Two years after the release of the landmark Whanaketia report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, Te Pai Ora Social Service Providers Aotearoa (SSPA) is urging the Government and the wider social services sector to honour the promises made to survivors through meaningful action rather than words alone.
The organisation says many survivors continue to carry the burden of their experiences while waiting for justice, with a significant number of the Inquiry’s recommendations yet to be implemented. It also warns that vulnerable adults and tamariki remain at risk of abuse within care settings, highlighting the need for sustained reform across the system.
To help drive change, Te Pai Ora SSPA has launched “A Commitment to Move from Darkness to Light,” a sector-wide initiative designed to bring together organisations involved in care and protection. The initiative aims to coordinate efforts to improve standards of care, strengthen organisational policies, enhance workforce training and develop stronger practice leadership across the sector.
The membership organisation says collaboration will be essential to ensuring lessons from the Royal Commission are translated into lasting improvements for children, whānau and survivors.
Alongside the sector initiative, Te Pai Ora SSPA is calling on politicians to work together across party lines to fully implement the Royal Commission’s recommendations. It says the Government’s formal apology to survivors must be backed by tangible reforms, including greater survivor-informed practice, a stronger commitment to believing children and devolving care services closer to communities.
The organisation is also advocating for 12 November—the anniversary of the Government’s official apology to survivors—to become an annual Day of Reflection. It says such a day would provide an opportunity for New Zealanders to remember the commitments made to survivors while reflecting on the progress being made to ensure all adults and children in care are safe, supported and nurtured.
Te Pai Ora SSPA represents more than 270 community-based social service organisations across Aotearoa, including iwi and kaupapa Māori providers, Pacific organisations and national children’s services. Collectively, its members deliver a broad range of social services focused on supporting tamariki, rangatahi, whānau and communities throughout the country.
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