Updates on White Paper for Vunerable Children

An Expert Advisory Group on Information Security has been set up to oversee the implementation of the Vulnerable Kids Information System (ViKi) and new Risk Predictor Tool. The group will be led by former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand. Three other permanent members who have been appointed are Carl Davidson (Chief Families Commissioner), Dr Murray Milner (Chair of National Health IT Board) and Rob Laking (Senior Associate at the Institute of Governance and Policy Studies at Victoria University).

Also, Rotorua and Whangarei have been announced as the first two sites for the new Children’s Teams. The Children's Teams are intended to "bring together professionals in a local area to assess the needs of vulnerable children using a common assessment approach, form a joined up intervention plan where required, and assign a lead professional to ensure it is carried out."

Former Police Commissioner Howard Broad has been appointed as the independent reviewer of the Child Youth and Family complaints process. The Terms of Reference for the review include:

• The current arrangements for members of the public to have a complaint about Child, Youth and Family heard
• Provide a view on how the current arrangements are working
• Consider options for independence and report on the financial, legislative and accountability implications of these options.

The review is to be completed by the end of 2013.

'Former Governor General leads Expert Group', Press Release: Paula Bennett, 4/12/12

White Paper on Vulnerable Children website - News, 11/10/12 and 13/11/12

'Independent review of CYF complaints process underway', Media release: Paula Bennett, 25/10/12

Further information is available on the White Paper website here.