Oranga Tamariki has failed to live up to its name, Kelvin Davis says, as he faced the latest grilling over mistreatment of children in care residences
Oranga Tamariki staff have been stood down and police called in over the manhandling of a child within one of the ministry’s care and protection residences, with Minister for Children Kelvin Davis saying he will not defend the indefensible.
A Newsroom investigation into the treatment of vulnerable children at the specialised facilities – prompted by video footage provided by a concerned whistleblower – shows workers tackling a boy and twisting his arms behind his back, and another time putting him in a headlock before throwing him to the ground.
Appearing before Parliament’s social services and community committee on Wednesday, Oranga Tamariki acting chief executive Sir Wira Gardiner said he had stood down a number of ministry staff as a result of the Newsroom investigation, as well as initiating the ministry’s child protection protocol so police could come in and investigate the incident.
Gardiner said the child at the centre of the video had also been visited by a social worker to check on their wellbeing, while children at the rest of the care and protection facilities were being asked to share any recent events of concern.
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Gardiner confirmed CCTV cameras were meant to be monitored and any incidents of apparent assault or mistreatment flagged for investigation. He would not confirm whether the staff member who had not reported the footage in question was among those who had been stood down, saying police and internal investigations were now underway.
Since taking over as chief executive, he had made a point of handing out his cellphone number to Oranga Tamariki staff so they could raise concerns directly with him, but it was clear there was still room for improvement in the complaints process.
“There’s a formal system and an informal system, and I think when people get frustrated as with this video, then they take the path that they take. It’s regrettable, I would prefer that the internal system works, but if it didn’t work and I was in the same position, I would probably have taken the same path.”
Oranga Tamariki was planning to build 10 new, smaller residences that could better provide for the high needs of the children in its care, Gardiner said.
“I think we can all agree over the past few years that it’s obvious that Oranga Tamariki are failing to live up to their new name, and today I’m not here to defend the indefensible.”
Appearing alongside the chief executive, Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis said there was no hiding away from the mistakes made by Oranga Tamariki in recent years, including the behaviour uncovered by Newsroom’s investigation.
The intent behind Oranga Tamariki was to create an organisation that could better its predecessors, but that had not been the case so far.
“The various iterations of our care and protection agencies … were flawed, as was the idea that we can bundle together these various iterations, give them a new name and expect different outcomes,” Davis said.
“I think we can all agree over the past few years that it’s obvious that Oranga Tamariki are failing to live up to their new name, and today I’m not here to defend the indefensible.”
The ministerial advisory board he had appointed had been asked to review the organisation’s culture as part of their work, with their report due in the coming months, while Oranga Tamariki had received $23.4 million of new funding in this year’s Budget to help with the devolution of power to the regions and to Māori so tamariki could stay with their whānau where possible.
The Government intended to eliminate the types of behaviour shown in the whistleblower video, but Davis said the vast majority of staff working in the residences were doing great work.
“I want to be clear, the system is broken, but many people that work inside the system are not. They care for the children they protect, many go above and beyond what the system allows to support our children that need it the most.
“They believe, as I do, that our care and protection agency are the parents of children who can’t be with their own parents, and we must be the best example of what good parents are.”
“How can you guarantee me that this just isn’t more lip service, and in 20 years’ time children that are going through this now aren’t going to be sitting in my position now saying, ‘Please explain’?”
ACT children’s spokeswoman Karen Chhour said she was frustrated by some of Davis’s comments, given many had been repeated by others in the role before him.
“I’ve heard all this stuff before. I’ve heard reviews, I’ve heard we’re going to change. I mean, constant restructures, constant leadership changes, inquiries, reviews, working groups and reforms that have been executed by yourself and predecessors of successive governments and our children still aren’t safe in state care.
“How can you guarantee me that this just isn’t more lip service, and in 20 years’ time children that are going through this now aren’t going to be sitting in my position now saying, ‘Please explain’?”
Davis said he had identified the need for change and intended to deliver on his promises.
“There have been four reviews in the last little while, there’s 79 recommendations: the time for reviews and sitting around having chats is over … it’s time for action.”
