Lay summary
Māori as Aotearoa New Zealand’s indigenous people and partners to the Treaty of Waitangi are entitled to experience the same level of health and wellbeing as non-Māori. However, research and growing health disparities suggest this is not the case. This project seeks to provide a theoretical explanation for health professionals working together with Māori in a well-child / tamariki ora context. It is thought that by increasing health professional and organisational cultural responsiveness, Māori will be more likely to engage with well-child / tamariki ora services in a meaningful way and in turn, experience better health outcomes. This research will be underpinned by Kaupapa Māori methodology and use constructivist grounded theory methods to collect and analyse data. It will contribute to the limited knowledge that exists in relation to cultural responsiveness in health settings as well as support the practice of health professionals working alongside Māori clients, whānau and communities.