More than 1,200 support workers across Auckland could lose their jobs after Health New Zealand decided not to award home and community support contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to community-based, not-for-profit providers Visionwest, Lifewise and Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN).
Together, these organisations have been providing high-quality, home-based services to people who live alone for many years. PSN itself has been providing home-based support services since 2002.
Staff affected include frontline support workers, nurses and care coordinators responsible for organising and overseeing services that support older and vulnerable New Zealanders to live in their own homes.
The contracts cover home and community support services across Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitematā, where the three organisations currently support around 4,500 older people and disabled New Zealanders.
The decision to not award a contract to these organisations follows the recent release of the independent Aged Care Ministerial Advisory Group’s final report, A Place to Grow Old: Securing the Future of Aged Care. Its 40 recommendations include creating a more integrated and sustainable system, strengthening home and community support services, and enabling more older New Zealanders to remain independent in their own homes for longer.
PSN Chief Executive Shaun Greaves said the organisations brought many decades of combined experience, deep local knowledge and trusted relationships with the people and communities we serve.
“At the very time the Ministerial Advisory Group is calling for in-home care to be scaled up and for more effective contracting arrangements, this decision risks dismantling trusted services, relationships and workforce capability built up over decades.
“We chose to bid together because combining our local knowledge and specialist expertise with regional scale offered the strongest model for helping people remain independent in their own homes. We are disappointed by the outcome and concerned about what could be lost,” Greaves said.
“The impact on each organisation is significant, with PSN’s Enliven Health & Disability service contract alone worth approximately $19 million a year and directly affecting around 320 PSN employees,” he said.
Visionwest Chief Executive Lisa Woolley said when the Government called for a collaborative approach, we stepped forward in good faith, bringing our experience, relationships, and commitment to communities across the North.
“There are substantial implications for the people we serve and the dedicated staff who walk alongside them every day. At this moment, our focus is on our clients, our people, and ensuring that compassion, continuity, and care remain at the heart of what happens next,” she said.
Lifewise Chief Executive Pam Elgar ONZM said the decision could also have consequences beyond the home and community support contracts themselves.
“For Lifewise, this is about our mission to stand alongside vulnerable people, supporting them to live with dignity, connection and independence in their own homes and communities.
“Home support is not just a service contract; it is part of a wider network of trusted relationships, local knowledge and wraparound support that helps people and whānau stay safe, well and connected.
“Our organisations are deeply embedded in the communities we serve. Decisions of this nature should recognise the full human and community impact of trusted local providers.” Pam Elgar said.
Shaun Greaves adds: “We asked Health NZ to reconsider the outcome and pursued all avenues available to us, but they upheld their decision."