Whānau Support

The Ministry of Health (MOH) funds a range of disability support services for people who require ongoing disability support. If you, or someone you support, requires support because of a disability, you need to contact your local Needs Assessment and Service Coordination service (NASC). Needs Assessment and Service Coordination organisations (NASCs) are organisations contracted by the MOH to:

• Determine eligibility for MOH-funded support services.
• Identify your strengths and support needs and allocate services.
• Advise what disability support services are available and make referrals.

Taikura Trust: https://www.taikura.org.nz/ 

Taikua Trust provide Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) for disabled people 0 to 65 years who live in Auckland. They’ll work out your unique disability needs and connect you to the right supports so you can make the best out of your life.

At Wilson School, we work together with our whanau/ caregivers and liasie with various other agencies in our community. Listed below are some agencies that provide a range of services available to our whanau and caregivers.

Please note not all agencies listed below are funded by the Ministry of Health needs assessment process.

Wilson Home Trust: https://wilsonhometrust.org.nz/

The Wilson Home Trust is a private Trust that provides information, support and services to physically disabled children and their families, in the upper North Island of New Zealand. It supports children with physical disabilities and their families from birth to the age of 22 years old with services including respite care and parent whanau carer support.

Adult Guardianship Service: https://adultguardianship.org.nz/

Adult Guardianship Services aims to serve and support the population of New Zealanders aged 18 years and over (and their natural supports) with services that raise the voice of people who experience difficulties with decision making and/or communication. They are able to help with advocacy, supported decision making, and adult guardianship and legal orders. 

CCS Disability Action: https://ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/contact/branch-information/auckland/

CCS work with individuals with disabilities and their families and are at the forefront of service provision, advocacy and information sharing in the disability sector New Zealand-wide. All support services (with the exception of Mobility Parking and Total Mobility) are free.

Explore Specialist Advice: https://www.healthcarenz.co.nz/service/explore-specialist-advice/

Explore Specialist Advice is the national provider of behaviour support for people with disabilities. They also provide parent education and support programmes for families who have a child young person with a diagnosis of autism.

Disability Connect: https://disabilityconnect.org.nz/

Disability Connect is a Disability Information Advisory Service. There are lots of ways we can help individuals with a disability, or family members of a disabled person, to navigate the New Zealand disability sector. Disability Connect provides general information, advice and resources that include seminars, support groups and community conversations.

Accessable: https://www.accessable.co.nz/what-we-do/

Accessable works to support solutions for people with disabilities and injuries by providing quality equipment, housing and vehicle modification to help them lead better lives. 

Autism New Zealand: https://autismnz.org.nz/

Autism New Zealand empowers people living with autism to make informed choices and take action: every step together. Autism New Zealand has worked continuously with the community to deliver thousands of educational programmes that increase public understanding of autism.

Strengthening Families: http://www.strengtheningfamilies.govt.nz/

Strengthening Families helps you get the best support for your family/ whānau to thrive. All the people and agencies who could help your family are brought together. Together you discuss your family’s needs and agree on what everyone is going to do. Eleven New Zealand government agencies are actively involved with Strengthening Families along with hundreds of community-based services. If you are getting help or require assistance with a child or young person’s education, health or behaviour, to sort money troubles or find a suitable home or other issues, Strengthening Families could be for you.

Altogether Autism: https://www.altogetherautism.org.nz/

Altogether Autism has specialist training and knowledge in autism and has reliable and up-to-date sources for information. They can provide you with quality and credible information you can trust.

Byte: https://www.byteme.com/community/resources/article/dental-care-children-with-autism-guide/

Children with autism are likely to suffer many more oral health problems, including tooth decay, gum disease, and dental injury than children without autism. On top of that, sensory sensitivities also make effective oral hygiene routines and visits to the dentist challenging.

Family Works Northern: https://www.familyworksnorthern.org.nz/

Family Works is the name for child & family services provided by the seven Presbyterian Support organisations in New Zealand. We are child-centred and family-focused. Family Works Services offered include Counselling, Family Programmes, Support in Schools, Family Mediation, Social Work, Financial Mentoring and Emergency Foodbank.

IHC New Zealand: https://ihc.org.nz/idea-services

We will provide you with specialist support that may be for part of the time or all the time. The support may include residential services, supported living, vocational and day services, healthy ageing, and specialist services such as mental health advocacy. We can support you to advocate on behalf of a person with an intellectual disability or support people with intellectual disabilities to be self-advocates.

Work and Income: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/health-and-disability/index.html

If you have a health condition or disability there are a number of ways we may be able to help such as community services card, child disability allowance, disability allowance, house modification funding, special needs grant, supported living payment and food grants.

Parent to Parent: https://parent2parent.org.nz/

We can inform, educate, inspire and support you as you navigate your way through your family’s experience with disability. Our services are free and confidential. We are a nationwide not-for-profit organisation formed in 1983 by parents and professionals to support the families of babies, children, teens and adults with any type of disability or health impairment. Parent to Parent operates a network of specially-trained volunteer support parents, and connects those parents to families new to the world of disability.

Phab: https://www.phab.org.nz/

PHAB is an inclusive organisation that “walks the talk” promoting self-reliance that enhances the social opportunities for people with disabilities, and supporting our members towards designing meaningful lives for themselves. PHAB offers a variety of activities in a safe engaging environment where you can have lots of social and recreational interactions while increasing confidence, community involvement, life skills, and most importantly of all have FUN! Their services include: social groups, Peers – an educational life skills program, PHAB Hangout Days – Holiday Program and ACE their award-winning fitness and nutrition programme.

Complex Care Group: https://www.complexcaregroup.org.nz/

Complex Care Group is a support and information network for a special group of carers, run by carers, who look after young people with complex needs. Complex Care Group aims to provide complex information in the simplest possible form, information that might be useful to you now or in the future.

Enliven: https://www.enlivennorthern.org.nz/services/disablity-support

Enliven provides home support for people with disabilities, no matter how old they are and what level of care they require. We’re here to help you find the right support and achieve your own goals. We will work with you to put together a plan that meets your needs and maximising your independence.