Safety of Children in Care

Since 2010, we have been reporting on the harm experienced by tamariki in our care. How we’ve done this has evolved over time.

Oranga Tamariki has worked with an Expert Measurement Group to develop a new approach which will allow us to identify harm of tamariki in care across all care settings earlier, and help ensure that we are providing safe and consistent responses to our most vulnerable tamariki.

The harm reported on includes 4 types of abuse – physical, sexual, emotional and neglect.

Reporting covers findings of harm for all categories of tāngata who caused harm to tamariki, not only caregivers.

Our Safety of Children in Care Unit will have visibility, in real time, to review cases where harm has been found.

This provides us with greater confidence that we have done everything we can to ensure the immediate and longer term safety of tamariki in our care.  

It allows us to better understand the underlying risk factors for tamariki in care; helping inform how we go about improving our practice, our support, and the services we need to provide for tamariki in care and their caregivers.

Oranga Tamariki reports on:

• the number and percentage of tamariki and rangatahi in care with findings of harm
• a breakdown of these numbers by placement type and by type of person who caused the harm
• the actions taken to secure the immediate safety of tamariki and the plans put in place to address the impact of the harm experienced
• the actions taken against the person who caused the harm.