About us

Otamatea Community Services (OCS) is a service agency housed in the Maungaturoto Community House, 155 Hurndall Street. Our hours are 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday.
Can we help

One of our primary services is to offer support for families and individuals, and to assist quickly where our tamariki/children may need help. Our vision is to empower families to create a safe and nurturing environment.

We started out as a small home-based service in Paparoa in the late 80s as part of a Government initiative to provide ‘Homebuilders’ community centres throughout the nation. The agency is made up of professionals and a team of volunteers, which includes the Governance Board.

OCS works closely and confidentially with other community agencies across the whole Kaipara District, from Tinopai in the west to Mangawhai in the east; from Dargaville in the north to Kaiwaka in the south - and everywhere in between.

We offer a wide range of counselling and community services with male and female facilitators and counsellors.

Our staff consists of trained and experienced professionals and dedicated volunteers.

We offer:

  • One to one, couple, and family/whanau counselling
  • Parent coaching  for children; birth to teenage
  • Social Work
  • Financial Mentoring in conjunction with any or all of the above services
  • Family Support in the home.

If you are seeking support, or would just like to come and see what we are about - call in, haere mai, we are happy to see you.

Team Profiles

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Damian Stansfield

Manager

Damian has a background in business and financial management and has a passion for seeing communities thrive. He believes in communities having access to relevent supportive services working toward a safe community enviroment for all. His goal to support the team at OCS to provide supportive and professional services, is the driving force behind the passion and vision for the agency to be in the community for the community.

Gail Barnett

Recpetion Intake

Gail has been a valuable member of the OCS for a number of years. She is passionate about being involved in supporting her community and brings her years of knowledge and work experience to her role. She is availble to discuss your needs or answer any queries you may have regarding our services along with offering a cup of tea should you want to drop in for a visit.

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Gail Blythen

Holistic Support

Gail is our Parent Coach and Support Worker available to assess your needs and organizes a wrap-around approach to your situation. She can support you with strategies for managing your parenting role or work with you on your individual needs. She can advocate for you when needing to access other suitable services more specific to your needs or when you have difficulty dealing with situations without adequate supports.

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Karen Cave

Social Work

Karen is a qualified social worker with a lot of experience working with families within communities and those engaged with government services. She can support families to navigate their way through difficult situations and offer supporting services both within OCS or refer you to a suitable agency able to support you on your journey.

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Mike Patterson

Financial Mentor

Mike and his team have the skills and qualifications to support you with making the right decisions for your financial future. Life can be very challenging when you are responsible for financial decisions for yourself and your family. Sometimes things do not go according to plan especially when events happen outside our control. You may feel you need to refocus on how to move forward and this is where our Financial Mentors can help.

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Lorna Hanson

Counsellor

Lorna has many years of experience working with clients impacted by a range of life's issues including family harm, mental health, relationship difficulties as well as working with children experiencing difficulties coping with their situations. Lorna is a fully qualified member of NZAC and is committed to improving her level of practice for the benefit of the clients she works with.

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Bridget Jochems

Counsellor

Bridget is one of our team of counsellors available to discuss your needs and support you through counselling. She is a member with New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) and uses her experience and background in education, combined with her counselling skills, to support others within the community toward a better future.

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Service Video

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Our Funders

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Support the community and become a volunteer today!

The vision of Otamatea Community Services Incorporated is to empower families to create a safe nurturing environment.