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Rangahau · Doctoral thesis

The Inequities of the NASC system in Aotearoa for Whaikaha Māori

About this research

PhD Candidate: Ms Emily Bain (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Toarangatira)

Primary Supervisor(s): Dr. Esther Willing

It is well established that there are significant problems in Aotearoa New Zealand’s health and disability system, especially for Māori – largely due to the cultural differences between Māori and the biomedical system the New Zealand health system was modelled on.

In Aotearoa, disability funding (for a non-accidental, non-elderly/injury related condition) is determined via the Needs Assessment and Co-ordination (NASC) agencies. These agencies are located around the country and are the agencies which determine the amount of funding a whānau can receive for disability. However, this process is not transparent and whānau Māori face significant barriers in accessing the funding and support that is available. Following the completion of a systematic literature review, I will be undertaking qualitative interviews with whānau Māori and Kaupapa Māori providers. This process will assist me to build meaningful relationships and help develop opportunities to mitigate the challenges faced by whānau and providers. From these interviews and literature review, the overarching goal of the project is to develop a Kaupapa Māori equity-based tool. It is hoped this approach will lead to the development of a Kaupapa Māori framework to evaluate and assess funding for whaikaha Māori through a co-design process.

This project explores the barriers Māori whānau face in accessing disability funding through New Zealand’s Needs Assessment and Coordination system. Combining a literature review with interviews of whānau and Kaupapa Māori providers, the research aims to build strong relationships and develop a Kaupapa Māori equity-based tool. Ultimately, this will support a co-designed framework to improve fair and culturally appropriate funding for whaikaha Māori.

Ētahi atu · Other projects

Research Programme

21-24RP01He oranga whānau: mahi ngātahi: Whānau livelihoods within the context of work and Māori economies of wellbeing
Kaiārahi · Project lead Professor Chellie Spiller
Whare wānanga · Host University of Waikato
Matakitenga · Framework
Wā rangahau · Timeline Commenced 2022 · Completed 2025

He oranga whānau: mahi ngātahi: Whānau livelihoods within the context of work and Māori economies of wellbeing. These groundbreaking works celebrate Māori futures rooted in kaupapa Māori values while fostering pathways for responsible relationships, meaningful lives, and flourishing Indigenous wellbeing economies. By emphasising the central role of whānau…

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Internship project

21-22INT10Investigating traditional mahinga kai practices of preservation throughout Aotearoa
Whare wānanga · Host University of Otago
Matakitenga · Framework
Wā rangahau · Timeline Commenced 2021 · Completed 2022

This internship compiled a database of traditional Māori food preservation practices to better understand archaeological midden sites and mahinga kai history. Working with Otago’s SPAR team, the project links historical knowledge with contemporary preservation techniques across Aotearoa.

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Doctoral thesis

22PHD03Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu: How do wahine Māori nurses utilise mātauranga Māori as a means to address health equity in Te Tai Tokerau?
Whare wānanga · Host Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Matakitenga · Framework
Wā rangahau · Timeline Commenced 2023 · Completed 2026

PHD Candidate: Coral Wiapo (Ngati Whātua) Primary Supervisor(s): Dr Sue Adams Work is underway in Te Tai Tokerau to strengthen the Māori nursing workforce by supporting kaimahi to enter the nursing profession; and registered nurses to advance their scope of practice to become nurse prescribers or nurse practitioners (NPs). Improving access to healthcare for…

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