Here Toitū

Here Toitū is an empowering service that helps you recognise your potential to achieve your goals and aspirations by helping you find or maintain meaningful work, study or volunteer experience, improving your wellbeing and whānaungatanga.

There are two services within the Here Toitū programme – read about each of them below to find the one that’s right for you:

Standard Here Toitū service
Responding Early service

Standard Here Toitū service – supporting you to achieve your goals and find employment

To take part in the Here Toitū standard service, you must:

- Be between 18 and 64 years old
- Have a medical certificate (or be in the process of obtaining one)
- Currently receive a benefit from the Ministry of Social Development
- Have a GP in the Christchurch area
- Give your permission to take part in the Here Toitū service.

What will I get out of the programme?

This programme will help you into work or study, if you have health issues and you are receiving a benefit from Work and Income.

A Kaimanaaki will walk alongside you on your journey and support you in setting your goals. These goals can be anything that matters to you and your whānau (family), like your health, wellbeing, study, training and work.

They will then connect you with services and organisations that can help you achieve your goals. They will also introduce you to the Here Toitū Kaitohutohu (Work and Income Advisor), who can assist you with things like managing your money.

Responding Early service – supporting you to manage your wellbeing and stay in employment

To take part in the Responding Early service, you must:

Be aged between 16 and 64 years old
Be working full or part-time (includes self-employed)
Be living with a health condition or disability that is affecting your ability to work, or you are at risk of losing your job.
Your health condition is impacting your ability to work and/or you are at risk of losing your job
Have a GP in the Christchurch area
Give your permission to take part in the Responding Early programme.

What will I get out of the programme?

This is an employment service that can help you if you have a job but might lose your job because of a health condition or disability. The aim is to support your health and wellbeing, so that you can keep your job.

You will work with a Kaimanaaki (Health Navigator) and a Work Retention Specialist.

Connect with the Here Toitū service

Anyone can complete the referral form:

Refer yourself using the form below.
Talk to your health provider (GP, Practice Nurse, Māori Health Provider) and ask them to refer you to Here Toitū.
Talk to anyone who is supporting you (e.g. counsellor, Partnership Community Worker, etc.) and ask them, with your consent, to refer you to Here Toitū.