Part Three: Assessments, plans and support for caregivers

Every caregiver must be assessed and approved prior to tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary being placed in their care, and given the support they need to make sure tamariki and rangatahi are cared for.

Oranga Tamariki data shows it has made some progress to ensure caregivers are either approved or provisionally approved before tamariki and rangatahi are placed with them – from 67 percent to 80 percent. However, one in five tamariki and rangatahi are placed with unapproved caregivers and the average time to approve a caregiver rose to around 100 days. One of the consequences of living with an unapproved caregiver is that Oranga Tamariki policies prevent them getting the same support as approved caregivers. This includes financial support such as board payments as well as training and respite. It disproportionally affects whānauClosewhānau
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 who are more likely to be unapproved.

In general, caregivers felt that training, where available, helped them to meet the needs of tamariki and rangatahi. Overall, caregivers were satisfied with the relationships they have with social workers, however, they were less satisfied with Oranga Tamariki as an organisation. Caregivers also told us about:

• delays in receiving reimbursement for costs they had incurred for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care
• respite care not always being available when needed
• not receiving important information from Oranga Tamariki about the tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

This aligns with findings of the Oranga Tamariki caregiver survey, where around half of caregivers (52 percent) were satisfied with the support provided by Oranga Tamariki, but around a third (36 percent) were dissatisfied with the information provided to them by Oranga Tamariki about the tamariki and rangatahi entering their care. Support for caregivers has been identified as one of the priority areas for the Minister for Children, with Oranga Tamariki required to provide quarterly reports on caregiver satisfaction from September 2024.

Caregivers are still not being visited by caregiver social workers often enough, with no progress made from last year. However, almost all caregivers received some form of contact over the year, such as by phone or email.

Difficulty in finding appropriate and available caregivers, coupled with policies that don’t allow for the easy provision of support for caregivers, creates additional work for Oranga Tamariki kaimahi, and uncertainty for Tamariki and rangatahi.

At present, Oranga Tamariki has a way to go before it can say it is compliant with Part Three of the NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary. Areas for improvement include more timely assessments of caregivers and how it provides support to caregivers, including providing key information about tamariki and rangatahi placed in their care.

A higher proportion of tamarikiClosetamariki
Children (plural) aged 0-13 yearsView the full glossary and rangatahiCloserangatahi
Young person aged 14 – 21 years of ageView the full glossary are being placed with approved caregivers

The need to get caregiver decisions right was commented on by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care in its final report, Whanaketia:

“In addition to safety checking, pre-employment screening should test whether potential caregivers, including foster parents and volunteers, have appropriate values and ethics to uphold the rights of people in their care. Further, they must have the capability and capacity to remain reliable, sensitive and responsive to the needs of people in care, including their ability to tolerate difficult and challenging behaviours. People in care need to develop attachment to their caregivers in order to thrive. This is particularly true for tamariki and rangatahi of all ages, as attachment is a critical part of childhood development. In promoting secure attachment caregivers also need to be able to meet the cultural needs of the people they care for”¹.

Potential caregivers are assessed either to care for particular tamariki and rangatahi, or to provide general care for tamariki and rangatahi. For these prospective caregivers, the Oranga Tamariki Practice Centre states that assessment must consider whether they are able to²:

• provide an appropriate standard of care for tamariki or rangatahi
• provide a safe, stable and loving home for tamariki or rangatahi
• respond to the needs and advance the wellbeing of tamariki or rangatahi
• value tamariki or rangatahi for who they are and support their identity and aspirations
• support tamariki or rangatahi to maintain and strengthen their whakapapa connections
• recognise and support the practice of whanaungatanga in relation to Tamariki or rangatahi.

In our previous reports we have highlighted that not all caregivers and their households are assessed and approved before tamariki and rangatahi are placed with them. This year a higher proportion of caregivers were approved before Oranga Tamariki placed tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

Data provided by Oranga Tamariki shows that 80 percent of tamariki and rangatahi were placed with caregivers who had either been fully or provisionally approved. This is up from 67 percent in 2022/23, although due to a change in the data source for this lead indicator this year, Oranga Tamariki advises the result is not fully comparable with previous years.

Oranga Tamariki lead indicator 16

A full or provisional assessment of the caregiver has been carried out prior to tamariki being placed with them

66%2021/2022 67% 2022/2023 80% 2023/2024

Data from Oranga Tamariki also shows that its assessments of caregivers cover the components required by the regulations 90 to 100 percent of the time.

In response to our 2021/22 report raising concerns about the number of unapproved caregivers, Oranga Tamariki said it would remedy this with urgency by reviewing when and why this is happening, and following up with practitioners to ensure the approval process is being followed.

If the placement of tamariki and rangatahi needs to happen urgently, the NCS RegulationsCloseNCS Regulations
(National Care Standards and Related Matters) Regulations 2018 View the full glossary allow for a provisional approval to be made providing certain criteria are met by the prospective caregivers and their household. Where tamariki and rangatahi are placed with provisionally approved caregivers, a full assessment must be carried out as soon as practicable. Placements with provisionally approved caregivers must also be closely monitored until a full assessment has been completed.

As with previous years, self-monitoring data from Oranga Tamariki shows there was minimal monitoring of provisionally approved caregivers, with around 17 percent of provisionally approved caregivers monitored as required by the regulations. We did not hear about any barriers to close monitoring of provisional approvals and, as the numbers of provisionally approved caregivers are low overall, it is unclear why close monitoring cannot be done.

Caregiver approvals are taking longer

Twenty percent of tamariki and rangatahi are placed with caregivers before assessment and approval is complete.

In its annual report on compliance, Oranga Tamariki states some of the reasons why a child or young person is placed with a caregiver prior to an assessment and approval, include “operational pressures around placement or caregiver availability, and the need to ensure a child or young person is in a safe living environment, or where a whānauClosewhānau
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 member who is known to the child or young person has agreed to have the care of them as an alternative to their being placed in a non-kin caregiving arrangement”.

In these circumstances Oranga Tamariki stated that police and vetting checks are completed prior to placement. Post placement, the full assessment and approval process continues. Oranga Tamariki policy also states a ‘special considerations’ approval process is required for potential caregivers with certain serious offences.

Caregiver safety checks are paramount, and any offending must be taken seriously, however, we heard that whānau with any historic offences, including those considered low risk to tamariki and rangatahi must be approved through the ‘special considerations’ process. We heard completing this process requires multiple levels of leadership sign-off within Oranga Tamariki, taking between one and six months. We were told there are now more ‘special considerations’ cases than ever.

Caregivers waiting for approval receive less financial support

While a caregiver remains unapproved, Oranga Tamariki policies prevent them receiving the same types of support that are provided to approved caregivers³. This includes board payments, clothing allowance and pocket money.

We heard caregivers who are not yet approved and are caring for tamariki and rangatahi are often given supermarket or petrol vouchers to assist with extra expenses. This is at the discretion of sites and what unapproved caregivers receive in vouchers may not be equivalent to what an approved caregiver would receive in board payments. Providing vouchers as a form of payment also creates additional work for Oranga Tamariki kaimahi.

“It took til the end of March to be approved but I’ve had [child] since the start of December, and I only got back payments until the end of March when the approval came through … I did get vouchers but had to ask for them and go into the office, then got told I should have been receiving $250 a week in vouchers. I didn’t want to look like a bludger, I didn’t care and I managed but I was entitled to it. When I took [child] over I was told I would have no financial burdens and could go back to work.” WHĀNAUCloseWHĀNAU
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 CAREGIVER

When tamariki and rangatahi need to come into care, Oranga Tamariki first look to whānau, hapūClosehapū
Sub-tribeView the full glossary, iwiCloseiwi
TribeView the full glossary or family group members. Whānau are not usually expecting to take on this caregiving role, so, unlike non-whānau caregivers, they are less likely to have been approved in advance. As outlined in the section below, a shortage of approved caregivers can mean that there are no caregivers from the pool available to provide care while whānau caregivers are approved. This means that whānau caregivers are more likely to be disadvantaged financially by these policy restrictions than non-whānau caregivers. It is of concern that the Oranga Tamariki policy of placing tamariki and rangatahi with whānau first is not better aligned with its policies on caregiver support.

The 2023 Caregiver survey⁴ found that whānau caregivers had a higher need for financial support than non-whānau caregivers at 67 percent compared with 49 percent. Support with education or schooling is another area where whānau caregivers had higher support needs at 74 percent compared with 64 percent of nonwhānau caregivers.

Oranga Tamariki has a responsibility to support caregivers. Tamariki coming into care often have high needs. Unapproved caregivers, with the majority being whānau caregivers, may already be under financial pressure. Having the level and type of support a caregiver receives predicated on whether they are approved (rather than the needs of the whānau) is not child centred and is contrary to the responsibility that Oranga Tamariki has.

There is also a shortage of pre-approved caregivers

Across all regions we heard that there is a shortage of approved non-whānau caregivers. When Oranga Tamariki bring tamariki and rangatahi into care at short notice, having pre-approved caregivers provides a temporary home while whānau options can be explored.

In its 2023/24 Annual Report, Oranga Tamariki states it brought 608 tamariki and rangatahi into care on a section 78 interim custody order. Most of these custody applications (77 percent) were made without notice. This means Oranga Tamariki needed to find suitable caregivers at short notice. While Oranga Tamariki practice is to seek a whānau placement where possible, this is obviously more difficult to achieve in an urgent placement when whānau are less likely to have already been assessed for their suitability to become a caregiver.

In Canterbury we heard that an absence of approved caregivers and family homes resulted in social workers asking tamariki to text their friends for a place to stay and social workers were sometimes driving around with tamariki and rangatahi and knocking on the doors of approved caregivers to ask if they could take the tamariki and rangatahi into their care short-term.

“We had to ask this 14-year-old to go through their phone and text their friends to stay with them. But these kids were on our lists anyway, we got back to the office and cried. And it was two days before we could have a meeting with leadership to discuss this. Then what happened [when we met] was we were told by leadership, look at what you’ve done, you better be prepared to stay in a hotel with this child, you’ve messed it up. It was appalling.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

Number of tamariki and rangatahi who stayed in motels

1862021/2022 1352022/2023 1762023/2024

Total number of motel nights

6,1512021/2022 2,0432022/2023 2,6482023/2024

We heard that motels were being used where no other options were available, and the use of motel accommodation is increasing again. Over the reporting period, 176 tamariki and rangatahi in care spent a total of 2,648 nights in motel accommodation. This year the longest stay in a motel was 278 nights, up from 167 nights in 2022/23, and the median length of stay increased from two nights in 2022/23 to three nights this year. But we also heard that motel use was discouraged by leadership due to funding restrictions.

“We can’t get motels [because of funding restrictions] so we have to drive around at night with kids needing emergency placements. One incident where we drove around with a three-year-old, knocking on doors to find someone to take them.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

We asked Oranga Tamariki for more information about the tamariki and rangatahi it had placed in motels, however it was unable to provide any information on these tamariki and rangatahi or the amount it had spent on motel accommodation. It advised that it began tracking data on motel usage during the reporting period and therefore should be able to provide this information for our future reports.

This year we again asked Oranga Tamariki about its caregiver recruitment policy. Despite raising the lack of care options in our previous reports, Oranga Tamariki told us it does not have a caregiver recruitment strategy to address this. It told us that the Regional Caregiver Recruitment and Support Managers are responsible for recruiting caregivers according to need through direct engagement, networks and public advertising. It again confirmed that it has a policy that prohibits advertising for caregivers for specific tamariki or rangatahi, and that any advertising must be for general recruitment only.

We heard that the shortage of approved nonwhānau caregivers was especially pronounced for disabled tamariki and rangatahi and those with high and complex needs. These tamariki and rangatahi often require more specialised care and not all whānau will be equipped to manage their needs. In one region, a member of the Oranga Tamariki regional leadership team who we spoke with said there may be “some merit” in thinking about the professionalisation of care for tamariki and rangatahi with high and complex needs.

Caregivers want more support from Oranga Tamariki

The regulations detail the types of support that must be available to caregivers, including access to training, resources and financial support; support to keep tamariki and rangatahi connected to their whānau and culture; and support for tamariki and rangatahi to stay healthy and do well at school.

In response to our 2022/23 report key finding that caregivers continue to need more support, Oranga Tamariki acknowledged that it wanted to improve on the proportion of caregivers who have a current support plan⁵. The Oranga Tamariki lead indicator shows a slight increase, with 67 percent of caregivers having a current support plan with actions, compared to 61 percent in 2023.

Oranga Tamariki lead indicator 17

There is a current caregiver support plan that sets out the actions that will be taken to meet caregiver needs, to enable them to provide quality care

61%2021/2022 61% 2022/2023 67% 2023/2024

Oranga Tamariki introduced a new lead indicator this year to measure whether there is evidence that the social worker is carrying out agreed actions to support the caregiver. Oranga Tamariki calculated this retrospectively for 2022/23. This shows there has been no significant change since last year, with evidence of actions occurring for 75 percent of caregivers with a support plan.

Oranga Tamariki lead indicator 18

There is evidence the caregiver social worker is carrying out the actions agreed to in the caregiver support plan

N/A2021/2022 79% 2022/2023 75% 2023/2024

Casefile analysis data provided by Oranga Tamariki suggests that some aspects of caregiver support plans are improving. This looked at whether plans sufficiently identified:

• financial assistance, which showed an increase from 78 percent in 2022/23 to 86 percent this year
• access to support person which showed an increase from 97 percent in 2022/23 to 100 percent this year
• access to respite care, which showed a nonsignificant (due to sample size) increase from 64 percent in 2022/23 to 72 percent this year.

Despite Oranga Tamariki data showing some improvement, we continued to hear in our engagements that some caregivers face challenges getting enough support from Oranga Tamariki. This aligns with findings from the Oranga Tamariki Caregiver Survey. It identified that caregivers are more likely to feel positive about their relationship with their own or their tamariki social workers, than about the support they receive from Oranga Tamariki as an organisation. While 52 percent of caregivers were satisfied with the support provided by Oranga Tamariki, 88 percent felt respected by their caregiver social worker and 77 percent felt respected by the tamariki social worker.

Financial assistance continues to be a barrier for some caregivers

In the 2023 Caregiver Survey just over half (53 percent) of caregivers who responded said the allowances they received from Oranga Tamariki either met or more than met tamariki and rangatahi needs. Of those who said the allowances did not meet their needs, the most common costs they would like more help with were food costs (70 percent), household running costs (62 percent), and clothing costs (57 percent).

Accessing financial support was commonly discussed by caregivers we spoke with. We heard positive and negative experiences in equal measure. Those who spoke positively about accessing financial support described Oranga Tamariki providing items or paying some or all the costs of items or fees for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care. A small number of whānau caregivers mentioned receiving board payments and allowances, which helps them to support the tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

“[Child] has got a school camp coming up and that will be good. Oranga Tamariki have helped out here.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“They [Oranga Tamariki Caregiver Social Worker] got the cabin for us. They have given [child] a bike and some clothes.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Those who spoke of difficulties in accessing financial support mostly mentioned delays and difficulties around getting funding and reimbursements.

“Unpaid bills for soccer by Oranga Tamariki mean that the kids have been barred from the soccer club. This impacts the kids all along. It carries on and on.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“I used to cry, now I’m tired of their [Oranga Tamariki] crap. With [Oranga Tamariki], it’s all on their timeframe …. It’s all on their terms. When the kids were uplifted, we got nothing, just a bag, took us four weeks before we got any money through. Had to buy school uniform, had to get the [child] everything, shoes, I have to put the receipt in to get that money back. The money comes back but it takes time.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

We also heard from some caregivers who did not receive reimbursements because their evidence of expenditure did not meet the strict Oranga Tamariki requirements.

“Well, we’ve been told the first set [of school uniforms] is funded by Oranga Tamariki. We couldn’t wait any longer for them to pay so we paid it ourselves and kept the receipt, however, they [Oranga Tamariki] didn’t pay because they don’t accept our receipt only invoices from the school. Something we didn’t know about.“ NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Some caregivers told us they were not aware of their entitlements, or they only found out what they were entitled to after they asked others – this information was not proactively provided to them by Oranga Tamariki.

“There needs to be clarity about the financials and to what you are entitled. As long as [child] is not going without. What is considered entitled and what is not, should be known.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“I have been strategic in asking about other caregivers’ experiences and what support they receive and if there is anything different and if I can tap into that too.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Financial barriers were also discussed by Oranga Tamariki kaimahi. Some of the kaimahi we spoke with told us of a shift in financial delegations. They explained that they often want to support caregivers more, but they too face challenges getting approval for expenditure. We particularly heard this on our more recent engagements. We also heard that sometimes there are inconsistencies in what is approved, and kaimahi do not know why. A couple of kaimahi spoke of personally paying for things that they felt were needed but had not been reimbursed.

“We work across different sites but what happens is a post code lottery and depends on decisions made further up the food chain. I don’t think we have a fair and equitable system. Some caregivers get a large amount of board, and some get nothing. You end up where some get a great deal, and some don’t.” ORANGA TAMARIKI CAREGIVER RECRUITMENT AND SUPPORT MANAGER

“One of my caregivers is struggling financially. They asked for support with food. They got told ‘no, we can’t help, you have to go to Ministry of Social Development, or you have to go to a food bank’. I was asked to talk to [caregiver] about shutting down their business and to go on the benefit. I can't tell [caregiver] to shut down their job and go on a benefit. You just feel really helpless when a little bit of money might help.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

Caregivers value training but can’t always get it

Most Oranga Tamariki caregivers who discussed training with us were positive about the support they received. Almost all of these caregivers were whānau caregivers and they spoke of Oranga Tamariki offering and/or arranging for them to have training. Most caregivers spoke of undertaking trauma-informed training, but we also heard about parenting programmes, training with a child psychologist, training to respond to child behavioural issues, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) training, and training to identify triggers and manage difficulties through the use of positive strategies. Some caregivers spoke positively of the impact training has had on their ability to support tamariki and rangatahi in their care.

“They [Oranga Tamariki] offered it [training] and every single time I have done stuff like this it has been so helpful. Caring for Families courses have also really helped. It was not like I did not know anything, but I needed the help myself.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“I have done PACE [Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy, trauma-informed care training], how to ask questions and how to use language with [child]. The trainings that support the approach we use, asking questions rather than using assumptions, a lot of that was known to me but it was the ‘ah-ha’ moment in that particular training. It did so much to open my eyes around the world through [child’s] eyes and their worry about being rejected and abandoned.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

A few whānau caregivers told us they had not been offered training but wanted to access it. “It’s hard enough to get hold of them [Oranga Tamariki] let alone ask them for that [training]”. Another said the only training they have undertaken is a course they arranged to attend themselves, on FASD.

A couple of caregivers spoke of attending training arranged by Oranga Tamariki in the past, and said they would like to attend more training, but the times the training is available do not suit them.

“I started this course, and it was cool too … [it was] something to do with Oranga Tamariki. I went to first one and I really enjoyed it, but it was on too late in the evening and I have not made it since. It was good talking about your past. We were talking in the circle. I never went back after that. Not because I didn’t want to, just the time did not work for me.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

In our more recent engagements with Oranga Tamariki kaimahi, we heard that the caregiver training budget had been reduced. The effect is that it is now more difficult for social workers to get agreement from site managers to fund training for caregivers.

”We have to advocate a lot to get training for caregivers. Without a diagnosis it’s difficult to get that training.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

Additionally, Caring Families AotearoaCloseAotearoa
New ZealandView the full glossary told us that Oranga Tamariki reduced its funding by 25 percent in 2023/24 and has proposed a further reduction for 2024/25. Services affected by the funding cuts include the delivery of training and other support services for caregivers, despite Caring Families Aotearoa services being oversubscribed.

Our equity analysis showed that caregivers of tamariki and rangatahi Māori were significantly less likely to have training opportunities identified in their caregiver support plan, than caregivers of non-Māori tamariki and rangatahi. There was no significant difference in whether these were whānau or nonwhānau caregivers.

Caregivers value respite, but can’t always access it

Caregiver strain is associated with placement instability. Evidence suggests that access to respite can help alleviate caregiver strain, but it needs to be ongoing support, rather than one-off instances.⁶

Access to respite was mentioned by some caregivers in our engagements. We heard a similar number of positive and negative experiences about access to respite. Those who spoke positively about access to respite discussed the tamariki and rangatahi in their care having access to regular respite, and the benefits of this.

“[Child] has respite every four weeks now, but it took over a year to get that in place. They aren’t whānau but [child] loves going to their house and they make [child] feel so welcome in their house. They talked to me about self-care, so I do yoga and pottery.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“We get respite. She [the respite caregiver] is great, she takes all six of the kids, she includes the kids in lots of stuff. If we have a day if we are going to be late or sick, she helps with that kind of stuff.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Some caregivers also spoke of having access to respite, but not using it.

“I haven’t had it [respite] yet. It is there but haven’t had it yet. There is talk that there is people available but I don’t want them [rangatahi] to go away. I don’t want it. You know what I mean. It is there if I needed it.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Other caregivers spoke to us of difficulties accessing respite, despite needing to. Some mentioned that they had been asked by Oranga Tamariki to find their own respite caregivers.

“We’ve never received respite, despite asking. [Child is] pretty full-on so never found anyone that can take them on … It’s quite tricky, generally, people that do need respite, need particular skills. When we’ve asked, they’ve not really had any families that have been ready to take this on [so we can get respite]. We’ve provided respite for others but haven’t had the opportunity for this role to be offered for us. We’ve asked caregiver social workers - no one available, they say.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

“We are not sure how respite works, or how to access it. We don’t know if we need to put ourselves forward.” WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

Oranga Tamariki kaimahi told us that providing respite is sometimes challenging due to a lack of respite caregiver options. We heard they will encourage caregivers to ask their whānau to become respite caregivers. However, we heard that not all whānau want to go through the approval process to become respite caregivers. We were also told by Oranga Tamariki kaimahi of a respite camp run by an iwi [Ngāpuhi] that had its funding cut by Oranga Tamariki.

Caregivers are not being visited as often as they need to be

Social worker visits to caregivers are a way to check whether a caregiver is meeting tamariki and rangatahi needs, if they need more support, and if they are safe. Data suggests these visits are not happening frequently enough.

As reported in Part One, only 66 percent of tamariki and rangatahi receive regular visits from their social worker. Oranga Tamariki data further shows that only 41 percent of caregivers were visited by their caregiver social worker at the planned frequency.

Oranga Tamariki data

Proportion of caregivers visited at the planned frequency

29%2021/2022 47% 2022/2023 41% 2023/2024

The Oranga Tamariki 2023/24 Annual Report notes that 94 percent of caregiver support plans specified the frequency of visits to the caregiver. It also notes that while there is an opportunity to strengthen the frequency of visits to caregivers to monitor progress and identify and respond to changes in their needs, in almost all cases there is evidence of other contact⁷. This includes two thirds of caregivers who were contacted either monthly or every two months. Only five percent of caregivers received no contact at all over the reporting period. We heard that other work required of caregiver social workers sometimes took precedence over visiting caregivers on their caseloads.

“There is not much time for us to do the [support] plan and do home visits. Not able to do that because of the work that you need to catch up with assessment. I have five assessments to do, one is not allocated to me, and one baby and that is urgent to do. That is [a] whānau assessment.” ORANGA TAMARIKI KAIMAHI

Oranga Tamariki does not always give caregivers information they need about tamariki and rangatahi

The Caregiver Survey identified that around half (45 percent) of caregivers were satisfied or very satisfied with the information Oranga Tamariki provided when tamariki and rangatahi entered their care. Around a third (36 percent) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

In our engagements, we heard from some caregivers who either didn’t get a copy of the plan for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care or had received incomplete or blank plans. Caregivers told us this made it difficult for them to understand the needs of the tamariki in their care, and how best to meet those needs. Oranga Tamariki self-monitoring data shows around half of all caregivers (56 percent) were given a copy of the All About Me Plan for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care. This data looks only at whether caregivers were given a copy of the All About Me Plan, not the quality of the plan or if it was complete.

Oranga Tamariki data

Proportion of caregivers given a copy of the All About Me Plan for the tamariki and rangatahi in their care

Not measured2021/2022 54% 2022/2023 56% 2023/2024

Caregivers who spoke about not receiving information from Oranga Tamariki said there are challenges when they do not receive important information about the tamariki in their care.

“I don’t know what the plan is with the two kids. I don’t think it’s an OHF [Open Home Foundation] thing, it’s Oranga Tamariki. It’s in limbo because of OT [Oranga Tamariki] involvement. We have had these kids for eight months and maybe the hope was that they would return home, but the longer it goes on, the less we know.” NON-WHĀNAU CAREGIVER

We also heard from a few caregivers who were not given information on the health needs of the tamariki and rangatahi in their care or were not given enough information. We heard this can cause problems in situations where urgent medical treatment is required, and the caregiver cannot give health professionals the information they need.

We heard several examples where caregivers were not given enough information about the needs of tamariki and rangatahi before they entered their care. One caregiver told us that the child who came into their care needed a higher level of support than Oranga Tamariki said they needed, and this was more than the caregiver was able to provide.

Another caregiver said they were not given information on why the child they were caring for had been brought into care, so when they were asked about this by the child they were unable to give an answer. They contacted a social worker to find this information out, but the social worker “skirted around” it rather than being factual. The caregiver felt the child needed to know this information and that as a caregiver it should have also been provided to them. In contrast, we also heard from a caregiver who had been given information on the history that led to the child they were caring for coming into care. This enabled them to speak to the child’s school and get appropriate services set up to meet the child’s needs.

Caregivers must be better supported so they can provide a stable home for tamariki and rangatahi

To thrive in care, tamariki and rangatahi need stable placements⁸. Tamariki and rangatahi who move from place-to-place have difficulty building relationships with caregivers. Research has found placement disruptions can have negative psychological, social and educational consequences for tamariki and rangatahi⁹. It is critical to get placement decisions right from the beginning so tamariki and rangatahi are not unnecessarily disrupted. It is then essential for caregivers to receive support to meet the needs of tamariki and rangatahi.

1 Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, Part 9, page 183. https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/assets/Whanaketia/PDF-downloads/Whanaketia-part-9.pdf
2 https://practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/policy/caregiver-and-adoptive-applicant-assessment-and-approval/
3 https://practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/policy/caregiver-support/#financial-support
4 The Oranga Tamariki Caregiver Survey is an annual survey of Oranga Tamariki caregivers’ experiences. Notably, it does not survey any current or prospective caregivers who are not yet approved.
5 Oranga Tamariki response, available online at: https://aroturuki.govt.nz/assets/Reports/EOCR2223/OT-Response-EOCR-2022-2023.pdf
6 Allen and Clarke for Oranga Tamariki Evidence Centre, March 2021 “Respite Care – benefits to Wellbeing” sourced from: https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Respite-Care-Benefits-to-wellbeing/Respite-Care-Benefits-to-wellbeing.pdf
7 This includes contact by any means other than a visit.
8 Martin Jenkins for Oranga Tamariki Evidence Centre, September 2018 “Evidence Brief - Complex Needs” sourced from: https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Evidence-brief-complex-needs/Evidence-Brief-Complex-Needs.pdf
9 Stenason, L and E Romano, January 2023 “Number of placement changes among young people in care: Youth and caregiver associations” in Children and Youth Services Review Vol 144.