Karen Chhour: Minister for Children explains decision to override Oranga Tamariki's move to pull funding from Barnardos helpline

The Children's Minister says saving Barnados' helpline for under-12s was a mutual decision reached with the Prime Minister. 

The 0800 What's Up support line and multiple other services were at risk of closure after the Government directed Oranga Tamariki to find savings last year. 

Now, Minister Karen Chhour has pressed pause on Oranga Tamariki reviewing such contracts. 

She says she didn't act because Chris Luxon became involved - but because the agency contacted her with concerns.  

"I'm glad they reached out, that's what I've been asking agencies to do over the last year - if you have a concern about something, reach out to me and I'll look into it."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good evening. It is five oh seven. Karen Shaw has
stepped in to save the Bernado's youth helpline eight hundred.
What's up? The Prime Minister was briefed on this last
night at the Beehive and an unusual step. It was
an OT contract and last year you'll remember that OT
providers were told their funding would be reduced or discontinued
as their contracts came up for renewal in the new

(00:22):
financial year. Karen Shaw has now paused OT's review of
the contracts and she has extended them until the end
of this year, which is a big move. The Minister
for Children is with me now. High Minister, Hi Ryan,
how's it going good? Thank you? What happened last night?
Why did the PM core you into the beehive?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
So an issue was raised with me in regards to
a contract with Bernados, and it was looking like a
certain program was going to be affected with some of
the decisions that were being made. So I had asked
for more information and I had to make a decision

(01:03):
with that information, and so I had a discussion with
the CE and the DCE around those decisions, and then
I sat down with the Prime Minister and had a
really good conversation with the solution that I had come to,
and we both came to the same conclusion that were
the right set of actions to take, and that was

(01:24):
for me to intervene.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
How much extra will it cost and who's going to pay?

Speaker 2 (01:30):
So this is not going to cost us any extra.
This was a standard review process of funding for service
providers and this just happened to be Bernado's round of
the review. So what we're saying is, while we are
going through another process this year with the Social Investment Agency,

(01:54):
that it may be a good idea to put on
pause the review that's happening. No point in doing both
because ordering a tamidique now has to look into what
contracts may look like with the Social Investment Agency. But
I need to be assured that oh eight hundred What's
Up Hotline is safe and secure for the many young
people who used this when they're in terrible times. But

(02:18):
I also need to make sure that there is stability
and security within the sector whilst we work through this
social investment approach.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Fair enough, but why are you just picking up on
Bernado's and this What's Up Hotline? What about all the
programs that were cut last year that you didn't step
in for.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
So there are over five hundred and fifty providers with
ordering ATOMATICQUE. Over the last year, there has been a
review process that has gone about. Things have been come
to my attention where people are concerned about the process.
I have asked for information on notes, but this particular
situation here, I have concerned that the process did not

(03:00):
meet my expectations and it would not be right for
me to not intervene when it's very clear it didn't
meet my expectations.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
What exactly was wrong.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
I can't go into details around the negotiation stage of
what they were speaking to, but what I can say
it was clear to me that the process in this
case did not meet my expectations.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
Was that because of the actions of a particular person.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
I'm not going to go into details with that, but
what I can say is I have.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Is anyone going to get any employment issues over this?
I guess is what I'm getting at.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
So I have sat down with the c and the
DCE and reset my priorities with them and my expectations.
It is now up to them to deliver on those expectations,
and I've made that very clear.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
Okay, but I guess the public will be going this
all seems a bit weird and cloak and dagger. Are
they running around rough shot over your over processes that
have already been laid down, or is there one rogue
person who's gone a bit wild here?

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Look, there are many contracts, Like I've said, there's over
five hundred and fifty contracts in this one particular case
that has been brought to my attention. It has been
very clear that this is an issue. We're not always
going to get something one hundred percent perfect, but when
something does go wrong, it actually is important to address

(04:34):
that and address that quickly before it does become an issue.
So no decisions were actually made, they were still in
the negotiation process, but it was clear to me that
there was a certain service that maybe under threat and
I wanted to make sure that we.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Took close you off. You said someone came.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
So it was brought to my officer's attention on Tuesday
from the actual organization itself, and then on Wednesday, I
dealt with.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
This issue, okay, and you got the PM involved or
did he hear about it?

Speaker 2 (05:06):
So this was something that we were both concerned about.
We were both given the same information at the same time.
We were both concerned about that, and so I dealt
with it on my end how I should have, and
then met with him around what we had decided.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Okay, I mean really, I mean that's Look, I'm not
criticizing you, but it's sort of embarrassing for you that
Bernardos has to go to your boss and then he
has to get involved. OT should be telling you what
they're looking at cutting if it's something so significant, right.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
That's not what I said to you. What I said
to you was I was given the information, the PM
was given the information. I was dealing with it on
my end, and then I sat down with the Prime
Minister and talked through my concerns what I had decided
to do. He talked through with me, and we both

(05:56):
came to the same conclusion that that was the right
set of actions to take. So this is not about
the PM getting involved. This is about an agency that
was concerned about a decision for their future of a
helpfuline that is very important. I'm glad they reached out.
That's what I've been asking agencies to do over the

(06:16):
last year. If you have a concern about something, reach
out to me, I'll look into it and this is
exactly what I've done.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
All Right, Minister, thank you very much for your time.
Thirteen after five News Talks ZB. That's Karen Shaw, who's
the Children's Minister.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
For more from Heather dou Glassy Allen Drive.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
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