Following consultation with the Karori community, Plunket will begin negotiations with community members who have expressed an interest in taking over the operation of the Karori Plunket crèche.

Plunket’s Chief of Strategy and Performance Radha Balakrishnan says Plunket is committed to working with the Karori community to support the continuation of a sessional, community-operated crèche in Karori.

“Plunket understands the importance that the Karori community places on the crèche – and the consultation process has confirmed this. To allow time for negotiations to proceed with minimal impact for children attending the crèche, the interim crèche service will be extended until the end of Term 1, 2019.

“Plunket will be seeking to conclude negotiations for transfer of the crèche service by 30 November 2018, to provide certainty for the Karori community. If we are unable to reach agreement, we will have to close the Karori crèche at the completion of Term 1, 2019.

“The crèche enrolment roll will be opened as soon as is practicable.

“All other Plunket services, including the Plunket Nurse and Plunket in Neighbourhood (PIN) services, will continue. The consultation identified that these services are highly valued by the community. The consultation process has been valuable and we will be using this process again with other communities around New Zealand when consultation is required.”

Spokesperson for the Karori Community Advisory Group that guided the consultation, Blair Renwick, says the Plunket consultation has provided insight into what Karori families need and value the most.

“The consultation provides a platform to plan for the future, providing an enduring, impactful and targeted provision of services for families and children under five. The consultation also highlighted the value of partnering with communities for greater effect,” Mr Renwick said.

The Karori Under Fives Consultation was held over June and July this year to clearly identify how Plunket can provide the most positive impact in Karori. Almost 450 people participated in the consultation, which incorporated individual interviews, consultation meetings, an online survey, workshops and playgroup visits.

“In due course, Plunket will be exploring the idea of a community hub, which attracted considerable support during the consultation, although negotiation for continuation of the Karori crèche is the current priority,” Ms Balakrishnan says.

The consultation report delivered last week indicated that:

• The Plunket Nurse and Plunket Community Health Worker are the most valued services in Karori, and provide peace of mind and reassurance for families with children under five.
• The crèche is valued by the Karori community because it offers flexible, reasonably-priced care that is provided by experienced teachers.
• Karori families value Plunket’s comprehensive range of services – especially PlunketLine, PIN (Plunket in Neighbourhood) coffee groups and home visits.
• Plunket provides a supportive community environment in Karori, linking parents and supporting those who are isolated.
• The community would welcome better access to Plunket services not currently available in Karori, such as PEPE (Parenting Education Programme) and other Plunket courses, and particularly lactation consultant advice.
• The Karori community would welcome a hub that provides family services (including Plunket services and the crèche) at one site.

The Community Advisory Group that guided the consultation included local Plunket volunteers, members of the Karori community, crèche parents and local Plunket staff.

The Karori Under Fives Consultation report is available here.

For more details please contact Plunket Communications: 04 460 4680

0 Comments Posted by Plunket on 10 August 2018