Upper North Regional Hui Program

Wednesday, March 27th
Registration Desk Opens
08:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Mihi and opening address
09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
Keynote speaker
09:30 AM - 10:15 AM
- Care Service Team
Morning Tea
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Keynote
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Lunch
12:45 PM - 01:30 AM
Keynote
01:30 PM - 02:30 AM
Finish and Evaluations
02:30 PM - 02:45 PM

Delveen Andrews

Oranga Tamariki

Delveen Andrews started off as a student with Oranga Tamariki (formerly Child, Youth and Family) 21 years ago, and since then she has worked in numerous different roles. She has been a Care and Protection social worker with tamariki in care, a supervisor of a team of social workers and most recently, the manager of the new Care Team in Te Tai Tokerau.

This month Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children is introducing regionally-based Care Teams all across the country. The focus of these teams is to recruit and support caregivers so they can continue to make a difference for tamariki in care.

The Care Teams will also work closely with Oranga Tamariki social workers, other staff, and partner organisations to ensure caregivers and tamariki get the information and support they need, when they need it. Delveen is excited to share more information about this new way of working. She will also introduce her dedicated team who are eager to make a positive difference for caregivers in the region.

“Our caregivers are vital in ensuring tamariki have a safe, stable and loving home, so we need awhi them every step of the way. As a team, we are more established than any other around the country and we are excited to implement the new caregiver recruitment and support model.”

Assoc Prof Nicola Atwool

Nicola has professional qualifications in social work and child psychotherapy. She was employed in a variety of roles by what is now Child, Youth and Family for nearly twenty years.

Nicola joined the University of Otago in 1994 when she was appointed to a lecturer position in Community and Family Studies. She became a Senior Lecturer in 2000. During this time, she had a close association with the Children's Issues Centre.

At the beginning of 2006 she took up a position as Principal Advisor in the Office of the Children's Commissioner. She returned to the University at the beginning of 2012 as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Gender and Social Work.

The goal of her research is to influence policy and practice to improve outcomes for children and young people exposed to adversity. Nicola came to an academic position with extensive practitioner experience and is committed to research what bridges the worlds of academia, policy and practice.

Nicola has a particular interest in attachment theory and resilience and in 2008 completed a PhD exploring the use of attachment assessments in decision-making for children in care. An ecological framework, the sociology of childhood, critical theory, and a children's rights perspective informs her work.

Nicola is also currently a Board Member of Fostering Kids New Zealand.

Upper North Regional Hui Program

Wednesday, March 27th

Registration Desk Opens

Mihi and opening address

Keynote speaker

Morning Tea

Keynote

Lunch

Keynote

Finish and Evaluations