The Hearing House Annual Report 2022-2023

2022-2023

” Hui Te Marama Hui Te Ora E (2), Israel Tangaroa Birch Hui Te Marama Hui Te Ora E (2) comes from a series of the same name, created in 2010. Birch draws on te ao Māori as the springboard for his practice; often the interplay of light and dark - Te Pō (the perpetual night) and Te Ao Mārama (the world of light and life) underpin his works. Hui Te Marama means the coming or bringing together of people, gathering, or binding theme as one. It can form part of a karakia, calling for prejudice be left at the door and for those present to welcome each other with acceptance and understanding. The words are inscribed in delicate cursive which breaks up the swirling patterns that create the circles of the work, appearing to simutaneously recede as well as appear as the viewer’s eye travels across the surface of the work.

This piece is proudly displayed at the entrance to The Hearing House.

2

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

CONTENTS

About The Hearing House Non-financial performance Our impact Message from the Chair Our Board and Trustees Message from the CEO Kiritaki wellbeing Community & partnership Innovation & learning Our supporters Our team Financial performance Donation & contact details

2 6 14 16 18 22 24 30 34 38 40 42 44

The Hearing House’s premises in Greenlane, Auckland.

2

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

ABOUT THE HEARING HOUSE

The Hearing House is an Auckland-based charity that delivers a range of services and programmes to kiritaki (clients) from Cape Reinga to Taupō. A key focus of our work is helping people who use cochlear implants to hear.

Its dedicated team of audiologists, specialised therapists and support staff works with kiritaki, whānau and partners to establish a community of care that enables people to make choices about their own lives at each stage of their journey.

For a cochlear implant recipient, receiving their implant is just the beginning of their journey to access sound.

The Hearing House helps children as young as five months of age up to adults in their 90s to learn to listen and communicate with the aid of their cochlear implants.

As a charity, the Hearing House relies on fundraising and donations to provide unique services and programmes to its kiritaki, including outreach clinics and the Cochlear Implant Repair Fund, and to help cover its operating costs.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

3

ABOUT THE HEARING HOUSE

Our Vision

“People who are hard of hearing are empowered, connected, and enriched”

4

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

ABOUT THE HEARING HOUSE

Our Mission “We foster a community of support, empowering people who are hard of hearing, and their whānau, to explore potential and make choices on their journey”

Our Values Aroha Love and kindness

Mīharo (wonder) Future focused

Mahitahi Better together

Kaitiaki Guardianship

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

5

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

At The Hearing House, we seek to foster a nurturing and caring environment that enables and empowers people who are hard of hearing to lead fulfilling lives.

We have developed key strategic goals to help steer and focus our mission and mapped our outcomes against these objectives to demonstrate progress.

Our outcomes reflect how we met our strategic objectives in the most meaningful way over the course of the year. In assessing our performance, we’ve identified the key areas and used our judgement to

6

come up with both qualitative and quantitative areas to be measured. In doing so, we have worked with staff, funders and members of the sector to help achieve these outcomes in a range of ways.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

We are delighted to showcase the remarkable colourful artwork of Bev Hickson-Snook, a Hearing House kiritaki, in this year’s Annual Report. Bev is an exceptional artist whose creations hold a profound focus on deaf life, New Zealand Sign Language, and Deaf identity. Through her use of bold and eye-catching colours, she skillfully captures the intricacies of life that might go unnoticed by those who are not deaf but are of immense significance to the Deaf community. Her art beautifully conveys the essence of being Deaf and offers a distinct perspective that fosters inclusivity.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

7

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Fostering a community The establishment of a collaborative, safe and supportive environment for our stakeholders has been a key focus this year. This has been achieved through the implementation of various initiatives and programmes, including health and wellbeing, employee assistance and advice, team building, digital and IT, and external and internal communications.

Objective

Progress

Create a nurturing, safe and supportive home for our community, staff, allies, partners and funders.

“They (The Hearing House) empower her, they encourage her, they teach her, “You’re amazing, you should be confident in who you are, we’re going to teach you all these things” - and she feels great and secure, and she’s thriving.”

– Hearing House client whānau member.

Introduction of team Wellbeing initiative, including Wellness Policy, access to Employee Assistance Programme, personal leave option and personal development opportunities. This has enhanced general health and wellbeing and created value among staff who have responded positively to the initiatives.

Access to external HR function to ensure our staff can seek independent advice and that policies are implemented and monitored independently and regularly and are consistent with legislative requirements.

Establishment of fortnightly shared kai meet-up for team members to enable collaborative learning, encourage and amplify best practice and celebrate key achievements.

Shift of IT services to Office 365 and Sharepoint to encourage greater collaboration, efficiencies and ease of access, as well as enable remote and flexible working practices.

Development of crisis communications plan to provide proactive and collaborative response to crises, including severe weather events in Auckland, protecting the welfare and safety of team and kiritaki.

Outcome A more connected, supported and agile organisation focused on building and maintaining meaningful relationships with key partners. Strong network of whānau, friends and community.

8

Launch of Deaf Aotearoa - First Signs playgroup programme at Joyce Fisher Centre with all activities conducted in NZSL. This has resulted in increased partner collaboration and the establishment of a key support and learning initiative.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

People at the heart People are at the heart of everything we do at The Hearing House. During the year, we have made our services more widely available and accessible to our communities, helping provide a better understanding of what we can offer and achieving improved health outcomes.

Objective

Progress

Co-design our services with kiritaki and whānau to ensure we understand and meet their needs.

Expansion of in-house counselling and wellbeing services for kiritaki and whānau in line with greater demand and the achievement of better outcomes. A total of 18 adult kiritaki (clients) and 43 paediatric kiritaki engaged with our counselling services over 206 sessions this year; an increase of 67% on the previous year (123 sessions).

Took our services out to the communities we serve, providing assistance closer to home for many and achieving better health outcomes. Increased the number of outreach clinics from three to four locations with plans to add a fifth in 2023.

“I just find my life to me is normal.

I go to high school, I have a part-time job, I go on holidays with my family....

I never saw my deafness as a disability, it was just a part of something I had.”

– Hearing House kiritaki

Introduced community education programme to raise awareness of the criteria for cochlear implants (CI) and encouraged more self-referrals from kiritaki, leading to an increase in referrals.

Conducted 1,211 off-site visits this year, including outreach clinics, home visits, retirement home visits, school visits and school follow-ups; an increase of 49% on the previous year (813 sessions).

Made our services more inclusive and accessible to a wider, more diverse audience. Provided availability to translators and NZSL interpreters for client liaison and engagement.

Outcome Greater awareness of our services, successful delivery of our services to the communities that need us, removal of barriers to equitable health outcomes. Improved wellbeing and empowerment for our kiritaki so they can lead enriched, fulfilled lives.

rovided greater understanding of CI equipment P and how it works through the introduction of tech assessment workshops and camps for adults and children.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

9

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Equity and inclusion We strive to achieve parity across all our priority groups, and provide services that are open and accessible to all we serve. Outreach is a pivotal part of our service delivery as it enables us to reach further into communities, often in some of the more under-served regions, and meet kiritaki in a space that works for them.

Developing trust and understanding will lead to improved health outcomes.

Objective

Outcomes

Create equity of access and better outcomes for all.

Through the availability of increased base funding and more efficient allocation of resources, the number of kiritaki on the wait list reduced by 7.3% on the previous year (51 kiritaki in 2022/23 compared with 55 in 2021/22).

Through the availability of increased base funding and more efficient allocation of resources, a total of 114 adults and children received cochlear implants in 2022/23, up 22.5% on the previous year (93 implants in 2021/22).

Through the availability of increased funding and greater awareness of our services, there was a total of 1,142 adults and children in the CI programme in 2022/23, up 9.5% on the previous year (1,043 in 2021/22).

The number of Māori kiritaki in the CI programme increased by 14.3% on the previous year (147 Māori kiritaki in 2022/23, compared with 126 in 2021/22).

The number of Pacific kiritaki in the CI programme increased 25% on the previous year (55 Pacific kiritaki in 2022/23, compared with 44 in 2021/22).

Outcome Increased delivery of services to under-served communities, the promotion of a more empathetic, inclusive society for those who are hard of hearing where kiritaki can live confidently with their choices and identity. The provision of our services closer to the heart of our communities, leading to better health outcomes for all.

10

Started seeing Ko Taku Reo students on a dedicated consultation basis and introduced an on-site audiological service for Ko Taku Reo students.

Secured funding for first mobile hearing van to be launched in 2024, targeting under-served areas, providing services closer to the heart of our communities and leading to better health outcomes.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Te Tiriti A key part of our strategy of honouring our obligations under Te Tiriti is the provision of more equitable health outcomes for Māori. We employ Te Whare Tapa Whā, a te ao Māori health model, when we work with kiritaki, ensuring that physical, spiritual, whānau and mental wellbeing needs are met.

Objective

Outcomes

Honour our obligations under Te Tiriti and be a good partner with Māori.

Established connection with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to explore building te ao Māori mātauranga elements into The Hearing House strategy, including the introduction of te reo classes and the increased use of te reo in communications.

Developed a strategy that better serves our priority groups, including Māori, traditionally under-served by the health sector. This has included the use of translators, a more holistic service provision (based on Te Whare Tapa Whā), the introduction of Kaitautoko Kiritaki or support navigation for kiritaki, greater education initiatives and increased networking opportunities for kiritaki and their whānau.

This has led to a 14.3% increase in the number of Māori kiritaki receiving CIs, both adults and children (147 Māori kiritaki in 2022/23, compared with 126 in 2021/22).

Outcome More Māori kiritaki served, more equitable outcomes for our Māori kiritaki, greater awareness of our cultural identity.

Enable our kiritaki to feel like they’re living a full life (te whare tapa whā).

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

11

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Centre of Excellence We have gained status as a Centre of Excellence for hearing services in New Zealand due to continued advances in research and training. Our partnership with the Masters in Audiology at the University of Auckland provides students with real-world learning opportunities which in turn brings the benefits of world-class research outcomes to those who are hard of hearing, both here and overseas.

Objective

Progress

Establish The Hearing House as a recognised leader in New Zealand and overseas for clinical best practice, innovation, research and training.

Established and enhanced our partnerships with Deaf Aotearoa and Ko Taku Reo, leading to a greater provision of services.

Further developed partnership with Auckland University on research projects and internship programme under the tutelage of Dr Holly Teagle. A total of 15 research projects were completed in 2022/23, compared to 10 in 2021/22.

Members of our clinical team presented 7 papers at international conferences in 2022/23, gaining global recognition, compared to 5 in 2021/22.

Continued knowledge and best practice sharing with First Voice Group, leading to greater awareness of The Hearing House on a national and international level and better outcomes for our kiritaki.

Outcome Recognition within the sector as an important and influential player providing valuable training and research opportunities.

12

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Be sustainable Financial and environmental sustainability is a key part of creating a strong and resilient organisation.

Throughout the year, we have implemented various initiatives around regeneration and recycling, aimed at creating greater awareness of environmental sustainability and best practice.

Objective

Progress

Create and maintain a strong and resilient organisation that is financially secure, socially and culturally grounded and protects our environment for future generations.

Established a formal process for recycling and repurposing equipment and packaging (in conjunction with Cochlear NZ).

Provided increased access to costs of unfunded repairs via the Cochlear Implant Repair Fund .

Developed and implemented a new clinical management system to create greater efficiencies and a more enhanced client experience.

Added two hybrid vehicles to our car fleet.

Reviewed use of paper in the office.

Shifted our quarterly Sound Matters newsletter to a digital-only publication.

Outcome Establishment of best practice for sustainability within our organisation.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

13

OUR IMPACT 2022-2023

2OO

More than 60 kiritaki (adults and children) engaged with our counselling services over more than 200 sessions compared with 123 sessions in 2021/22

53

230

Ko Taku Reo students under our care

Referrals for our services, up 7.5%

No prior year figures available as new programme introduced in 2022

214 referrals in 2021/22

1 211

Off-site and outreach appointments provided 813 sessions in 2021/22

14

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

OUR IMPACT 2022-2023

1142

Implanted kiritaki supported by our programme, up 9.5% 1,043 implanted kiritaki supported in 2021/22

81

Adults received cochlear implants, up 11%

Children received cochlear implants, up 63% 20 recipients in 2021/22

73 recipients in 2021/22

7.3

33

%

Number of kiritaki on wait list down 7.3% 51 kiritaki as of 30 June 2023 compared with 55 last year

114 Implants, up 21% 93 implants in 2021/22

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

15

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

We are building a mode of service delivery which places people – our team, kiritaki and their whānau - at the heart of everything we do.

W

ith the immediate challenges of adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic now behind us, the focus of the past year has been on moving forward.

The strategic framework developed during the year provided a valuable catalyst for looking deeply at what we do and how we do it. The result is the creation of a powerful, unifying and realistic way forward and the platform for continuing to do the very best we can for our community.

We are building a mode of service delivery which places people – our team, kiritaki and their whānau – at the heart of everything we do. We have set clear objectives and outcomes to help measure our progress, and remain open to challenge and improvement to ensure we remain focused on our priorities.

The recent Health and Disability System Review and consequent changes to healthcare reinforce the need for organisations such as ours to deliver services that produce more equitable health outcomes and become financially sustainable.

Throughout the year, our CEO Dr Claire Green and her team have worked tirelessly to further our

16

objective of establishing The Hearing House as a centre of excellence, where we champion innovation, best practice, research and training. They have gone above and beyond to embody our values in every aspect of their mahi, and I am very proud of their achievements.

We have continued to develop partnerships across the deaf community, and I am particularly grateful for the mahi we are doing with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to honour our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and focus on delivering the best outcomes for our diverse communities.

More than ever, we need to recognise the support of our funding partners. While we continually strive to close the gap between the contract revenue received from the Government and our expenses, it is simply not possible to deliver the services required without additional support for our operational costs.

On this note, I would like to acknowledge the huge contribution of our long-standing patron Phil Ryall, who sadly passed away last September. Phil established The Hearing House alongside Sir Patrick Eisdell-Moore in 1996 and continued to provide

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

The Hearing House’s reception area in Greenlane, Auckland.

enormous support throughout his life – as a Board member, patron, mentor and extraordinarily generous supporter. His commitment and dedication to our work cannot be underestimated.

Along with the Lindsay Foundation, the Hugo Charitable Trust and Grace McKean, the Phil Ryall Family Trust (the Punchestown Trust) is a key supporter of the mobile hearing van, a spectacular initiative designed to extend the reach of our services to better meet the needs of our kiritaki. Planned for launch in 2024, the mobile service is an important element of our plan to address equity of access and outcomes for our communities, particularly those in under-served areas.

This initiative is a wonderful example of what can be achieved with the support of our many and generous benefactors, but also a reminder of how we remain constrained by funding.

There are many more people in our communities who could benefit from a cochlear implant, and we are committed to continue advocacy for Government criteria to be in line with global thinking and supported by funding to allow the demand to be met. We value

the support of those in political and public service who have ultimate responsibility for these areas, and we look forward to working more closely with them over the coming year to achieve our shared objectives.

I would like to finish by expressing my sincere thanks to my fellow Board members who have given their time and expertise freely and enthusiastically over the past year. We are fortunate to have an exemplary mix of surgical, academic, health and business professionals who bring complementary and valuable skills to the organisation, and I extend my gratitude on behalf of the many hundreds of people who have benefitted and continue to benefit from their knowledge and commitment.

Paul Cook Tumuaki Kaunihera | Chairman

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

17

OUR BOARD AND TRUSTEES

Phil Ryall, MNZM (1929-2022) Our long-standing patron Phil Ryall passed away last September. Phil’s commitment and dedication to our

There is no legacy more fitting that the one he leaves in the wonderful work our team and supporters have

work cannot be underestimated. He established The Hearing House alongside Sir Patrick Eisdell-Moore in 1996 and continued to provide enormous support throughout his life – as a board member, patron, mentor and extraordinarily generous supporter. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for his services to the Deaf and as a philanthropist.

delivered over the past 26 years, and will continue to deliver into the future. We are forever in Phil’s debt, knowing that our work today is built on the shoulders of those who came before us. His humble and noble spirit and values will live on through our work, in which funding and donations will help us provide lifetime support to those who depend on cochlear implants to access sound.

The late Phil Ryall

18

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

OUR BOARD AND TRUSTEES

The Cochlear Implant Foundation of New Zealand - Trustees

Chris Moore (Chair) Chris has been chair of The Cochlear Implant Foundation of New Zealand since 2020, continuing

He is chair of the College of Law New Zealand and was previously president of the NZ Law Society.

the mahi of his late father and founder of The Hearing House, Sir Patrick Eisdell Moore (Sir Pat), an eminent New Zealand surgeon and medical researcher. Sir Pat was a pioneer in cochlear implants and was the first person in the world to perform an eardrum transplant.

Sir Pat served as a medical officer in World War II in the 28th Māori Battalion.

Chris is chair of the Large Scale Infrastructure Governance Group, overseeing large scale public projects in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Chris’s career included ten years as a partner at Russell McVeagh. In 1999, he joined Meredith Connell to establish and head its commercial/commercial property practice.

He was also chair of the firm’s board for a number of years. In 2013 he founded the Auckland office of Greenwood Roche, a specialist projects firm. In 2021 he established his own consultancy firm specialising in commercial property and legal advice.

Trustees include:

Dr Ron Goodey Bill Patterson Sally Synnott Richard Webb Robert Gunn Dr Diane Winstanley

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

19

OUR BOARD AND TRUSTEES

The Hearing House Advisory Board - Directors

Paul Cook (Chair) Paul joined Ernst & Young (EY) in NZ in 1988, and became a partner in 1990, leading the growth of the NZ consulting division to 250 professional staff over the next 10 years. His consulting work included heading global reviews for two of the world’s leading financial services organisations and a variety of work for some of NZ’s largest companies. He was also a founding director of EY’s Asia Pacific Regional Practice, with specific responsibility for the Hong Kong and China practice. After acquisition of EY’s global consulting practice by Capgemini he became COO Asia Pacific, before acquiring the NZ operation in a MBO with three partners.

Paul has been on the Board of The Hearing House since 2006 and Chair since 2007. He has an MA from Oxford University, and is a chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors.

20

Professor Suzanne Purdy

Associate Professor David Welch

Suzanne Purdy (Te Rarawa, NgāiTakoto) is a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland, having previously been Head of School and Head of Discipline of Speech Science within Psychology. She has broad interests in communication and neuroscience, including auditory processing and electrophysiology, communication difficulties in children and adults and ear and hearing health equity. She is Principal Investigator with the Centre for Brain Research and Co-Deputy Director of the Eisdell Moore Centre for Hearing and Balance Research. She is a member of the hearing research team for the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study and is co-investigator on HRCfunded research seeking to reduce inequities in Well Child Tāmariki Ora developmental surveillance. In 2022, Suzanne was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She has served on The Hearing House Advisory Board since 2018.

Dr David Welch originally studied psychology and physiology, and has since developed expertise in longitudinal research, epidemiology, health promotion, and population health. His current research interests in hearing are around the influences of sound, hearing, and hearing loss on people. He is involved in research and service provision in adults with cochlear implants, has interests in newborn hearing screening, and is involved in research about environmental noise and the soundscape. He is based in the Audiology Section of the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, where he is currently involved in teaching the Master of Audiology programme, mainly in areas related to physiology, neurophysiology, psychology of hearing, hearing screening, and community interventions.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

OUR BOARD AND TRUSTEES

Dr Colin Brown

Josh Foreman

Dr. Colin Brown is a highly regarded Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck Surgeon (Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon) with a specialisation in ear surgery, hearing implants, and hearing disorders. With over 25 years of experience as a consultant ear surgeon at Starship Children’s Hospital, he has treated a diverse range of ear diseases, deformities, and deafness in children. Additionally, Dr. Brown plays a crucial role as a senior surgeon for the Northern Regional Cochlear Implant Programme.

His expertise and dedication have earned him recognition as a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Pediatric Otolaryngology and ACC, New Zealand, and he previously served as the president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology (ANZSPO).

Josh Foreman is a cochlear implant user and a Professional Teaching Fellow at The University of Auckland. With a recently completed Masters of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology, he excels in helping individuals achieve their fitness goals and rehabilitating clinical patients.

As an enthusiastic mentor, Josh engages with hard of hearing teenagers to discuss their lives and future aspirations. Driven by a love for challenges, he strives to be the best and is dedicated to making a positive impact in the field of Health and Fitness.

Elena Keith

Kirimoana Willoughby

Elena was born with a progressive hearing loss and by her late twenties had become profoundly deaf.

Since receiving a cochlear implant in 2007, she has been a supporter of The Hearing House and the work that they do to enable access to sound and language. Elena joined The Hearing House Board because she believes in the incredible life-changing services and support that the team provides to those living with hearing loss.

Kirimoana Willoughby (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngapuhi) is assistant village manager at Eastcliffe retirement village. She joined The Hearing House Advisory Board in 2022.

Kirimoana has worked in both the private and public health sector for several years, including Counties Manukau Hospital and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei health insurance scheme for nib NZ where she assisted many of her whānau with the scheme before moving to general practice manager at Ōrākei Health in 2020. She has also served on the Auckland DHB board as part of its Future Directors programme.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

21

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Our values continue to provide a foundation for everything we do.

T

he impact of what we do at The Hearing House was never more apparent than over the past year. In the face of ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events, we provided assistance and rehabilitation services to a record number of kiritaki throughout our region, including increased outreach clinics and the continued development of our whānau support and Kaitautoko Kiritaki (Support navigation for kiritaki).

Despite the continued disruption, our commitment to serve our communities and deliver better outcomes has never wavered, and I am immensely proud of the dedicated, unified and passionate mahi of The Hearing House team.

The realignment of our strategy and objectives has given us a shared purpose and mission, and our programme delivery, training and research outputs over the past year has been unsurpassed.

Our values continue to provide a foundation for everything we do.

We have developed deep and collaborative partnerships for the benefit of The Hearing House whānau, which have helped empower our kiritaki to make their own choices.

22

Together with Deaf Aotearoa First Signs, we staged our first playgroup for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their whānau in May, with all activities being offered in New Zealand Sign Language.

We are hoping this will become a regular event at the Joyce Fisher Centre, with the connections made helping to create a greater sense of community.

We have continued our work with Ko Taku Reo, with our audiologists and speech language therapists providing hands-on support to a growing number of school-aged kiritaki.

We value our ongoing relationship with SCIP, the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme, who supports kiritaki south of Taupō and throughout the South Island. Together, we run Loud Shirt Day, the joint fundraising campaign, which helps us support all New Zealanders who access sound with cochlear implants.

We are gaining greater recognition as a significant centre for audiology research through the deepening of our partnership with the University of Auckland.

Our clinical director, Dr Holly Teagle, continues to gain worldwide prominence in her efforts to raise awareness of congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV), the most common cause of non-genetic hearing loss in children, and mentors and supports a growing number of audiology students in their research projects.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

Holly has also been part of a global effort to address the unmet needs for adults with hearing loss as part of her role with the Cochlear Implant Global Task Force and her ongoing involvement with the American Cochlear Implant Alliance has provided a prominent international platform for showcasing her work on improving outcomes for children who are hard of hearing.

As a member of the First Voice organisation, The Hearing House continues to advocate for increased funding for world-class early intervention services for deaf or children who are hard of hearing, removing barriers to mainstream education, employment and social integration.

I had the honour of accompanying eight-yearold Hearing House kiritaki Matthias Berndt and his whānau to the First Voice Power of Speech event in Canberra last September – an incredibly inspirational event.

Matthias, who received cochlear implants when he was just two years old, joined other young cochlear implant recipients in showing key policymakers how early intervention support and implants have helped them reach their full potential.

As always, we couldn’t do what we do without the help of our supporters and funders.

Thanks to the efforts of a team of supporters over the past two years, we were able to implement a new clinical management system to reduce our administrative workload and improve efficiencies, freeing up the team to focus on delivering high-quality care to our kiritaki.

Our cloud-based systems are now more in step with our work environment and we have a solid platform to move forward together, positioning us well for future growth.

In the coming year, we are excited about further developing our connection with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to ensure more equitable health options for Māori.

This will help us weave a growing number of elements of te ao Māori mātauranga into the fabric of The Hearing House, including the teaching and learning of te reo Māori for all staff.

With the ongoing support of our Board, I hold my role as kaitiaki (or guardian) in the highest regard as I continue to honour the kaupapa of The Hearing House as laid down by our founders and provide a lifetime of support to those we serve.

Dr Claire Green Tumuaki | Chief Executive

Dr Claire Green, CEO of The Hearing House

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

23

KIRITAKI WELLBEING

We provide an integrated model of care that offers access to hearing technologies and co-care services for people who are hard of hearing, and their whānau.

Holistic support at its core As in-house counsellor, Hazel Benson-Dawe works in collaboration with The Hearing House’s speech and language therapists and audiologists, welcoming new kiritaki and their whānau as they first begin to consider cochlear implants as a way of accessing sound.

Whānau support person/counsellor Hazel Benson-Dawe

24

Hazel’s mahi takes her across the spectrum of The Hearing House’s kiritaki, ranging from whānau with their precious newly born babies, right up to those in their later years. She offers bespoke support and counselling, working together with kiritaki to meet their individual and whānau needs.

Hazel also works alongside interpreters for kiritaki who are Deaf, accommodating different ways of communicating into her practice.

Kiritaki have said that they find it valuable being able to talk freely without an agenda, so they can share openly about their whole experience. This is helpful alongside the other sessions that The Hearing House offers which are more focused on audiology or speech and language development.

Hazel is also passionate about weaving te ao Māori mātauranga into the fabric of The Hearing House. Having attended kohanga reo and kura reo rua up until the age of 10, she is an ally in te reo and te ao Māori. She will sometimes employ Te Whare Tapa Whā, a te ao Māori health model, when she works with kiritaki.

As part of this, she has introduced Kaitautoko Kiritaki (Support navigation for kiritaki) where she outlines different support options on offer, while at the same time catering for what individual kiritaki want.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

KIRITAKI WELLBEING

Shirley’s story Rotorua-based Shirley Day (Ngāti Whakaue) completed the five-day Alps to Ocean cycle tour in the South Island earlier this year, covering more than 300km between Aoraki Mt Cook and Oamaru, and rejoiced when she saw snow.

“We had every type of weather on the ride,” she says, “but I was most excited to see the snow.”

The 61-year-old grandmother and triathlete received a cochlear implant last June, saying her life “has been transformed” as a result.

Prior to that, Shirley had managed her hearing loss with hearing aids, but she said it was frustrating when it came to racing competitively.

“I had a love-hate relationship with racing, especially swimming,” she says. “I always struggled to hear the race briefings and starters’ orders, so I relied a lot on my friends to help me out.”

“My cochlear implant has been life-changing, and I couldn’t wait to start training with it”.

“I’m now more engaged with my training, and with my training buddies,” she says. “I’m also more aware of traffic and other hazards, and I can even hear my coach yelling at me!”

Shirley has competed in more than 11 long distance triathlons in countries including New Zealand, Copenhagen, Germany and Mexico, since she signed up to her first race in 2014.

Prior to receiving her implant, she always had to remove her hearing aids before a race.

In December 2022, Shirley competed in her first Ironman distance event with her cochlear implant, the Ironmāori in Napier, followed by the Ironman New Zealand event in Taupō a week later.

Shirley Day

Not many participants complete the races back-toback, but Shirley was determined to notch up a double win with her new-found hearing.

However, the real bonus for her was being selected to compete in the Ironman World Championship women’s race being held in Kailua-Kona in Hawaii in mid-October.

“It’s every triathlete’s dream to complete that race,” says Shirley. “And there’s absolutely no doubt that I’m going.”

Shirley has been supported in her CI journey by speech and language therapist Bronwyn Bailey and The Hearing House’s outreach team.

My cochlear implant has been life-changing, and I couldn’t wait to start training with it.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

25

KIRITAKI WELLBEING

We know that outreach is pivotal in our service delivery and having a mobile clinic means greater access and flexibility.

New mobile hearing van brings The Hearing House’s services closer to its communities The launch of our mobile service in 2024 is an extension of The Hearing House’s outreach clinics and a nod to the ethos of Hearing House founder Sir Pat Moore.

More than 30 years ago, Sir Pat had a vision around transforming the healthcare needs of people by taking services out into the community, allowing families to seek treatment and advice nearer their homes. It was a vision he shared with fellow patron and Board Chair Phil Ryall and together they established the concept of mobile ear clinics.

Phil Ryall’s family trust, the Punchestown Trust, is one of the key funders of the new mobile service, along with Hearing House client Grace McKean,

26

the Hugo Charitable Trust and the Lindsay Foundation.

The specially-adapted van will provide greater access to The Hearing House’s services, including assessments, screenings and consultations with audiologists and speech and language therapists, in an effort to better serve communities and raise greater awareness of the benefits of cochlear implants.

The Hearing House currently conducts around 100 outreach clinics in the regions it serves each year but is often restricted in its reach by lack of available outpatient space at hospitals and health clinics.

The visibility of the mobile clinic and its services will lead to improved services and better outcomes for kiritaki.

“We know that outreach is pivotal in our service delivery and having a mobile clinic means greater access and flexibility,” says The Hearing House CEO Dr Claire Green. “We can reach further into communities in some of the more under-served parts of the country, and meet kiritaki in a space that works for them.

“Importantly, we do know that there are people in our region who would benefit from cochlear implants, and we need to reach these people.

“Being out there and visible is a way to gain trust and understanding among an important target group, leading to improved health outcomes.”

The van will also tour schools and marae from Cape Reinga to Taupō as part of an education drive.

It’s also hoped to offer screening and assessment services at family festivals and concerts.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

KIRITAKI WELLBEING

Te Waiwaha’s story Te Waiwaha Prangnell is a bright and bubbly six-year-old who loves dancing, listening to Savage Love by Jason Derulo and reading with her mum, Te Ao. She also has cochlear implants after a bilateral refer result on her newborn hearing screen when she was just a few weeks old.

Te Waiwaha received her cochlear implants when she was six months old, and the Prangnell whānau was supported by The Hearing House as Te Waiwaha learned to process the sound she received through her cochlear implants to communicate.

Te Ao describes Te Waiwaha’s switch-on as a “magical moment.”

“I fell in love with her more,” she says.

The Hearing House has remained a key part of the family’s support network since then, and for the past year, Rotorua-based speech and language therapist Renique Williams has assisted with regular therapy sessions and visits to monitor Te Waiwaha’s speech and language development.

The Hearing House team of audiologists and speech language therapists was with the whānau as they took the step from daycare to Rūmaki Reo, working alongside other learning support advisors and teaching staff to ensure that Te Waiwaha had access to appropriate support for her spoken language and communication development, while at the same time being able to develop her own identity.

“I’m in awe of Te Waiwaha and her whānau,” says Renique.

“Te Waiwaha could not be part of a more supportive and hard-working whānau and it’s a privilege to work alongside them in my role as speech language therapist.”

Te Waiwaha Prangnell

Te Waiwaha has thrived at school, and was awarded a prize for her mahi last year.

“Every day’s a learning journey for all of us,” Te Ao says.

“I love the fact that Te Waiwaha is a cochlear child. It’s part of her, and her unique and special character.

“The Hearing House has provided us with so many resources and so much support,” she says.

“We wouldn’t be on this journey if it wasn’t for them.”

Te Waiwaha’s class has launched a sponsorship page for Loud Shirt Day 2023.

Every day’s a learning journey for all of us.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

27

KIRITAKI WELLBEING

Characters from Sweet Tooth, Season 2

Young Hearing House client makes his acting debut in hit Netflix show One of the faces of our Loud Shirt Day campaign, Apii Auva’a-Pukeiti, has shot to Netflix fame in Season 2 of Sweet Tooth, the story of how a boy who’s half human and half deer survives in a post-apocalyptic world with other hybrids.

Sustainability at the core of voluntary student project The Hearing House relies heavily on donations to keep some of our specialised non-funded services up and running. These donations can be financial, or in some cases, volunteers give us their time free of charge to finish projects so clinicians can focus on supporting kiritaki face-to-face.

Over the past 18 months, 15-year-old Maya Selvaratnam (the daughter of Caroline Selvaratnam, our adult programme manager) has been volunteering at The Hearing House every week to complete both her Duke of Edinburgh and Girl Guiding community hours. In her first project, she digitised all of the adult team’s rehabilitation resources so kiritaki could book and change their appointments online.

During lockdowns this was an essential part of our service, but it has now become so much more.

28

Nine-year-old Apii plays a porcupine hybrid who uses sign language to communicate and features in all eight episodes in the new season. Apii was fitted with cochlear implants, supported by The Hearing House, around eight years ago.

Sweet Tooth was shot entirely in New Zealand, with filming taking place in Auckland, Waikato and Otago. Apii landed the role after responding to a casting call for young deaf actors and his mum Tofi says his vocals and speech have been extended considerably as a result of his acting debut.

“Apii absolutely loved the experience of being on set,” she says. “He really rose to it, and was a real hit at the studio.

“Everyone looked after each other, and it was a great sense of family. We all still keep in touch with each other.”

Despite now being back at school, Apii, who’s in Year 5 at Ormiston Primary in Flat Bush, Manukau, is keen to carry on with his acting and Tofi says he’s been practising his reading and speech in preparation.

“It’s amazing knowing that a job I thought was really quite simple has made such a difference,” says Maya who’s in Year 11 at Epsom Girls Grammar School.

“I loved it when Bronwyn (one of the clinicians) told me how well the online clinic has been received, and how much her kiritaki appreciated not having to travel to Auckland for appointments.”

In addition, over the last few months, Maya has been cleaning and checking all our donated parts and devices, including processors, dry boxes and cords, to be given away. These are all essential elements to a cochlear implant, and means that kiritaki can now access additional equipment to use as backups or replacements.

Thanks to Maya’s efforts, many of our kiritaki have been able to receive upgraded equipment which represents a huge saving for many people.

We’re very grateful to all our kiritaki who donated their old equipment to assist those in need, and to Maya for her help and initiative to support sustainability at The Hearing House.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

KIRITAKI WELLBEING

Our vision at The Hearing House is to foster a sense of community where everyone is welcome.

Kia kaha Te Reo Māori, we are all in this together / he waka eke noa!

The Hearing House is learning te reo Māori, thanks to the support and guidance of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Its delivery - Whatua Te Aho Tukurua - represents the rejuvenation and intent of chief Apihai Te Kawau’s gift of land in 1840 to Governor William Hobson on his arrival to Ōkahu Bay in Tamaki Makaurau/ Auckland. The parcel of land begins from the summit of Maungawhau/Mt Eden and runs northeast to Taurarua/Parnell Pools, then follows the Waitematā shoreline around to Ōpou/Cox’s Bay in the West - a triangular border that encompasses Auckland’s CBD. The intent was that Māori and non-Māori could be mutual recipients of the many offerings that the two peoples and their cultures could share in order to establish a dynamic and prosperous future for everyone.

We are continuing to strengthen our understanding of Māori culture by integrating aspects of it into our daily operations at The Hearing House through Whatua te Aho Tukurua, the development of online training modules and cultural immersion exercises connecting The Hearing House with Tāmaki (Auckland) based iwi, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

“One of our key objectives is to honour our obligations under Te Tiriti and to be a good partner with Maori,” says The Hearing House CEO Dr Claire Green. “Our vision at The Hearing House is to foster a sense of community where everyone is welcome, contributes and belongs, and our services are co-designed with kiritaki and whānau to ensure we understand and meet their needs.

“We’re very excited to be learning te reo Māori as a team, and to be supporting each other on our learning journey.”

Every team member is participating in an eightweek module of te reo Māori classes, run by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia, the cultural development arm of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

29

COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIP

We foster a community of children, young people, adults, partners and supporters who share experiences, knowledge and resources that empower people on their hearing journey.

We are unlimited by Bev Hickson-Snook

30

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIP

Bringing media to life through captions Gaby Evans is a passionate advocate for access to captions across all visual media. She was born severeto-profoundly deaf as a result of genetic deafness and congenital illness. In 2016, at the age of 18, she received bilateral cochlear implants and since then has been supported by the team of audiologists at The Hearing House.

Gaby has a BA in Deaf Studies and Psychology from AUT, and is fluent in NZSL. She is a member of the communications team at Able, Aotearoa’s leading provider of captions, subtitles, and audio description for New Zealand’s TV and film industry. Their work is vital in making media accessible so that Aotearoa’s deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, lowvision and deafblind communities can enjoy the magic of TV and film. Gaby’s personal experience being hard of hearing gives her a unique perspective on the importance of accessibility, and she is passionate about making media more inclusive for everyone.

Gaby grew up in rural New Zealand and spent her high school and university years in Auckland. She had heard about captions and subtitles for many years while growing up but as this was the time when the internet was on the cusp of being ubiquitous and many people still had dial-up internet, there wasn’t a sure way of figuring out how to turn the captions on.

It wasn’t until she attended a deaf boarding school where older deaf adults and students taught her how to turn on the captions – all that was needed was the knowledge of a couple of codes and a certain button on the TV remote – this was back in the day of Teletext captioning.

Having access to captions right from the very first episode makes her feel like she’s on the same page as everyone else – she no longer needs to make up names for characters based on what she can visually see.

It’s her fervent hope that in New Zealand, the increasing rates of captioning across many shows and services such as TVNZ+, continues to rise.

Gaby Evans

She is passionate about making media more inclusive for everyone.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

31

COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIP

We’re delighted that our funding could help support the growth of The Hearing House.

An improved and enhanced experience for our kiritaki, thanks to Hearing House supporters A new clinical management system implemented during the year will improve the experiences and outcomes for our cochlear implant kiritaki, due to the efforts of a team of supporters including financial support from the Lindsay Foundation.

The Lindsay Foundation supports Kiwi individuals and organisations who aspire to make a positive difference in New Zealand. It has been involved with The Hearing House since 2020.

The new system will reduce our administrative workload and improve efficiencies, so the team can focus on delivering high-quality care to our kiritaki. It is hoped this in turn will lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty among our kiritaki and their whānau, helping drive further growth.

“We’re delighted that our funding could help support the growth of The Hearing House,” said Andrew Higgott, CEO of the Lindsay Foundation.

“The Hearing House is such an impressive facility in itself, and it certainly made sense that its systems should be in step with the working environment.”

Prior to the implementation of the new system, Cloud Appointments, The Hearing House used different systems and ways of storing data for its kiritaki – many were out-dated, largely paper-based and no longer fit-for-purpose.

32

Thanks to an extremely generous grant from the Lindsay Foundation, The Hearing House was able to develop a bespoke data management platform that stores client data securely, improves practice efficiency, delivers timely care, and improves patient experience and outcomes.

The cloud-based solution includes automated appointment scheduling and reminders, management of referrals, payment processing, maintenance of electronic records, and simplified access for kiritaki.

The Hearing House CEO Dr Claire Green added, “The understanding of the rationale underpinning the project and support of the Lindsay Foundation has meant the world to The Hearing House.

“We would never have been able to develop such a streamlined, cost-effective and user-friendly system without their support.”

The development and implementation of the project was led by Hearing House supporter Rob Carter, assisted by our information and data systems lead, Silvia Rosioru.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIP

Sign language playgroup provides unique teaching and learning opportunities The nation’s first New Zealand Sign Language playgroup for pre-school children launched this year, thanks to a partnership between The Hearing House and not-for-profit Deaf Aotearoa.

The playgroup for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and their whānau was held at the Joyce Fisher Centre at The Hearing House’s base in Greenlane, and was run by Deaf Aotearoa’s First Signs service.

All activities and teaching were conducted in

“For many families, it’s a challenge to find a NZSL-rich environment and the playgroup provided that muchneeded environment for Deaf children in the same way te kōhanga reo does for Māori tamariki.

“It demonstrated the practical way of Deaf awareness and how Deaf Adults interact with everyone, including children,” she said.

“It also provides a safe space for children to watch and access what everyone’s talking about.”

Dr Claire Green, chief executive of The Hearing House, added, “The playgroup gave The Hearing House team a valuable opportunity to learn more

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).

“Our new NZSL playgroup provided an opportunity for Deaf children to learn and use NZSL with Deaf role models. It’s much more than who’s wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids -- it’s an essential part of language development,” said Natasha Cloete, Child and Youth manager at Deaf Aotearoa.

about Deaf culture and improve their sign language skills, and to observe our younger kiritaki and their whānau interact using the visual language.”

New Zealand Sign Language is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s official languages, and many Deaf and hard-of-hearing children or adults use NZSL as part of their everyday lives.

First Signs/Deaf Aotearoa and The Hearing House playgroup in action at the Joyce Fisher Centre

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

33

INNOVATION & LEARNING

We develop and contribute to leading edge practice, therapies and technologies to deepen knowledge and drive continuous innovation in hearing care and wellbeing. We provide training and capacity building for professionals and future practitioners providing hearing care and support.

34

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

INNOVATION & LEARNING

Dr Holly Teagle and Gabriela Surja

Student research into speech-innoise testing could contribute to changing practices in audiology University of Auckland Audiology Masters’ student Gabriela Surja had a major career change two years ago when she decided she wanted to do something that really made a difference to people’s lives.

The former transport engineer, who spent eight years working on major traffic infrastructure projects in and around Auckland, traded her hard hat for an audiometer and has never looked back.

She says audiology ticked all the right boxes – the nature of the work, the work-life balance it offers, the interaction with people, and the fact that the service could be tailored to fit the needs of kiritaki and their whānau.

In choosing her thesis topic, Gabriela sought the advice of her supervisor and Hearing House Clinical Director for audiology and rehabilitation, Dr. Holly Teagle, who encouraged her to look into improving and developing clinical practices that could reflect real-life challenges for kiritaki.

The Hearing House works closely with the University of Auckland Audiology programme, providing clinical experience placements for students and collaborating on research.

Gabriela ’s chosen topic – Speech Perception in Noise Assessment – examines an area that is not currently a standard part of audiology testing in New Zealand, but Gabriela is hoping her research might change that.

Gabriela says that an understanding of a person’s speech perception in noise is crucial for deciding on an appropriate rehabilitation strategy, including the fitting of hearing devices such as cochlear implants and hearing aids.

In addition, she says the performance of hearing devices in noise is largely tested in controlled laboratory conditions, and not validated in realistic acoustic environments. This can lead to persistent complaints of hearing difficulty in noisy situations, despite the use of a hearing device.

She hopes that her findings could add further weight to the move to have speech-in-noise testing adapted as best practice in New Zealand – and help create a better understanding and more realistic picture of how people who are hard of hearing cope in our noisy world.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

Gabriela Surja

35

INNOVATION & LEARNING

Raising awareness of congenital Cytomegalovirus on the local and global stage Dr. Holly Teagle, The Hearing House’s Clinical Director, is continuing local and global efforts to raise awareness of congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV), the most common cause of non-genetic hearing loss in children.

She has presented to international audiences on the subject, including the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening (ANHS) conference in Hobart and the American Cochlear Implant Alliance Conference in Dallas, Texas.

Children born with CMV often have multiple medical diagnoses, which create many challenges for families. In addition to hearing loss, CMV can also result in developmental delays, cognitive impairment, movement and balance difficulties, visual difficulties and neurocognitive disorders, such as autism and sensory integration problems.

Around 20% of referrals for cochlear implantation at The Hearing House are children who have hearing loss as a result of CMV. Since 2019, The Hearing House has developed and delivered several informational CMV workshops and diagnostic clinics for children, their whānau and local service providers.

The goals of these forums are to provide opportunities for medical and therapy specialists to work together and create a safe and friendly

Dr Holly Teagle

environment for parents and family members of children with CMV to meet and network; to support parents and whānau so they can learn and understand a child’s special needs; to translate findings of evaluations and make recommendations for care in the local community, as well as empower parents and whānau to advocate for their child.

“We’ve been addressing the lack of awareness by increasing the amount of information, resources and support available to Kiwi families,” says Holly.

“Part of this has been the establishment of the CMV Clinic for The Hearing House whānau, which brings family members together with medical and therapy professionals.”

The Hearing House hopes to stage further workshops for children and their whānau over the course of this year.

We’ve been addressing the lack of awareness by increasing the amount of information, resources and support available to Kiwi families.

36

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

INNOVATION & LEARNING

Living Guidelines set to improve standard of hearing care for adults A global collaborative effort is underway to address the unmet needs for adults with hearing loss.

As a member of the Cochlear Implant Global Task Force, Dr Holly Teagle has been instrumental in developing the new Living Guidelines on hearing care for adults. These guidelines provide guidance for hearing professionals to improve the standard of adult hearing healthcare, including assessment and followup care for a cochlear implant.

The taskforce is calling on individuals and families to provide feedback on the draft Living Guidelines document, asking them to share their lived experience and offer their insights.

“Clinical guidelines are integral to ensuring that healthcare decisions are based on the best available evidence. Before now, there were no international and patient-centred guidelines for hearing care and cochlear implants for adults,” Holly says.

Connecting and celebrating our culture — Latasi’s story Moana Connect hosted the first ever Pacific Child Wellbeing Conference in Auckland earlier this year to launch the Tamaiti o le Moana 2033 report which looks at the strengths and needs of Pacific peoples within the context of Pacific child wellbeing.

It also called on participants to connect and celebrate their culture.

Hearing House audiologist Latasi Koro took part in a breakout session about cochlear implants, how implants intersect with d/Deafness, and how The Hearing House navigates this space with our Pacific children.

As a Samoan Tokelauan audiologist, Latasi introduced herself and her Pacific cultural identity, acknowledging the importance of knowing who you are, to being well. She also introduced The Hearing House’s mission – to foster a community of support to empower those who are d/Deaf and/or hard of hearing, together with their whānau,

“We need to hear the voices of our cochlear implant recipients,” she says. “Their input is vital in creating a more inclusive and effective healthcare environment that provides better outcomes for everyone.

“Untreated hearing loss has been linked to decreased quality of life, cognitive decline and depression and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting an association between hearing loss in older adults and neurocognitive disorders, such as dementia.

“Additionally, hearing loss can also have an impact on the individuals close to them, including family and friends.”

The new Living Guidelines make nine recommendations across hearing screening, specialist referral and evaluation, rehabilitation and patient outcomes. The two-year research project looked at more than 13,000 peer-reviewed studies and involved a panel of 52 experts representing 58 organisations, including those living with hearing loss. The guidance and guidelines will be updated as new evidence is published.

to explore their best potential, and make informed choices on their journey.

A total of 13% of our paediatric kiritaki are Pacific, of whom most identify as either Samoan (42%), Tongan (26%), or Cook Islands Māori (16%). This is fairly consistent with the breakdown of Pacific ethnicities in the total New Zealand population.

In Pulotu-Endemanns (2010) Fonofale model (Pacific health model), culture is seen as the roof of the house and family as the foundation. For our CI children, they navigate daily how to be Pacific which is the culture passed down from their family, but they also navigate being deaf which is usually something that they and their family have to learn.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

Latasi Koro 37

OUR SUPPORTERS

We are incredibly grateful to all our donors, partners, whānau and the community who have contributed in so many ways to The Hearing House this year.

T

he Hearing House would not be here if it were not for the support of others.

Your generosity enables us to continue to support children, young people, whānau and adults who are hard of hearing towards a brighter future.

We would like to particularly acknowledge the support of the Punchestown Family Trust, Hugo Charitable Trust, Lindsay Foundation and donor Grace McKean whose generosity means that a founding vision of The Hearing House to have a mobile hearing van in the community can now become a reality.

This year has also seen another vision of The Hearing House - the adoption of a centralised client management system - be realised. We would like to especially acknowledge the support and

38

ongoing commitment of Rob Carter whose IT skills and advice were instrumental in the development, implementation and successful completion of this project, as well as the financial support of the Lindsay Foundation. This project has been a highly valued achievement for our team and is the culmination of many months of hard mahi and commitment.

The Lion Foundation has been an extraordinary supporter of our work for over 25 years. The impact of their support has been truly life changing and is felt every day by our team and our kiritaki.

In addition, Quota South Pacific generously funded a large proportion of our Cochlear Implant Repair Fund this year through their area scholarship, helping cochlear implant users cover the cost of unfunded repairs.

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

OUR SUPPORTERS

Trusts, Foundations and Donors Generosity from the following trusts, foundations and donors enabled us to continue to deliver our life changing programmes and services and meet our general operating costs: • ANZ Staff Foundation • Anne Simmons • Bollard Trust • Dragon Community Trust • Fay Jewell • Foundation North • Four Winds Foundation • Grace McKean • Hearing House Heroes • Hugo Charitable Trust • JC & PR Ross • JM Thompson Trust • Lindsay Foundation • Lion Foundation • Lottery Grants Board • Maria Boddington • Maurice Paykel Charitable Trust • Milestone Foundation • NR Thompson • Pauline Levie • PG Ernest Davis and Ted and Mollie Carr • Pub Charity • Quota South Pacific • Rotorua Trust • The Trusts Community Foundation • Trillian Trust • Trust Waikato • Z Energy - Good in the Hood

OUR TEAM

Ash Arrowsmith Fundraising

Dr Claire Green Chief Executive

Dr Holly Teagle Clinical Director

Aishwarya Suresh (Aishu) Kumar Speech Language Therapist

Ashleigh Bogle

Bria Renai

Speech Language Therapist

Clinical Administrator

Briana Putnam Audiologist

Denice Bos Audiologist, Early Intervention Team Lead

Bronwyn Bailey Speech Language Therapist/ Rehabilitationist

Derek Hatfield Audiologist

Grace Morton Speech and Language Therapist 40

Caroline Selvaratnam Audiologist, Adult Team Leader

Eilidh Gil Audiologist

Hazel Benson-Dawe Whānau/Family Support

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

Gracie Adams Speech Language Therapist

Joe Chandler Speech Language Therapist

OUR TEAM

Lauren Taylor Communications

Kate Dobbin Communications

Latasi Koro Audiologist

Marcela Magelhaes Inventory Administrator

Megan Levi Pediatric Clinical Coordinator

Michele Verrall

Nick Jones Audiologist

Renee Orams Audiologist

Renique Williams Speech Language Therapist

Robyn Moriarty Audiologist, Young Peoples Team Lead

Sara Finnegan Clinical Administrator

Silvia Rosioru Information and Systems Lead

Soniya Naido Clinical Administrator

Tara Barr Clinical Administrator

Warren Smith Finance

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

Finance

41

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Group Income & Expenditure Statement for Cochlear Implant Foundation & Hearing House Services Limited For the year ended 31 March 2023

Income

2023

2022

Donations

488,904

240,028

Investment & Interest

30,395

264,895

Northern Cochlear Implant Trust (Government Contract)

2,471,469

2,075,084

Other Services & Net Sales of Inventory

199,606

222,154

Tenancy Rentals

82,403

69,558

Total Income

3,272,777

2,871,719

Overheads

934,045

804,312

Wages & Salary Costs

2,160,273

1,967,217

Total Expenditure

3,094,318

2,771,529

Surplus/Deficit

178,459

100,190

Expenditure

42

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Group Balance Sheet for Cochlear Implant Foundation & Hearing House Services Limited As at 31 March 2023

Assets

2023

2022

Bank

1,793,569

1,474,240

Accounts Receivable

333,536

486,077

Investments

3,128,186

3,070,001

Property Plant & Equipment

8,299,066

8,441,075

Total Assets

13,554,357

13,471,393

Accounts Payable & Accruals

474,626

592,523

Income in Advance

206,702

184,300

Loans

1,988,846

1,988,846

Total Liabilities

2,670,174

2,765,669

10,884,183

10,705,724

Liabilities

Net Assets

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

43

DONATION & CONTACT DETAILS

There are many ways you can support the work we do.

Donate There are several ways you can donate to The Hearing House: Online: www.hearinghouse.co.nz Post: Send your donation to The Hearing House, PO Box 74-022, Greenlane, Auckland 1546 (Please include your contact details so we can send you a donation receipt).

Internet Banking: You can make a payment online directly into our bank account: ASB 12-3055-0201946-000.

Please include your name as reference.

Please email us on reception@hearinghouse.co.nz if you would like a donation receipt.

Become a Hearing House Hero We depend on supporters like you to give on a regular basis throughout the year. Donating by automatic payment is easy to set up and can be cancelled at any time. It also helps to keep our costs low, while spreading your gift over time.

To become a Hearing House Hero, go to our website and following instructions. https://www.hearinghouse. co.nz/hearing-house-heroes Leave a gift in your will We would be very grateful if you would consider leaving a gift for The Hearing House in your will.

For a confidential conversation about this, please contact us at fundraising@hearinghouse.co.nz 44

Volunteer We are always looking out for volunteers to lend a helping hand. We’d love to hear from you if you would like to help us make a difference.

Donate your used equipment You can donate your old hearing aids or spare cochlear implant equipment to those who cannot afford them otherwise. Many of our kiritaki struggle to stay on air because of the cost of replacement parts. Your used equipment can help transform health and quality of life for a person in need who couldn’t otherwise afford their hearing equipment.

You can help by: Dropping in old equipment to us at The Hearing House, 251 Campbell Road, Greenlane, Auckland 1061.

Contact us on 09-579-2333/ 0800-2-LISTEN/ 0800-254-783 or email reception@hearinghouse.co.nz We can arrange to pick up the old equipment.

Published by The Hearing House 251 Campbell Road Greenlane Auckland 1061 reception@hearinghouse.co.nz www.hearinghouse.co.nz Phone: 09-579-2333 or 0800-2-LISTEN/ 0800-254-783 © The Hearing House 2023

PŪRONGO Ā-TAU ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

The Hearing House 251 Campbell Road Greenlane Auckland 1061 reception@hearinghouse.co.nz www.hearinghouse.co.nz Phone: 09-579-2333 or 800-2-LISTEN/ 0800-254-783 © The Hearing House 2023