Support workforce

This project will develop a comprehensive profile of the support worker role and create a picture of the emerging development of this key workforce group.

About this project

The first step in achieving this goal was the National Support Work Summit, which Platform, Te Pou and the Ministry of Health designed and ran in collaboration. The summit was held in September 2007, in Wellington.

In preparation for the summit, support workers were invited to be trained to use 'The Most Significant Change Technique' to become action researchers, gathering current support work stories. This information, along with existing quantitative NGO data from the Platform NgOIT 2005 Landscape Survey and 2007 Workforce Survey, was used at the summit.

Where to from here

Platform and Te Pou are pleased to present the findings of the National Support Work Summit, and a succint account of sector achievements in the publication"Peformance Story Report."  The performance story report combines programme logic and stories of significant change to describe the progress and performance of support work using multple voices and multiple lines of evidence.Contribution to the report was determined using a participatory and collaborative process, where mutiple organisations and stakeholders are acknowledged for their part in the overall progress towards a recovery outcome.

Copies of the Performance Story Report have been posted to participants who attended the summit, contracted mental health and addiction NGOs, Ministry of Health, District Health Board funders and planners, and education providers. Further copies of the report are available by contacting Platform by email admin   "at" platform.org.nz or telephone (04) 385 0385, or you can read the vignettes from the report on the Platform website.

Project manager

David Bradley, Te Pou NGO Workforce Development , Wellington

Page last updated: 10 February 2010