Listen to this policy:
Policy
All About Me plan
The All About Me plan addresses the needs identified through analysis of the Tuituia assessment. It has important information about each tamaiti or rangatahi in our care. This policy defines when the plan is needed and how we develop, maintain and use it.Practice framework prompts for this policy
Our practice framework helps us make sense of and organise our practice so it is framed in te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi), and draws from te ao Māori principles of oranga, within the context of our role in statutory child protection and youth justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ngākau whakairo
How can I ensure the rights of te tamaiti and their whānau or family are recognised and promoted at every opportunity through the planning?
How am I ensuring that whānau or family have the opportunity to access independent support and advocacy?
Ngākau whakairo practice framework domain
Whai mātauranga
How does the plan incorporate all the important voices and opinions from those involved in caring and supporting te tamaiti or rangatahi?
Whai mātauranga practice framework domain
Whai oranga
In my practice, how can I develop a plan that works for te tamaiti or rangatahi and their caregivers, whānau or family but also enhances all dimensions of oranga over time?
Whai oranga practice framework domain
Whai pūkenga
How can I advocate effectively for this whānau or family need in order to meet their goals? How have I ensured that everyone involved in the plan is aware of their roles and responsibilities?
Whai pūkenga practice framework domain
Whai ākona
How has the All About Me plan helped this tamaiti and their whānau? What other examples of good planning and practice can I draw on when developing future All About Me plans?
When this policy applies
All tamariki and rangatahi in care or custody must have an All About Me plan.
Purpose of the All About Me plan
The All About Me plan helps everyone involved support the needs and objectives of tamariki or rangatahi, by recording planning information that is responsive to their changing needs and circumstances, and advances their long-term goals and outcomes.
This includes what we and others are doing to strengthen whakapapa connections, to enable and support the whanaungatanga responsibilities of family, whānau, hapū and iwi, and to promote mana tamaiti by supporting te tamaiti to achieve their goals.
The purpose of the All About Me plan is to:
- describe the support and services in place to meet the needs of tamariki and rangatahi identified through their Tuituia assessment, and who is responsible for providing that support
- ensure the mana of each tamaiti is actively supported to flourish
- help tamariki and rangatahi understand, in language that makes sense to them, what is happening in their lives, how they will get the support they need, and ensure they can influence the plan with their views
- support tamariki and rangatahi to live in a safe, stable and loving home from the earliest opportunity
- promote wellbeing by ensuring tamariki and rangatahi get the support and opportunities they need to establish, maintain and strengthen their whānau, hapū, iwi and wider family connections when they can’t live with them
- provide detail to help achieve the agreed outcomes of a family group conference or court plan that are specifically relevant to the care of, and support for, te tamaiti or rangatahi
- enable the flexibility to capture and respond to the changing needs and circumstances of tamariki and rangatahi
- help ensure caregivers and others involved with tamariki and rangatahi have the information they need to carry out their roles and responsibilities
- create a historic record and living document of planning information about tamariki and rangatahi.
Policy: Support for tamariki in care or custody
All About Me plan and other plans or orders
For tamariki in care, their All About Me plan is the primary plan we work from, and supports any overarching family group conference or court plan. In some cases, some of the more detailed needs of, and support for, tamariki and rangatahi may be captured in another plan. Where this occurs, the detailed plan must be referenced and linked to the All About Me plan.
Such plans can include:
- safety plan
- detailed day-to-day plan for managing complex behavioural distress
- high and complex needs plan
- individual education plan
- gateway interagency service agreement.
There is no need to duplicate these plans, but we must:
- record where and how these plans are meeting particular needs
- link these plans to the All About Me plan
- check these other plans are working to meet the needs they seek to address, when monitoring the All About Me plan.
How to guide for the All About Me plan (DOCX 3.8 MB)
The All About Me plan for tamariki and rangatahi in care must be informed by and align with any current:
- plan agreed at a family group conference
- court plan
- protection order under the Family Violence Act 2018
- order under the Care of Children Act 2004
- All About Me plan for the siblings of te tamaiti or rangatahi regarding their contact arrangements with one another
- caregiver’s support plan, regarding the support for the caregiver to meet the needs of te tamaiti or rangatahi.
For tamariki or rangatahi who come into care before a family group conference or court plan has been developed, the All About Me plan must address any immediate safety concerns and any other needs we are aware of.
Involving te tamaiti in the development of the All About Me plan
Tamariki and rangatahi must be actively involved in developing and reviewing their plan. We must take into account their views, aspirations, and any decisions they have made, and incorporate these wherever possible.
We must ensure that wherever practicable and appropriate tamariki and rangatahi are aware that the information being included in their plan will be shared with important members of their family, whānau, hapū, iwi or family group, their caregivers and other relevant people.
Tamariki and rangatahi must be kept up to date on the progress of their plan.
Policy: Participation of tamariki
Involving others in the development of the All About Me plan
We must engage with members of the family, whānau, hapū, iwi or family group who can contribute to the planning process and are considered important to or for te tamaiti. We must undertake thorough whānau or family searching if it has not already happened.
We must take into account the views of:
- whānau or family
- the people in their hapū, iwi or family group and others who are considered important to or for te tamaiti or rangatahi as identified in the Tuituia assessment
- current caregivers
- caregivers who will care for te tamaiti or rangatahi (if known)
- people who are expected to have a role in the plan
- others who have important relationships or roles with te tamaiti, as appropriate.
Keeping the All About Me plan current
The plan is a living document and must be kept up to date to reflect the changing needs and progress of tamariki and rangatahi. We must ensure it is keeping te tamaiti or rangatahi safe, continues to meet their goals and needs, and reflects any changes in needs or circumstances that occur. In order to do this we must make sure our assessments of tamariki and rangatahi such as Tuituia are up to date.
The plan must be started by the key social worker as soon as we decide to seek a custody order or enter into a care agreement, and we must continue working on the plan with urgency until it is current.
We must check that all assessments are up to date and that all aspects of the plan have relevant actions identified within 6 weeks of tamariki and rangatahi entering care. The entire plan must be reviewed and reassessed at a minimum of every 6 months.
We must also review any aspect of the plan when:
- there is a change of circumstance for te tamaiti or rangatahi
- we identify unmet needs or factors impacting their wellbeing
- we receive any new information that requires a change to the plan.
We may also review any aspect of the plan at any time.
The information gathered through this process will help to inform the scheduled family group conference or court plan reviews.
We must consider the plan with te tamaiti or rangatahi as part of each visit or engagement, so we can determine whether it needs updating.
Guidance: All About Me plan to meet the needs of tamariki and rangatahi
Policy: Visiting and engaging with tamariki in care
We must keep in regular contact with the following people to monitor the ongoing safety and wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi, and to gather the information we need to keep the plan up to date and on track:
- te tamaiti or rangatahi
- caregivers
- whānau or family
- the people in their hapū, iwi or family group and others who are considered important to or for te tamaiti or rangatahi as identified in the Tuituia assessment
- professionals who provide an ongoing service for te tamaiti
- anyone else who has a role to play in implementing the plan.
Content of the All About Me plan
The plan must specify:
- the goals for te tamaiti or rangatahi and how we will support them to meet these (this should include the goals from the family group conference or court plan)
- the aspirations, wishes and strengths of te tamaiti or rangatahi, and how these will be promoted and supported
- how the assessed needs of te tamaiti or rangatahi from the Tuituia assessment will be addressed, the support to be provided to meet these needs, who will carry out certain actions and by when
- what personal belongings te tamaiti or rangatahi has and will get, and how they will be stored, if necessary
- the frequency of social work visits, why that frequency was chosen, and when that decision will be reviewed
- how family, whānau, hapū, iwi, marae and the family group and others important to and for te tamaiti or rangatahi are involved in the plan, including:
- how te tamaiti or rangatahi will establish, maintain and strengthen relationships with whānau, the family group, significant people and siblings (if this can be undertaken safely)
- how te tamaiti or rangatahi will maintain and strengthen relationships with their hapū, iwi and marae
- how we will support te tamaiti or rangatahi to understand their whakapapa and help enable whānau, hapū, iwi, marae and the family group to carry out their whanaungatanga responsibilities
- how we will ensure whānau and significant people know about events they can attend that te tamaiti or rangatahi is participating in
- arrangements for informing te tamaiti or rangatahi of any important matters relating to their whānau, hapū, iwi, marae, significant people, family group and siblings
- the support caregivers will receive to meet the needs of te tamaiti or rangatahi in their care
- transition needs as te tamaiti or rangatahi moves to another care situation.
Policy: Participation of tamariki
Policy: Visiting and engaging with tamariki in care
Policy: Support for tamariki in care or custody
Policy: Transitions within care
Guidance: Practice for working effectively with Māori
Guidance: Caregiver support plan
Guidance: All About Me plan to meet the needs of tamariki
Guidance
Updating the plan
We must update part or all of the plan if, through our contact and engagements, we become aware that te tamaiti or rangatahi:
- is not receiving adequate protection
- has needs that the plan is not meeting
- has had a change in circumstance.
This may require part or all of the Tuituia, or other assessments, to be updated. If the change in circumstances is significant (such as a return home becoming a possibility) then it may be necessary to reconvene the family group conference or review the court plan.
We must work with the relevant people to come up with an updated version of the plan which reflects the current needs assessments and circumstances of te tamaiti or rangatahi.
Practice standard: Work closely in partnership with others
The updated version of the plan must meet all the content requirements set out in this policy and must be consistent with the goals and objectives of the family group conference or court plan.
The updates must be recorded and provided to te tamaiti or rangatahi, whānau or family and anyone else who needs to know in order to implement the plan.
Tamariki All About Me version of the plan
We must ensure tamariki or rangatahi are given the Tamariki All About Me version of their plan, in a form that is suitable for their age, development, language and any disabilities they may have, and check that they have a safe place to keep the plan.
We should where possible involve te tamaiti in developing the look and feel of their version to help them understand its content.
Guidance: Tamariki All About Me plan — child-friendly version
Sharing the All About Me plan
Te tamaiti or rangatahi must be consulted before we disclose information from their plan wherever practicable and appropriate, and their views about this must be taken into account.
We must ensure their caregiver or residence manager receives the information in the plan that is relevant to the care of te tamaiti or rangatahi, including part 1 of the plan. Whenever possible, this must be done before the placement occurs.
We must provide information in the plan, and regular updates on the progress and development of te tamaiti or rangatahi, to the important members of their family, whānau, hapū, iwi or family group as identified in the Tuituia assessment. When determining what information is relevant to share, we must take into account:
- the place of te tamaiti in their whānau or family, including:
- how the plan may affect the relationship of te tamaiti with their whānau or family, hapū, iwi and family group
- the ability of the whānau or family, hapū, iwi and family group to carry out their whakapapa and whanaungatanga responsibilities
- the views, privacy and safety of te tamaiti or rangatahi and others mentioned in the plan
- restrictions of information disclosure agreed to at a family group conference or in court.
Guidance: Confidentiality and the family group conference
Policy: Participation of tamariki
We must share the section of information in the plan with those who need it to undertake their agreed responsibilities, such as teachers, advocates or other professionals, ensuring the privacy of other details is maintained.
When we share information from the plan, we must take into account any communication barriers such as language or disability, and share information in a way that helps mitigate these.
Guidance: Sharing information about tamariki and rangatahi
Policy: Transitions within care