About Us

NZESS is a not-for-profit organization that is governed by a Board of Trustees , including chairperson, secretary, and treasurer, from different cultural and professional backgrounds. We are a team of  registered Social Workers who speak a range of languages including Persian, Farsi, Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic and Hindi, and a multi-lingual family counsellor.

We assist Middle Eastern and other Ethnic Minority families towards well-being and resilience in their adjustment and contribution to life in Aotearoa NZ. We offer migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers a safe and culturally sensitive environment in which to gain support, accurate information and better understanding

We support at-risk families and vulnerable children through services of intervention and prevention, advocacy and education.

We provide these services by staff who are fluent in the languages and cultures of their clients.

Our History

New Zealand Ethnic Social Services (NZESS) is a not-for-profit organisation which was established in 2003 to provide critically needed social support services for individuals and families of ethnic communities, to create healthy families and thereby a healthier community in New Zealand. NZESS was restructured in 2017 and continues its services with new board members and a new team of social workers. The NZESS Trust Board comprises people of a wide range of expertise and from various cultures and ethnicities including Middle Eastern, Indian and NZ. Our staff team includes registered social workers, a manager and a number of contracted and voluntary assistants.

NZESS continues to provide holistic social services and educational programs for the benefit of   ethnic families and individuals