He Take Kōhukihuki | A Matter of Urgency – Ombudsman inquiry

The Chief Ombudsman investigated the following 2 areas of practice when a newborn pēpi is removed from their parents, whānau or other caregivers:

• decision making around applying to the Family Court for a without notice interim custody order, including the evidence used by Oranga Tamariki to seek this order
• practices around the removal of a pēpi when an order is granted – including looking at how Oranga Tamariki works with other parties involved, such as district health boards, iwi and Police.

The Chief Ombudsman released the outcome of his investigation on 6 Akuhata 2020 – we accepted all the recommendations.

The Ombudsman has recommended that we report quarterly to him on our progress in addressing his recommendations.