Guidance
Supporting whānau connections
We support tamariki and rangatahi to establish, maintain and strengthen safe connections with their whānau or family (including siblings and cousins), hapū, iwi, marae and family group, and anyone else they or their whānau or family identify as important.Updates to this guidance
Why connections are important
Strong connections with family, whānau, hapū, iwi and other people special to tamariki and rangatahi help to:
- promote wellness and reduce trauma
- keep us connected with our culture
- form cultural identity and belonging
- build self-image.
Establishing connections
1 Engage whānau or family early
We engage with whānau or family early to discuss the importance of connections and to enlist their support.
We discuss how information is shared with te tamaiti or rangatahi and who will hold the information.
Whakapapa belongs to whānau or families, so we support them to become involved with sharing whakapapa with te tamaiti or rangatahi.
If te tamaiti or rangatahi is under a court order or a family group conference plan, the whānau or family needs to understand the social worker's responsibilities and reporting requirements. This must be balanced with the needs and wishes of te tamaiti or rangatahi and the whānau or family. Discussing this in a hui ā-whānau means we can share information and plan together.
2 Review and analyse available information
We review all the information that has been gathered about the whānau or family of te tamaiti or rangatahi – for example:
- information from the assessment phase
- any previous whānau or family searches or whakapapa research
- information from hui ā-whānau or other credible sources.
When analysing the information, we:
- use our professional judgement
- engage a specialist such as a kairaranga ā-whānau, senior Māori practitioner, senior Pacific practitioner, or a competent bicultural practitioner, if needed.
If contact with parents is difficult, make sure there is contact with wider whānau or family such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins. Kōrero with te tamaiti or rangatahi to find out who they want to spend time with.
Dynamics within the family, whānau, hapū or iwi can mean there may be challenges to having meaningful and positive contact.
We need to consider previous events and understand how relationships can change and be developed. Maintaining and developing relationships with safe whānau or family can help understand their history, any underlying generational trauma and resilience.
Continued whānau or family contact may be difficult for both the carer and te tamaiti or rangatahi. For instance, a grandparent moving into a caregiving role may experience changes in existing relationships with other whānau or family members, who may be upset that they have taken on the care of te tamaiti or rangatahi and view it as a betrayal or colluding with authorities.
If contact causes ongoing disruption or high levels of stress or distress, careful assessment is needed to resolve any negative impacts. Arrange a hui ā-whānau to discuss the concerns and seek a way forward with a focus on te tamaiti or rangatahi.
3 Decide frequency and duration
When and how often contact occurs depends on the needs of te tamaiti or rangatahi, their specific situation, age, maturity and developmental stage, and whānau or family wishes.
4 Make contact arrangements
Contact should be planned and regular and, wherever possible, include informal interactions and the ability to meet face-to-face, such as at celebrations and birthdays.
Face-to-face contact
Te tamaiti or rangatahi and their parents, whānau or family and caregivers should all help develop the contact arrangements.
If contact is supervised, we fully brief the contact supervisor about the arrangements, any risks and any other safety issues.
Discussions should consider:
- the purpose, frequency, type and length of contact
- how contact can be safe and enjoyable for te tamaiti or rangatahi and their parents and whānau or family with a focus on maintaining or rebuilding the relationship between them
- any additional supports that may be required to manage accessibility issues for disabled tamariki or rangatahi
- how to support if te tamaiti or rangatahi shows distress
- what will happen if there is adult behaviour that is unacceptable or creates safety issues for te tamaiti or rangatahi
- how to manage contact not happening when the adults are under the influence of alcohol or drugs or other reasons contact may not occur (such as illness).
Use a pepeha journal or life event book
A pepeha journal can support tamariki and rangatahi Māori to engage with their whakapapa.
A life event book is another method to share whānau or family connections with tamariki and rangatahi.
Maintaining a record of important life events
Visit whānau or family and places of significance
Visiting whānau or family and places of significance, such as their marae, maunga and awa/moana/roto, are positive ways to develop, maintain and strengthen relationships with whānau.
Such visits are best facilitated by whānau or family, but if this is not possible consult with the kairaranga ā-whānau, senior Māori practitioner or effective bicultural practitioner to make a plan for visits to occur.
Participate in activities and special events
Special events support te tamaiti or rangatahi to develop, maintain and strengthen whānau or family connections. Events could include:
- whānau or family celebrations such as christenings, birthdays, weddings and graduations
- whānau or family reunions
- tangihanga, which provide a space to mourn, celebrate, connect with whānau or family and experience and participate in tikanga
- whānau or family events such as kapa haka, waka ama and other sporting or cultural activities
- iwi celebrations or festivals.
Financial support for costs associated with activities to support te tamaiti or rangatahi to develop, maintain and strengthen whānau or family connection should be identified with te tamaiti, rangatahi, whānau or family and/or caregivers and appropriate payments arranged.
5 Record the contact plan
Record the contact plan, including any restrictions, in the All About Me plan. Ensure everyone involved, including te tamaiti or rangatahi, has a copy and understands their role in the arrangements.
If contact occurs after hours or during weekends, make sure there is a casenote on CYRAS that will help the national contact centre manage any problems or issues.
6 Review contact arrangements
Contact arrangements need to be regularly reviewed to make sure they meet the needs and interests of te tamaiti or rangatahi.
Safety
We will not support te tamaiti or rangatahi to connect with people when it isn't in their best interests.
Use Tiaki Oranga to understand and plan
We use Tiaki Oranga to understand and plan for current safety, harm and risk for te tamaiti or rangatahi.
To avoid bias we need to:
- Identify why a relationship would not be in the best interests for te tamaiti or rangatahi.
- Use the case consult process and include a kairaranga ā-whānau, senior Māori practitioner or senior Pacific practitioner, if needed.
- Record the rationale for any decisions.
If safe direct contact cannot be maintained for a particular whānau member who is significant to te tamaiti or rangatahi, we think about other ways for te tamaiti or rangatahi to connect with that person and view them positively.
Supervised contact
Supervised contact may be required when there has been:
- previous care or contact situations where the safety of te tamaiti or rangatahi has been compromised
- serious physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- emotional harm
- whānau or family dynamics that are focused on adult behaviours, and concerns and issues are played out in front of tamariki or rangatahi during contact and may be impacting on where te tamaiti or rangatahi is currently living.
We need to understand each situation and the need for supervised contact and review this regularly.
Practice tool: Child/young person and family consult
The following people can supervise contact – individually or in combination:
- whānau or family or friends considered by a social worker to be suitable and safe – we need to explore this option thoroughly and consult with our kairaranga ā-whānau or site cultural experts, if needed
- community organisations providing a specialised service approved by Oranga Tamariki
- a pool of selected and trained individuals approved by Oranga Tamariki
- Oranga Tamariki social workers, resource workers or youth workers.
When we undertake the approval process for prospective contact supervisors, we build and strengthen our understanding of their attitudes, knowledge, skills and personal attributes, and complete police, referee and medical checks. Approval can only be given by our supervisor.
When te tamaiti or rangatahi has moved permanently to a new home, contact with their whānau or family can be supervised by the caregivers. This provides te tamaiti or rangatahi with the opportunity to experience their permanent caregivers in the parenting role as their supporter and protector and helps the parents and caregivers develop a relationship with each other.
Types of contact
Responses to contact
It is normal for te tamaiti or rangatahi in a care arrangement away from home to have physical and emotional reactions to visits with whānau or family. These reactions are not necessarily a sign that the visit did not go well or that there is something wrong with the care being provided to te tamaiti or rangatahi. Feelings can resurface during contact, and it is not unusual for te tamaiti or rangatahi to express their response through emotional and behavioural distress. Te tamaiti or rangatahi may express anger towards their caregivers and/or their whānau or family before, during and after contact.
The social worker, parents, caregivers, whānau or family and other support people (such as a counsellor or teacher) need to reassure te tamaiti or rangatahi by helping them talk about and understand their feelings.
Te tamaiti or rangatahi may feel:
- happy and relieved to see their whānau or family
- confused, especially about why they cannot go home – the younger te tamaiti is, the more confused they will be about having 2 sets of 'parents'
- angry about what has happened to them, or fearful of someone
- sad and angry about being separated from whānau or family – they may feel like they have lost everything familiar and do not understand what is happening
- feel that being moved from their home is their fault
- worried about being disloyal to their parents or whānau or family by liking their caregivers
- worried about whether their siblings and parents are okay
- defensive when they sense criticism of their whānau or family.
Distress about contact may not necessarily be about safety – it could be connected to developmental issues or stresses associated with other experiences, such as separation anxiety, grief and loss, or loyalty conflicts.
Returning home
As the date approaches when te tamaiti or rangatahi is returning home, contact between them and their parents or caregivers should increase in frequency and duration and include unsupervised, day-long, overnight and weekend visits. This should be reflected in the All About Me plan.
Permanent care arrangements with caregivers
If it is decided that te tamaiti or rangatahi cannot return to the care of their parents or previous caregivers, planning needs to be mindful of how relationships with people and places of significance will be maintained.
Talk with the parents, whānau or family and caregivers to achieve a whānau or family decision around contact arrangements. This could happen at a family meeting or a hui ā-whānau.
Where possible, contact can occur as often as te tamaiti or rangatahi needs and wants, and in ways that support and maintain connections.
Policy: Ensuring a safe, stable and loving home for tamariki in care or custody
Ending or suspending contact
The decision to end or suspend contact between te tamaiti or rangatahi and their parents or other significant people should not be taken lightly. We weigh up the benefits of contact against the risks involved. However, delaying a decision to end or suspend contact may place te tamaiti or rangatahi in a potentially dangerous situation.
Criteria for ending or suspending contact might include:
- health reasons – but consider if shorter times or other means of contact can replace arrangements
- the need to change to supervised contact due to adult behaviour
- a restraining order being in force
- abuse or neglect of te tamaiti or rangatahi during contact
- threatened violence towards te tamaiti or rangatahi
- ongoing negative adult behaviour that affects the oranga of te tamaiti or rangatahi and the stability of their care
- continued non-attendance or poor attendance by the parent or other significant people, which affects te tamaiti or rangatahi
- parents or other significant people repeatedly violating the agreed terms of the contact arrangements, which causes harm to te tamaiti or rangatahi
- te tamaiti or rangatahi not wanting to continue the contact.
If contact is ended or suspended, ensure:
- a hui ā-whānau is held to discuss the decision so everyone understands the reason and what is needed to return to previous contact arrangements
- the reason is recorded on CYRAS
- the decision is regularly reviewed with the parents, caregivers, whānau or family and te tamaiti or rangatahi
When face-to-face contact has been ended, we work with the whānau or family to identify alternative contact arrangements that could be put in place and who could help within their family, whānau, hapū, iwi or community. This could include identifying someone who can:
- give te tamaiti or rangatahi knowledge of their whakapapa
- help them learn their stories, history, marae, hapū, iwi, village or community and whenua – ideally, te tamaiti or rangatahi should visit places of significance.