The Hapū Māmā Village and Core Design Village at the recent launch of Hapūtanga Innovation Prototype - Te Whare Piringa.
At Healthy Families Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu we know the early years [first 2000 days] are essential life stages for positive child development and on the 1st of February we launched Te Whare Piringa which is a Hapūtanga Innovation Prototype.
Te Whare Piringa as mentioned on the day of its launch, not only represents the significant contribution of māmā, pāpā, whānau, midwives and workforce but it also represents the fruition of the conversations and aspirations of those that are no longer with us.
Te Whare Piringa is a unique opportunity for innovation, allowing for the design and enhancement of capacity and capability. Ultimately creating a health system that is transformative ensuring intergenerational well-being of mokopuna.
In the Hapū Māmā Village Insights and Recommendations Report produced by Healthy Families WRR, the challenges faced by māmā, pāpā, and whānau in their hapūtanga journey are clearly outlined, along with their aspirations for change and recommendations to achieve it. The prototype being considered aims to create an alternative reality that better
Lead Systems Innovator, Kylee Osborne addressing the manuhiri
meets the needs of these individuals, fostering a more positive experience with their hapūtanga journey and strengthening community connections. The prototype being developed is envisioned as a model for what a hapūtanga hub or centre could look like. The team have visited maternity centres across the country to understand what has been effective, what hasn't, and the associated challenges and risks. Additionally, input from the Hapū māmā village or Core Design Village has been integral to designing a hapūtanga centre that meets their needs and underscores its necessity.
Kaihautū for Te Waipuna Health Jamie Proctor emphasised in her kōrero on the day that:
“We’re all in this together, this is a community approach, this isn’t a Te Oranganui kaupapa alone, each and everyone of us that is sitting here today in this room has the opportunity to input into what this looks like. I’m excited to hear what your thoughts are, I’m excited to hear from our hapū māmā, pāpā, our nannies our koroua and our mokopuna around what their experiences are, so we can drive this forward.” (Jamie Proctor, Kaihautū Te Waipuna Health)
Kaihautū for Waiora Hinengaro Mel Maniapoto explained:
“My role is about ensuring that we are upholding the matauranga and we are sharing our own pūrākau, and going back to the old traditional birthing practices that our people were a part of. Im interested in the stories that are coming in, some of the practices that we may have been privy to, look at other opportunities for our whānau to give birth in their Whare nui or their Whare tipuna. Or what does that look like? Or what does it look like when we go back to our traditional birthing practice? Did we know that our tāne had a significant role to play in the birthing space. When we talk about antenatal classes what would that look like in our hapū, if we use our own pūrākau and mātauranga?…” Mel Maniapoto (Kaihautū Waiora Hinengaro)
Kaihautū for Waiora Whānau and Impact Strategist Rīpeka Davis highlighted that:
“Whilst the Hapūtanga prototype is not true to size, we take people through a design process that helps them to go, what would it look like, feel like, what would I experience if I was in a maternity hub. Don’t expect to come in and we’ve built walls, and have put a birthing hub bath tub in here, it doesn’t work like that, in fact in the first two weeks you might come in and its masking tape and pretend cardboard walls, post it notes and stands. The whakaaro and the design process that people go through that allow them to understand, “when I come to the Waharoa (entranceway), this is what I see, feel, hear, this is my interaction, is it digital? Is it someone meeting me? What’s the Karanga that brings me in?” Rīpeka Davis (Kaihautū Waiora Whānau, Impact Strategist)
The Core Design Village for Te Whare Piringa have already designed the floor plan for the Hub. Over the next five months, you may witness a transformation from masking tape outlines to a more refined and elaborate structure. This evolution will reflect the depth of discussions and contributions from all involved, including māmā, midwives, practitioners, and community members. The ultimate form of Te Whare Piringa will be shaped by those who participate in this process, highlighting the collaborative nature of its development.
This initiative has the potential to offer early intervention and prevention strategies for hapū māmā. This includes whānau and maternity practitioners engaging earlier with each other during the hapūtanga journey, improving immunisation rates for babies, creating connected systems between services and whānau, and better smoking cessation and mental health support.
If you have any questions or would like to drop by for a visit email Lead Systems Innovator Kylee Osborne kylee.osborne@teoranganui.co.nz