What is the Accelerator programme?
The Accelerator is a community-based professional learning programme for people working across our social sector. Participants share their knowledge and experiences while getting to know Ōtepoti Dunedin services and seeing how they work and intersect. Each cohort spends one day a week together, over 15 weeks total.
This innovative Ōtepoti-grown collaboration is creating change across the social service sector, building connections and relationships and creating a shared best practice in service of tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau.
2025 registrations are open
The Integrated Practice Accelerator is warmly inviting registrations for its second cohort of 2025. This cohort will run for 15 weeks from July to October 2025. Please register at the link below or get in touch if you would like to know more about the programme or have any questions.
Key details
Starts: July 2025 (date TBC)
Ends: October 2025 (date TBC)
9am–3pm, Thursdays
What do participants learn?
The Accelerator is a structured programme that adapts to each intake of students. Accelerator sessions are interactive and experiential, with plenty of group work. A core concept for the Accelerator is ako, the experience of being both learner and teacher – your knowledge will enhance the learning of the entire group.
We build your knowledge and skills in integrated practice, developing your ability to look at the whole person and support them with a deep understanding of their world and the full range of specialist services available.
The programme focuses on building relationships and knowledge of local organisations so that practitioners understand how to access services and the referral pathways for whānau. We build participants’ knowledge and competencies in areas identified by service providers and employers, such as trauma-informed practice, community development, homelessness, mental health, disability and neurodiversity.
Those who do this programme come away with confidence and a rich set of skills and knowledge. They have strong professional relationships, work collaboratively, and are able to connect people quickly to the right people and services.
Who is Accelerator for?
Participants are a mix of professionals and new grads from many disciplines, with most working broadly in the social services, health, community and education sectors. Participants may be new to the workforce, recent arrivals in Ōtepoti Dunedin, or experienced practitioners looking to strengthen their collaborative practice and broaden their knowledge of the community ecosystem. Each cohort is limited to 15 participants, giving you the opportunity to work closely together and reflect deeply on your learning.
Why do we run the Accelerator programme?
The Accelerator is an investment in the future of our community – our aim is to achieve wellbeing for rangatahi, tamariki and their whānau, now and into the future.
We are working collaboratively to build a more sustainable workforce by strengthening relationships and shared practice across disciplines and service areas. The programme creates opportunities for quality student placements, ongoing professional development and supported workplace opportunities for new graduates. It also ensures community and government service providers have an immediate pool of work-ready practitioners.