Sometimes home not the safest place to be
The toddler is safe for now.
Every morning her mum takes her out of their Wellington house so Kaysha Whakarau or one of her colleagues can see her. The meeting is quick but imperative.
Today she’s doing fine, there’s no bruises, she’s happy and chatty and reaches out for a hug.
‘‘I can tell she’s doing OK, but we might get the police to do a spot check this weekend.’’
When New Zealanders retreated indoors to stop the spread of Covid -19, so did the vulnerable children and families on Whakarau’s books.
Staying home has saved lives but the Oranga Tamariki social worker says home isn’t always the safest place to be, especially now when the usual watchful community eyes are elsewhere.
While the agency has been fielding about 1000 reports of concern a week during lockdown, that number has dropped by about 40 per cent and it has Whakarau worried.
‘‘In an ideal world I’d like to say everyone is being kind to each other and there’s no care and protection concerns, but the realist in me knows that’s not the case.’’
Like other social agencies, Kainga Ora is expecting an increase of cases once the country enters level 2.
‘‘Once everything goes back to normal we will get that influx, it’s only a matter of time. It is nerve-wracking that there is potentially stuff going unreported.’’
Last week Whakarau donned her gloves and mask to check on the toddler, who recently returned to the agency’s attention after her case was closed some months ago.
Her family had previously shown ‘‘tremendous success and willingness to change’’ but then slipped back to square one, reverting to the same old habits. A family harm report by police triggered the agency’s reinvolvement.
‘‘It became a major concern and became urgent because we knew what could happen.’’
This time Whakarau doesn’t need to enter the house but it’s something she has had to do during the coronavirus pandemic.
‘‘I check there’s food in the cupboard, working fire alarms and that there’s running water, all those things that children need.’’
She also has to make sure nobody is hiding inside, as all too often there are family members or partners not allowed near children.
It’s the kids Oranga Tamariki doesn’t yet know about that are the main concern, but the agency has had to change both the way it keeps an eye on existing clients during the pandemic and how it makes decisions on their care.
One child is checked three times a day.
‘‘That’s not a normal thing, we don’t just do that willy-nilly. Given the situation we’re in we have had to think outside the box.
‘‘Is taking this child or children out of the home creating more problems, breaking more bubbles and creating more health and safety issues? If it is how can we assure safety?’’
Lockdown has made safety checks even harder: Kids can be scared by a masked social worker and parents even more resentful because of coronavirus concerns.
Other than urgent cases which need an immediate response, much of Whakarau’s work has moved online, and inter-agency zoom conferences and video calls with young clients have replaced face-to-face meetings.
Despite that, nothing is as good as getting eyes on vulnerable children and, like with the toddler she visited this morning, Whakarau has to trust her instincts and planning.
Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss said there were more than 15,000 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in New Zealand in the past year.
‘‘We’re an essential service which is a sad fact of life because there are children in New Zealand who are unsafe.’’
The pandemic had seen the agency deliver shopping, phones and supplies for families and young people and, if there was a rush in level 2, Oranga Tamariki would be ready.
‘‘We’re planning for the worst and hoping for the best.’’