Last updated: 08/11/2021

Policy

Safe sleep

All tamariki under 2 years of age who are in the care or custody of the chief executive must sleep in a safe, age-appropriate bed at all times.

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

What can I do to encourage a shared commitment to support the right of tamariki under 2 years to always have a safe and secure sleeping environment?

Ngākau whakairo practice framework domain

Whai mātauranga

What knowledge and evidence have I considered when considering safe sleep environments? What knowledge might I draw on from our Māori and Pacific partners to help build understanding with whānau or family and caregivers around safe sleep practices?

Whai mātauranga practice framework domain

Whai oranga

How will I make sure that the specific oranga needs of te tamaiti (for example, low birth weight or respiratory difficulties) are taken into account when working with their caregiver to ensure a safe sleep environment?

Whai oranga practice framework domain

Whai pūkenga

When a tamaiti under 2 is placed with caregivers, how can we all communicate together about safe sleep environments? How will we help others in the household understand the importance of a safe sleeping environment for every sleep?

Whai pūkenga practice framework domain

Whai ākona

What are, or have been, the sleeping practices in my whānau or family for tamariki under 2 years? How does this influence my thinking about what constitutes a safe sleep environment?

Whai ākona practice framework domain

Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to all tamariki under 2 years of age who are in the care or custody of the chief executive, including those living with care partners.

What is safe sleep

Safe sleep includes making sure that any pēpi under 2 is in their own bed for every sleep and making sure that the pēpi is on their back for every sleep with nothing covering their face. Wahakura and pēpi-pods® are also options for providing a safe sleep surface for pēpi.

Guidance: Safe sleeping

The Ministry of Health has some helpful guidance about safe sleeping practice for keeping pēpi safe at differing ages.

Safe sleep | Ministry of Health

Assessment and approval of prospective caregivers

We must assess the willingness and capacity of prospective caregivers to provide a safe sleep environment at the time of assessment.

If we know that a caregiver will have tamariki under 2 years of age living in their care, the assessment must include:

SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) prevention information
beds and bedding checks
an assessment of how the prospective caregiver will comply with safe sleeping advice and recommended actions to reduce SUDI.

This assessment of the safe sleep living arrangements must be recorded in CYRAS.

Assessing the home environment of applicants

Tamariki living with caregivers

The safe sleep environment must be assessed and discussed when te tamaiti is placed with a caregiver.

Policy: Caring for children and young people

The social worker placing te tamaiti must assess and ensure that the caregiver has a safe age-appropriate bed for te tamaiti at the time of placement – this includes that the caregiver has an understanding of SUDI and what they need to do to reduce the risk when staying away from their usual home. The assessment of safe sleep living arrangements at the time of placement must be recorded in CYRAS.

If the caregiver does not have a safe age-appropriate bed for te tamaiti, Oranga Tamariki must support them to provide this.

Caregiver support plan

When the caregiver support plan is reviewed, we must consider how we can support the caregiver to create and maintain a safe sleeping environment. This must be documented in the caregiver support plan. This should be reflected in the All About Me plan for te tamaiti.

Policy: Caregiver support