Hospice West Auckland has appointed its first Kaiārahi – Cultural Lead, Wyllowe Poata. Wyllowe joined Hospice in 2023 as Learning and Development Advisor, and is now breaking ground in her new role leading the organisation’s cultural initiatives.
The appointment of this key leadership role reinforces HWA’s commitment to honouring and enriching cultural values throughout the organisation. “We are leading by example in promoting cultural competence in all aspects of our services,” explains Dean Kelly, CEO of Hospice West Auckland. “At Hospice we have a patient-centred approach – putting the patient and their whānau at the heart of everything we do. It’s about providing the best specialist palliative care that respects and cherishes a person’s culture, whatever that may be. The appointment of Wyllowe as Kaiārahi – Cultural Lead is enhancing that.”
Wyllowe is an ideal fit for this new role. While her whānau is from up north near Taupo Bay, she has spent her whole life in West Auckland. “This is my opportunity to give back to the community that raised me,” she says. “It’s a legacy we are carving and I’m so proud to be part of it. We’re leaving our culture in a better place.”
Initially she will concentrate on Te Ao Māori at Hospice West Auckland before focusing on the many other cultures prevalent in the community. “Te Ao Māori is close to my heart, being Māori myself, and I believe that we can’t improve our support and understanding of other cultures until we first do that for our indigenous people.”
In the short-term, Wyllowe’s role will involve: Rangatiratanga – putting a cultural lens on policies and processes across the organisation; Whanaungatanga – developing and strengthening the connections that Hospice West Auckland has with Kaupapa Māori services and the community to raise awareness and educate about palliative care; and Mātauranga – educating the HWA team to feel more comfortable and competent by embedding foundational information and knowledge.
“Some of the best advice I’ve been given is to be open and willing to learn about other cultures, and seek guidance from others because you can’t be an expert in everything – so don’t try to be!” she says. “In time I hope that we will have representatives from all of West Auckland’s major ethnicities providing guidance and expertise.”
Wyllowe has already begun liaising with cultural advisors at other Hospices, learning the approaches and initiatives they are undertaking to improve cultural competency in their organisations. She was fortunate to attend the Hospice New Zealand Kaimahi Hui, staying on the Ōnuku Marae in Akaroa. “There were speakers from all over New Zealand talking about the amazing things we are doing to support our Māori community,” she explains.
This is an exciting step in HWA’s commitment to delivering the highest standard of care to patients and families. “It’s great to see so much passion for sharing our culture,” says Wyllowe. “My goal is to gently interweave Te Ao Māori into our Western model of healthcare – it will be challenging but we’ll tackle it gradually to build knowledge and confidence. It’s a new journey that I’m taking alongside the organisation.”
