Connectors

Helping us connect with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau and caregivers

We check that organisations supporting and working with tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, and their whānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary and families, are meeting their needs, delivering services effectively, and improving outcomes.

We do this by:

  • Monitoring compliance with the Oranga Tamariki Act and associated standards and regulations, including the National Care Standards Regulations.
  • Monitoring system performance using an outcomes approach for tamariki and rangatahi who are in care, or at risk of coming into care.
  • Looking at the quality of practice, and identifying areas for improvement, across the wider oranga tamariki system under the Oversight of the Oranga Tamariki System Act.

Our mahi
WorkView the full glossary is not limited to measuring compliance by reviewing information from agencies. The stories and lived experiences of tamariki and rangatahi, their whānau, caregivers and their community are at the centre of our monitoring approach.

Why we need connectors

To best understand the experiences of tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, in particular tamariki Māori, we want to hear from tamariki and rangatahi, their whānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary, caregivers, and people who make up the community around them.  The community includes iwi
TribeView the full glossary, hapū
Sub-tribeView the full glossary, social service providers, kura (schools) and non-government organisations.

We have thought a lot about how we connect respectfully, safely and meaningfully with tamariki and rangatahi, their whānau and caregivers in the communities that we visit.

It’s important to us that we hear their voices in the work that we do and that our reporting reflects their experience.

We recognise the value of taking time to build relationships and establish rapport. In order to connect with participants in our mahi
WorkView the full glossary, we will be relying on people and organisations who have existing and trusted relationships in communities. We need help to make these connections as we can’t do this alone.

We know that honest kōrero
Conversation or discussionView the full glossary and information sharing comes out of strong and
trusting relationships.

What does a connector do?

A connector is a broad term we use to describe a person, organisation or agency that can assist us to identify and connect with tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, their whānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary or caregivers.

Relationships with connectors go beyond being a gateway for our engagement with tamariki and their whānau. Our operational principles of kotahitanga (unity), manaakitanga (caring for others) and whakamana i te tāngata (respect) acknowledges the reciprocal nature of our relationships with connectors.

A connector will help tamariki and rangatahi, and their whānau and caregivers understand who we are and what we are trying to do. This will help people decide whether they want to kōrero
Conversation or discussionView the full glossary with us. If they want to kōrero with us, the connector can assist us to arrange this.

We are mindful that sometimes tamariki or rangatahi, their whānau and caregivers may need support following a visit. Connectors will be best placed to provide direct support or help them access the support they need.

Becoming a connector

If you work with tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, their whānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary or caregivers we would welcome the opportunity to kōrero
Conversation or discussionView the full glossary with you about the possibility of becoming a connector.

Please kōrero with our monitoring staff or email us if you have any questions or want to know more.

How we support you

We acknowledge and value the contribution that connectors make and would be happy to discuss any additional costs that may arise from the support provided. Please discuss this directly with our monitoring staff.

We provide information so that connectors can confidently talk with tamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary, their caregivers and/or whānau
Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary about who we are and what we do.

This includes:

  • information about what to expect when we visit
  • consent forms for participants
  • our Ethics Code
  • our Child Protection Policy
  • guidance about the information we collect, how we collect it and how we care for it in line with our policies.


We look forward to spending time with you and hearing about your experiences. Collectively we can work together to support tamariki and rangatahi in the oranga tamariki system to live their best lives.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou!