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Spectrum Care

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Spectrum Care

Every person with a disability deserves a life of choice, freedom and independence. We provide services to help make that happen. What’s our work?

At Spectrum Care, ours is no ordinary job. Many of the people we support are non-verbal, but they have plenty to say if you know how to listen. More than a few have substantial physical challenges to meet. Many of the families we work with have been tested to the limits before we even meet them. Their strength, their resilience and their love for the people we are asked to support is without question, as is the respect we have for them. To help identify the unique potential in every one of the people we support, then lend a hand to help them realise it. No matter how complex someone’s challenges may be, they are worthy and they are of immense value. In our books, to not see this is the true disadvantage.

25/11/2025

Te Wai Kahukura Atawhai, our kapa haka rōpū made up of tāngata whaikaha we support, now has 17 members and growing.

This rōpū has been a long time coming. For years, people we support and kaimahi have wanted a kapa haka space that truly belonged to them. With a dedicated kaiako now in place, that vision is here.

Every week, the group comes together to learn waiata and haka, understand their stories, and build confidence in their culture. People who have not always had access to these spaces now have one that centres them, reflects them and supports them.

We are so proud of this kaupapa, and even more proud of the people in it. Strengthening your identity and stepping into cultural learning takes courage, especially when these spaces have not always been accessible. This group shows up every week, and that commitment speaks for itself. 💙

23/11/2025

Mabel Sauvao is the one who changes the world to meet the person.

She is a Community Support Worker in a home of women who communicate and regulate in their own ways. And instead of asking them to adjust to the world, Mabel adjusts the world to them.

Her approach did not come from training alone. It came from life. Disability is woven through her family. Down syndrome. Autism. Epilepsy. Mental health. Not concepts. People she knows and loves.

“It’s very close to home. So, I don’t see disability as something unusual. It’s just part of life. We all adapt to each other every day.”

When something isn’t working, she does not push harder on the same method. She redesigns the method.

There was a woman who constantly ripped her clothes as a form of sensory regulation. Instead of trying to stop it, Mabel worked with a tailor to make custom jumpsuits that wrap safely around her body. Clothing that could be removed without tearing. Clothing designed for the way she experiences the world.

“That was an important moment for me. It reminded me that people aren’t the problem. The environment is. And we can change the environment.”

The same woman drops to her knees many times a day to regulate. So Mabel had knee padding sewn into her leggings.

Small changes. Profound impact.
All because she paid attention.

“I have learned that communication isn’t one thing. Sometimes it’s words. Sometimes it’s signing. Sometimes it’s pictures. Sometimes it’s a look. And sometimes it’s behaviour. If we slow down, we can see what is actually being communicated.”

And that is what she has become known for. Her ability to slow down and look for possibility in places most people rush past.

“It has changed me. I’m more patient. More observant. I appreciate the smallest moments. I understand now that goals can take time. But time isn’t a problem.”

What she wishes the world understood is simple.

“Don’t judge someone by what you think you’re seeing. Get to know them. We all have strengths. We all have weaknesses. And we all communicate. Some just do it differently.”

This is what support looks like when the world shifts to meet the person. When we stop forcing people into one way of being. When we see behaviour not as something to manage, but as something to understand.

Mabel is proof the magic is not in control.
It is in bending.
In choosing to meet someone where they are, not where the world thinks they should be.

That is how change happens.
One person at a time.
One adaptation at a time.
Until the world is the one doing the changing.

17/11/2025

Community starts with a conversation.

A kōrero between one of our kaimahi and the Oratia Bowling Club team turned into a community bowls day with the people we support, local school kids, and a few partners who showed up and got involved.

The sun stayed out as bowls rolled across the green, with plenty of laughs, cheering, and people giving it a go. West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre donated the goodie bags, the club purchased tees that were screen printed by our Makatoa Aspirations, and the club’s Coca-Cola rep donated socks, a bluetooth speaker, and a smartwatch for prizes.

A lot can grow from a single conversation when communities welcome each other in. ☀️

12/11/2025

What an incredible day at this year’s InterAct Festival 2025! 🎭

A bunch of people we support (and some of our awesome support workers) came along to enjoy a day full of art, performance, and connection.

From handmade artworks and live music to face painting and costumes, creativity was everywhere you looked! One of the highlights was watching Vikae, one of our Community Facilitators, share her ethereal voice on stage. 🎤

A huge mihi to Interacting Auckland for creating a space where everyone belongs. 💙

09/11/2025

Most people assume this happened generations ago.

It didn’t.

New Zealand’s last disability institution only closed in 2006. Disabled people alive in Aotearoa today grew up inside places like that. Many of the people we support did.

For generations, disabled people were kept separate and out of sight, shaped by colonial values that decided who deserved to belong and who did not. Closing those buildings marked the beginning of change. But the attitudes that built them do not vanish on a calendar date. They linger in systems, assumptions, and everyday life.

As we work towards a better future, we must remember the past we came from, and that for many, the past is still the present.

📜 Read more about Aotearoa’s disability history here:
https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/disabled-people/resources-for-people-new-to-the-disability-community/a-brief-history-of-disability-in-aotearoa-new-zealand

02/11/2025

Our woodworking crew at the Aspirations Centre in Kumeū have been busy! 🔨

They’ve been building new garden boxes from scratch... measuring, cutting, sanding, and piecing it all together.

We’re getting them ready for summer planting (think tomatoes, lettuce, and strawberries 🍅🥬🍓). Perfect timing for the season change.

It’s a privilege to pass on skills that create growth, in the garden and in people. 🌱

28/10/2025

Each week, Braydan and others from our Aspirations centre in Kumeū volunteer at The NZ Cat Foundation.

It’s well known that spending time with furry friends can lift your mood... and from the way Braydan’s looking at his mate, you can’t deny it! 🐱

We’re so grateful for community partnerships like this one, giving tangata whaikaha opportunities to connect, contribute, and be part of something special.

26/10/2025

Julie is our kaitiaki.

Not just in name, but in the way she made people feel from the moment they walked through the door.

Julie began her journey with Spectrum Care at Mangere Hospital, working part-time in the office before becoming a full-time receptionist. But her role was never just administrative. As a proud Māori woman, she brought warmth, dignity, and wairua to every interaction.

Hers was the first face people saw. The first voice they heard. And that presence stayed with them.

She didn’t just sit at the front desk. She held space.

During her years at Spectrum Care, she was given an ‘Innovation’ award. The prize was a big black leather chair. She refused to use it. She didn’t want to sit above anyone. She wanted to sit with them.

Everyone knew Julie. Whānau. Kaimahi. The tangata whenua we support. It’s as if the roots of Spectrum Care sprouted from her soul.

Even as her children grew, she made a point of bringing them into the office to show them what she did, and why it mattered.

Julie passed away some years ago, but her spirit never left. Who we are is because of who she was. And that is something we’ll never forget.

Moe mai rā, Julie. Thank you for watching over us. Always. 🌿🕯️

20/10/2025

You don’t always know when a legacy begins.

For Jenna Gundry, it started with a “casual job” she never expected to stay in.

“I thought it would just be a casual job until I found a ‘real job’,” she says now, fifteen years later.

“But it is a real job. And so much more.”

Jenna began on the frontline, learning what leadership really means long before she had the title. She remembers the first time someone she supported said, “Look at me, I can make my own breakfast!”

Small moments like that became her compass.

Today, as Regional Manager for the North West region, she leads the same way she started. With empathy, laughter, and the belief that everyone deserves the chance to grow.

The kind of leadership Jenna brings isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about humanity.

Ngā mihi, Jenna. For the space you’ve made. For the culture you’ve built. For the team you believe in. And for reminding us that sometimes the work that wasn’t part of the plan becomes the work that changes everything. 💙

13/10/2025

MTV Cribs… but make it Spectrum Care! 🏡 💙

Ben and Cam welcome you to their whare, a place they’re proud to call home. Written and produced by the two young men, it’s proof of what’s possible with the right support.

And what does that look like? Watch and see for yourself.

05/10/2025

Maranga, located in the heart of Wellington, is one of our day services for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Since 2018, Maranga has been a home base for tangata whaikaha to explore the weird and wonderful terrain of adulthood. Literacy, composting, volunteering, wellness, photography, knitting, and so much more.

Art lines the walls. There’s a chillax zone, a proper sensory room, and meeting spaces with the doors always open. Made by Maranga creations claim their space and tell their stories. Music drifts from the rehearsal room, kai is prepared communally in the kitchen, and seedlings grow on the windowsill. And that's not to mention the field trips, like their regular visits to Wellington Access Radio 106.1FM where tangata whaikaha have a weekly slot to share what matters to them, pick music, and sing on air.

Maranga isn’t just a service.

It’s proof that the places we build can genuinely support people if we let them.

Recently, Maranga held a mid-winter soiree. The resident band and dance troupe took the stage, whānau and friends filled the seats, and people witnessed the kind of magic that only happens when everyone’s invited in.

This is Maranga. 💙✨

29/09/2025

We are privileged to support people with different heritages, cultures, and ways of coming together. Our Filipino Pinoy Fiesta, held a few weeks ago, was exactly that.

The evening was full of song, traditional dance, shared stories, and food made with meaning. People were able to take up space and feel proud of where they’re from.

One guest summed it up best: “It feels like home.” 💙

That’s exactly why these spaces matter. Not just to celebrate culture... but to live it, feel it, and be surrounded by people who value it too.

Thank you to everyone who brought the night to life. From the performers and cooks, to the organisers and volunteers.

Maraming salamat. 🙏

Address

Level 2, 205 Great South Road, Greenlane
Auckland
1051

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+6496343790

Website

https://www.spectrumcare.org.nz/

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Our Story

We’re an independent charitable trust that provides support for children, young people and adults with disabilities, and their families. Our services include 24-hour support for people living in residential homes throughout the Auckland and Waikato regions, respite support for adults in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, and respite support for children in Auckland. We also provide specialised Home support, Transitions support and Aspirations support for people in the greater Auckland region, along with a School Holiday Programme of activities for children. Our independent living support is specifically focused on empowering people to their lives of choice – lives like any other – in the community. We also offer a specialised Business Enterprises programme aimed at supporting people towards their employment goals. We believe in providing person-centred services and options that focus on individual needs. All our services support people to identify their personal goals and aspirations. These are developed into a personalised and achievable ‘Outcomes’ plan, which supports our service users to achieve their immediate and lifelong objectives. We support the principles of the New Zealand Disability Strategy and place great emphasis on the worth of the individual, personal growth and the provision of holistic support for people with disabilities. Open two-way communication and the development of community partnerships are integral to our philosophy.