NZCare Disability to take over home-based support services

Media statement

Healthcare of New Zealand Holdings Ltd. (HealthCare NZ)

For immediate release

NZCare Disability to take over home-based support services from IDEA Services

HealthCare NZ is pleased to advise that it has reached an agreement with IDEA Services regarding IDEA Services’ exit from its contract for home support for people with intellectual disabilities. HealthCare NZ’s specialist disability provider NZCare Disability will deliver these services when IDEA Services exits.

NZCare Disability and IDEA Services will work closely together over the coming weeks and months to transition people over so that their support can continue uninterrupted. NZCare Disability will provide support in all areas IDEA Services currently provides support.

“We’re very pleased to be welcoming this group of people and their family/whānau into our services. We understand the anxiety that people and their families/whanāu have experienced and are committed to working with both IDEA Services and the Needs Assessment and Service Coordination agencies (NASCs) to make the transition as seamless as possible,” said Vicki Stewart, General Manager, NZCare Disability.

“One of our main focuses will be on maintaining relationships with people, their family/whānau and their support workers. As an experienced provider of disability support services, we understand the importance of these relationships and are working towards bringing many of IDEA Services’ support workers over to our employment, so that these relationships can continue where possible.”

Vicki Stewart confirmed that any support worker who transitions to HealthCare NZ’s employment will keep their existing employment terms and conditions.

“We appreciate that there has been a period of uncertainty for affected staff and we want to assure them they will be welcomed into our organisation, and that their employment terms and conditions will be maintained. We will also be talking to any staff that transition to us about opportunities to work across some of our other disability support or home based services.”

People affected will be receiving further information about the transition very shortly, via letters and community meetings.

“We are working on transferring people and staff over region by region, and will be discussing this directly with everyone affected. There will be no gap in support for people, as IDEA Services will continue to provide support until people transfer over,” Vicki Stewart said.

NZCare Disability is an experienced provider of disability support services in New Zealand and has been providing these services for over 25 years. This service will be delivered in partnership with its community support partner Healthcare NZ Community Health, which supports 18,000 people throughout New Zealand.

For more information people can visit www.healthcarenz.co.nz or call 0800 000 630.

ENDS

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