Suzanne Cocker

Ko Ruapehu te maunga Ko Rangitikei te awa Ko Tūwharetoa me Ngāti Kahungunu me Ngāti Raukawa me English me Norwegian me Scottish nga iwi Ko Parerukuwai te tupuna wahine Ko Suzanne Cocker ahau I was born and bred in Petone, Wellington. I come from a long line of people, who on both sides of my family, are steeped in acts of service, compassion and work ethic. After providing professional Supervision within my various roles over the past 12 years, in 2023 I established Pohutukawa Place to focus on high-quality external Professional Supervision for Social Workers and other helping professions. I am focused on supporting best practice, growing a competent and compassionate workforce, and advocating for the critical role Social Work has in advancing social justice. I have been a Social Worker for over 16 years and held roles in addictions, family conflict and child consultancy, youth health services, Social Work education and held management and professional leadership roles in tertiary health services. I have worked both in kaupapa Māori and mainstream organisations and has been fortunate to practice Social Work in Aotearoa, Australia and the United Kingdom. I am passionate about utilising my skills and experience to support Social Workers and other professionals to be the very best version of themselves. Whether it’s testing new theories, advocating for changing systems that don’t work for whānau or ensuring great support and ethical rigor for professionals, I am keen to get stuck in. I love to spend time travelling, learning about other cultures, and being inspired by Social Work in the global space.