Advocating for Family Group Conferences and thier Kaitiaki, The Family Group Conference Coordinator

Puao Te Atatū (1988) was a landmark report that laid bare the institutional racism embedded within the New Zealand child welfare system. It highlighted the disconnection between state agencies and Māori, and the urgent need to reflect Māori values, perspectives, and leadership in decision-making about the wellbeing of tamariki.

A core recommendation of the report was to empower whānau, hapū, and iwi through culturally appropriate, community-based solutions — as opposed to state-imposed interventions. This recommendation became the foundation for the Family Group Conference (FGC), a process introduced through the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989, now the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.

FGCs were a world-first innovation that legally mandated a family- and whānau-led decision-making process in both care and protection and youth justice settings. The process was, and still is, intended to be a manifestation of tino rangatiratanga and a move towards partnership between the state and Māori as promised under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Significance of the FGC Coordinator Role (and Legal References)

The FGC Coordinator is a pivotal figure in ensuring that the FGC process functions as intended — with integrity, neutrality, and cultural safety. Their role is clearly articulated in the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, primarily in Sections 18 to 34. These provisions outline their statutory responsibilities, including:

• Convening the Conference within legislated timeframes.

• Consulting with whānau, victims, professionals, and tamariki to prepare for the conference.

• Ensuring the process is inclusive, mana-enhancing, and culturally safe.

• Facilitating the conference in a way that ensures whānau ownership of outcomes and decisions.

  
  

The Coordinator acts as both a guardian of process and a neutral facilitator, ensuring that legal obligations are met while also promoting meaningful participation by all parties — especially the whānau and tamariki at the centre of the issue.

Why the Role Must Be Protected, Strengthened, and Reinstated as a ‘Jewel in the Crown’

Despite its origins in transformative reform, the FGC Coordinator role has, over time, been eroded through:

• Organisational restructuring and lack of strategic investment.

• A diminishing understanding of the role’s independence and cultural significance.

• The potential fragmentation of practice through devolution without adequate safeguards.

  
  

This erosion threatens the very purpose of the FGC and undermines the spirit of Puao Te Atatū.

The Role Must Be:

• Protected: The Coordinator must remain independent, adequately resourced, and free from pressures that could compromise the integrity of the FGC process.

• Strengthened: Coordinators require robust training, cultural supervision, and support to carry out their roles effectively and safely.

• Reinstated as a Jewel in the Crown: Among all roles within Oranga Tamariki, the Coordinator embodies the department’s highest aspirations — partnership with Māori, empowerment of whānau, and tamariki-centred practice. This role should be celebrated, invested in, and elevated as a flagship example of what good practice looks like.

The Family Group Conference was a bold response to injustice — a tangible legacy of Puao Te Atatū and a genuine attempt to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The FGC Coordinator is the cornerstone of that process. If there is to be a restoration of faith in Oranga Tamariki and achieve equitable outcomes for tamariki Māori, it must uphold the mana of this role, protect its independence, and recognise it as a treasure — a taonga — within the department and across the child welfare system.

We continue to advocate strongly for the value and integrity of the FGC Coordinator role. This role is not only operationally important but is also of deep cultural and historical significance. We seek that Oranga Tamariki acknowledge and understand that they already have the mechanism and tool and people to achieve success in the difficult and complex work in front of them. They have the FGC process and the FGC Coordinators.

We acknowledge our members that work tirelessly in this space and those that pioneered the role that have passed.

Mathew Glanville

Advisor and Advocate

NUPE - National Union of Public Employees

Submission form: Keep Living Wage Protections for Government Cleaners, Security Guards and Catering Staff

E tū is leading this campaign to retain the Living Wage and NUPE is right in there to support this. If you have a moment, we encourage you to follow the link and make a submission. Add your voice to advocate for those being paid low wages.

Soliadarity and unity all the way.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is seeking public feedback on a new edition of the Government Procurement Rules.

All Government agencies must follow the Government Procurement Rules when managing contracted for goods and services, like cleaning, security and catering. 

The requirement to pay a Living Wage to cleaners, security guards and catering staff has been removed.

History tells us without Living Wage requirements in procurement contracts, contracted workers face a life on poverty wages.

If you want the Government to keep the Living Wage requirement, make a submission to MBIE using the form here Keep Living Wage Protections for Government Cleaners, Security Guards and Catering Staff

Striking the Balance: Service User’s Home or a Workplace?

A Work Place or a Home ?

Balancing the needs of service users with the rights of employees is a delicate challenge in care settings. For those receiving support, their environment is their home—a place of comfort, independence, and personal space. However, for care staff, it is also a workplace, governed by employment rights, health and safety regulations, and professional responsibilities. Striking the right balance between these two perspectives is essential to creating a harmonious, safe, and respectful environment for all.

The Importance of Home for Service Users

A home is more than just a physical space; it is a sanctuary where individuals should feel safe, respected, and in control. For service users, particularly those with disabilities, mental health conditions, or additional needs, maintaining a sense of home is crucial for well-being. A stable, supportive, and personalised living space promotes independence, dignity, and a sense of belonging.

A home-like atmosphere also encourages personalisation—allowing service users to make choices about their daily routines, decorations, and social interactions. This level of autonomy can significantly impact their mental and emotional well-being, leading to improved quality of life.

The Workplace Perspective

While service users need to feel at home, care environments are also professional workplaces where staff have rights and responsibilities. Employment laws ensure fair treatment, reasonable working hours, and protections against workplace hazards.

Care staff require clear boundaries and expectations to perform their roles effectively. They must be able to report concerns, receive adequate training, and work within a structured environment that prioritises their safety and well-being. Without this, burnout, stress, and turnover rates can increase, ultimately affecting the quality of care provided to service users.

Balancing Home and Workplace Needs

To ensure both service users and staff thrive, a careful balance must be struck. It is the view of the union that there must be an equal emphasis on the homes as workplace. They must be safe, have relevant safety features and still provide you with what you need while at work. This includes secure areas for your personal belongings, house design that facilitates an emergency escape when required and the locking away of potentially dangerous items in some circumstances i.e sharps in the kitchen.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS // Send your feedback to luke@nupe.org.nz

- What safety features do you seek in your home?

- Do you think your employer has the balance right between the home being a workplace and a home for service users?

The challenge of balancing the home-like environment service users need with the structured workplace care staff require is complex but achievable. By fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect, clear communication, and well-defined policies, both parties can benefit. When service users feel at home and staff feel supported, the overall quality of care improves, creating a positive and sustainable living and working environment for all.

An Ongoing NUPE Discussion.