23/10/2025
💨Whakatairanga 2025 – Elevating the Heart of Home Care 🌊
Thank you to everyone who braved the wild Wellington weather to join us yesterday at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa for our HCHA Whakatairanga | ELEVATE event. Despite the storms, the energy in the room was nothing short of inspiring.
It was an absolute privilege to hear from Simeon Brown MP, Minister of Health, who-despite being one of the busiest men in Wellington that day-stayed to hand out our awards and share in our celebration. We deeply appreciated his warmth, humour, and recognition that home and community care is a wise investment in preventative wellbeing- a key part of the essential infrastructure that keeps people well, connected, and living with dignity.
We were also fortunate to have thought-provoking presentations from Mark Powell, Acting Director of Ageing Well at Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora, and an exceptional leadership keynote from Sir Ashley Bloomfield KNZM CMInstD. Their insights and authenticity reminded us of both the complexity and the deep humanity of leadership in care. What resonated most for me was the reminder that true leadership begins with listening; being open to the voices of those doing the mahi, valuing their expertise, and having the wisdom, humility, and trust to translate that knowledge into meaningful action for a brighter, more equitable future for our most vulnerable.
Among many other highlights were inspiring contributions from Prof. Matthew Parsons and Carolyn Stewart (University of Waikato), Tom Symondson (Ageing Australia), Lotta Dann (Blueprint for Learning), Poornima Ramjee (ACC), Cathy Cummings (DAA Group), and Alastair Hill (MSD).
💫 Our case study winners shone brightly: Pacific Homecare, Tlc4u2 Limited, RDNS New Zealand, Te Kōhao Health, Enliven Maximising Independence Presbyterian Support Northern, Healthvision, - showcasing the everyday miracles happening in homes and communities across Aotearoa. Their stories show that every soul our members support feels the impact, every whānau sees the value, and their mahi touches countless lives.
Each ripple of your work carries purpose, one life at a time.
To all our HCHA providers, thank you for your aroha, your courage to be kind, and your unwavering commitment to keeping people well.
We have much mahi ahead, and collaborations but we are surrounded by extraordinary people doing it!