Caregiver review meetings

Upcoming changes for this guidance

This content will be strengthened so it more completely reflects our commitment to practice framed by te Tiriti o Waitangi, based on a mana-enhancing paradigm for practice, and drawing from ​Te Ao Māori principles of oranga to support mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga. We each need to consider how we can apply these principles to our practice when reading this guidance. The following resources provide support:
Practice for working effectively with Māori
Our practice approach

Before the review meeting

Before you visit, make sure that the caregiver knows:

• what the review is about
• what the potential outcomes might be.

Who to talk to

You must meet with all of the approved caregivers at the caregiving home.

If the caregivers have children, it's a good idea to talk with them as well. Ask them how they feel about having other children living in their home — what are the good things and the not so good things? Include their responses in the review.

What to discuss

The purpose of the review meeting is to:

• review the caregiver's approval status
• ensure that they are able to meet the needs of the tamariki in their care
• identify any support or training the caregiver might need.

It's also a good time to recognise the caregiver’s strengths and to affirm them in their demanding role.

Tools to help you

The Tuituia framework or the three houses might be useful for guiding your review.

The Tuituia framework and tools

The Three Houses engagement tool

The tamariki in their care

Discuss the challenges and joys of the individual tamariki placed with the caregiver. This might identify training needs for the caregiver or concerns for the tamariki.

You will also need to spend time with the social workers of the tamariki placed with the caregiver. You might want to do this before your review visit so that you can discuss any difficulties with the caregiver or pass on any compliments.

If there any issues between the social worker and caregiver, you might need to organise a mediation meeting between them.

The caregiver's current situation

Ask the caregiver to update you on their current situation, and note changes since the last review. Cover some of the same areas as the initial assessment, eg work, home situation, who is living in the home.

Encourage the caregiver to speak openly and frankly about issues and stressors affecting their whānau or family, including:

• health problems
• personal issues
• financial stresses
• relationship worries.

How are these stressors impacting on the caregiver's willingness and ability to provide care?

Their future plans

Talk with the caregiver about their plans for the future — note any anticipated changes to the household and discuss how these might affect their role as a caregiver. 

Their needs

Spend some time focusing on the needs of the caregiver and their whānau or family.

You may have had discussions during the year about respite care or childcare, or the caregiver may have asked for your assistance in some way. Have the needs of the caregiver been met, and if not, how could their needs be met? Does the caregiver need to take a break, have specialist training or receive in-home support?

Talk with them about their training needs and make sure that they are receiving the training calendar and any Oranga Tamariki caregiver publications.

Changes in preferences

When the caregiver was assessed, they made a preference for providing care for a particular group of tamariki. Ask the caregiver if this is still their preference.

If they're considering a change, they will need to be reassessed and may require additional training.

After the review meeting

You'll need to keep a written record of the information you gathered and what you discussed with the caregiver.

After the caregiver review