Today’s release of the Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children’s Monitor is a confronting reminder of the ongoing issues with Oranga Tamariki’s performance that, if left unaddressed, will continue to obstruct real progress towards protecting our nation’s most vulnerable children, Child Matters CEO, Jane Searle, says.

Ms Searle says the Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children’s Monitor (ICM) report looks at the four agencies that are responsible for children in care, but it has also become an important measure of Oranga Tamariki performance. She says its latest findings “sadly come as no surprise”.

“While it’s a disappointing read, today’s report further highlights how much work Oranga Tamariki still needs to do at multiple levels to improve its performance in protecting our most at-risk children and young people,” Ms Searle says.

The findings cover a wide scope, however key areas of concern for Child Matters include the increase in abuse and neglect of children and young people in care, lack of co-ordination across Government agencies, and evidence of Oranga Tamariki social workers not having the resources or support to do their jobs effectively.

“The high workload of Oranga Tamariki social workers has been flagged for years and is still very much a factor in the organisation’s performance. Like any public or private organisation, if its people are not resourced to do their job, they cannot deliver the required outcomes,” Ms Searle says.

“The ICM is a necessary spotlight to keep the focus on the exact areas of concern and to identify positive changes that may have occurred.”

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Ms Searle says while the report is a confronting summary of the performance of Oranga Tamariki, it is important to note that there some areas of good work have been identified, and the positive impact that has on a child or young person.

She says New Zealanders need to remember that when the systems work well, the lives of vulnerable young people can be changed. However, ultimately, actions speak louder than words.

“Without demonstrable steps towards correcting the identified failings, this report becomes just another one to add to the pile.

“At the end of the day, we must not forget that behind every finding in the report there is a real life and experiences of a child or young person living in New Zealand and they have the right to be nurtured, supported, and safe.”

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