Source: New Zealand Government
“Families, young people, and social workers are set to benefit from technology upgrades at Oranga Tamariki that will free up social workers to spend more time with families, will help young people by ensuring important routines and needs are shared, and will improve collaboration and transparency,” Children Minister Karen Chhour says.
“This is a significant development that will greatly enable social workers to better serve and work with children, families, caregivers, and partner organisations that provide services.
“Until now, social workers and other practice staff have been having to use outdated, 20-year-old computer programmes and systems for administration tasks.
“I have heard feedback from social workers, caregivers, partners, and young people who have voiced their frustrations about the challenges of out-of-date legacy technology, and I am extremely pleased that we are now delivering a modern, fit-for-purpose solution.
“I am looking forward to seeing the difference this makes not just for social workers but for young people and families.
“It will also support working alongside service provider partners by making it easier to share personal information with them to improve the wellbeing of children – such as a child’s regular routine and specific needs.”
Min Chhour says that the new case management system will also help make it faster for records and information to be provided to children and families when they need it, and will help ensure the protection of records in the future.
“The records of our young people and of all New Zealanders are sacred. The report into abuse in state care highlighted for many the scenarios where records have been fragmented or lost over the decades. That is unacceptable for the people we serve and I am very pleased that the new systems will help to resolve this issue for the future.
“The information that social workers record is an important part of the journey and life story of children and young people, particularly those in care.
“These improvements will enable better collaboration between children, families and social workers, with regard for how they participate in their plans and develop them. They will also be able to make sense of their experiences while in care.
“Investing in our frontline and making sure social workers have the tools they need to focus on their critically important job of supporting children and young people in need is an absolute priority for me.
“Young people deserve to be heard, and to have agencies working together for their betterment. I also want young people to make sure they have control over the direction of their future, and this will enable that.
“I’m delighted we can invest in our critical frontline workforce, remove barriers, and provide the tools they need to do their job, so they can focus on making the most difference for children and families.”
This upgrade is just one part of the $68.5m funding boost for frontline technology systems over four years announced as part of Budget 2024.
It will be up-and-running within 12 months, if not earlier.