When you face a conflict of interest involving whānau connections

You are the manager of a well-regarded kaupapa Māori community services organisation in a mid-sized town. The organisation holds contracts with the Ministry of Social Development and is governed by a board drawn from local hapū. Your team is tight-knit — most staff have grown up in the same community, and whānau connections between colleagues, clients, and board members are the norm, not the exception.

This week a referral lands on your desk for Ngaire, a 34-year-old woman seeking intensive family wellbeing support. You recognise the name. Ngaire is the younger sister of Anewa, one of your senior practitioners — a deeply trusted team member who has been with the organisation for six years. Anewa hasn't mentioned the referral. Your conflict of interest policy requires that staff disclose when a family member is being considered for services and that managers assess whether the staff member can be involved in that person's case.

As you're reviewing the referral, a junior staff member, Mere, stops by your office. She tells you, quietly, that Anewa has already been informally involved — he attended a brief 'whānau hui' with Ngaire last week to help her understand what support was available, before the formal referral was made. Mere seems uncomfortable. She's not sure if she's done the right thing by telling you. She says: "I just — I didn't want it to become a problem for everyone."

You thank Mere and tell her you'll look into it. You close the door. You have a decision to make about what to do next.