Kia Ora koutou
You may be aware that the findings of our review into the events at Hastings Hospital were released last week.
It's our job to keep children safe. While the safety concerns for the whānau meant we did the right thing to step in, how we went about it was wrong. Our work in this case wasn’t of a high standard and our usual checks and balances failed. We didn’t do a good job for this family and that is unacceptable.
For this, we are profoundly sorry.
Our priority now is to support this young mum and dad.
We’re already making changes, including significant shifts in who needs to be involved in a custody order. The full report can be found on the Oranga Tamariki website [PDF, 14 MB] .
We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and we can’t do it alone. It’s crucial that we make these changes alongside our iwi strategic partners and stakeholders.
We have a programme of work to implement the recommendations, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure that tamariki and rangatahi are in safe and loving homes.