Increasing access: How we’re helping whānau navigate ACC
We’ve taken another step in helping whānau navigate our services by welcoming 15 new providers to Te Ara Tūhono, which provides free, independent advice to Māori on accessing ACC.
Our kaupapa Māori navigation service, Te Ara Tūhono, has doubled its offering, welcoming 15 new service providers.
The growth of Te Ara Tūhono will allow us to provide support to more kiritaki Māori (Māori clients) in more communities, offering accessible local advice to whānau who may need extra assistance in navigating the ACC scheme.
A total of 30 kaupapa Māori providers are now delivering the service in 12 rohe (regions) across the motu, giving our kiritaki Māori technically correct advice, in a culturally appropriate way, through an easy-to-access and trusted provider.
“Seeing our first rōpū (group) of Te Ara Tūhono providers in action over the last 18 months has demonstrated how this model is contributing towards greater equity for our kiritaki Māori,” says Lucy McKimm, Portfolio Manager for Resolution Services.
The new providers are enabling support to reach hapori (communities) in a further seven rohe, including expanding to Te Waipounamu for the first time. By the end of 2026, ACC plans to find suitable providers for Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and the West Coast.
“Having improved coverage with these additional providers was always a goal,” Lucy says.
“But the real goal is being able to awhi (help) more Māori to navigate the ACC scheme and access good quality information in a way that resonates with them culturally through Te Ara Tūhono.”
Te Ara Tūhono: ‘The connecting path’
Established in 2023 as an expansion of our existing universal Navigation Service, Te Ara Tūhono means ‘the connecting path’.
ACC was gifted this beautiful ingoa Māori (Māori name) by a group of mātauranga Māori experts within our kaupapa Māori providers, working directly with hapori and kiritaki Māori.
The name encapsulates the connecting pathway our service provides to improve the experiences of Māori and their whānau when they access our services and support.
Te Ara Tūhono is part of our commitment to improving awareness, access and hauora (health) outcomes for our kiritaki and whānau Māori, creating a more equitable ACC for Māori and all New Zealanders.
The service is available to kiritaki Māori who may find ACC difficult to navigate or want extra help with their ACC claim or complaint.
Kiritaki can connect directly with a Te Ara Tūhono provider for free, independent support. This could include advice, assistance navigating ACC, offering additional information to support them when making decisions or helping connect them to appropriate support within ACC.
Unlike our universal navigation service, Te Ara Tūhono providers are based regionally, allowing kiritaki to receive relevant local advice and connect kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face).
As Māori owned and led organisations, our providers are the key to us connecting with hapori Māori to better serve whānau. They were chosen for their cultural competence, their connection to their hapori and their organisational alignment to this mahi, such as providing other health-related services in their communities.
Information on Te Ara Tūhono
- Our data shows Māori are more likely to experience serious life-changing injuries but are 36 per cent less likely to lodge a claim with ACC compared to non-Māori
- Māori make up 17.1 per cent of the population in Aotearoa New Zealand but account for only 12.5 per cent of all ACC claims
- To date, Te Ara Tūhono has supported 3,749 kiritaki Māori since the service began in July 2023
- We now have 30 providers delivering the service in 12 rohe
- Te Ara Tūhono is now available in Te Waipounamu
You can find more information about Te Ara Tūhono, including our list of available providers, on our website.
