OIA-CE-2025-03089
17 October 2025
Emily O’Callaghan
[FYI request #32285 email] Tēnā koe Emily
Thank you for your email, received on 11 September 2025, to Oranga Tamariki—
Ministry for Children (Oranga Tamariki) requesting information on Youth Justice
Services and Residential Care. Your request has been considered under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act).
You have requested:
•
Are remand and non-remand populations mixed in youth justice residences?
If so, is this a policy in al residences or only some?
•
What steps are taken to ensure complaints or records of complaints are not
recorded in the child’s personal file in these residence?
•
What steps are taken to ensure that when a staff member has a grievance
lodged against them by a resident these complaints are not investigated by
that same staff member?
•
What is the process for handling complaints / reports of concern which are
disclosed informal y (i.e. not a written complaint) in youth justice residences?
•
Any templates for complaints reports and letters notifying formal outcome of
decision used by both residence managers and grievance panels.
I have responded to each of your requests below.
•
Are remand and non-remand populations mixed in youth justice residences?
If so, is this a policy in al residences or only some?
Across al five Oranga Tamariki youth justice residences, rangatahi on remand and
non-remand (rangatahi who have been sentenced) can be placed in the same unit.
Most rangatahi in youth residences are on remand.
Decisions on which residence to place a rangatahi in are based on several factors,
including whether sentenced rangatahi have obligations imposed on them by the Court
that need to be fulfil ed by interventions that may be regionally based. Every rangatahi
has an assessment completed when they are placed into a youth justice residential
IN-CONFIDENCE
bed, which includes assessing their age, needs, vulnerabilities, risks and nature of
offending. This ensures that we are placing rangatahi in the most appropriate cohort.
•
What steps are taken to ensure complaints or records are not recorded in
the child’s personal file in these residence?
Each residence has a senior staff member who is assigned the role of Grievance
Coordinator. This is usual y the Quality Lead. The Grievance Coordinator oversees al
parts of the grievance process.
Grievance records are kept in a folder and register, which is kept in a secure place that
limits access to the records. Grievance records are not uploaded to CYRAS (the
Oranga Tamariki national case management system) or placed in the file of the
rangatahi.
•
What steps are taken to ensure that when a staff member has a grievance
lodged against them by a resident these complaints are not investigated by
that same staff member?
The Grievance Coordinator allocates investigations to a staff member who is senior to
the staff member about whom the complaint was made. Our policy is that, where
possible, this should not be the direct manager of the staff member. Grievances about
the Residence Manager would be referred to the Grievance Panel for investigation.
•
What is the process for handling complaints /reports of concern which are
disclosed informal y (i.e. not a written complaint) in youth justice residences?
Rangatahi are welcome to raise any complaints or feedback while they are in a
residence. There is a dedicated grievance process for any issues. In addition, there
are times when a rangatahi might make a disclosure of harm (abuse). The harm might
have happened while they were in the residence, or in the past, outside of residence.
It may involve adults, staff, or other rangatahi. Disclosures can be made verbally and
may happen ‘informal y’ – for example, as part of a discussion, rather than a direct
statement.
On joining a residence, al staff go through Te Waharoa induction, which includes
training on how to respond to grievances or a disclosure of harm from a rangatahi.
Our policy is that staff should record the disclosure and then pass the information on
to a leader, such as a Team Leader Operations or Case Leader. The disclosure wil
then be reviewed by residence senior leadership and appropriate action taken,
including reporting to the National Contact Centre and (if the al eged harm occurred in
residence) supporting the rangatahi through the grievance process. On-site health and
education providers, such as nurses and teachers, are aware of the grievance process
and have the contact details of the advocacy service VOYCE Whakarongo Mai
IN-CONFIDENCE
(VOYCE). The Grievance Panel visits the rangatahi in residences at least once a
month.
On admission to a residence, rangatahi are made aware of their rights and how they
can raise any worries or complaints with a trusted adult. This includes:
• Rangatahi are encouraged to speak to senior staff or their case leader about
their concerns. Where possible, the senior staff wil attempt to resolve the issue
and, if it is unable to be resolved, they wil escalate the issue to the Resident
Manager.
• Rangatahi are able to raise concerns at daily community meetings and/or at
fortnightly youth council meetings.
• Rangatahi are able to submit a grievance on any piece of paper or by speaking
with the Grievance Coordinator (they do not have to use the grievance form if
they do not want to). The Grievance Coordinator wil then attach this complaint
to one of the numbered and tracked grievance forms.
• VOYCE visit the residence weekly and rangatahi are able to speak with
advocates privately.
• VOYCE and the Office of the Ombudsman are listed on rangatahi approved
contacts lists, so rangatahi are able to phone them.
•
Any templates for complaints, reports and letters notifying formal outcome
of decision used by both residence managers and grievance panels.
Please see attached as Appendix One the Whāia te Māramatanga guidance for
outcome letters and investigation report template, and our Grievance Panel response
letter and review/investigation templates.
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 at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or by contacting them on 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Alison Cronin
Acting Deputy Chief Executive
Youth Justice Services and Residential Care
