WēBē: Wellbeing and equity for whānau

WēBē has several meanings which symbolise its kaupapa (purpose).

  • We Being - This refers to ‘we being together’. It is about togetherness as opposed to ‘us and them’. WēBē’s work is to increase inclusiveness, reduce inequities, and bridge the gap between Western science and Te Ao Māori.

  • Wee Bee - Symbolises small bees, working hard together to make a difference. Bees make a major contribution to the service of the whole environment. They dance ‘maps’ to show each other how to find the sweet nectar.

  • WellBeing - WēBē is about wellbeing and addressing the underlying social determinants of wellbeing.

  • WēBē includes ‘web’ which symbolises the interconnectedness of our relationships, health, environment, and systems.

Dr Sarah Hayward

Founder and Principal of WēBē

Sarah specialises in working in inclusive ways at the interface between te ao Māori and Western science. Most of her research has been in partnership with Māori and Pacific peoples to inform policy and service design.

  • Sarah’s previous role was the Principal Advisor and Head of the New Zealand Behavioural Insights Team (BIT-NZ), which is a global social impact company. In this role, she led a small team applying behavioural insights to a wide range of social sector projects, for example: supporting border workers and whānau to stay safe against COVID-19; reducing recycling contamination; getting jobseekers back into work faster; and reducing injuries amongst frontline ambulance staff. She was responsible for leading BIT-Asia Pacific's corporate priority to reduce inequities and increase the organisation's responsiveness and social impact with respect to indigenous populations.

    She has a long history of working biculturally and applying a te ao Māori lens in her previous work as Principal Advisor Development, Monitoring and Investigations at the Office of the Children's Commissioner. Her role was to monitor Oranga Tamariki sites to improve policy and practice for children living in the most vulnerable circumstances. She has also worked in principal advisor and management roles at the Ministries of Health and Justice, where she led policy and service development in the areas of: child & youth mental health, primary mental health care, and addressing the drivers of crime.

  • Sarah is an experienced child and family psychologist and runs a small private practice in Wellington. Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2005, she worked as a therapist and researcher for the Parenting and Family Support Centre in Brisbane for over 10 years and is an accredited trainer for Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. She specialises in working with parents to nourish their relationships with their children and to support children to develop to their potential. She is also trained in Emotion-Focused Therapy and uses this rich, attachment-based approach in her work with couples and families.

  • Sarah holds a PhD in public health from the Queensland University of Technology (2003). The topic of her PhD research was school-based mental health promotion. She has authored several articles on promoting family mental health and the identification of children at risk of developing behavioural or emotional problems.

WēBē values

  • People and whānau-centred

    In all of its projects, WēBē puts people and whānau at the centre. This involves: creating the optimal environment for interviews, hui and workshops; understanding the experiences and aspirations of participants; doing whatever is needed to support wellbeing and complete the project to an excellent standard; and tailoring policies and services to address needs.

  • Collective social impact

    WēBē values creating positive outcomes for communities through addressing complex problems together. We seek to build on the strengths and assets of communities so they can best support whānau and individuals. We recognise the value of fostering community-led approaches to address identified needs. This includes supporting grassroots decision-making by sharing information, measurement and resources.

  • Uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi

    Central to our commitment to reduce inequities is our commitment to honouring and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This includes striving towards: tinorangatiratanga, equitable outcomes, active protection, culturally responsive options and partnership. To achieve this, a large portion of WēBē’s work is conducted in partnership with Māori, Pasifika and others, including end-users. This is about power sharing, working collaboratively, and ensuring partners have an equal say in decision making. It is about true co-design to address a policy or service challenge.

  • Reflective and Reflexive practice

    WēBē engages in a continuous cycle of reflection and learning on its practices and projects. But it goes deeper than this and constantly considers how its learnings and view of the world impact on others and the broader context of its research and mahi.

  • Compassion

    Compassion calls us to love others. WēBē is empathic and thoughtful towards others and treats others with dignity and manaakitanga (care and respect).

  • Passionately curious

    WēBē keeps an open mind, is curious about how and why things happen as they do, and never stops learning. We are committed to fresh thinking and innovation, using the best of different knowledge systems to design creative solutions for policy and service challenges.

  • Integrity

    WēBē values pono (honesty) and tika (doing what is right), even if it is difficult.