Governance & Accountability

About Our Gonvernance

Waitomo-Waipā Women’s Refuge is a locally governed, community-based organisation committed to safety, transparency, and responsible leadership.

We are entrusted with supporting wāhine and tamariki at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.
That responsibility is taken seriously at every level of our organisation.

Waitomo-Waipā Women’s Refuge is governed by a voluntary Board.

Our current Board Chair is Nicki Raffills.

  • Strategic direction and long-term sustainability

    • Financial oversight and accountability

    • Risk management and organisational policy

    • Ensuring legal and regulatory compliance

    • Supporting operational leadership in delivering safe, high-quality services

    The Board does not manage individual cases or day-to-day service delivery.

    Operational leadership sits with our Refuge Manager Wendy Valler, and our trained advocacy team.

    Wendy leads the delivery of services across Waitomo and Waipā, ensuring that support is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and aligned with national refuge standards.

    We are affiliated with the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges and operate within nationally recognised frameworks and standards.

Our Responsibilities

We are accountable to:

The wāhine and tamariki we support

Our community

Our funders and partners

The legal and regulatory frameworks that guide our work

Our responsibilities include:

Protecting confidentiality and privacy

Ensuring services are delivered safely and respectfully

Maintaining robust financial management systems

Meeting funding and reporting obligations

Upholding health and safety standards

Providing culturally responsive and trauma-informed support


Trust is built through consistent, responsible practice.

Confidentiality is central to our work.

We operate under strict privacy obligations and ethical standards to protect the safety of the people we support.

This means:

We do not comment on individual cases.

We do not confirm or deny whether someone has accessed our services.

We only share information where legally required or where there is an immediate risk of harm.

These boundaries are essential to safety and are upheld at both governance and operational levels.

Financial Transparency and Reporting

We are committed to responsible stewardship of public and community funding.

Our financial systems include:

  • Board-level financial oversight

  • Regular reporting and auditing processes

  • Compliance with funding agreements

  • Responsible allocation of resources to frontline services

Where appropriate, summary information about our funding and community impact is shared through annual reporting.

Raising a Concern or Complaint

We welcome feedback and concerns.

If someone has questions about our services, conduct, or governance, we encourage them to raise this directly with us so it can be addressed fairly and respectfully.

Concerns can be raised by:

All concerns are reviewed according to our internal policies and governance processes.

Where appropriate, concerns may be referred to relevant external authorities in line with legal and regulatory frameworks.

We are committed to handling concerns with dignity, impartiality, and care.

Our Commitment

Safety, integrity, and accountability are part of our daily work.

We remain committed to:

  • Protecting the safety and privacy of wāhine and tamariki

  • Acting with integrity in every decision

  • Operating transparently within the boundaries required for safety

  • Strengthening trust within our community

If you would like to learn more about our governance or accountability processes, please contact us.

Women's Refuge Waitomo Waipā is an affiliated member of the Women’s Refuge National Collective, working alongside refuges across Aotearoa to support women and whānau experiencing family violence.