The Open Home Foundation of New Zealand was established in 1977 by Ewen and Gillian Laurenson. Following their difficult experience in running a Social Welfare family home, they began to develop a network of Christian Foster families as an alternative for children and young people placed in Department of Social Welfare care.
The work began in the Laurenson's Johnsonville home with a small group of supporters and within a short period of time, it began to develop in other parts of New Zealand.
In 1986, because of rapid growth, Open Home Foundation became a national organisation.
Both Ewen and Gillian were awarded the Queen's Service Medal for their service to Foster Care in New Zealand in 1995.
In 1991 Open Home Foundation was invited to begin a ministry in India. This led to the development of Open Home Foundation International (OHFI) run by Ewen and Gillian. In 2012 Michael Bravenboer became the Director OHFI. They currently work in partnership with people and organisations in India, Romania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and other countries. To find out more about the international work you can visit their website www.ohfint.co.nz
Fresh Perspective
ANZASW (Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers)
Fostering Kids (New Zealand Family and Foster Care Federation)
Children's Commissioner
CYF (Child, Youth and Family)
Social Service Providers Aotearoa
The Parenting Place
Grapevine Magazine
Porirua Living Without Violence
Privacy Commissioner
Compassion for Orphans
Open Home Foundation International
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ
Signs of Safety
Auckland | Bay of Plenty | Canterbury | Waikato/Hauraki | Hawkes Bay | Manawatu | Marlborough | National Office | Nelson | Otago/Southland | Rotorua | Taranaki | Wairarapa | Wanganui | Wellington
Auckland Service Centre
Tel: 09 634 2057
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Practice Manager: Wendy Barthow
Bay of Plenty Service Centre
14a Elder Lane
Bethlehem
Tauranga 3110
Tel: 07 579 2840
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Practice Manager: Brooke Dawson
Canterbury Service Centre
Level 1, 370 Colombo Street, Sydenham
PO Box 7455, Sydenham
Christchurch 8240
Tel: 03 366 5977
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Practice Manager: Sue McTague
Waikato/Hauraki Service Centre
Level 7
11 Garden Place
Cnr Alexandra St & Caro St
Hamilton Central
Hamilton 3204
PO Box 270
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240
Tel: 07 847 2607
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Practice Manager: Kathryn Jacoby
Hawke's Bay Service Centre
306 Nelson Street South
PO Box 14067
Mayfair
Hastings 4159
Tel: 06 878 6682
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Practice Manager: Polly Walker
Manawatu Service Centre
Level 5
142 The Square
Cnr Rangitikei St & The Square
PO Box 1710
Palmerston North 4440
Tel: 06 358 4024
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Practice Manager: Celeste Bezuidenhout
Marlborough Service Centre
71 Litchfield Street, Redwoodtown
PO Box 528
Blenheim 7201
Tel: 03 578 0807
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Practice Manager: Jennifer Bennett-Burrows
National Office
Level 1, 46 - 50 Railway Avenue
PO Box 31 036
Lower Hutt 5040
Tel: 04 586 1077
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Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive: Michelle Butcher
Nelson Service Centre
10D Kotua Place
Wakatu Estate
PO Box 2282
Stoke
Nelson 7041
Tel: 03 545 9172
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Practice Manager: Juliana Croukamp
Otago/Southland Service Centre
Ground Floor
13 Esk Street
Invercargill 9840
Tel: 03 213 5555
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Practice Manager: Ros Harrington
Rotorua Service Centre
1239 Haupapa Street
PO Box 587
Rotorua 3040
Tel: 07 348 8009
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Practice Manager: Erika Raubenheimer
Taranaki Service Centre
212 Coronation Avenue
PO Box 208
New Plymouth 4340
Tel: 06 758 9971
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Practice Manager: Laura Brits
Wairarapa Service Centre
81 Lincoln Road
PO Box 278
Masterton 5840
Tel: 06 378 2195
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Practice Manager: Jacob Verbeek
Wanganui Service Centre
269 St Hill Street
PO Box 7343
Wanganui 4500
Tel: 06 345 7043
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Practice Manager: Maggie Hitchcock
Wellington Service Centre
Level 2
119 Queens Drive
PO Box 44057
Lower Hutt 5040
Tel: 04 566 3990
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Practice Manager: Louis Witbooi
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you are receiving from OHF you should first discuss this with your Social Worker. If you are not happy with their response then you should contact the Practice Manager at your local Service Centre.
If your complaint is still not resolved to your satisfaction then you can write to the Chief Executive of the Open Home Foundation at our National Office, PO Box 31 036, Lower Hutt.
If you remain unsatisfied then you can complain to the Chairperson of the Board of the Open Home Foundation, C/- P O Box 31 036, Lower Hutt.
If your complaint involves a social worker who is a member of ANZASW then you can make a complaint directly to them by writing to the The Complaints Convenor, ANZASW, DX Box WX 33 484, Christchurch 8042 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If your complaint involves a Social Worker who is registered under the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 then the compliant will be referred to the Social Workers Registration Board in the first instance.
Open Home Foundation has developed a Social Work Kaupapa that reflects its commitment to working collaboratively with families and whānau in a strengths based and culturally appropriate way that prioritizes child safety and promotes family well-being/whānau mauri ora.
+ Factor
The Open Home Foundation social work staff have a common belief in Christ and a commitment to providing a professional social work service that reflects an integration of their faith and professional skills.
Open Home Foundation’s engagement in social service comes from a perspective and long tradition of Christian social action where we place Jesus Christ at the centre of each intervention into the life of the family/whānau. Because of this centrality of Christ, we expect and experience evidence in our social service of God creating a spiritual environment which encourages safety, healing and positive change.
This is the + Factor. The OHF Christian Approach to Social Work has a Christ centred and biblically based world view that includes the following frameworks of social work practice: Signs of Safety; Strengths; Solution Focused; Narrative; and Ecosystem.
Te Aho Takitoru
Te Aho Takitoru supports whānau on a Journey of Hope to discover their rangatiratanga (ability) to make the changes they believe necessary to promote whānau wellbeing.
This journey is taken in three stages:
Powhiri (engagement in collaborative partnership);
Hui (addressing the issues together), and
Waka (undertaking their planned journey of change).
A Kōpū (matrix) of nine Te Ao Māori life principles Tapu, Whakapapa, Tūmanako, Houhanga Rongo, Mauri Īhu, Aroha, Kotahitanga, Mana and Whakapono is used to provide whānau with a framework to shape their perspective about the problem and its solution.
Te Aho Takitoru enables social workers to work with whānau Māori in a culturally appropriate manner using intervention strategies generated from Māori knowledge and world-view.
Signs of Safety
Signs of Safety is a social work practice framework developed by Andrew Turnell and Steve Edwards, and adopted by Open Home Foundation. Andrew is an independent Social Worker, Family Therapist, and Child Protection Consultant who lives in Perth. Open Home Foundation maintains a relationship with him in a training and mentoring capacity. The Signs of Safety framework assists Social Workers and family/whānau to process and organise the information gathered in the assessment and on an ongoing basis throughout the work with the family/whānau.
This framework seeks to identify the family/whānau strengths and resources and utilise these to improve safety and manage the concerns or dangers that are identified. Searching for detail is critical. The Social Worker maintains the position that the family/whānau is capable of change and is open minded, approaching them as partners in building safety for their children and young people.
By acknowledging the concerns and desires of the family/whānau, a solution orientated and safety focused outcome can be achieved.
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry is used in conjunction with Signs of Safety. Appreciative Inquiry explores with the person “what has gone well?” We are all good at talking about what does not work but every family/whānau will have something that is working well and identifying this gives the opportunity to build on their knowledge and experience of the present situation.
Exploring the detail of what is working well can reinforce a different way of responding and behaving towards the family/whānau and reinforces for the family/whānau the position that Open Home Foundation wants to acknowledge what is going well. By focusing on change and searching for the detail through the use of appreciative inquiry, social workers will work with the family/whānau towards establishing obtainable goals and building collaboration.
Appreciative Inquiry is also used in supervision and working with OHF foster parents.
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