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RNZ News
6 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
'High and ongoing' risk of more Oranga Tamariki privacy breaches
Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says doesn't have "robust systems" in place to protect the personal information it holds. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says the children's ministry remains at "high and ongoing risk" of disclosing vulnerable children's highly sensitive information. He has issued Oranga Tamariki a compliance notice to compel it to do more to fix its deficient training, data sharing and privacy systems. "Oranga Tamariki currently doesn't have sufficiently robust systems and practices in place to appropriately protect the personal information it holds," he said. In breaches documented in an investigation report kept under wraps for a year, and only revealed by RNZ in March, several women and whānau suffered actual physical harm including from being attacked, after Oranga Tamariki disclosed information it should not have. It had let slip addresses and names, for instance. A series of serious breaches have been notified to the commissioner since 2020 (prior to 2019, OT and other public agencies were not mandated to alert him). "These incidents have put vulnerable children, parents and caregivers at risk as well as retraumatised victims," Webster said in the [ compliance notice] issued on Monday and announced on Wednesday. "I consider there is a high and ongoing risk that without taking steps to mitigate the risk, serious privacy breach incidents will continue to occur." The compliance notice said OT had improved under a fixit plan that did not go far enough, ordering the ministry to take further measures by October, and some by March 2026. Webster listed ongoing weaknesses around personal information he had identified, including documents and devices being lost, or disposed of loosely, and inadequate access controls. Staff persisted in having access to personal information they should not have, over a year after an investigation report had warned OT it must clamp down on access. At that time, even trainees were being allowed into files which they shouldn't have been allowed to access. The investigation report was released to RNZ in March 2025 after months of asking for it. Not only did the April 2024 investigation state the scale of breaches was impossible to know as OT did not keep proper records of them, but the compliance notice is now once again ordering the ministry to set up a proper privacy breach reporting framework. The other measures the ministry must undertake by October entail not just strengthening its own systems, but externally, too, with the commissioner ordering stronger contracts with NGO service providers around keeping information secure and disposing of it. The ministry must begin to audit how it was going, the compliance notice said. Earlier this month, RNZ reported how the ministry had yet to make a start on half a dozen of the recommendations in the privacy breach April 2024 report, while a dozen others were underway but not complete. Among those not started was the setting up of an induction process so new staff were less likely to breach clients' privacy. In June 2024, RNZ reported that dozens of analysts at the ministry had access to personal details about at-risk children they should not have. A key weakness is technology: The ministry's core information IT systems, including its social worker records about thousands of children, are old and weak, but it has continued to struggle to find the resources, expertise and time to replace them. Webster said the new compliance notice was necessary to "underpin" the improvements OT was making. The ministry said on Wednesday it continued to work closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on improving how it looked after information. It elevated the chief privacy officer role higher up among management, and instituted an improvement plan that would be completed in 2026. "The Privacy Commissioner was involved in the development of that plan. We continue to make good progress on implementing the plan, with several actions already completed or significantly progressed prior to receiving the notice," Acting chief privacy officer Jane Fletcher said in a statement. It had not had any notifiable privacy breaches in the past 18 months, she added. A tech upgrade called the Frontline Technology Systems Upgrade would "deliver greater safety, security and privacy". The ministry said Fletcher was acting in the role while Philip Grady was on secondment at Health New Zealand. The chief privacy officer job was elevated from a tier five to a tier two management role eight months ago as a result of the breaches investigation. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Adoptive therapy funding cuts 'cruel'
A father has described government cuts to therapy funding for adopted children as "extremely cruel". Jeremy Wilson, from Somerset, has three adopted children and said if he'd known about the funding, it would have been "so helpful" for their upbringing. The government announced in April that the adoption and special guardianship support fund would be cut by 40% per child, to £3,000. The Department for Education said the decisions it had taken "will ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support". More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset Mr Wilson, who lives near Bridgwater, with his wife Clare, said: "Therapy for adopted children is vitally important. "They have suffered so much harm and damage to get to the point of being adopted – some assistance is vital for their wellbeing. "I understand the need to balance costs by the government, but at the same time we need to prioritise which services should or shouldn't be cut. "I think this is an easy option, the adoptive children are part of a forgotten group." Last year, each eligible child could access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy. But the separate funding for specialist assessment has now been axed and the therapy limit has been cut to £3,000 per year. Nearly 20,000 children received support through the scheme last year, up from around 13,000 in 2019/20. Campaigners have said that many of these children rely on therapeutic support to help build secure attachments, increase self confidence, and to identify the necessary support functions needed to be put in place in education and family life. Alison Woodhead, from Adoption UK, said: "These are kids who have been abused or neglected and these things have a lasting impact. "The decision to cut this fund is just wrong". A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We know how important this support is to families – and through our Plan for Change, we're committed to ensuring adopted and kinship families continue to receive the help they need to thrive." It said that the fair access limit has been set at £3,000 for 2025-26, in line with the average cost of services for most families, adding that more than half of therapy applications already fell within this limit in 2024-25. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Adoptive therapy funding cuts 'disgusting' - mother Charities criticise 'distressing' cuts to adoption fund
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Adoptive therapy funding cuts 'disgusting'
A mother has described government cuts to therapy funding for adopted children as "disgusting".Lucy Williams, from Gloucestershire, adopted her daughter four years ago and has used the fund for specialist assessments and play therapy. But the government announced in April that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) would be cut by 40% per child and Ms Williams is now worried her daughter may not be able to access the therapy she Department for Education said the decisions it has taken "will ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support". Ms Williams, who describes her daughter as "sassy" with a "wicked laugh", said the fund had been a lifeline for them - giving them a framework to follow in order to support her needs. 'Most vulnerable' The funding would usually cover specialist occupational therapy, play therapy and time with a counsellor, which Ms Williams says is vital for young people, many of whom have faced early trauma."This support is not a luxury, it's an absolute necessity," Ms Williams said, adding that the cuts were "short sighted". "There will be a cost to the country, because these kids will need to access various things throughout their life, every professional will tell you that the earlier the intervention the better the outcome," she said."Stripping this away from some of the most vulnerable young people in our society is not the answer." Last year each eligible child could access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy. But the therapy limit has now been cut to £3,000 per year, while separate funding for specialist assessment has been axed the overall pot remains at £50m, increased demand means it is having to be shared among more have said that many of these children rely on therapeutic support to help build secure attachments, increase self confidence, and to identify the necessary support functions needed to be put in place in education and family fear the cuts will mean that therapy sessions could come to an abrupt end for some children if the money runs out and their families cannot afford to plug the Woodhead, from Adoption UK, said: "These are kids who have been abused or neglected and these things have a lasting impact. "The decision to cut this fund is just wrong". A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We know how important this support is to families – and through our Plan for Change, we're committed to ensuring adopted and kinship families continue to receive the help they need to thrive."It said that the Fair Access limit (FAL) has been set at £3,000 for 2025-26, in line with the average cost of services for most families, adding that more than half of therapy applications already fell within this limit in 2024-25.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Social services react to damning report into Oranga Tamariki
Oranga Tamariki abruptly axed contracts for social services helping vulnerable children. Photo: RNZ Social service providers feel "vindicated", "relieved" and "ready to move on", after a report into Oranga Tamariki's contracting practices last year. One also said it was "shocking" decisions were made without knowing the impact cuts would have on children. The chief government watchdog issued a scathing assessment of the way Oranga Tamariki abruptly axed contracts for social services helping vulnerable children. In his report released on Wednesday, Auditor-General John Ryan said it wasn't known what impact the cuts may have had on children and their families, which was "unacceptable", given the core role of the child protection agency. In January, RNZ reported the cuts to early intervention services in the community had advocates worried more children would end up in care . Last year, Oranga Tamariki cut 60 percent of Wesley Community Action's services supporting mothers and fathers of young children and babies who were experiencing stress. Speaking to RNZ again, David Hanna, the director at the social service in Wellington, said reading the report was significant. "I and many other providers like us felt validated, relieved and, to some extent, motivated to move forward." Hanna said the period of uncertainty was "so disorientating, it was almost like - are we going crazy? "We haven't known about our funding. It's been unclear what the contract levels were. "We couldn't understand why the funding was being reduced. We couldn't get rationale or any logic for it." He said all parts of a system already feeling pressure were further stressed. "There was a sense of relief that the office of the Auditor General has acknowledged what we were feeling was actually the reality that they saw as well." Hanna said it was "shocking for us as a nation" the decisions were made without knowing the impact it would have on children. "The most vulnerable children and young people, and us making decisions about not knowing the impact - that's tragic. "I hope we learn from it, because we are all committed to do the best we can." Hanna thought the direction from the Minister to find 6.5 percent cost savings played a role in the decisions and acknowledged the officials "had a hard job". "That's a challenge to find in a system that's already under stress." Barnados chief executive Matt Reid said he wasn't surprised by the report and considered it "very fair" from his perspective. He was "really keen to move forward". "The report's come out and Oranga Tamariki have owned it, which is great. They've acknowledged the areas that need to be improved." Reid said he had "confidence in the leadership" that they will improve. "I really look forward to moving forward alongside Oranga Tamariki and also alongside the sector." Barnados had clearly told Oranga Tamariki the impact this would have on children and families, Reid said, "and they listened". He said Barnados hadn't landed in a position it wanted to be, but acknowledged Oranga Tamariki had "an incredibly tough job". "There's clearly limited money. They're juggling really important care and protection jobs, and so I understand." Reid said he'd expressed concerns about the impact on children "the whole way through", but was looking forward to moving forward. "Whilst this conversation is about contracting, procurement and commissioning providers, what really matters most is what we're doing for children and whānau, particularly those in Oranga Tamariki's attention." He said reports had shown things weren't improving, and he wanted a more meaningful dialogue with Oranga Tamariki about the change needed to achieve better outcomes for young people in care and their families. Reid was really encouraged by the messaging from the Oranga Tamariki leadership. Labour spokesperson for children Willow-Jean Prime Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Labour spokesperson for children Willow-Jean Prime also felt vindicated, saying she was pleased the inquiry found "serious issues" with the way Oranga Tamariki had done its contracting. "I feel like providers, myself and others should feel vindicated by the findings in this report." Not knowing what impact the cuts may have on children and their families was at the heart of the issue, she said. "That's what community providers were so worried about right from the beginning, that they could see the impact that these decisions, funding cuts and slashes of funding would have on the whānau and tamariki they work with." She said the providers were concerned by the "lack of response" from Oranga Tamariki and the "attacks" from the Minister for Children Karen Chourr, when they could see the harm this would do to children and vulnerable families. "It is really concerning that they were right and that the minister was wrong, had not listened to them, did not respond to that, continued to ignore them and this report shows that those concerns they had were, in fact, valid." Prime said it was "absolutely" down to the Minister's direction to the agency to find 6.5 percent in savings, "they did that through cutting contracts to community providers for services for intervention and early prevention, as well as other things like the restructuring of Oranga Tamariki". "Those decisions by the government and directed by the Minister, meant that Oranga Tamariki had to respond to those rash decisions. "What the report shows is that they had poor processes in place to be able to give effect to that direction, and that led to all of the issues that we have seen in the process and the concerns that were raised, and the impact that it has on vulnerable children and families." Prime said Chourr needed to "stop blaming and attacking providers, to listen and to fix the situation urgently". Children's Minister Karen Chourr Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Minister for Children said she appreciated the feedback and thoughts of the Auditor-General, and that his message was clear - "the way Oranga Tamariki has historically overseen, communicated and managed contracts was poor". "I acknowledge this. It is something I have heard directly from providers across the country, both as Minister and in Opposition." Chourr said progress had been made since the period covered by the report. She outlined her challenge to Oranga Tamariki, when she became Minister, to ensure it was "putting the care and protection of young people above all else when it spent money entrusted to it by taxpayers". She said the assessment of the $500 million contracting process took months to undertake and some of the findings were still being implemented. "What this process made clear was Oranga Tamariki had been funding a number of well-intentioned services that were not primarily focussed on the care and protection of vulnerable young people. "It also raised concerns around how they have engaged with providers, especially around contracts and decision-making processes." Chourr said good contracting of services was not just "handing out cheques and hoping for the best", it was about "thoughtfully, intentionally funding the right services where they are most needed". "While I greatly appreciate the work of all providers, especially their frontline staff trying to make a tangible difference in these children's lives, not everything Oranga Tamariki has historically funded was clearly directed or made a tangible difference to young people." Thanks to the review, Chourr said funding could be transferred to more urgent and impactful frontline services. Oranga Tamariki said it accepted the findings of the Office of the Auditor-General's (OAG) inquiry into their procurement and contract management processes. Its acting chief executive Andrew Bridgman said: "We have already made significant changes to address the issues the Auditor-General now outlines. "These shifts include new governance and leadership, stronger programme management, improved contract management and a refreshed commissioning framework." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Childrens Commissioner on Oranga Tamariki report
children politics 43 minutes ago Oranga Tamariki has cut spending on services to met budget targets without properly assessing what the fall out would be for vulnerable children and their families, including more tamariki in care, increased wait lists and distress. That is some of the finding of an Auditor General's investigation into how the Ministry manages and awards contracts for services for whanau in need. Childrens Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad spoke to Lisa Owen.
