Priorities and values

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to our work. Honouring and reflecting te Tiriti is one of the core values that drives us. We have a tikanga framework with four principles:

• Aroha: Mokopuna are taonga. They are born with their own inherent mana. We will always act with compassion and empathy, adapting readily to respond to their needs.
• Pono: We believe honesty and integrity are key to doing our job well. We will always report things as we see them and never as how others want them to be seen. We stay true to one important thing: we do as we say we will.
• Tika: We are always about the best results for mokopuna. We empower others to bring about the best for them. We’re independent and will always speak out for their interests. We consider the range of needs we have to meet, and make every attempt to get it right. We never shy away from the hard stuff.
• Mātauranga: Mokopuna are our reason for being. They are involved, participate, and have input into things we do. We act from a place of knowledge, we work from evidence and advise others based on the things we learn.

Education

We advocate for all mokopuna to have access to, and participate in, inclusive and equitable education.

Mental Wellbeing

We advocate for the mental wellbeing of mokopuna to be prioritised, so that they may thrive and flourish.

Ending Family Violence

We advocate to end family violence and to help families heal.

Monitoring Places of Detention

We independently and regularly monitor places where mokopuna are deprived of their liberty and advocate for system change.