Arran Jones: Independent Children's Monitor CEO on the new report revealing Oranga Tamariki isn't up to standard

The Independent Children's Monitor says Oranga Tamariki still isn't measuring up to national care standards.

The percent of young people in OT care suffering abuse has increased from 8 percent to 10 percent in the year to July last year. 

The report says a third of those in care aren't seeing social workers enough and only 11 percent had been given an assessment of their life skills.

Independent Children's Monitor CEO Arran Jones says it's important to ensure that children in state care are properly looked after - and this data isn't good reading.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Heather Duplicy, Ellen, Yet again, we've got another report telling
us the abuse of kids in state at care has
gone up. Five hundred and thirty children and young people
in care were abused in the year to June twenty
twenty five. That's up from five hundred and seven the
previous year. The report has come from the Independent Children's
Monitor and the chief executive is Aaron Jones high Erin.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Why is it gone up again?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, there's probably a range of things, ordering a tambodikwa
point two. You've got greater reporting and calling out of incidents,
but at the end of the day, it still tells
your story of more kids being abused and that's not
good reading.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
No. Now, a third of the kids that you've had
a look at are not being visited by their social
worker as often as they should. What's the problem There
is just a lack of social workers.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, that's why this report and these care standards are
so important because you take this back to you know,
harm happening to these kids. These care standards are about
good social work and if you do that then you're
likely to reduce the chance that these kids get harm.
But more importantly, you're going to ensure that they have good,
loving homes because you know, all the evidence shows that unfortunately,

(01:06):
our young people that go into stake care go on
to have poor outcomes, most of them in terms of education, employment, housing,
health outcomes can be worse. So while they're in here,
it's a great opportunity to give them the loving homes
that they need so they can go on and have
good lives and we can break some of this into
generational cycle. It's a bit of a no brainer, and
so when you're looking at things like social work visits,

(01:28):
that's one of the key fundamentals in terms of good
practices being there for the kids, forming strong relationships, listening
to them, understanding what they need, and then getting them
the help at the right time.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Aaron, thanks very much every time. Appreciate Aaron Jones, Independent
Children's Monitor, Chief Executive. For more from Heather Duplessy, Alan Drive,
listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.