Reflective thinking shapes the programme to establish management systems and ensure continuous quality improvement.  Unique characteristics of Te Wana include the foundation Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi standards; core organisation and specific service delivery standards to customise the external assessments.

Te Wana emphasises continuous improvement and ongoing system development. Independent assessors are joined by trained peer reviewers to ensure current practice in the specific service delivery is understood. These features strengthen the sector, keep the programme costs reasonable, provide peer reviewers with professional development. This reinforces the depth and validity of our external accreditation.

Te Wana reviews provide assurance about safety and risk systems, offers guiding recommendations, and highlights achievements - going beyond a simple compliance audit model.

Our programme cycle follows key milestones typical of continuous quality improvement:
- internal review or self-assessment (by service and stakeholders)
- external review conducted by trained assessors and peer reviewers
- feedback (identifying strengths and areas for improvement)
- taking action (using a planned, systematic approach based on internal and external review)

The review cycle has four stages within a three-year period.
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Te Wana is chosen by a range of groups including Māori and Iwi services, Pacifika, Aboriginal, women's health, youth, primary health, mental health, community social services such as housing, and national lobbying organisations. The organisations vary in size from a few staff to hundreds, some with volunteer involvement. Over 80 organisations in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand have used Te Wana for their quality improvement programme.

Te Wana understands that every organisation and sector type is different and so offer a range of options. Organisations may be newly formed or have highly advanced quality systems; all organisations will benefit from the programme. Our flexible approach means there is no right or wrong way - we can customise a package to meet individual requirements and needs. Training and resources are provided to support you.

Te Wana is licensed with Accreditation Alliance Australia-New Zealand (AAA-NZ) which allows us to offer annual certification as well as a three-year accreditation.

AAA-NZ formed in 2010 when a group of quality consultants and assessors, from both nations, responded to primary health and social services sector concerns and feedback about duplications, reporting burdens and lack of acknowledgement of culture.

The alliance members have designed a standards framework to be contemporary, reducing duplication while maintaining the universal characteristics of a culture of quality and international accreditation protocols.

The standards have been assessed by ISQua, an international standards accreditation organisation and received praise for its design and two exceeded ratings for cultural content and quality improvement integration. Te Wana Trust is authorised to deliver the programme in Aotearoa and Australia.

Accreditation: Enabler of Change
Accreditation is a self-assessment and external review process used by organisations to accurately assess their level of performance in relation to established standards and to implement ways to continuously improve.

Fees:
Te Wana has a range of fees based on size, complexity and the number of full-time equivalent paid staff employed by the organisation.  They cover the cost of reviews, ongoing support and continued accreditation once achieved. Fees can range from $3,000 per annum to $50,000.

Contact us to discuss the specific fees for your organisation.