Maori healthworkers are overjoyed at the new recommendations that have been put to ACC regarding their sensitive claims pathway for sexual abuse victims. There is a Maori pathway to heal Maori victims of sexual abuse.© 2010 Television New Zealand Ltd
Ripeka August-Tampaeu: "The changes that we recommended have finally been addressed and now we're goign to get on and do something about it." This is a result of an independent review of the changes ACC made to their sensitive claims pathway for sexual abuse victims in order for them to receive help. "The recommendation that we put in was to have a separate pathway for Maori or an alternative pathway for Maori to have and out of that look at tamariki and rangatahi as well. So we're looking at starting that as soon as possible."
Te Karere followed Ripeka August and other Maori sexual abuse workers in July when they put forward their submissions to the independent review panel. Their work has paid off. "We'll be bringing together a group of rangatira Maori within the field of sexual assault and rangatira Maori within te ao Maori to come together and develop a pathway."
ACC agree that action is required in some areas. Denise Cosgrove: "So we've done some really good work already with the sector on understanding their issues and concerns with the pathway and how we can make that and facilitate that process better for our clients." Despite the challenges of this job, the positive thing is that Maori now have the power to be able to build their own pathway to heal their own people.
http://tvnz.co.nz/te-karere/2010-wednesday-video-1027496
Well that is excellent if you're Maori. The rest of us are still waiting for changes also. Can we opt onto the Maori pathway even if we are Pakeha... which is likely to be 100 times than anything ACC produces itself for us?
ReplyDeleteThe laughable part is that there is no "Maori pathway". The panel's report makes some great recommendations, including about Maori, but there is no guarantee that ACC will change anything. In its own press release last week, all ACC said about Maori was: "Ms Cosgrove said work was continuing on the development of separate processes for children and other groups such as Maori." Woop-de-doo. ACC also believes the new pathway has "considerable advantages" so it seems they haven't comprehended the report. It's sad that some people have been sucked into thinking that the release of the panel's report means anything on its own, especially when ACC still believes it has improved the situation for claimants!
ReplyDeleteHat-tip to K1W1 http://k1w1jax.blogspot.com/2010/09/naive-maori-or-both.html
Talk about gullible!
ReplyDeleteACC have NOT agreed to a separate Pathway. The Review Panel may have recommended it but whether it's implemented is another story and if history is anything to go by... Maori will be way behind any pathway set down for Pakeha. Shame but true.
http://k1w1jax.blogspot.com/
Call me cynical (many people do), but enthusiasm for a Maori pathway and recommendations within the review panel report, don't necessarily equate to ACC implementing anything. I hope I'm proven wrong on this, but it could be another exercise in futility.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I agree grm... this is hopefully just one aspect of the changes being looked into as a result of the report. Another vulnerable group was identified as those with mental health issues - who is advocating for this group? What about Pakeha? What about all the other recommendations?
Until there's a comprehensive plan for change, I remain skeptical.
Take care,
CG