‘UPLIFTING’ BABIES
Last weekend I started reading the New York Times best-seller When: The scientific secrets of perfect timing by Dan H Pink (there’s a 30 min you tube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeXWQI8m_LM).
At one level this is just another personal productivity book. However, for me the book is so much more than that and as every social worker who was taught crisis-intervention theory during their training already knows, in our work timing, and paying as much attention to when we do something as to what we do, can be everything.
With this book on my mind (and last week’s post on preparing for leaving care also having a strong ‘when’ theme), the New Zealanders amongst you will be aware that on Thursday the Chief Ombudsman released his report investigating the practice of Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children when applying to the Courts for interim ‘without notice’ (section 78) custody orders on new-borns. https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/what-we-can-help/our-work-children-care. This was the 4th of 5 inquiry reports initiated following the public, political and media uproar that arose on the release of video footage last year of Oranga Tamariki social workers ‘uplifting’ a baby from a hospital in Hastings.
What I have read of the 230 page report was grim. In essence the Chief Ombudsmen found that Oranga Tamariki (and likely predecessor organisations) routinely applied to the Courts for (and were granted) interim ‘without notice’ Custody Orders for new-born children (i.e. no notice whatsoever to families/whanau) in circumstances where they could or should have (more fully) engaged with the family/whanau and other professionals when first notified of the pregnancy. In doing so they should also have comprehensively assessed the circumstances, taken expert advice, and tried to develop a child safety plan with the family/whanau that may or may not have avoided the need for a custody order application. Without all of that work having been (sufficiently) undertaken in a timely manner, the situations became urgent once a baby was born and so the interim ‘without notice’ custody order applications.
The upshot of the report is that at best Oranga Tamariki has caused unnecessary distress and trauma to families/whanau, and at worst has taken children into the care of the state unnecessarily in instances where an appropriate child safety plan could have been developed with the family/whanau and other professionals.
Few of you will have direct responsibility for executing such custody orders, and so there are no implications or learning for any of us right? I have been giving this some thought. Some questions for you:
1. What do you understand about the precise circumstances that led to particular children and young people coming into care in the first place that you have responsibility for? How do children and young people understand these events? How traumatic was coming into care and what were or are the impacts of that?
2. With hindsight and better planning and support, could their coming in care have been prevented or better executed?
3. For those in care is case planning and decision-making sufficiently prioritised and as timely as it could be? Back in the day in Scotland when I was what we would now call an Independent Reviewing Officer, the requirements were that the first child in care review take place within 48 hours and the second within 6 weeks and earlier if needed.
4. When and how can we engage with families in ways that strengthen their involvement as well as the child’s links with their culture and wider family members?
5. When children and young people are returning to their families, what is our role in ensuring that this is as successful as it can possibly be?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! You can email me at: iain@betteroutcomes.co.nz
Kia kaha (Stay Strong).
Iain