Tamariki All About Me plan — child-friendly version

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

What is the Tamariki All About Me plan

The Tamariki All About Me plan is the All About Me plan written in language appropriate to the age, development level or disability of te tamaiti or rangatahi, to ensure they understand it.

A template has been designed to facilitate discussion with te tamaiti or rangatahi about how the people involved in the plan will support their needs and aspirations. Talking to a tamaiti or rangatahi about their Tamariki All About Me plan is a good way of seeking their views so that they can be considered in any decisions made about them. However the Tamariki All About Me plan should take whatever form is required to make it meaningful and accessible for te tamaiti or rangatahi based on their individual needs — this could be as simple as a single piece of paper with drawings on it.

Older rangatahi may be at a stage of development to understand the All About Me plan, and may not need to be given a Tamariki All About Me plan. It is important to ask rangatahi first about how they would like to receive the information set out in their plan.

Explaining rights and entitlements to tamariki and rangatahi

The family group conference or court plan sets the wider goals and objectives for tamariki or rangatahi, and the Tamariki All About Me plan details how those goals and objectives will be supported.

The guidance for the All About Me plan discusses how to:

• gather and record the content for the plan
• engage with tamariki and rangatahi to gather information
• use the first pages of the Tamariki All About Me plan as an engagement tool.

All About Me plan to meet the needs of tamariki

Completing the plan

Always use the most recent version of the template.

Tamariki All About Me plan — template (PDF 8.1 MB)

Writing the Tamariki All About Me plan mirrors how the All About Me plan is completed. The social worker should start completing the Tamariki All About Me plan when they first begin to complete the needs assessment for te tamaiti or rangatahi and to talk with te tamaiti or rangatahi about their plan. They should be creative in the way it is completed, and think of ways te tamaiti or rangatahi can be involved in the process. The plan is filled out manually (either handwritten or using a laptop or tablet), in a way preferred by te tamaiti or rangatahi:

• They might like to fill out the Tamariki All About Me plan using their own words or drawings during the discussion with the social worker.
• They might prefer the social worker to fill it out and bring it along to the discussion.

The social worker must consider the age, development level and any disability of te tamaiti or rangatahi when preparing the plan. Use the language and preferred method of communication indicated in the All About Me plan, if this is important to te tamaiti or rangatahi.

The Tamariki All About Me plan can be customised to appeal to te tamaiti and reflect what is unique about te tamaiti or rangatahi. For example, we could:

• include a picture of them or their whānau or family
• change wording or pictures for Pacific children
• use favourite colours or symbols
• use images that link tamariki Māori to their marae, iwi or whenua and the people important to them — this can be a practical way of expressing mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga.

The Tamariki All About Me plan is also an important way for te tamaiti to understand why they are in care and what’s happening to support them and their whānau.

Be mindful of including sensitive information, and the degree and depth of detail — tamariki and rangatahi may share their plan with others without realising the consequences of distributing the information. For example:

• record a health need in the words of te tamaiti or rangatahi, with sufficient detail for them to know
• treat information about the whakapapa of tamariki Māori with particular sensitivity.

Whenever the All About Me plan is reviewed, the social worker must also update the Tamariki All About Me plan and:

• explain the relevant information
• seek the views of te tamaiti or rangatahi and include them
• share an updated copy with te tamaiti or rangatahi.

Sharing the Tamariki All About Me plan

Tamariki and rangatahi have a right to keep a copy of their Tamariki All About Me plan — ask whether they want to keep a copy of the whole plan or just parts of the plan, such as the dates they will see their whānau or family or when they will be visited next by their social worker.

When we give te tamaiti or rangatahi a copy of their Tamariki All About Me plan, we should tell them that:

• there are possible impacts and risks of others knowing this information about them, their whānau or family and others
• sharing parts of the plan with their siblings or adults who are safe and trusted could be empowering and helpful to te tamaiti or rangatahi in keeping them connected to their whānau.

Other adults, such as caregivers, may have a role in helping te tamaiti or rangatahi understand their plan. A lawyer for te tamaiti also has particular responsibilities to help them understand what is happening and ensure their views are heard. Sharing the Tamariki All About Me plan with them alongside the All About Me plan may be helpful to te tamaiti or rangatahi.

Helping te tamaiti or rangatahi keep their plan safe

Given the personal and often sensitive nature of some of the information in the plan, discuss where te tamaiti or rangatahi thinks they might want to store the information safely, particularly in a shared living environment. An option is for te tamaiti or rangatahi to keep their plan in their information pouch, along with other important information such as their statement of rights or My Rights My Voice booklet.

Make sure that they know that they can ask you for a new copy of their plan if something happens to theirs.

Sharing information about tamariki and rangatahi

Saving the plan

We are working on CYRAS changes to allow this large document to be saved with the All About Me plan.

Until then, continue saving each Tamariki All About Me plan into a folder. When the CYRAS changes are made, the plan can be transferred into the CYRAS case file.