Lay summary
This project works in partnership with community support workers and their unions E tū and the PSA. Community support workers' wellbeing has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 policy and practice response. One hundred and twenty interviews will be conducted by the research team and participant-researchers, including a specific Māori stream. This project asks 'What challenges have community support workers experienced, and how has this impacted their health and social wellbeing during COVID-19?'. This project will document the actions taken by this community to protect their own wellbeing, and that of their clients, during the COVID-19 response. Their experiences during the COVID-19 response will directly inform recommendations that can be implemented to reduce inequity in the wellbeing of Māori community support workers, and community support workers in general, during the COVID-19 response and in future disruptive events.