REFERRAL AGENCIES
Make a Referral
Click one of the buttons below to refer someone to one of our free programmes.
FAMILY START
A home-visiting programme for whānau in Manukau/Franklin, who have a child up to 12 months old or a pregnant mum.
INCREDIBLE YEARS
A free 14-week course in Manukau where mums and dads can learn effective parenting strategies for 3- to 8-year-olds.
FATHERS FOR FAMILIES
A ground-breaking course, peer- support group & fitness programme, for fathers who want to be the best they can be for their whānau .
FSM is a family wellbeing social services provider based in South Auckland. Our core focus is to improve intergenerational parenting. In other words, we work with whānau to overcome barriers which prevent their children – and subsequent generations - from enjoying a successful future.
Over the years, we have developed trusted relationships with whānau in some of the most complex communities in Auckland, and manage a large geographical area covering Manukau and Franklin. Most of our work is centred on helping parents break negative intergenerational-cycles, but their children’s welfare is at the heart of our work – the child is always the client!
We are extremely proud of the life changing work we do, but we can only help our whānau achieve their goals with the support of local and national organisations like yours. So from the 60 staff here at FSM, and on behalf of the whānau we work with, we would like to thank you for your support.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he tao takimano
My strength is not that of an individual but that of the collective
About Us
Family Success Matters is an NGO founded in 2005 by: Te Kupenga, Hoturoa Charitable Trust, Ta Pasefika Health Trust and Royal NZ Plunket Society Inc.
We are now funded to provide the largest Family Start Programme in New Zealand, to over 600 families within the Manukau and Franklin area. We have also been awarded Ministry of Social Development’s Level 2 Social Sector accreditation standards, Te Wana Quality accreditation and Baby Friendly Community Initiative accreditation.
What We Do
Our core offering is to provide confidential, intensive home-based whānau support services.
We enable and support whānau to set and meet their goals as a family in areas of health, parent education and social wellbeing.
Provide information and practical support to help whānau navigate difficulties, and be an advocate for their aspirations with other agencies.
Link parent, baby and family to extra support services in the community or government agencies.
Deliver programmes and peer support groups that help parents create a better future for their tamariki.
Deliver culturally appropriate services via our multilingual and multicultural staff.
Programmes
We deliver three key programmes and added value support services that are interwoven to create robust wrap-around family social services.
Family Start
An intensive home-visiting programme for whānau in Manukau and Franklin, who have a child up to 2 years old or a mum who is pregnant. This is an evidence-based programme with a proven track record of improving the wellbeing of whānau and their children. Our skillful social workers can support the family for up to five years.Incredible Years
A 14-week course where mums and dads can learn effective parenting strategies for 3- to 8-year-olds. Most of the referrals are sent from Family Start, Fathers for Families, and other NGOs.Fathers for Families
This is a groundbreaking 10-week fathers' programme and continuous mentoring peer support group designed and owned by FSM. It combines self-discovery, personal healing, emotional management, goal planning, and parenting skills. This successful programme has run for the last seven years in South Auckland, reaching thousands of men and achieving enormous breakthroughs. The programme has now been launched as an independent charity The Fathers for Families Foundation.
Added Value Support Services
Children’s Safety Lead Services — Experienced social workers who create cross-agency coordination of plans to simplify the lives of our whānau.
Kaumatua Support Services — Creating cultural advice and support for our staff and whānau.
Quality Assurance Services — FSM has a Practice Development Leader ensuring best practice and staff development. All social workers have clinical supervision and the support of a highly skilled panel for complex cases.
Our programmes
Why work with FSM?
We have 15 years of experience gaining trust and delivering social work services to whānau in South Auckland.
We carefully recruit our multicultural staff so that they can offer the best and most culturally appropriate services to our whānau.
We are trusted by New Zealand’s largest referral agencies - like NZ Police & Oranga Tamariki.
Our team of social workers and family wellbeing navigators are supported with a Supervisor, Practice Development Manager, Children’s Services Coordinator and expert panel.
We manage the largest Family Start Contract in New Zealand.
Our CEO trained as a nurse and was the National Operations Manager of Plunket.
FSM has secured MSD’s Level 2 Social Sector Accreditation Standards and Te Wana Quality accreditation.
Eligibility Update for Referral Agencies: Please note there have been changes to the eligibility criteria for Family Start. In "exceptional circumstances", a preschool child over the age of one or even two may be accepted onto the programme. Our FSM Family Start managers can now approve these "exceptional circumstances" independently. So, if you have a client, that you are particularly worried about and would like to discuss their case with us please call 0800 FAM START or email leainnen@fsm.org.nz
If this is your first time using our services, we encourage you to get in touch to discuss the best option for your clients. It’s always best to gain consent from your client before making a referral, but if that hasn’t been possible for any reason, please let us know.