People for Us

Opening Karakia — Steve Haami (Ministry of Social Development)

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a privilege for me to come amongst you this afternoon to welcome you. My name is Steve Haami and I’m Pouarahi here at MSD.

It’s a pleasure for me to welcome you. What I was saying in amongst my Kōrero it was just taking time to remember those that we've lost and recently within DSS, we’ve lost some staff members, including a dear colleague who used to work for the Ministry, Nigel Bickle and then some of my own Whānau so it's important to acknowledge those we’ve lost, because without them we wouldn’t even be here.

Acknowledge all our Pacific people, all of the people gathered here today. On behalf of Paula, it’s great to see you back already— we’ve missed you.

And so that's me, I'm going to hand over now to Gary and he's going to look after us this afternoon.

Welcome and Introduction — Gary Basham (People For Us Manager, People First New Zealand)

Tēnā koutou katoa. Good afternoon, my name is Gary Basham and I’m the People for Us Manager at People First New Zealand, and I’ll be your MC for today and just to start Ngā mihi nui to Steve for the Karakia for setting us off in the right direction.

We’ve got around 50 people in the room here in Wellington today, as well as many joining online and I know there is also a number of people in Auckland at the Vaka Tautua office, 60 or so, I think Moanunu was telling me earlier, and Hamilton.

Te Ahi Kaa have gathered together so many people that they had to tell some not to come. So it's going pretty well down there and in Christchurch we've got a gathering of our people and People First as well.

So a lot of people joining in the celebration that we've got today. And a very warm welcome to all of you to the celebration of the People for Us peer visiting service. The event's been organised by the three partners who are delivering the service.

People First New Zealand, Te Ahi Kaa and Vaka Tautua. And it's also a pleasure to be here today with the Minister of Disability Issues, Louise Upston, who will be joining us around about 3.15. And of course, our friends from DSS and the sector and community members, both here in person and online.

Thanks so much to MSD for providing the venue and the technical support team in the back corner there. You can't do these things without the wonderful help of those sorts of people. And so, yeah, just thank you all for coming. Wonderful to have you here. And as we must do, we need to tell you about how this will run today, how to stay safe here, and Carmela from DSS is coming to tell us about that, so thanks Carmela.

Housekeeping and Context — Carmela Petagna (General Manager, Quality Assurance and Improvement, Disability Support Services)

Alrighty, so first and foremost Tēnā koutou. I’m Carmela Petagna, General Manager of our Quality Assurance and Improvement team here at Disability Support Services. Welcome to our place. Lovely to have you here. It's a very special day.

Housekeeping:

Firstly, I've got to do a few housekeeping things. I'm going to read from my notes or else I will stray.

So if there is a fire and we need to evacuate the building, please go down the public stairwell outside to the outside the building. If you are unable to use the stairs, one of the DSS team will support you to the safe zone in the secure lift lobby. If you need bathroom facilities,

Go down the stairs to level one and you will find them well signed posted to the left of the reception desk. Again, if the facilities on this level are only accessible by swipe card. So if you can't go down the steps, make yourself known to one of our DSS staff and they will escort you and actually be there to provide any assistance or guidance you might need through this afternoon.

The DSS team, there are a few of us scattered around the floor here. There's some at the back, so put your hand up so people know who to go to. Lovely. All right. So before we go too much further, a few words about People for Us and the difference it is making. So recap on a little bit of the history and context.

Background on People for Us:

So people for us is an important part of the suite of safeguarding services that DSS bought. The service was designed back in 2024 with significant input from the disability community and the sector. There are three providers involved, as you've said, Gary. Three partners actually is the term we should be using who deliver the People for Us service. Since its soft launch in September last year, People for Us have visited more than 330 disabled people in community group homes up and down the motu.

The uptake has actually accelerated as the service has expanded and evolved, with more than 200 people visited in the last quarter alone. And in fact, I was speaking to Kelly a little bit earlier on this afternoon, saying actually in some regions, there is a wait list of people waiting to be visited. It's pretty impressive.

So the service supports disabled people across a number of disability types, ethnicity and locations.

We have seen a particularly strong uptake among people with intellectual disabilities, followed by those with physical disabilities and also neurodiversity. Its strength really comes from the people who deliver it, and that's a lot of the peer workers in the room here today, our Maori, Pacific and nationwide providers.

and the peer workers that we will hear from. So we're really looking forward to hearing your experiences. They bring lived experience, understanding and credibility, and the ability to build trust.

People for Us has been that disabled people have been able to safely communicate their experiences, any concerns they might have, and that may include if there are issues or concerns around neglect or abuse. Care workers have helped them to take actions, supporting their conversations with providers.

and connecting them with supports that they need, which include extending support out into the community, vitally important. There are benefits, of course, for the peer workers themselves with new employment options and those pathways being opened up, which is a huge positive step.

These are some of the reasons why DSS is pleased to support the ongoing development of this important new service. As I said, it sits among a suite of complementary safeguarding services that we support, and that includes our audit program, our Assisting for Change service,

the DAPAR services, and our broader assurance and improvement activities across the work we do in the quality and assurance space and across DSS. So I will now hand back over to Gary to take us through the rest of the proceedings. But welcome, and I hope that you will have a lovely afternoon.

Thank you. Does anyone feel like clapping at the end? I don't know if we should be clapping.

It's very encouraging to have that, I'm sure. So we were thinking about how's the best way to actually talk about our service to people. And so we thought we'd split what we're going to do into two parts. The first is sort of describing how each of us three partners have sort of decided how we were going to design and deliver this. And then the second part is about

the experiences that we're having actually working with people, the impacts that we're making. And so we're going to start with who we are and how we've come to be. And we've got speakers, obviously, from each of the three partners, starting off with James Carr, who's part of my People First NZ team. So James, Welcome to the stage.

People First New Zealand — James Carr, Peer Worker

Kia Ora everyone. My name is James Carr. I am a peer worker with the People for Us service.

Before talking about our role in People for Us, we want to give some background on People First New Zealand. People First New Zealand is a disabled people's organization which means we are run by and for people with learning disability. The members are people with learning disability. I am also a member of People First New Zealand.

Members are a part of local groups. We learn about self-advocacy and have opportunities to speak up about the things that matter to us.

We also take part in local communities, regional meetings, and national events. Our national committee is made-up of six members who make decisions about People First New Zealand.

Self-advocacy is a key part of what People First does; we assist people with learning disabilities to understand rights, have a voice, and be involved in important decisions.

We use the same approach in People for Us. With this experience, it felt right to take on a service that aligns so closely with what People First has been doing for many years.

We have built a team of 42 people across Aotearoa, including 33 trained visitors who carry out People for Us visits.

Each visit is carried out by two people: the person leading the visit is a disabled person who leads the conversation, and the other is the visit coordinator, who supports the conversation and takes notes.

The focus of every visit is getting to know each person, listening to what matters, and to understand people's experiences.

Most of our team are disabled people, including people with learning disability. This is important because 72% of the people we visit are people with learning disability.

One of the things People First brings to the service is our lived experience of disability.

That experience helps us build trust, ask the right questions, recognise things that might be missed, and understand what good support can look like from the person's perspective.

We will now play a short video featuring our People for Us team talking about the service.

A short video was played, [Plays video – 1:12 minutes]

I will now hand it over to Tammy from Te Ahi Kaa to talk about their approach to the service.

Tammy Hohaia – Te Ahi Kaa

The language learning app Babbel recently produced a catalogue of over 200 kupu or words from around the world, spanning 75 languages.

They also had an international jury assess these kapu based on 4 criteria.

That being sound.

Meaning?

Rarity and cultural relevance.

This particular group, they determined the world's most beautiful kupu to be. Drum roll please.

Probably.

Kitana.

“kaitiakitanga” The Maori worldview considers people, land, and nature as interconnected, woven together like threads to form the natural world.

And kaitiakitanga focuses on the protection of this world to maintain balance and harmony and order for all things, everything within it.

And, as a result, each of those elements in relation to each other.

Has a shot at being great.

Te Ahi Kaa is a Kaupapa Maori organisation established in 2017 to support whanau in the Te Puaha or Waikato area. This is where the mighty Waikato River reaches the sea.

And us at Te Ahi Kaa, we strive to be kaitiaki of our communities, offering a range of services in the South Auckland and Waikato areas, with Te Puaha or Waikato pretty much being on the cusp of both.

Our People for Us team, with Mahi alongside People First, our gracious host of today's event, as well as our vibrant Pacifica friends of Vaka Tautua and together,

Well, I like to think of ourselves as... Rīwai

potatoes, bugs, taties, whatever you want to call it, we're much like this versatile staple in that we can be served up in different ways. In our way.

The Te Ahi Kaa way obviously, that's gotta make us the Hāngī rīwai

Our earthy notes are because we're grounded in Te Ao Māori which weaves a smokiness throughout all the mahi that we do.

Then just message, just click the, just let this prompt tell me what to do next.

Oh yeah, so just in speaking about the process of Hangi, I just want to, and speaking of Hangi, I'd just like to touch on the process of Hangi, which involves the underground transformation of Kai.

Similar to our mahi in that awhi, support, and tautoko, the underground transformation of oneself.

Speaking Te Reo Maori -

We were asked to share our impact today, and I'll leave that to my mate Keegan, who's going to speak a little bit later on. But I thought I'd be cheeky and share this whakataukī. instead and say, which translates to, the kumara does not speak of its own sweetness.

A humble approach or a great excuse, I'll leave that to you. But from hand on heart, if our People for Us service was likened to an actual hangi, then, you know, everything's prepped. Our meat has been prepped, the veggies are peeled, the stuffing is stuffing, it smells so good and we are ready for manuhiri. We are ready for partakers.

So, on behalf of Te Ahi Kaa People for Us team, we welcome all DSS providers, all non-Maori. That's right, Maori, all non-Maori. So please reach out if you'd like to partake of this kaupapa with us. Thank you all.

Just like to welcome up our next speaker, the lovely Saini from Vaka Tautua.

Saini Schwenke – Waka Tautua

Talofa lava, and warm Pasifika greetings to you all.

My name is Saini Schwenke and im from the village of Tutuila in Samoa.

Growing up, my parents struggled to understand why I was not reaching developmental milestones like other children. My parents made a decision to move our family to NZ where I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at 15 years old. Receiving the right support changed my life and helped me see what was possible.

Today, I am proud to be a Peer Support Worker with Vaka Tautua, People for Us, using my lived experience of Asperger's Syndrome and being on the autism spectrum to support Tagata Sa'ilimalo living in residential settings.

As a Peer Support Worker, I understand that some people need time, patience, and the right support to feel safe enough to share what is important to them. My role is not to speak for people but to walk alongside them, help build their confidence, and support them to have their own voice.

One person I visited needed time to get to know me. At first, I relied on staff to help me understand the best way to connect with her. Over time, trust developed, and now we can enjoy a drink together at the coffee cart and talk about what matters to her. That experience taught me the importance of patience, consistency, and relationship building.

A different approach is needed when supporting someone who communicates non-verbally. Through regular visits, patience, and working closely with residential staff, I learned to understand my client’s unique way of communicating and gradually built a trusting relationship. Seeing our Tagata Sa'ilimalo become more comfortable, engaged, and responsive over time reinforced for me the power of peer support and the importance of meeting people where they are.

What I love most about People for Us is helping people have more voice, choice, and control over their lives. Whether that is supporting someone to understand information, express their views, or make decisions that are important to them, my focus is always on empowering people to live the life they choose.

While I am proud of my role at Vaka Tautua, my most important role is being a mother. Being a mother has been one of the most rewarding, challenging, and life-changing experiences I have ever had. My son has taught me patience, resilience, unconditional love, and the importance of showing up every day, even when things are difficult – these attributes I take into my role as a peer support. Everything I do, both personally and professionally, is shaped by the lessons I have learned as a person with lived experience, and this helps me with how I support and connect with the people I work alongside.

Every person deserves to be heard, valued, and supported to live a life of choice, dignity, and purpose. If my journey has taught me anything, it is that with the right support, patience, and belief, people can achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Fa'afetai tele lava and thank you for the opportunity to share my journey.

Now I would like to welcome Rozlyn to speak.

Gary Basham

I just wanted to do a slight continuity thing there. So you've heard from the first three speakers about how we've gone and set up this work that we're doing, the different flavours that you're getting from the three different providers, and some insights into the impacts that we're making and the next three speakers are here to tell us more about the impacts that we're making with the people that we visit. So first up, I'm really proud to bring Rozlyn and Kaysey up to tell you a little bit about People First, People for Us.

Rozlyn Gielink / Kaysey – People First Nz

Rozlyn: Hi, I'm Rozlyn, im a kaiārahi - a peer support worker that works for for People for Us. With me is Kaysey — hi, I’m Kaysey I’m one of the kaiāwhina who works in Auckland alongside Ross.

Rozlyn: People for Us listens to people, understands what matters to them, and supports real change.

Kaysey: We thought we’d take some time to share how we work together, so I’m going to ask you some questions about the work she does.

So, Can you tell me about a time you saw someone wanting more independence in their life?

Rozlyn: Yes — I supported a person to understand that with more independence comes more responsibility, and she needed to develop skills that support that independence.

Kaysey: What sort of skills did she need to work on?

Rozlyn: To work on Safety, and chores around the house.

Kaysey: What did you learn about the other people living in the home as well?

Rozlyn: I learned about the other people in the home. They wanted to be safe when people come to visit.

Kaysey: How did you help with that?

Rozlyn: I used some of my own lived experience and explained to them how I feel safe when I know the people coming into my home.

Kaysey: It sounds like communication is an important skill for a peer worker. Have you worked with someone who has communication barriers?

Rozlyn: Yes — I've worked with a person where with communication barriers where third language is English.

Kaysey: Her third language was English. Yeah? So what did you do to help her communicate?

Rozlyn: I said I got to know her and I found out the ways easier, best to communicate with her.

Kaysey: And through those ways of communicating with her, what did we uncover?

Rozlyn: She likes different textures and just being able to explain herself.

Kaysey: And also that she was quite lonely and that she really wanted more connection, yeah? So why was your role as a peer worker important in both situations?

Rozlyn: Because I took my time to know the people and understand where they were coming from, and I used my own lived experience.

Kaysey: So your lived experience as a disabled person really helps you in your work?

Rozlyn: Yes.

Kaysey: Thank you for sharing your experience with us Roz.

Rozlyn: I’ll now hand over to Keegan from Te Ahi Kā.

Keegan Schindler – Te Ahi Kaa (Joining Online)

Ko Keegan Toku Ingoa –

I am honoured to share a little about my journey and what has led me to become a Peer Support Worker with People for Us.

I was born prematurely at 24 weeks, which meant I faced many challenges from the very beginning of my life. Over the years, I have undergone numerous surgeries and experienced obstacles that have helped shape who I am today. I have an intellectual disability, and I am proud of it because it has helped me develop empathy, understanding, and a genuine connection with others who may be vulnerable or in need of support.

For the past five to six years, I have been volunteering in my community, with Tuakau youth centre and Hei Tiaki, an initiative that supports older people through community lunches and connection. Through these experiences, I have enjoyed engaging with rangatahi, whānau, and local kaumātua and meeting a helping hand, someone to listen to, or simply a friendly face.

When Danielle from Te Ahi Kā approached me about becoming a Peer Support Worker with People for Us, I jumped at the opportunity. I felt that the knowledge and skills I had gained through volunteering, combined with my own lived experiences, had prepared me for this role. I was ready to give my all and use my experiences to support others.

Being a Peer Support Worker gives me a strong sense of purpose. My role is to listen, understand, validate, and empower people to live their best lives. I believe everyone deserves to be heard, respected, and supported to achieve their goals. Helping others discover their strengths and build confidence is incredibly rewarding and is what drives me every day.

One of the greatest privileges of this role is working alongside people from all walks of life. Every person has a unique story, and I value the opportunity to walk alongside them on their journey, offering encouragement, understanding, and support when they need it most.

For me, People for Us is more than just a service—it is about empowering, it is about connection, belonging and empowering people to thrive. I am proud to be proud of a kaupapa that puts people first and creates positive change in our communities. Nga mihi

I’ll now hand it over to Ray.

Ray Faleafa – Vaka Tautua

Tapu kihe Tolu Taha’i Otua, oku ne afio i ho tau lotolotonga.

Tapu mo houeiki mo ha’a matapule.

‘Oatu eni ha fakatapumakehe ki he Minisitā mo e kau taki ‘oku nau ngāue ma’ae kau tagata Sa’ilimalō.

Tapu mo kau ngaue mo kaunga fononga

Fakafeta’i mo fakamalo kihe Otua, foaki mai ha faingamalie ke faka kakato hotau ngaahi ngafa ke fai.

Mālō e Lelei, Talofa Lava, Kia Orana, Fakaalofa Lahi Atu, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, G’Day Mate, How’s it going and warm Pacific greetings.

My name is Ray Faleafa. I am a 2nd generation, Tongan New Zealander and the eldest of 5. I am the proud father of 6 girls and Blessed grandfather of 2 married to a beautiful Cook Island princess. I am a grandchild of disability. I am the son of Disability. I am living with a disability today. I am honoured and blessed to draw on all these experiences as Peer Support in People For Us. Our version is proudly delivered by Vaka Tautua, a national, Pacific provider of disability, health and social services.

For me, peer support is more than just a job. It is a calling. It is the chance for change. It is a chance to be change! Peer support is an opportunity for me to be a light. For better. For our Tagata Sa’ilimalo.

Tagata Sa’ilimalō is the term we use to refer to Pacific people living with a disability. We use this term to change our stigmas and stereotypes like disabilities. You know, handicap, words like that, we want to change the wording around it.

So, Tagata Sa’ilimalō the literal translation of this Samoan term is “people in pursuit of success” — reflecting our belief that every person has strengths, aspirations and the right to pursue a life of their choosing.

As someone who is lived experience of disability and who has cared for many, many family members with various disabilities, I know of the many challenges, of the many frustrations, and the many barriers that Tagata Sa’ilimalo and their families face.

I know how important it is to be heard, to be understood, how important it is to be seen, and man, I wish I had someone walk alongside me when we were looking after dad and grandparents, you know, without judgment, without being made to feel like a burden or a waste of time.

As peer support, I can be the support I needed when my family and I needed help. Our Tagata Sa’ilimalo deserve better. It is people caring for people. It is about our Vaka Tautua vision, “Nofo A Kainga”, Families caring for Families. The village taking care of the village. It is hope. It is connection. And it is definitely about empowerment! I hear you. I see you. I understand you!

Vaka Tautua makes a distinct difference as a Pacific provider because our People For Us team reflects the communities we serve. We bring lived experience, cultural knowledge, language, and strong community connections, allowing us to build trust, strengthen wellbeing, and support better outcomes for Pasifika people and their families.

Every member of our team shares the same goals: ensuring that Tagata Sa'ilimalo are safe, respected, connected, and empowered. We walk alongside tagata sa’ilimalo, their families, support staff, providers, churches, and communities to create meaningful and lasting change.

I’d like to share the story of one such Tagata Sa’ilimalo. When we first connected, we were told that they were non-verbal, often agitated and very disruptive. But through our talanoa, we discovered something very different.

Tagata Sa’ilimalo could in fact communicate. Their voca may have been limited, but they had a voice. They had thoughts. They had feelings. And, like all of us, they simply wanted to be heard.

So, instead of focusing on what they couldn’t do, we focused on what mattered most to them — their family, relationships, choices, faith and, most importantly, their voice.

Together, we worked on strengthening family connections, building confidence and creating opportunities for Tagata Sa’ilimalo to engage with others in meaningful and culturally safe ways.

Over time, I witnessed something truly remarkable. Tagata Sa’ilimalo began speaking up for themselves and became more involved in decisions about their own life. Their confidence grew, and their relationships with their family strengthened.

Today, they regularly attend Vaka Tautua disability network events with mum and

other family members. Seeing them engage, connect with others and experience that sense of belonging — and witnessing the joy it brings them as a family has been truly rewarding and extremely humbling.

The transformation wasn’t because People For Us did things for tagata sa’ilimalo. It happened because we created the space for them to recognise their own strengths, abilities and worth.

Their story has also taught me something powerful: when we take the time to truly listen, when we genuinely care, and when we believe in people, incredible things can happen. Lives can change.

Today, I acknowledge our People For Us team, our families, our communities, and most importantly, our Tagata Sa’ilimalō. Thank you for trusting us to journey alongside you. And if we haven’t yet, these Vaka Tautua will be reaching your shores soon.

Before I finish, let me pose a question for each of us to ponder, what would you do for your family member in care? What would you do for your mother? What would you do for your father? Your kids? What would you do for your grandfather, grandmother, your uncles and aunties? What would you do for your family?

For me, the answer is simple. Anything and Everything. And Praise The Lord, I have the opportunity to do just that for our Tagata Sa’ilimalo here at Vaka Tautua.

Praise The Lord for the road behind us.

Praise the Lord for the journey ahead of us.

And Praise the Lord for the opportunity to serve our communities.

May The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

May The Lord make His Face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

May The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Mālō 'aupito. Tua ofa atu

And sorry, before I finish, big cheer who to the team back in Vaka Tautua in Auckland. You know, big mana wave out to you guys. There's probably 50-60 people there and another chuhu and a mana wave to the people out at Te Ahi Kaa. Much love. God bless.

Gary Basham - Introduction to The Minister

Thanks, everybody, for those presentations. I think you get a real sense of who we are and what we’re doing from that — a fantastic exploration of the different things happening within People for Us.

Listening to these stories reminds us why it’s so important for disabled people to have someone they trust with their story and experiences, who can understand and act on what they’re hearing.

It’s now my pleasure to introduce the Honourable Louise Upston, Minister for Disability Issues. My colleagues at People First were warmly remembering the Minister joining us for our 21st birthday celebration a couple of years ago, so it’s lovely to have you with us again today. Minister Upston.

Address by the Minister for Disability Issues — Hon. Louise Upston

Tēnā koutou katoa and warm Pacific greetings. It's fantastic to be with you this afternoon and really uplifting to hear about People for Us. I remember the conversation in my office quite a while ago now when you were first talking to me about the service. And I just thought how incredible it sounded. And so to be here today, actually hearing from Rozlyn, from Keegan, from Ray, thank you for the incredible work you're doing. You know, I think I think back to those conversations and It's absolutely providing what I know you'd hoped it would at the time, which is fantastic.

So I do want to acknowledge People First New Zealand, Te Ahi Kaa, and Vaka Tautua for the just phenomenal work you're doing. It's great.

I want to acknowledge Paula Tesoriero, Anne Shaw for the disability sector leaders that are here, providers, Tāngata Whaikaha Māori, Pacific Disabled People, or should I say Tagata Sa’ilimalo, disabled people and Whānau joining us here in Wellington and across Aotearoa. But a really big special acknowledgement to the peer workers. I think what you've shared for us today is phenomenal.

And, you know, just for whichever part you are representing here for your commitment to improving the lives of disabled people, it's really just fantastic. People for Us began rolling out in September last year. And as I say, I

I remember those early conversations and to think less than a year later, it's already nationwide is phenomenal. So I think in those early conversations, you really spotted, I think, a really unique opportunity for peer support workers to support one another.

And that's probably why it's taken off more than perhaps you anticipated. And it's not just about, although a really important part is ensuring that disabled people are safe. It's as you said really beautifully, it's about success. It's about living a life that you choose.

And how do you communicate those choices and then be supported to make it happen. So it is, it's just brilliant. I think back to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the abuse in care and how it reinforced the safeguards that

was so clearly needed. And how listening to lived experience is a critical part of that. And how it is absolutely essential that people act when any of those concerns are raised. People for us is one of the actions the government through DSS is taking in response to the Royal Commission's recommendations.

It sits alongside the wider work that the government is doing to strengthen safeguarding capability right across the care workforce. It provides a really important safe space for disabled people to talk about their lives, whether their rights,

And dignity are protected, and whether they are safe.

But clearly, it's providing an opportunity much wider than that for those conversations about what do I want my life to be like? What are the choices I'm making? What is my plan? What does success look like? What are my aspirations?

And so we know that the government and communities must work together to safeguard disabled people from abuse and neglect. And this People for Us is a perfect example of that partnership in action.

People for Us is also a part of the wider work underway to strengthen the disability support system.

And what we've continually heard is the importance of a system that is fair, consistent, transparent and sustainable.

So over the last two years, we've made changes to create a more fair and consistent approach to assessing needs and allocating supports.

We have restored choice and control for people who are using flexible funding.

And we are working to provide a clear legal framework through the Disability Support System Services Bill.

Importantly, the bill, when it becomes an act, will give disabled people a stronger voice and puts their choices, needs, dignity and safety at the centre of DSS and the contractor provider's decision making about that

disability supports. The voices and lived experiences of disabled people must continue to shape the system as we look ahead to ongoing improvements of which safeguarding is a really important part.

I intend to build upon the first piece of legislation with further legislation that is more specific about safeguarding and safety measures. So the intention is to put together a discussion document that we'll take to the disability community early next year.

That will help us not only look at what is important, but prioritise the work ahead. As many of you will have heard me say, we've got a lot of work to do.

We are a long way away from providing support and services that disabled people should have in New Zealand. So I will be relying on the people in this room, the people who are participating in this meeting across Aotearoa to help us with that really important

Prioritisation of the work ahead.

So People for Us strengthens the focus on the voice and safety of disabled people and recognises the power of disabled people's lived experiences. And we've heard some of that this afternoon. It provides another way for disabled people to have a voice about their services

to reduce the risk of neglect and abuse. But as I say, I think it's so much more than that, and we should be focusing the conversations about choices, about aspiration, and about success. When those experiences are brought together,

They can shape the quality of the whole disability support system.

I want to again acknowledge all the peer workers. I'd be interested to know, you know, what it was at the start that made you choose to be a peer worker and whether it has meant for you what you thought it would.

I think so often people who work in roles like this, their initial response is to be there for other people.

But what I've heard today is also what you get out of it for yourself, which is perhaps one of those surprising but really important benefits. And that is the unique space of being a peer worker, because you are peers, you are equals. And that really important

understanding is a unique part of the service. So your experienced, your lived experience, your skills, your understanding and your credibility help disabled people to build the trust they need to talk openly when they do not feel safe.

But I don't underestimate what it takes of you.

to provide that really important space. Because often when you're building that relationship, it requires you being vulnerable. It requires you sharing of yourself to open up the space for others to do the same. So thank you for choosing.

This really important role.

And thank you also to the providers who have already welcomed People for Us peer workers into your services. I think there's going to be a run on demand for these amazing People for Us peer workers. I hope everybody's ready to stick their hand up and say that they're going to join.

The crew, because I think the challenge now is the word is out and you're in demand.

And I really want to encourage all residential providers to embrace this opportunity. And I can give you my commitment that every time I visit, I will be asking to meet with the peer workers in the service.

People for Us gives you another opportunity to understand the experiences of the disabled people you support and to help you to continue to deliver quality support and safeguard them from abuse or neglect. Please continue to welcome the peer workers into your services.

And see them as partners and improving support.

I also want to thank the disabled people for sharing your experiences with your peer worker and encouraging others to do the same. I think the more that we share and talk about this service, as I said, I think the more it will grow. Thank you for placing your trust in people for us to help improve the support you received.

People for Us clearly demonstrates the value of lived experiences and the voices of disabled people. It is a shared commitment to improving outcomes for disabled people all over Aotearoa New Zealand. And as the service grows, I want us to keep learning from what disabled people tell us.

and to use those insights to further strengthen the system. Thank you for the work that you are doing to help ensure disabled people are heard, safe, respected and supported to live good lives that they choose. Kia ora and thank you very much.

Remarks — Deputy Chief Executive, Anne Shaw, Disability Support Services

Tēnā koutou katoa. Tālofa lava, mālō, warm Pacific greetings, and Kia ora anō. Good afternoon everyone, Ko Anne Shaw tōku ingoa. I’m the Disability Support Services Deputy Chief Executive, and it’s a real pleasure to be here with you all today, whether online across the motu or here with us at the Ministry of Social Development.

Thank you, Minister, for joining us today and for your words today. And a huge thank you to People for Us providers for hosting this event. It's been a huge and wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work that you are all doing.

and this really, really, truly important service.

Thank you to our speakers, particularly Roz, Kasey, Keegan and Ray. That really made it certainly helped make service come alive for me, I guess, and to hear the fantastic work that you are all doing and the difference that you are making in disabled New Zealanders' lives. That's hugely important.

Today's milestone is due to the collective work of all of you, Disabled People, Whanau, People for Us providers, our peer workers, our residential providers, NASC referring people and improving services through disability support services. The stories we've heard today really show you how much this means to disabled people, particularly those

7,000 or over 7,000 in community group homes. We've got, I think, what did I hear, 330 visits already to go. So we've still got a few to do, but I'm confident that over the next wee while we're going to get there, given how fast we're speeding up in the last quarter with over 200 visits. That's really cool to hear. The fact that people for us is expanding so quickly.

service really speaks to the value that disabled New Zealanders are finding in it and having their voices heard.

People are speaking up who might otherwise go unheard. That's not a small thing. That is a really, really important thing. And it helps us understand the quality of the supports that Disability Support Services contracts every day. Many of you that might have heard me speak before will hear that, you know, we actually don't know a lot about the

quality of our services. It's really important that we do more and we understand what disabled people in New Zealand use in those services. Think of them in need from them. That's really important to all of our team that are here today.

It's really empowering for the individuals who get a chance to talk to our peer workers and we're really, really pleased that more and more are accessing this really important service. It's good news for us all who want to see disability support services improve and strengthen. There's a big job ahead.

It feels like we've done a lot, but there's just so much more that we need to do. And I know I for one am ambitious for that, and I know the minister is very much too. So we look really forward to seeing People for Us grow from strength to strength, and we look forward to continuing to support the fantastic work and the mahi that you are all doing. So thank you. I'm going to hand back to Gary and Steve, who I think are going to

Close this out, and then we'll get a chance to have some korero.

Closing

Gary Basham: Kia Ora Anne, Thanks so much to DSS for supporting this event, and even more importantly, for supporting this new service. We have a really collaborative relationship with the Anne’s team, which gives us the confidence to go out and deliver. As I mentioned, we have some kai to share — we’d like to invite you all to stick around, have a chat, and enjoy some afternoon tea. Thank you also to everyone who’s joined us online — it’s wonderful to see the support we have from around the motu.

I’d now like to ask Steve to close our session with karakia and to bless the kai.

Steve Haami: I’ll just reiterate all of the acknowledgements to everyone who spoke this afternoon. There’s nothing better than hearing it from the horse’s mouth — you can read lots of papers, but hearing it firsthand really lands differently. Thank you, Minister, and thank you, Gary, for leading us this afternoon.

Blessings to all of you as you travel home this evening. And thank you to our translators as well.

[Closing karakia]