Building the foundations

Te hanga tūāpapa

Getting (and keeping!) wellbeing on the agenda

Whether you're working in a recovery space or are wanting to foster greater wellbeing in your community, it’s important to work closely with potential allies who can help. You don’t have to do it alone – and even if you could, the end result is always better with a little help from your friends.

He waka whakaaro kotahi, he waka hoe tahi A vessel with a shared vision is a vessel with synchronised rhythm
AllRight_CHC_DM0896.jpg
He waka whakaaro kotahi, he waka hoe tahi A vessel with a shared vision is a vessel with synchronised rhythm
Top tip
Having the right people around the table helps ensure there is clarity over who is doing what when it comes to recovery. You don’t need to do it all, but it is important that you define the space you are working in.

How to build the foundations

How to build the foundations

Bringing a wide range of groups together is important to better understand issues, avoid making false assumptions, and to identify possible opportunities for working together. Developing and nurturing a shared vision and values amongst those you are working with is important - change is a constant in any team but a unified kaupapa helps ensure you continue to head in a similar direction. Groups to work with could include:
Local Iwi

Working closely with Rūnanga and Iwi helps ensure your strategies are appropriate and effective. An endorsement of activities from Rūnanga and Iwi, and being able to utilise their communication channels to amplify your messages, will increase your chances of ‘cutting through’ and being heard.

Academics

Working closely with academic ‘experts’ is a great way to ensure your work is informed by the latest thinking and evidence. Supportive comments from academics can lend credibility to your work, and as such their opinions can carry considerable weight with media.

NGOs

NGOs generally have incredibly strong linkages with their community. They are well positioned to provide information about where people are at, can act as a sounding board for your ideas, and can help share your messages far and wide

Responders

Multiple agencies and organisations have a role to play supporting a community’s recovery following an event. Councils, District Health Boards, Civil Defence, Ministries and Departments and non-government organisations are typically all involved in aspects of recovery, often at the coal face. It’s important that everyone’s messaging and actions complement each other.

Generate Support

Practical tools

All Right? Strategic Direction 2012-2014

A copy of our 2012 - 2014 Strategic Direction

  • Vision: A Canterbury that is more than just all right.
  • Guiding principles: Creativity, Humility, Authenticity, Aroha ki te Tangata and Trust
  • Goal: To maintain and increase the positive mental health and wellbeing of the people of Canterbury.
  • Objective: To develop and deliver an inspirational social marketing campaign that promotes positive mental and wellbeing.
All Right? Strategic Direction 2015-2018

A copy of our 2015 - 2018 Strategic Direction

  • Vision: Canterbury leads New Zealand in the promotion of wellbeing.
  • Mission: To inspire Cantabrians to become champions of their own wellbeing.
  • Values: The following values are reflected in all we do: creativity, humility, authenticity, trust, aroha ki te tangata.
Stakeholder engagement

A powerpoint outlining the steps for developing a stakeholder engagement plan.

Further reading

Long Term Planning for Recovery After Disasters: ensuring health in all policies

Learning from previous disasters about how decisions and actions have affected people’s wellbeing.

Integrated Recovery Planning Guide

Taking an holistic approach to addressing the needs of communities, determining appropriate course of action

Framework for psychosocial support in emergencies

Planning, coordinating and delivering psychosocial interventions and mental health treatments in an emergency.

Leading through chaos

Leading in Disaster Recovery: Companion through the Chaos shares the hard-won wisdom, practical strategies and tools of people who have been in leadership roles post disaster

Community in Mind

Strategy for rebuilding health and wellbeing in Greater Christchurch.

Secondary stressors and extreme events and disasters

A systematic review of primary research on secondary stressors

Aftershocks

A Scoping Report for Mental Health Promotion in Hurunui and Kaikoura following the earthquakes of 2016