What is Partnered Care?

Approval under section 396 requires care partners to meet the requirements of the National Care Standards and related matters (2019). Care Partners are also required to comply with the 10 social sector accreditation standards which is monitored by Te Kahui Kahu. 

The way we work with care partners is aligned with the intent and aspirations of the National Care Standards and wider commitments such as Section 7AA. We are committed to a collaborative approach of working together that is focused on:

• meeting our collective obligations
• continuous improvement
• supporting tamariki and rangtahi in care to achieve better outcomes.

The National Care Standards set out the standard of care every tamaiti and rangatahi in care needs to do well and be well, and the support all caregivers can expect to receive. These standards came into effect on 1 Hurae 2019.

Care partners are organisations approved by Oranga Tamariki to provide contracted care for tamariki and rangatahi in the care of Oranga Tamariki under section 396 of the Oranga Tamariki Act (1989). Approval under section 396 requires care partners to meet the requirements of the National Care Standards and related matters (2019).

Child-centric agreements give us a clear, shared understanding of our partners' care models, our respective roles and responsibilities and how we work together in partnership. For more information visit the Service Specifications and Care Model Summary page.

The 'all-in' funding approach for partnered care and the child-centred dynamic funding model gives partners the flexibility to provide the quality of support that tamariki in care and their caregivers need. For more information visit the Partnered Care Funding page.

The Quality Assurance approach is relational. We will focus on building partnerships and understanding the experiences of the tamariki, rangatahi, carers, and whānau involved in care. The function was designed with a collaborative approach between care partners and Oranga Tamariki. It will continue to develop, evolve and be further refined as we learn together. For more information visit the Quality Assurance page.