Plunket works as a team, and your nurse might refer you to a health worker or kaiāwhina to provide some additional support on anything from:
- sleep and settling
- helping to reduce SUDI (including safe sleep and smoking cessation support)
- breastfeeding
- helping you access community services and support, including other Plunket services
- toilet training
- starting solids – and so much more.
Health workers and kaiāwhina take a whānau-led approach. They’re there to walk alongside you and support you with whatever’s top of mind for you and your whānau.
The role of kaiāwhina
Our kaiāwhina are qualified Māori community health workers and use Māori models of health to work collaboratively with whānau.
Many kaiāwhina can understand and speak te reo Māori and have a strong knowledge of local iwi and Māori health groups. This can help whānau to stay and become connected to local Māori support.
Pacific health workers
Plunket also has qualified Pacific health workers, who use Pasifika models of health when they work alongside families.
Many understand and speak at least one Pasifika language.