nothing if everything is okay
assist the person to speak up
talk to someone who can help, like whānau, advocates, health providers, or emergency services
come back for another visit if needed.