Search for children's relatives will look wider after damning review

Children's Commissioner Andrew says wider whānau and iwi have not been involved enough in many family group conferences. Photo / File

New Zealand's child protection agency has agreed to fund wider searches for relatives before holding family group conferences to help children in need of care or youth justice measures.

The Ministry of Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki has told Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft that it will now fund staff at its 21 care and protection offices to search the whakapapa or wider family of young people in need of care.

It will also trial external iwi-based co-ordinators for family group conferences at two offices.

The measures follow a damning report by Becroft's office, published today, which has found that whānau involvement in family group conferences (FGCs) varies widely.

"We found examples of poor FGC facilitation, for instance where facilitators did not believe in or practise whānau-led decision-making, where whānau did not understand what was happening, and where children and young people's voices were not adequately represented," the commission said.

Becroft called for greater involvement of families, whānau, hapū, iwi and family groups, and, in youth justice cases, victims.

A review of six sites in 2016 identified a need for better training of FGC co-ordinators; more resources for FGCs; more preparation to identify, engage and brief those who should attend; and better oversight and implementation of the resulting FGC Plan.

"Before 1989, family groups were effectively shut out from decision-making about their own children", Becroft said.

"When FGCs were introduced in 1989, they were hailed as a New Zealand innovation which at their best, fully involve families, whānau, hapū, iwi and family groups in decisions about the welfare of their children, and give children a voice. In the case of criminal offending, involvement in FGCs can also result in better outcomes for victims.

"When properly resourced and practised, I believe the FGC process has in it the seeds of genius.

"However, 27 years on from the original Act, we have only partially put this vision into practice. In particular, holding hui-a-whanau (family meetings) prior to the FGC, and conducting whakapapa searching will help increase participation of children and young people, whānau, hapū and iwi, and of victims for youth justice.

"The launch of the Oranga Tamariki and the supporting revisions to the legislation gives us a unique opportunity to address long-standing deficiencies identified in this report and to significantly improve practice.

"Our review focused on previous practice by Child, Youth and Family. We are encouraged that Oranga Tamariki has already responded to our initial findings and are taking steps to improve the quality of FGC preparation, including funding whakapapa searching and hui-a-whānau across 21 care and protection sites; providing induction training and ongoing mentoring to 15 relatively new youth justice FGC co-ordinators and 16 care and protection coordinators; and trialling external iwi-based FGC co-ordinators.

"These concrete actions are underpinned by a child-centred system, high aspirations for Māori children, and a professional practice framework that are intended to provide a platform for child-centred, culturally responsive practice."