The Significance of He Taumata

Purpose of He Taumata

The purpose of this website is to centralise all infrastructure services and support, for a unique workforce commissioned to minimise and prevent gambling harm. It seeks to establish a central reference point for all staff or kaimahi, no matter what skills or expertise they possess. It is a place where one might engage opportunities, with the best interests of those they represent, in mind.

Meaning

He Taumata in certain parts, is understood to be a group of representatives or spokes people for a particular party, the leading expertise and skills of a collective, who undertake to lead, protect and engage others in search of unique opportunities. It has also been likened to an orators bench, where one might attain certain ambitions or fulfilment. It is said that by resting upon this bench and casting ones eye to the horizon or across to neighbouring maunga, that opportunities and aspirations may be identified with acute awareness.

Background

The name was offered by Te Kakano (Public Health Workforce Development) in the form of a whakatauki or thought:

“He taumata, He wharenui”

Its meaning is explained in this way:

There is value in gathering upon the tops of mountains, as the outlook and perspectives gained at such heights, exceed the limitations of a wharenui.

Further wananga or advice from our cultural advisor was met with an agreement, that this name would be appropriate and suitable for the encouragement of best practice in the field of minimising gambling harm. The images this description invokes, aligns with the purpose of the website and reinforce the influence of an interactive digital environment. A place that will draw in those in search of distinction, where future prospects may be identified and explored. The ability to recognise these opportunities, requires that individual capacity is elevated, thus improving ones sight or aspirations for excellence.

Who are we?

The infrastructure services are a collective of teams who aim to strengthen the capacity of the gambling harm workforce and to support all Ministry of health gambling harm service providers of Aotearoa, New Zealand. This unique group of individuals seek to reduce the prevalence and impact of gambling harm to the diverse populations of New Zealand. The National Coordination Service (NCS) provides the role of coordination within the infrastructure services, which includes The Health Promotion Agency’s ‘Choice Not Chance team’, Te Kakano’s problem gambling workforce development and Abacus’s problem gambling intervention service support. Together they have established a single Minimising Gambling Harm website that serves as a hub of information and resources for those working to address gambling harm.

What are we about?

This website seeks to enrich the experience of searching and finding information about gambling harm reduction, we are doing this by avoiding duplication, centralising information and increasing connectivity across the sector infrastructure services. The sharing of information and messages between Ministry, Infrastructure services and the Gambling harm workforce will be a key function of the site and we look forward to the journey ahead.

What do we hope to achieve?

This website is the result of our collective will to make a difference in the lives of those tasked with minimising and preventing gambling harm to individuals, family and communities of Aotearoa New Zealand. We hope to inspire future change makers using digital technology and information sharing tools in an online environment. We will make available to all staff of the problem gambling service provider network, high quality tools and mechanisms to support the delivery of services which are strong, relevant, useful and innovative. We believe the process of quality improvement to be an endless cycle of perpetual learning, it is our collective goal to support the public health and clinical workforce to achieve their outcome of preventing and minimising gambling harm.