Experiences of Care in Aotearoa 2023/2024
Agency Compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations
Summary
The National Care Standards (NCS) Regulations came into effect in 2019, and set out the minimum standard of care that must be provided when the state has custody of a child.
We report annually on whether agencies with custody and care responsibilities are complying with the and whether it is making a difference for (children) and (young people) in care. We do this by looking at what the data shows and what people tell us they are experiencing.
Experiences of Care in 2023/24 is our fourth full report on compliance with the NCS Regulations. We found that tamariki and rangatahi are still not receiving the minimum standard of care required by the NCS Regulations.
Oranga Tamariki, Open Home Foundation, Barnardos, and Kōkiri Marae have custody and care responsibilities. Oranga Tamariki had custody of around 99 percent of the 5,722 children in care during the 2023/24 reporting period.
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Publication date: 26 February 2025 | Category: Experiences of Care | ISSN: 2816-0363
The State should be a model parent. We again found that many and in the care of Oranga Tamariki are not receiving the minimum standard of care the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations () require. We’ve seen some improvement in some of the data, but not the level of change we expected to see after four years. From what we heard more recently, it is unlikely to change by the time we next report.
In our fourth year of monitoring compliance with the NCS Regulations, we returned to the regions we visited three years ago to see if the experiences of tamariki (children), rangatahi (young people) and their and caregivers had changed. We heard some examples of good practice, but overall not much has changed.
To improve compliance in 2024/25 and beyond, Oranga Tamariki must address how it can free its social workers to do what they are trained to do – being there for tamariki and rangatahi, completing thorough assessments and plans, supporting caregivers, and ultimately helping to keep tamariki and rangatahi safe, loved and cared for.
In addition to improving practice, Oranga Tamariki must be a better advocate for tamariki and rangatahi in its care and other government agencies must respond to its requests for help. We frequently hear about the lack of priority given to tamariki and rangatahi in care across government agencies. The Oranga Tamariki Action Plan (OTAP) was supposed to make things better by improving collaboration and the coordination of services. We are yet to see evidence that it has made a difference on the ground. Where we saw and heard of collaborative practice between agencies, it was due to individual relationships at a local level, rather than a system designed to make it happen.
Funding is siloed, both within and between government agencies, resulting in stand-offs about who will pay and when care or services will be funded – leaving the child far from the centre. The doorway to help does not open as easily as it should, and it is tamariki and rangatahi who miss out.
We’re also hearing government agencies are now pulling back to “core business”, chipping away at the pockets of collaboration that do exist. Sadly, poor collaboration and prioritisation is not confined to tamariki and rangatahi in care. We see and hear of escalation through the oranga tamariki system because government agencies didn’t work together and provide services and support early enough.
In our wider monitoring work, particularly in the latter half of 2024, we heard that funding changes are impacting on the ability of community organisations to support and care for tamariki, rangatahi, caregivers and their whānau. We will cover this in more detail in our first systemwide report, outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whānau, to be published in mid-2025.
In the same year in which the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care released its final report, Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, more tamariki and rangatahi in care were abused or neglected.
The care and protection system is there to care and protect. This includes addressing what may have happened to tamariki and rangatahi before they came into care, keeping them safe while in care, and providing them with the support they need to experience better life outcomes. A year is a long time in the life of a child, four years is an even longer time to not be receiving the minimum standard of care.
Over the 2023/24 year, we heard from more than 1,800 people – tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, caregivers, social workers, and people who work in government agencies, non-government organisations and and Māori organisations. They share their experiences so openly with us because they desperately want to improve the system for others. We cannot thank them enough for trusting us with their stories.
Arran Jones
Chief Executive
Nova Banaghan
Chief Monitor
About tamariki and rangatahi in care
Oranga Tamariki compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations
Part One: Needs assessments and plans for tamariki and rangatahi in care
Assessing our needs and updating our plans
Oranga Tamariki is yet to meet the NCS Regulations for assessments and plans
Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part One
In completing assessments and plans, Oranga Tamariki is not following its own policies
and and voices are not always reflected in plans
Needs assessments and plans are sometimes missing information and have gaps
Insufficient funding and long waitlists mean some tamariki and rangatahi aren’t getting the assessments and services they need
Oranga Tamariki has limited visibility of self-harm and suicide risk
Tamariki and rangatahi are not visited as often as they should be
Tamariki and rangatahi must have their needs understood
Part Two: Support to address tamariki and rangatahi needs
Oranga Tamariki must do more to ensure the needs of tamariki and rangatahi in its care are met
Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part Two
Oranga Tamariki continues to support tamariki and rangatahi in care to establish, maintain and strengthen whānau connection
Oranga Tamariki data doesn’t show the full picture meeting its obligations for health and education
The needs of tamariki and rangatahi in care are better met when government agencies collaborate
The impact of not addressing the needs of tamariki and rangatahi can be lifelong
Part Three: Assessments, plans and support for caregivers
To meet the regulations, Oranga Tamariki must improve how it assesses and supports all caregivers
Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part Three
A higher proportion of tamariki and rangatahi are being placed with approved caregivers
Caregiver approvals are taking longer
There is also a shortage of pre-approved caregivers
Caregivers want more support from Oranga Tamariki
Oranga Tamariki does not always give caregivers information they need about tamariki and rangatahi
Caregivers must be better supported so they can provide a stable home for tamariki and rangatahi
Keeping us safe and supporting our voice
Oranga Tamariki must prioritise keeping tamariki and rangatahi safe
Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part Four
Abuse and neglect of tamariki and rangatahi in care continues to increase
Compliance with the when responding to allegations of abuse and neglect
Tamariki and rangatahi in care must have a voice
Improvements need to continue for tamariki and rangatahi to have a voice
Part Five: Supporting tamariki and rangatahi during care transitions
Supporting us when we change placements
Rangatahi are still not being given the best chance of a successful transition
Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part Five
A high proportion of changes in care are unexpected
Tamariki and rangatahi who return home are still not being visited enough
Oranga Tamariki is not always ensuring rangatahi are ready for adulthood
Supporting tamariki and rangatahi during care transitions is critical
Part Six: Agency self-monitoring
Oranga Tamariki compliance with Part Six
Oranga Tamariki assesses itself as partially compliant with the NCS Regulations
Oranga Tamariki is still developing its self-monitoring
Despite some improvement, significant gaps remain
Open Home Foundation Compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations
About tamariki and rangatahi in Open Home Foundation custody
Part One: Needs assessments and plans for tamariki and rangatahi in care
Part Two: Support to address tamariki and rangatahi needs
Part Three: Assessments, plans and support for caregivers
Part Five: Supporting tamariki and rangatahi during care transitions
Part Six: Agency self-monitoring
Conclusion
Barnardos Compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations
Kōkiri Marae Compliance with the National Care Standards and Related Matters Regulations
Summary