Kia ora koutou/ Greetings all,

It is already November and Spring! This year went by so fast.

The last long weekend before Christmas time is the Canterbury Cup & Show weekend. I hope you have something nice planned for that weekend.

I have recently had some conversations with caregivers that made me aware that some of you are not aware of the National Care Standards.  I get asked: “What do they mean and where can I find out more about them?”

National Care Standards:

The Oranga Tamariki Act National Care Standards came into effect on 1 July 2019.

They set out the standard of care that every tamariki and rangatahi needs to do well and be well, and it also sets out the support that Caregivers can expect to receive when they open their hearts and homes to children and young people.

These standards are consistent with what is already considered to be good practice and are based on what tamariki in care have said is most important to them. These standards are set out in regulations which means Oranga Tamariki and other Care Providers, will be held accountable for following them.

The National Care Standards are divided into 6 parts.

• Part 1: Needs assessments, plans, visits, and collection of information about children and young people.
  Part 2: Support to address child’s or young person’s needs.
  Part 3: Caregiver and care placement assessment and support.
  Part 4: Supporting children and young people to express their views and contribute to their care experience.
  Part 5: Supporting children and young people during care transitions.
• Part 6: Monitoring and reporting on compliance with these regulations.

Please find more information here:

If you have any questions about the National Care Standards, please speak to your Caregiver social worker or contact Jared or me, we are happy to support you. Also, watch this space as we are developing a self-directed learning of the National Care Standards that should hopefully help you easily navigate the standard and understand what is expected of you.

a note from jared

I’ve just returned from an incredible two weeks supporting the Lower South (Oamaru, Alexandra, Wanaka, Queenstown, Cromwell, Invercargill, Gore, Balclutha, and Dunedin) where I had the privilege of hosting the Lower South Regional Hui, training, and Family Fun Days.

It was an enriching experience, but now I’m back, and I couldn’t be more excited to reunite with my whānau and catch up with all the caregivers in the Canterbury Region. The time away was invaluable, but there’s something truly special about being home in my community in Canterbury! Looking forward to connecting soon! If you need me contact me on 027 501 0392 or southsupport@caringfamilies.org.nz

training and learning opportunity

This month we have a range of different online courses coming up. For more information about the different content of each course, have a look on our website under training.

ONLINE COURSES

Events

Family Fun Days are back again in Christchurch and Timaru. We are looking forward to seeing you and your whānau at a fun-filled pool party with a sausage sizzle and freebies.

Christchurch: Saturday 18 November, 4:30PM – 6:30PM at Te Hapua Halswell Pool, 339 Halswell Rd

Timaru: Sunday 19 November, 1:00PM – 3:00PM at Caroline Bay Trust Aaoraki Centre, Te Weka Street

To register your whānau, please click here: Family Fun Days 2023 RSVP – Caring Families

We can’t wait to see you!

other events

We have been made aware there are a few events happening in the Canterbury region on Saturday 18th November. The only events that are Caring Families Aotearoa events are the Family Fun Days events, above.

The other event is the Special Children’s Christmas Party on Saturday 18th November, at the Christchurch Arena from 11.30am until 2.00pm, and our ticket allocation is now FULL. This is not a Caring Families Aotearoa event.

If you already have tickets for the Children’s Party,  you can attend the Christchurch Family Fun Day event and the Special Children’s Christmas Party event on Saturday 18th November.

Support

We have a closed Facebook group for our wonderful Canterbury Caregiver Members to keep updated and connect with each other virtually, you can find it below.

We also have some great community connections Face to Face, please find below our groups contact details.

Christchurch North Coffee Group

If you’re new to caregiving, we welcome you to join our group! We are young, enthusiastic and new to caregiving and love to meet newbies.

• Group contact: Susie
• Next Meeting: 2nd November at NorthLink Coffee Culture from 7.30pm-9.30pm
• RSVP to Susie: mrandmrs.bell@hotmail.com

North Canterbury Support Group

• Group contact: Deb
• Next Meeting: 23rd November at 11.00am at 3 Ferguson Ave, Waipara
• RSVP to Deb: debbiecurtis1965@gmail.com

We are always interested in assisting Caregivers to connect and share together.  If you feel you would like to start a support group in your area, please contact us to help you get a group up and running. Jared is currently looking for someone that can start a support group in East Christchurch, so if you’re interested email him at supportsouth@caringfamilies.org.nz

Tiaki i a koutou anō, look after yourselves!  

Caroline & Jared