Support for tamariki in care or custody

Ngākau whakairo

How will I ensure the right of te tamaiti or rangatahi and their whānau or family to determine and receive the supports they need? How will I ensure that this is balanced against what supports are considered important by others?

Ngākau whakairo practice framework domain

Whai mātauranga

What and whose knowledge will help me understand whether I am providing the right support for te tamaiti or rangatahi? When did I last check in with them that the support is meeting their needs?

Whai mātauranga practice framework domain

Whai oranga

How does te tamaiti or rangatahi describe their oranga? What signs will I look for that will help me understand what dimensions of oranga te tamaiti or rangatahi needs more support with. How will I know whether our support is promoting their oranga to be fully realised and sustained?

Whai oranga practice framework domain

Whai pūkenga

What skills and tools am I using when supporting te tamaiti and rangatahi, especially non-verbal tamariki or rangatahi, to actively participate in planning and decision-making?

Whai pūkenga practice framework domain

Whai ākona

What beliefs do I bring to my mahi about the support tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau or family need? How am I using supervision to review my practice in providing support for tamariki and rangatahi and their whānau or family?

Whai ākona practice framework domain

Support may include:

• social work support
• youth work support
• cultural support
• financial support
• help to address trauma
• access to specialist services such as education, health or therapeutic services.

In all cases, if meeting the needs of te tamaiti involves sharing information relating to them, this must be done in consultation with te tamaiti, or their representative wherever practicable and appropriate. When we want to disclose information that relates to te tamaiti but is about others, we must also consult with those other people wherever practicable and appropriate.

Policy: Sharing information

Guidance: Sharing information about tamariki and rangatahi

Guidance: Consulting about sharing information

Guidance: Disclosing information

To support whānau connections we must:

• ensure te tamaiti is able to have contact and connection with their family, whānau, hapū, iwi, family group and people who are important to them
• assist te tamaiti to connect with their family, whānau, hapū, iwi, and family group through whakapapa
• enable and support others to fulfil their whanaungatanga responsibilities
• ensure parents, guardians and any other important members of the family, whānau, hapū, and family group of te tamaiti are regularly kept informed of the progress of te tamaiti and participate in important decisions that affect te tamaiti.

We are not required to support relationships between tamariki and specific individuals when this is not in the best interests of te tamaiti.

Financial support which we provide for whānau connections may be provided directly to te tamaiti or to their whānau or family, or caregivers as appropriate.

Supporting whānau connections

To support culture, we must support tamariki to:

• learn about their culture
• attend, celebrate or acknowledge cultural events of significance to their culture
• participate in activities or experiences relevant to their culture
• maintain or improve the language of their culture
• visit or connect with whenua significant to their culture.

To support belonging and identity, we must support tamariki to:

• develop their identity, including gender identity and sexual orientation
• attend, celebrate or acknowledge events of significance for te tamaiti
• participate in activities or experiences relevant to their identity or sense of belonging
• visit or connect with whenua, marae and other places significant to their identity or sense of belonging
• connect with other tamariki in care.

Recording life events

We must ensure that a record of events important in the life of te tamaiti is collected, recorded and maintained. This must be done in consultation with te tamaiti where appropriate and have regard to both the culture and circumstances of te tamaiti.

This record may include:

• information about significant events or achievements
• details of important relationships
• photographs
• art work
• school reports.

Maintaining a record of important life events

To support play, recreation and community needs, we must support tamariki to:

• have opportunities for play and other recreational experiences
• access toys, books and other items
• establish and maintain relationships with peers and others in the community
• attend and participate in sports, cultural, volunteering or other community activities.

Support for play, recreation and community activities

We must make reasonable efforts to ensure the health needs of tamariki are met by practitioners who understand their culture and values, and who have knowledge of models of health relevant to their culture.

Significant decisions regarding the health needs of tamariki require consultation with guardians. Where the guardians are unable to agree on health decisions, we must take steps to resolve this.

Guardianship — Types of court orders

To support health needs, we must support tamariki to:

• enrol with a primary health provider
• access an appropriate health practitioner
• have annual health checks
• have annual dental checks
• access health information such as healthy relationships and sexual health, including how to access health services
• access publicly funded health services
• access private health services where publicly funded services are not available or not available within a reasonable timeframe.

In addition to providing the above support, we must maintain a record of the health history of tamariki in our care.

Supporting tamariki with their health needs

Care and protection

We must refer all tamariki for a gateway assessment within 10 working days of entering care on a care and protection status.

Gateway assessments

Youth justice

We must refer all tamariki for a health and education assessment within 10 days of entering care on a youth justice status.

Health and education assessments — Guidance for working with children who have offended

Enrolment

Decisions regarding the enrolment of tamariki in education will depend on their age. Any decisions must be made in consultation with their parents or guardians and reviewed regularly. Where the parents or guardians are unable to agree on enrolment decisions, we must take steps to resolve this.

Enrolling and engaging tamariki and rangatahi in care in education

Guardianship — Types of court orders

Tamariki aged 1—4 years

All tamariki must be enrolled in a licensed early childhood service or a certificated playgroup where this is in their best interests. Decisions about the length of time that they attend for will be based on their needs.

Policy: Caring for children and young people

Tamariki aged 5 years

All tamariki must be enrolled at a registered school, a licensed early childhood service or certificated playgroup unless this is not in their best interests. If the decision is not to enrol te tamaiti in school, this decision must be reviewed regularly.

Tamariki aged 6—15 years

All tamariki must be enrolled at a registered school unless they have an exemption to be home schooled or leave school at 15.

Home education – Ministry of Education

Exemptions from enrolment – sections 20 to 22 of Education Act 1989

If there is any dispute about the decision to enrol a tamaiti at a particular school, we must take steps to resolve this.

Tamariki aged 16 years and over

All tamariki 16 years and over must be provided with assistance to enrol at a registered school or tertiary organisation, or to obtain employment.

Attendance

We must support tamariki to attend school or an early childhood service. For tamariki who are enrolled at school, we must:

• obtain updates each term about attendance
• ensure caregivers support attendance
• provide support to address any concerns about attendance
• ensure we or someone suitable supports tamariki in person if a hearing is held to consider suspension or exclusion from school
• facilitate alternative education arrangements if te tamaiti is excluded from school.

Monitoring

We must monitor the educational progress of te tamaiti and support their educational achievement. We will do this through regular contact with their education provider and other relevant agencies. We must:

• provide the education provider with all the information they need to support te tamaiti to achieve in education – we should consult te tamaiti before we disclose this information wherever practicable and appropriate
• engage with the education provider (at least once a term) to discuss the educational progress of te tamaiti as appropriate
• obtain a written update from the education provider (at least once a term) about the educational progress of te tamaiti
• provide support where te tamaiti is at risk of not achieving their educational goals, or is not achieving those goals.

Policy: Sharing information

Guidance: Disclosing information

Other support obligations for education

We also must ensure financial assistance is provided to tamariki for:

• equipment and materials such as a uniform, school bag and stationery
• payment of education-related costs such as donations and fees for trips or camps
• transport costs
• additional tuition or educational support programmes that are not available through the public system within a reasonable timeframe.

Supporting tamariki with their education and training needs

To support the feedback and complaints process, we must support tamariki to:

• feel safe to share their feedback
• understand the complaints process and possible outcomes
• make the complaint
• understand how their complaint was assessed, what the outcome was, and any actions taken as a result.

Feedback and complaints — Explaining rights and entitlements to tamariki and rangatahi

Tamariki have the right to have personal belongings including:

• taonga and things that are important to te tamaiti
• clothing
• bedding
• backpack or suitcase.

Right to personal belongings