Protecting vulnerable children and young people

We want all children and young people to have the best possible start in life. Over the last year, we led and contributed to action across the social sector to better identify, support and protect these vulnerable children and young people.

Children’s Action Plan

The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 put in place a framework for our work across the sector to make a difference for children. A joint approach is needed as no single agency can address all of a child’s or family’s issues from one aspect of their welfare.

Established in 2014, the Children’s Action Plan Directorate works across the sector to implement the Children’s Action Plan. The Plan is a new way of working that puts children in the centre by wrapping support services around them. Community-based Children’s Teams bring together professionals from iwi/Māori, health, education, welfare and social services agencies to work with children and their families.

Two new Children’s Teams (in Horowhenua/Ōtaki and Marlborough) were rolled out in 2014/2015 in addition to the two original pilots that started in 2013 in Whangarei and Rotorua. A further six teams are expected to be rolled out in the next year, including the first major urban team in Hamilton, which went live on 1 September 2015. The Hamilton site will pilot The Hub, a central point for referrals, and the Vulnerable Kids Information System, an online system in which frontline professionals can register their concerns about a child. This gives a comprehensive picture of each child, which allows services to be tailored to the level of support the child needs.    

Supporting social workers

In 2014/2015 we completed the immediate response project following the Workload and Casework Review that was released in May 2014. This project consisted of 10 actions we could take immediately to make a difference. The actions included:

• actively managing high caseloads and increasing practice support
• clarifying roles and reviewing support staff resourcing to free up time for frontline social workers
• centralising some tasks at the National Contact Centre
• rolling out iPads and iPhones for frontline social workers to support them in the field and to provide tools for better engagement with children, young people and their families.

In 2014/2015 we led the Modernising Child, Youth and Family project. The project developed the strategic case for changing the structure, systems and resources to ensure we are working with the right children, in the right way, with the right supports. On 1 April 2015 the Minister for Social Development announced the appointment of an independent Expert Panel to design a new operating model for Child, Youth and Family. We continue to support and contribute to the work of the Panel.

Vulnerable Children Act 2014

The Vulnerable Children Act introduced significant changes to the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 (the CYPF Act). It includes a series of measures to improve the safety and wellbeing of our most vulnerable children and support for our caregivers. In 2014/2015 we began preparatory work so that from July 2016 we can provide:

• financial and other assistance to permanent caregivers
• a new special guardianship order to ensure greater security and stability for children entering a ‘home for life’.

Children in the custody of the Chief Executive

We provide care and protection to children who require statutory intervention and who cannot live safely at home.

In 2014/2015, we strengthened practice by providing better screening at intake (so fewer cases unnecessarily proceed to an investigation or assessment), conducting more thorough assessments, and improving understanding of abuse findings.

As a result, in 2014/2015 there has been a 16 percent decrease in reports of concern requiring further action, and reductions in emotional abuse (20 percent) and neglect (20 percent) findings.

Figure 10: Total substantiated abuse findings by type of abuse.

We also continued implementation of Tuituia (our comprehensive assessment tool), which requires us to work more closely with partner organisations to assist families with chronic needs.

At 30 June 2015, 5,026 children were in the custody of the Chief Executive, and 4,163 of these were in care and protection placements outside of their home.

Any abuse of a child is unacceptable. We will always act immediately to ensure the safety of the child or young person whenever there is an allegation of abuse by a Ministry caregiver.

In 2014/2015, 40[2] children and young people in the custody of the Chief Executive and placed with Ministry-approved caregivers were found to have been abused by their caregiver. This number represents 0.8 percent of all children and young people in custody[3]. Thirty-four Ministry-approved caregivers were involved in these cases.

This number of 40 children compares with 39 children and young people and 29 approved caregivers in 2013/2014.

Gateway Assessments

In addition to Tuituia assessments, all children in our care are referred for a comprehensive health and education assessment (Gateway Assessment) to identify and address unmet physical health, mental health and education needs.

Of the children and young people in care[4] at 30 June 2015, 65.1 percent of those referred had a thorough health and education assessment completed – a significant achievement.

Youth justice

Our approach to youth justice is that young people who offend must take responsibility for their behaviour and will be provided with opportunities to develop in responsible and socially acceptable ways. Our commitment to that vision is to:

• create an environment where young people can take responsibility for their behaviour and make amends
• promote the wellbeing of the young people who offend
• encourage the process of restorative justice.

Youth Crime Action Plan

The Ministry continued to work with the Ministry of Justice, Police and other agencies to implement the Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP).

In 2014/2015, 25 of the 30 actions under YCAP were completed, with the remaining actions to be completed by December 2015. During the year we:

• worked towards reinvigorating family group conferences
• established early case consultation with Police regarding youth apprehensions
• introduced joint training with Police for youth justice staff
• established an assessment centre for remand cases at Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence

• developed and published a toolkit to support local communities wanting to develop local youth crime action plans.

Reinvigorating family group conferences (FGCs)

In 2014/2015, we introduced eight Family Group Conferencing Practice Standards for staff, and these are already enhancing FGC practice. Co-ordinators are accredited against these standards and we anticipate that 70 percent of co-ordinators will be accredited by September 2015. Further standards will be developed in the next year.

Working with Māori

Over the last year, we completed an Indigenous and Bicultural Principles Framework. This gives us the foundation and guidance to deliver statutory social work while maintaining the integrity and distinctiveness of Māori values and practices.

We also continued to work with our iwi partners, Ngāti Porou, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahungunu, with whom we have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). These MoUs allow us to work together to explore and co-design services that support the cultural needs of Māori children and young people consistent with the aspirations of their iwi for their safety and well-being.

Facilitating Family Group Conferences (FGC) with iwi

As part of the work to improve FGC practice and to increase whānau and key agencies’ involvement, we implemented a 12-month pilot on co-facilitating youth justice FGCs with Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou. The pilot was completed on 30 June 2015 and we are now evaluating it.

Working with disabled children

Disabled Children: Voluntary Out-of-home Placement Review

As a result of public consultation on the Vulnerable Children Bill[5], together with the Ministry of Health we led the review to scope the implications of repealing the extended care provisions for disabled children in the CYPF Act.

The review identifies changes to the CYPF Act that will ensure that disabled children have the same rights as other children to live in a family environment. If they are unable to live with their own family, the review identifies what changes are needed to provide an effective system that works in their best interests.

We also commissioned independent research and worked with disability sector organisations and with disabled children and their families, to address the key concerns in the Vulnerable Children Bill in regard to better outcomes for disabled children and their families. This is consistent with our commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Footnotes

[1] Previous Annual Reports provided data on reports of concern where "concerns include smacking".

[2] This number of 40 is made up of 38 investigation findings and two Child and Family Assessment findings.

[3] This includes custody through care and protection, youth justice and other enactments.

[4]This includes orders made under s.139 of the CYPF Act.

[5]The Bill was passed into law in June 2014 as the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.