13 May 2024
M Cook
[FYI request #25455 email]
Tēnā koe M Cook
I refer to your email of 21 January 2024 to Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children
(Oranga Tamariki), requesting information relating to the Ministerial Advisory Board. Your
request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). I apologise
for the delay in responding.
The Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board (the Board) was established in 2021 to
provide the previous Minister for Children with advice and assurance on the operations
and performance of Oranga Tamariki with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau and Māori. The
term of the Board expired on 31 January 2024.
I have addressed each of your questions below.
Would you please provide me with an update on the position of the Ministerial
Advisory Board set up in 2021? Does it exist, and if not, when was it disestablished?
I would like the following:
1.
Decision papers relating to a disestablishment of the Board (if this has
happened).
Oranga Tamariki do not hold decision papers relating to the disestablishment of the
Board. As the term of the Board ended on the 31 January 2024, this part of your request
is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as the information requested does not exist.
2.
A list of activities of the Board in 2022 and 2023.
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At the time of establishing the Ministerial Advisory Board in 2021, the Minister for Children
clearly set out his expectations in the Terms of Reference for the Board. Further
information regarding the Board can be found
here. This includes relevant Cabinet
decisions, reports and how the Board operates.
Specific activities during 2022 and 2023 included:
•
Producing regular assurance reports to the Minister for Children on the progress of
actions in the Future Direction plan.
•
Preparing two thematic reviews for the Minister for Children:
o t
he Residence Review
o the
Disability Review.
•
Carrying out a review for the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki on Family Group
Conferences (FGCs), focused on the potential to improve the functions of the care
or protection (and assistance) FGCs.
3.
A copy, or a link to the Ministerial Advisory Board: Final Administrative Report
(2021).
The Ministerial Advisory Board report from 2021 title
Hipokingia ki te Kahu Aroha
Hipokingia ki te Katoa (
Te Kahu Aroha) available at the following link:
'Te Kahu Aroha'
report | Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children. Therefore, your request is declined
under section 18(d) of the Act as the information requested is publicly available.
4.
Ministerial Advisory Board: Quarterly reports prepared by the Ministerial
Advisory Board (dates unknown, but during 2021-23).
The Ministerial Advisory Board provided regular reporting to the Minister for Children for
the period 2021 to 2023 on the Oranga Tamariki progress towards the actions outlined
in the Future Direction Plan.
Please find the Quarterly assurance reports prepared by the Ministerial Advisory Board
as requested attached as per the table in Appendix One.
5.
Ministerial Advisory Board: advice to the Minister for Children on governance
of Oranga Tamariki; any correspondence discussing the Board's advice
(dates unknown, but during 2021-23).
The following documents set out the commitment to an agreed and effective working
relationship between Oranga Tamariki and the Board, as well as the Minister for
Children’s expectations for Oranga Tamariki. The Memorandum of Understanding
between the Board and Oranga Tamariki can be found
here, and the letter of
expectations from the previous Minister for Childre can be found
here.
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6.
If the Board did not provide advice to the Minister on Oranga Tamariki
governance, any papers relating to a decision not to provide such advice
(dates unknown, but during 2021-23).
Oranga Tamariki does not hold papers relating to decisions to not provide advice to the
Minister for Children on governance. As such, this part of your request is refused under
section 18(e) of the Act as the document alleged to contain the information requested
does not exist.
Oranga Tamariki may make the information contained in this letter available to the public
by publishing this on our website with your personal details removed.
I trust you find this information useful. Should you have any concerns with this response,
I would encourage you to raise them with Oranga Tamariki. Alternatively, you are advised
of your right to also raise any concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman. Information
about this is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by contacting them on 0800
802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Nicolette Dickson
Deputy Chief Executive
Quality Practice and Experiences
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