Assessment and planning

When suicide risk is identified

When we identify suicide risk, we work together with te tamaiti or rangatahi, their whānau or family and other professionals to secure their immediate safety, and then develop a plan that will help te tamaiti or rangatahi restore oranga.

Youth justice, Interventions

Youth justice family group conference

Youth justice family group conferences are held when tamariki or rangatahi are alleged to have offended or once the charges have been proven. These are convened and facilitated by youth justice coordinators.

Interventions, Youth justice

Supporting rangatahi in police custody under section 238(1)(e) before Youth Court hearing

A social worker is allocated to each rangatahi in police custody to undertake the requirements of the Youth Court review process under section 241(2) and to ensure we are monitoring the safety and oranga of rangatahi while in police custody.

Care

Caregiver peer support

Caregivers can benefit from peer support in order to feel connected to people who understand their experience. We can help facilitate increased peer support so caregivers can establish ongoing, supportive, relationship-based networks.

Care

Reviewing caregivers

All our caregivers (including section 396 provider caregivers) must have a regular review of their approval status and support needs.

Policy and guidelines for medication management in Oranga Tamariki residences (2012)

This information is adapted from the Ministry of Health's Medicines Care Guides for Residential Aged Care (2011).

Practice approach

Trauma-informed theory

Trauma-informed theory helps us understand the nature and impacts of trauma. It is aligned with our practice approach.

Care, Policy

Transition to adulthood — Maintaining contact

We must maintain contact with eligible rangatahi who have left care or a youth justice residential placement when a transition worker isn’t available through a local provider.

Care

Information and visits for prospective placements

To help tamariki and rangatahi have a positive experience when they enter care or go to a new placement, we make sure they understand what's happening and where they're going ahead of time with the 'Welcome to our home' booklet and pre-placement visits.

Practice tools

Using scaling questions

Scaling questions are a valuable tool we can use to build and deepen our understanding with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau or family and others. They assume that things happen on a continuum and open up room for discussion about what could be different.