New Otago University research says a "clearer consensus" is needed as to when cases indicating abuse or neglect should be reported to Oranga Tamariki.

The researchers say that when charities advise Oranga Tamariki about at-risk children and young people, decisions are often delayed or sometimes even silence follows.

They say more frontline funding is needed, both for Oranga Tamariki and the charities caring for children and young people.

Local experience

Claire Ramsay, chief executive of Otago Youth Wellness Trust, says the research "confirms our experience locally".

"We make reports of concern only as a last resort, as our priority is to keep rangatahi out of the statutory/state system. But more and more we are finding that they don't reach the apparently high threshold Oranga Tamariki is working to.

"It is frustrating and, like others in the community sector, our funding does not reflect the work we are doing."

Methodist Mission Southern director Laura Black says a standards-driven approach would be "really useful".

However it must produce reliable results for children and young people across different cultures and backgrounds.

Left waiting

A Dunedin charity's leader, who prefers not to be named, confirms their organisation is supporting ever more at-risk children.

Over the past five years, the charity's involvement with Oranga Tamariki cases has increased from "hardly any to around 40 percent".

Yet when charities file a "report of concern" to Oranga Tamariki, they might be left waiting.

The agency is less likely to get involved than it was formerly if a community organisation is already working on the children's behalf.

At risk, anxious

Emily Keddell, Otago University's associate professor in social and community work, is the study's lead author.

She says the current situation leaves children at risk and creates anxiety among charity workers.

Charities are tasked with helping families to stay together she says. Their objective is to have fewer children in care - but they need appropriate resourcing.

Families deserve the best

Acting Oranga Tamariki chief social worker Nicolette Dickson says children, young people and their families "deserve the best".

She says Oranga Tamariki is working to "change a system which has not always consistently provided this to them".

She explains delays occur because the agency workloads are often greater and more complex than the staff's ability to cope, which affects their response times.

"However, we will always seek to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of those children and young people who are at most risk."

Dixon says the agency is grateful for the Otago University research, as it helps identify gaps requiring attention.

She says it is a "key focus" of how the agency is working to strengthen relationships in the community.

"It is often our community partners who understand this best."

She is disappointed some community organisations feel they have nowhere to turn. "We encourage them to raise these concerns with us when this occurs" she says.

Source

• Otago Daily Times

An Independent Children's Monitor report, Returning Home From Care, looks at experiences and practices when children and young people's parents care for them while in state custody.

Report findings

As at 30 June 2022, 627 children and young people in care (12 percent) were living at home while in state custody.

The report says planning is important to success when the child or young person goes home. However, it says it found almost half the home stays were unplanned.

The Returning Home From Care policy used at the time recommended children be visited weekly for the first four weeks. The report says only 19 percent of children received these visits.

The report also says the children and young people whose return home was unplanned were visited less frequently during the first four weeks than those whose return was planned.

The report says that barriers arising from communication, collaboration, funding and inconsistent policies also pose problems.

These problems included long waiting lists for assessments and specialised support - like alcohol and drug counselling - for parents.

Data on children in state care successfully returning home was limited.

The report says Oranga Tamariki was unable to provide details about how many children and young people were removed from their parents' care following a return home.

Going home - pros and cons

Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor chief executive Arran Jones says the goal is for those in care to return home as long as it is assessed as safe.

"We heard that for many tamariki (children), rangatahi (young people) and whanau (familes), the supports and services are not in place," Jones said.

"Our report found that planning is important to the success of tamariki returning home, however, data shows that almost half of these are unplanned.

"Some of those unplanned returns may be rangatahi voting with their feet, but it is important that social workers are checking on the safety of tamariki and rangatahi.

"We also heard that communication, collaboration and funding across the social sector were barriers to success. Lack of co-ordination in the policies and practice of government agencies was also identified as a barrier to a successful return home."

Jones says there was room to do better for the sake of children and their parents.

Improvements promised

Oranga Tamariki's Nicolette Dickson says work is underway to address many of the report findings.

These include developing new policy and supporting guidance for social workers when determining how and when to support children in state care to return home, and the way transitions from one environment to the other occur.

Technology systems are also being upgraded, Dickson says.

Oranga Tamariki's strategies to simplify core processes and systems include working with other agencies to deliver Oranga Tamariki's Action Plan best.

Oranga Tamariki is developing an information-sharing process with the Ministry of Social Development to fast-track eligible families' position on the public housing register.

Source

• RNZ