Children's Team launched in Tairawhiti

October 23, 2015 at 8:36 AM

Children's Team launched in Tairawhiti

*From the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse*

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley launched the Tairāwhiti Children's Team in Gisborne on 9 October 2015.

Children’s Teams bring together practitioners and professionals to develop a single plan to support a child.

Minister Tolley said "Children’s Teams represent a new way of working to intervene early in a co-ordinated way to keep at-risk kids safe from abuse and neglect, allowing them to thrive and succeed. To do this we need government agencies, iwi services, NGOs and the community agreeing to work together to share information and co-ordinate the services which can change the lives of these children."

Gisborne is the sixth location to establish a Children's Team. About 430 children who are ineligible for statutory care, but who have multiple unmet needs, will be eligible to access support offered by the Tairāwhiti Children’s Team.

Children's Teams are currently being developed in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Whanganui, Christchurch and Clendon/Manurewa/Papakura. Teams have already been established and are accepting referrals in Whangarei, Rotorua, Horowhenua/Ōtaki, Marlborough and Hamilton.

The Hamilton Children's Team is currently trialling the Vulnerable Kids Information System (Viki), the Approved Information Sharing Agreement (AISA) and The Vulnerable Children's Hub.

For more information visit the Children's Action Plan website.