Leonie Kaipo

Leonie has a Bachelor of Social Work (Biculturalism in Practice) degree at Te Wānanga 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 was LinkPeople’s Practice Lead before becoming the Waikato Regional Manager in 2022. Prior to joining LinkPeople, Leonie spent 14 years working for the Wise Group in South Auckland. She has worked in community-based mental health and addictions support services, working and leading teams across residential services, mobile community services, youth respite and crisis respite services.

“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 two whaingai boys, 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.”