Permanent Caregiver Support Service Evaluation

The PCSS provides support to permanent caregivers and children following the establishment of permanent care arrangements and the discharge of custody orders by the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki. The current provider of the PCSS is Turuki Health Services. The PCSS is funded by Oranga Tamariki, with the annual budget encompassing costs related to permanent caregiver support packages and operational expenses.

The evaluation showed that the PCSS is a critical service supporting permanent caregivers and contributes to placement stability for children who leave Oranga Tamariki care. Without this service, many permanent caregivers would struggle to meet the needs of the children in their care.

Generally, the PCSS connected caregivers with relevant services and support that were readily available and accessed in a timely manner. These solutions were often straightforward when the caregiver need met the required criteria, however there was an element of difficulty when the needs were more complex. The PCSS is a needed service that requires greater investment to meet the demands and increase of permanent caregivers over time. 

Key barriers to effective performance were identified as: 

• The notable increase in permanent caregivers in recent years has not been matched with an increase in funding, contributing to a strain on the resources allocated to meet the needs of permanent caregivers. There has been a noticeable 36 percent reduction in average spending per permanent caregiver from 2019/20 to 2022/23. 
• A move to permanency needs to be supported with clear understanding of what this involves and a realistic expectation of the financial support that can be provided. There is a noted disparity between Oranga Tamariki entitlements and permanency entitlements. This, coupled with a lack of understanding from both caregivers and social workers of what the PCSS can provide, leads to dissatisfaction when the PCSS is unable to meet expectations of caregivers. 
• A lack of clarity around the scope of delegation contributes to limited guidelines and rationale that can be applied to decision-making. Qualitative findings indicate that often there is not clearly communicated and consistent rationale behind decisions. While legislation determines the key function of the PCSS, further attention needs to be given to the scope of the delegation, guidance on how to exercise the delegation, and how Oranga Tamariki will exercise retained discretion.