Report of concern response pathway – further action required

• The behaviour of significant adults is consistently intimidating towards te tamaiti or undermining the mana of te tamaiti and impacting on their self-belief.
• There are challenging relationships and interaction between te tamaiti and the significant adults in their life.
• Te tamaiti is unresponsive, challenging, distressed or scared in interactions with others.
• The emotional or psychological distress of te tamaiti is harmful to themselves or others.
• Unresolved issues are having a cumulative and adverse impact on te tamaiti.

• Mental health issues, substance abuse or family violence is occurring.
• The adult is unwilling to access appropriate support to address those concerns and the needs of te tamaiti are not being met.
• The adult may be under the influence of another person which limits their ability to consistently provide safety.
• There is ongoing exposure to significant adult conflict – relationships and behaviour.

• The home environment is chaotic and potentially dangerous and a significant adult is not acting on the concerns, and/or
• There is a sustained pattern of failure (by a significant adult) to act on concerns, which is likely to place te tamaiti at risk of serious health and developmental issues or harm.
• The significant adult is unable to provide for the basic needs of te tamaiti.
• Medical treatment has not been accessed or has been discontinued, and attempts to re-engage the whānau or family in treatment have been unsuccessful.

• There is physical abuse that does not meet the criteria of the Child Protection Protocol (CPP) such as hitting, kicking or slapping (apart from to the head), injuries such as welts, unexplained bruising and cuts, with no other circumstances or factors.
• Tamariki being physically harmed during family violence by deliberately intervening or being held in arms.

• The behavioural distress of te tamaiti is a serious risk to them, and
• There are no adults actively providing safety and support for te tamaiti.

• A parent who has had a tamaiti removed previously has a new or unborn tamaiti.
• A new partner brings te tamaiti into a household where other tamariki had previously been removed.
• An adult is providing (full or part) care of te tamaiti when their own tamaiti has been removed.

• Sexualised behaviours that are not age or developmentally appropriate and other contextual factors that are of concern indicate they have been exposed to behaviour or knowledge beyond their age and stage.

• The Probation Service has advised that an adult who has offended and poses a significant risk to tamariki will be or is living in the home with te tamaiti.
• Safety has not been identified and a plan may be required to build safety for te tamaiti.
• Monitoring by the Probation Service, on its own, may not provide adequate safety.
• The care arrangement for te tamaiti is impacted by a parent or usual caregiver's offending, arrest or incarceration, and there are concerns about the impact on or safety of te tamaiti.
• The circumstances of the offending may be impacting on the ability of the parent or usual caregiver to make safe and appropriate decisions for te tamaiti.

• Wellbeing concerns are complex or wide ranging, and te tamaiti may be suffering, or be likely to suffer, serious harm as a result, or
• More information needs to be gathered before determining the response.

Guidance: Reports of concern about sexualised behaviour

Definition: Wellbeing

Guidance: Being aware of suicide risk factors

Definition: Serious harm

Definition: Cumulative harm

Definitions of abuse, neglect and harm

Sexual abuse is an act involving circumstances of indecency with, or sexual violation of, te tamaiti, or using te tamaiti in the making of sexual imaging through force or enticement.

Neglect is when a person intentionally ill-treats or neglects te tamaiti or causes or permits te tamaiti to be ill-treated in a manner likely to cause te tamaiti actual bodily harm, injury to health or any mental disorder or disability. This includes basic needs of te tamaiti being withheld. The ill-treatment or neglect must be serious and avoidable.

Physical abuse is when the actions of an offender result in, or could potentially result in, physical harm or injury being inflicted on te tamaiti. This is also known as non-accidental injury.