We check that organisations supporting and working with and and their and families, are meeting their needs, delivering services effectively, and improving outcomes. We monitor compliance with the Oranga Tamariki Act and associated standards and regulations, including the National Care Standards Regulations.
We do this through monitoring system performance and using an outcomes approach for tamariki and rangatahi who are in care, or at risk of coming into care. In other words, all tamariki and rangatahi who are known to Oranga Tamariki.
We also look at the quality of practice, and identify areas for improvement, across the wider oranga tamariki system under the Oversight of the Oranga Tamariki System Act.
The stories and lived experiences of tamariki and rangatahi, their whānau, caregivers and community are at the centre of our monitoring approach. We also talk with government organisations (such as Oranga Tamariki, Police, health and education) and community organisations including and Māori organisations and those with care and custody of tamariki and rangatahi.
These voices of experience help us understand how well services are working together in a community to improve outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi.
We analyse what we hear from communities we visit, alongside the nationwide data and information we collect. We use this analysis to inform our reports.
We report our findings to Ministers, including the Minister for Children and (from 1 May 2023) our reports are tabled in Parliament. We publish our reports and share them with iwi and others who advocate for system change.
We currently monitor three agencies, with custody of and . These are Barnardos, Open Home Foundation and Oranga Tamariki. This means we do not monitor individual cases but look at the systems and processes around their care, to ensure the agencies that look after our tamariki and rangatahi are enhancing their wellbeing and life outcomes.
As the Monitor, we are required to provide assurance to the Minister for Children on the degree of compliance with the by monitored agencies as well as the quality of care. Each year, we ask the agencies for their self-monitoring information. This request doesn’t just check compliance with the NCS Regulations, it also asks for their understanding of the quality of care being provided. In addition, we ask them to identify areas requiring improvement as well as areas of high performance. This is also when we ask for updates on areas of improvement we have previously requested information on.
Read the requests for self-monitoring information (for the year ended June 2021) from Barnardos, Dingwall Trust, Open Home Foundation and Oranga Tamariki.
Getting this information from agencies helps us understand part of the picture. Building a good understanding of the quality of care requires us to not only obtain data from the agencies, it also requires us to listen to the voices of experience. For example, agencies might be able to tell us how many are enrolled in school, however it is through listening to tamariki, caregivers and that we can understand how school is experienced, and whether it is meeting the needs of tamariki.
Visiting communities includes meeting with other government agencies such as health and education and Police. In meeting the NCS Regulations, agencies are reliant on others to deliver services well, and it is important that we understand how these services are also meeting the needs of tamariki.
During our with people in the communities we visit, we take a lot of notes. Our first step is to make sure the people we spoke with can’t be identified and then we work with our wider team to code this information. Coding helps us to theme information so we can analyse it and determine findings for reporting purposes.
When we code information from interviews with kaimahi from agencies, community providers, and government organisations, we use codes based on our system elements, and interviews with tamariki, , whānau and caregivers are coded based on our outcomes framework.
After each visit, we share our feedback with each community. This is so that communities and service providers can begin making improvements, instead of waiting for the annual report.
Government agreed to a phased approach to allow time to progress changes to the law that support our role, and to develop and establish the monitoring function.
We are currently in the second phase of establishment. As part of this phase, we are visiting communities around , listening to voices of , , , carers, , Oranga Tamariki staff and other government agencies. What we hear will inform our annual reports on the . Below is a breakdown of our three-phased approach.
Government reviewed the oversight functions for and in care, defining three distinct functions – monitoring, advocacy, and an enhanced complaints function.
The current role of the Monitor is to monitor compliance with the . The role of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner is to advocate for tamariki and rangatahi, to complete their obligations under OPCAT and continue to monitor some parts of Oranga Tamariki. The Ombudsman has enhanced oversight of complaints for all tamariki and rangatahi care or custody. We work closely with the and the Ombudsman to jointly strengthen the oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system.
Office of the Children’s Commissioner advocates for the interests and wellbeing of all children and young people in . In addition to its advocacy roles, the is also responsible for a number of complaint and monitoring activities. Under the proposed legislation, some of these activities will transfer to the Monitor and the OCC’s advocacy role will be extended to include young people up to the age of 25.
The OCC will continue to hold the monitoring responsibilities for places of detention for children and young people. This monitoring is in accordance with the United Nations Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). In conjunction with the Office of the Ombudsman, the OCC also monitors the Mothers with Babies Units in the Department of Corrections’ Women’s Prisons. Visit OCC's website. You can also call the Commission’s Child Rights Advice line on 0800 224 453.
The Ombudsman receives complaints about the State care system, including Oranga Tamariki and other government agencies. In the future, the Ombudsman will also be able to receive complaints about non-government organisations that have custody of children.
The Ombudsman tries to resolve problems people are having with the system and can investigate and make recommendations if needed. The Ombudsman is independent and not a part of the Government.
If you have been unable to resolve your issues with a government agency, you can make a complaint to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman also receives complaints from children and young people. Visit the Ombudsman’s website for advice or guidance on making a complaint against a government agency or call 0800 802 602.
Our provides direction and guidance to our staff. They cover all aspects of our practice.
Whanaungatanga is about people and connections. When we apply whanaungatanga, we build safe, respectful, and reciprocal relationships with others. These relationships enable us to understand and identify how monitored agencies are meeting their obligations and supporting positive outcomes for .
Whakawhānui is about identifying and understanding our key functions and duties and developing monitoring approaches that help us meet these responsibilities. Whakatūhura is about exploring the locations and communities we will visit and developing prompts that will guide our enquiry.
Hōkaitanga is about gathering the data and information we need to prepare and plan our monitoring visits. Hōkaitanga is also about identifying who we will talk with and reaching out to those communities. We will review what resources we need, schedule key dates, and distribute activities across the monitoring team.
Tātari is about coding the information we have gathered to prepare it for analysis. We will then collate and analyse our findings and identify any key themes, insights and patterns. These findings are shared back with the communities we visited.
We are committed to being ethical in the way we collect and care for people’s data and information. The Caring for Data and Information Handbook highlights what is reasonable to collect, share or use. It also states what we need to do to be transparent with people about how we treat their information.
Our Ethics Code outlines the ethical guidelines and best practice principles that will be followed by our monitoring staff when engaging with , , their and caregivers.
The Privacy, Human Rights and Ethics Assessment Report ensures our monitoring reflects sound privacy, human rights and ethical standards.