Manager Workforce Strategy
Te Puna Aonui

I am a social work professional with extensive experience across both government and non-government sectors, specialising in child and family work and violence intervention. My career has been dedicated to supporting individuals, families, and communities, and is now focused on advocating for systemic change and sustainable solutions. Currently serving as the Manager Workforce Strategy, within Te Puna Aonui, I am a member of the dedicated team supporting the cross-government stewarding of Te Aorerekura, the 25-year strategy to eliminate and prevent family violence and sexual violence. This work focuses on embedding trauma and violence-informed, culturally capable knowledge and skills across workforce. It promotes the development of expanded/quality education and training programmes, career pathways, workforce and organisational development initiatives, and other sustainable solutions.

As a member of Toitū te Waiora NIAG, I will bring expertise in shaping the future of social services sector to be equipped to recognising and responding to family violence and sexual violence, and to support safe, consistent, and effective responses and support for victim-survivors, and people who use violence. I will bring insight into the current strategic approach to increased workforce and organisational capability through the implementation of family violence and sexual violence frameworks and tools, under the current Te Aorerekura Action Plan 2.

The NIAG is a valuable platform for bringing together diverse and current perspectives on the learning and development needs of kaimahi, workers, and leaders. I would like to see it support a more connected and values-based workforce development system, with accessible qualifications, strong career pathways, and trauma-informed, culturally grounded training that reflects practice realities. I would also like to see NIAG contribute to systems-level planning, supporting leadership development, prevention-focused practice, and clarity around sector roles and responsibilities. Toitū Te Waiora has an important role to play in expanding skill standards to Level 7 and beyond, broadening the scope of micro-credentials, and engaging in strategic workforce planning that ensures qualifications are responsive to both the current and future needs of the social services sector.