Oranga Tamariki does U-turn on plan to cut record-keeping jobs

Oranga Tamariki finalised its overall cutbacks and restructuring plan this week, with 419 jobs going - 594 roles disestablished and 175 roles created. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

By Phil Pennington of RNZ

Oranga Tamariki has pulled back from scrapping the jobs of people who look after masses of children’s records going back decades.

In May, RNZ revealed Oranga Tamariki’s (OT) original proposal under the public sector cuts was in danger of stripping out all six of its dedicated record-keeping jobs.

A staffer had warned in an internal channel: “OT has a legal and moral responsibility to take care of the information.”

This move by chief executive Chappie Te Kani was despite the ministry being castigated for poor record-keeping by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, and despite record-keeping being set in law as a core duty.

No one else keeps records of who was kept in care where, and what was done to them, such as electroshock therapy; the record keepers are best-placed to connect survivors with personal histories which do not exist anywhere else.

Te Kani said he had now amended the restructuring.

“I have made the decision to retain a separate information management function, responsible for the management of records,” he told RNZ in a statement.

He finalised the cutbacks and restructuring this week, with 419 jobs going - 594 roles disestablished and 175 roles created.

The U-turn on records followed RNZ reporting of staff flagging their alarm on the internal feedback channel.

One wrote: “The proposal disestablishes and does not replace every role responsible for looking after the records of children in care, care [that] experienced adults, [of] people who have experienced abuse or harm in care.

“If this is the intention of the proposal then it would be worth considering communicating that to the affected communities as well as other key agencies and organisations.”

At the time, the ministry did not answer RNZ’s questions, saying only, “Oranga Tamariki will not be commenting on specific roles while formal consultation is underway.”

Record-keeping obligations are enshrined in the Public Records Act.

Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“Oranga Tamariki has a responsibility to ensure quality access protection and preservation of information and data,” Te Kani told RNZ on Thursday.

It appears the new-look team will be smaller than it was pre-cuts.

“I have shifted the team reporting line, reinstated three positions and established the new position of lead advisor information management,” he said.