6908 (2024). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister for Children

6908 (2024). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Minister for Children: Will the proposed Oranga Tamariki staff cuts impact on the ability of Oranga Tamariki to make the improvements in its management oversight of policies, processes, expenditure and business reporting that were identified in the 2022/23 Auditor General's audit of Oranga Tamariki?

Hon Karen Chhour: I am advised by Oranga Tamariki that the proposed change will move Oranga Tamariki towards a Ministry that will: • place tamariki and rangatahi at the centre of all it does • provide integrated and holistic services for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau, regardless of geography and which services are being accessed • have a national, consistent approach to residences and homes • improve its ability to lift performance and meet Government expectations by organising and grouping our core functions to better enable us to get the basics right • support locally-led ways of working and allow frontline kaimahi to concentrate on their core business • streamline decision-making across the organisation • separate contract management functions from relationship management to strengthen our ability to invest in the right services with the right partners and providers • reiterate its strong social work focus and provide a single point of leadership across our professional practice, people leadership growth and quality assurance • bring together core functions that enable Oranga Tamariki to lead internally and externally across the children’s system both nationally and regionally. Information from previous inquiries and reports has been considered in the changes being proposed.