Te Tai-awa was originally established because a group of people felt that at a minimum Māori should have the right to choose kaupapa Māori social service delivery.  Our kaumātua were clear that because tikanga is inclusive everyone should have access to culturally appropriate services; so cultural competence has been a key component for us from the beginning, both in terms of how we provide our own services and in supporting others to do so as well.

Currently the three main types of assistance we provide externally are cultural social service supervision (Māori and Samoan), courses/workshops/consultation about working cross-culturally (in the social services, other areas such as health, education, local government and the community sector) and a website which can be used for self-directed learning – Culture Matters.