The RTLB Service is involved in the Gateway Assessment process run by Oranga Tamariki and the Minstries of Health and Education. This is where a child is entering care and new assessments need to be made to support their transition. Every cluster must have a Gateway Coordinator, someone whose role it is to collate the information for the process. Today two RTLB from our cluster who have Gateway coordinator experience explained the role and the procedure when Gateway is being used.

The RTLB support the SENCO, class teachers and schools to complete the Gateway profile within 7 days from when the referral is received, however if the child is entering care (as opposed to being already in care) that window is shortened to 4 days. For the first month the RTLB works closely with the class teacher to support the child, similar to the standard practice sequence. The Gateway Coordinator will support the SENCO to make a separate RTLB referral on the database under the Gateway option.

The process can be lengthy; a health assessment must be done eight weeks after the data profiles are received by the social worker, and these can take up to six weeks to complete. Following that, an Interagency Services Agreement (ISA) meeting is held with representatives from Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the school and the RTLB Gateway Coordinator. The Liaison RTLB also supports the school to gather data for the profile and provides ongoing support during the subsequent RTLB referral.

There are particular privacy considerations under the Gateway process, meetings are held in a secure location and any correspondence should be conducted in accordance with privacy guidelines, for instance phone calls rather than emails, and password protection when sharing electronic documents.

According to Auckland District Health Board information, 50% of children in the Gateway programme are of Māori descent, 36% Pasifika, and 8% Pākeha/NZ European. Forty-six percent are in the age group of five to twelve years and 22% are aged 0-2. One of the RTLBs mentioned the relative drop-off in referrals over the past 12 months, and the link between this and the media frenzy following the uplift of a baby late in 2019. The comment was made that it is highly unlikely that the national rates of neglect, child abuse and factors relating to Oranga Tamariki involvement have decreased so dramatically to warrant such a reduction on it’s own, and that the drop in Gateway Assessments probably corresponds to a ‘more stand-offish’ approach by ministry officials.

How will this impact my practice?

In future, I will raise questions in my liaison meetings as to whether there are children in care within the school, and how their needs are being addressed. If asked to assist with a Gateway Assessment, I will be aware of the timelines and work to prioritise these cases. One important note was that in audits of Gateway cases, 30% of children were overdue for immunisations, and that even when this was discussed during the process and a GP visit recommended, it rarely eventuated. This resonated with me particularly as we are currently in a health crisis where the country is under lockdown due to a contagious illness. It is so important that these vulnerable children have adequate access to healthcare, whether that be vaccines, hearing and vision tests, dental care or other medical support, and that they see these services as accessible to them as they progress through life.