Leonie Kaipo

Leonie  has a Bachelor of Social Work (Biculturalism in Practice) degree at the Wananga O Aotearoa and is currently registered with the Social Workers Registration Board, Aotearoa. She joined with LinkPeople in March 2017, starting as a community support worker, building relationships with homeless whānau who were rough sleeping on the streets in South Auckland. She then moved into her current role and shares the team leader position. Her team of nine continues to support and house homeless whānau in South Auckland. Before joining LinkPeople, Leonie spent 14 years working for the Wise Group in South Auckland, starting as a cleaner in 2003 and working her way into senior leadership roles. She has worked in community-based mental health and addictions support services, working across residential services, mobile community services, youth respite and crisis respite services, finishing as an afterhours on call leader in 2017.

“I am of Ngāpuhi decent, my whakapapa links are to Te Aupouri, through my Father and Ngāti Toki through my mother, I have no birth children, but have had for the past 5 years, two whaingai boys ages 12 and 9 who I consider as my own. I was born and raised on my Marae surround by great leaders who showed what Whangaungatanga is and what it looks like, they showed me how to Manaaki, awhi and support and taught me how to uphold my Rangatiratanga, it is because of those Kaumatua and Kuia that I was moulded into the person I am today.”