Our History

Ma te rongo, ka mohio; Ma te mohio; ka marama; Ma te marama, ka matau, Ma te matau ka ora.
Through resonance comes cognisance; through awareness comes understanding; through understanding comes knowledge; through knowledge comes life and well being.

Tautoko services was formed in January 1996 by a core group of committed professionals with extensive experience and expertise in the area of intellectual disability services and other community services. The group identified the need for a support service for people with an intellectual disability whose behaviour challenges, that was independent from ongoing service provision.

When we started, NZ had a different approach to disabled people. There were a large number of institutions still in existence in which people lived segregated lives. The only community alternatives were group homes or sheltered villages and day services. Our team was involved in the deinstitutionalisation process of Porirua Hospital, Seaview, Ngawhatu, Braemar and Kimberley and supported many people deemed as challenging into community settings. 

For over 18 years Tautoko provided positive behaviour support to thousands of young people and their families and to adults living at home and in other disability services and provided training in new ways of supporting people. Today our Tactics Team continue to offer specialist individual support to a broad range of individuals. 

In 1997 Tautoko recognised a gap in the Nelson area for a service that supported adults to live in their own homes as an alternative to group homes. This service was called Neighbourhood Connections. We started by providing support to six individuals in a variety of locations. Today this supported living service has spread across Nelson Marlborough and supports over a hundred individuals. This service has now changed its name to Options.

Options have been involved with change since their inception. Options was established in the late 1980’s as a unique service brokerage pilot, modelled on a Canadian agency that was set up by families who felt the needs of their children were not being met by institutions and traditional service models. While the initial goal of promoting individualised funding was not realised at the time, the original principles are still held by us today. We have resisted offering centre based activities, developing a community brokerage approach to assisting people to live in their own home and growing their lifestyle choices with a focus on relationships, employment, personal growth and community involvement.

In 2014 our service reconfigured and merged with Options in Community Living and is now Tautoko Support Services - opening new futures. Tautoko services has a governance board.