Support work initiatives

This evaluation assesses the reach, use, and impact of Te Pou’s 2025–26 support worker resources, including a webpage, short films, podcasts, e-learning modules, and discussion tools, and explores the factors that enable successful uptake across organisations.

This summary highlights what is working well, what we are learning and how the support work resources can be used most effectively. The results reflect early engagement and feedback collected between June 2025 and May 2026,

This paper presents key findings from the focus groups and a literature scan undertaken to better understand the learning and development needs of support workers responding to the complex needs of tāngata whai ora and whānau.

This document summarises key findings from a series of focus groups held with support workers and their managers in June 2022. The information will be used to inform future workforce development initiatives for support workers.

This literature review summarises useful information about support worker scopes of practice to inform conversations with the mental health and addiction sector.

Platform Trust and Te Pou published Fast Track A discussion paper: challenges and opportunities for the mental health and addiction community support workforce which highlights some of the key issues for the further development of the support workforce

Support Worker Professional Development Grants are specifically for support workers providing mental health and addiction support employed in a publicly funded non-government organisation (NGO). This is a summary of the grants awarded in 2025 for study in 2026.

This report summarises the feedback from the recipients of the 2024 grants upon completing their learning activities, highlighting the impact on their knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Support Worker Professional Development Grants are specifically for support workers providing mental health and addiction support employed in a publicly funded non-government organisation (NGO). This is a summary of the grants awarded in 2024 for study in 2025.

This report summarises the feedback from the recipients of the 2023 grants upon completing their learning activities, highlighting the impact on their knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Support Worker Professional Development Grants are specifically for support workers providing mental health and addiction support employed in a publicly funded non-government organisation (NGO). This is a summary of the grants funded in 2023.

Learning resources for support workers from Te Pou and Blueprint for Learning including e-learnings, in-person and online workshops, and other training resources, such as guides, videos and templates.

In June 2024, Te Pou hosted a series of online webinars for support workers working in mental health and addiction services. We gathered feedback from people who attended the webinars through before-and-after webinar polls. The feedback has been summarised into an evaluation report.

In November and December 2023, Te Pou hosted a series of online webinars for support workers working in mental health and addiction services. We gathered feedback from people who attended the webinars through before-and-after webinar polls. The feedback has been summarised into an evaluation report.

In October and November 2022, Te Pou hosted a series of online webinars for support workers working in mental health and addiction services. We gathered feedback from people who attended the webinars through before-and-after webinar polls. The feedback has been summarised into an evaluation report.

We spoke with Yellow Brick Road NZ, a national organisation that provides mental health support for families who have a loved one experiencing mental health challenges.

We spoke with Tautoko Tāne Aotearoa, a federal network comprising a national body and regional Member Organisations who provide support services to their local male survivor communities.

We spoke with Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust, a peer-governed and peer-led organisation striving to help members of our community who are at risk of, or affected by, suicide.

This report summarises the feedback received from people who completed the Supervision Skills Training for Health and Social Service Professionals between August 2022 and June 2023.

This resource summarises information about supervision relevant to mental health and addiction support workers. It is based on a literature review undertaken in January 2022. The information will be used to inform future Te Pou initiatives for the support workforce.

This resource looks at how supervision can assist the support workforce to provide effective, safe and quality services.

This report summarised feedback from people who attended the Māhuri Tōtara summits in 2024 and responded to the post summit feedback survey.

This report summarised feedback from people who attended the Māhuri Tōtara summit in 2023 and responded to the post summit feedback survey, as well as from those who received grant funding.