Hon Karen Chhour
Minister for Children

16 July 2024

The Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board has been re-established by the Minister for Children, Karen Chhour.

“I look forward to working with the new board to continue to ensure Oranga Tamariki and the care and protection system, are entirely child centric,” Minister Chhour says.

“The board will provide independent advice on the performance of Oranga Tamariki.

“Specifically, I have asked the board to focus on continuing the work of devolving decision-making to communities, on implementing the Oranga Tamariki strategic direction, on strengthening the role of caregivers, building professional social work practice, and monitoring organisational culture.”

Appointed to the re-established board are members of the previous board Tā (Sir) Mark Solomon (Chair), Dame Naida Glavish, Shannon Pakura, Alfred (Alf) Filipaina and Ruth Jones, along with new member Christopher (Chris) Graveson.

The board will report directly to the Minister.

The board’s term is from 1 July 2024 until 30 September 2026.

Ministerial Advisory Board members:

Tā (Sir) Mark Solomon (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kuri) brings with him vast governance experience across government panels, non-government organisations, iwi Māori entities and private businesses. Tā Mark is a respected leader within Te Ao Māori, contributing to iwi and community development across all sectors, fostering educational opportunities for young Māori, and taking an unwavering stance against whānau violence and sexual abuse.

Dame Naida Glavish (Ngāti Whātua) has been an advocate for Māori across many sectors, and particularly in education and health, since the early 1980s. Dame Naida has had many formal and informal roles as part of her leadership responsibilities, and is involved with a range of iwi, government, and community organisations.

Shannon Pakura (Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) is the Chairperson of the Social Workers Registration Board. She has worked extensively in both the Statutory Child Protection and the Youth Justice social service sector and was formerly the Chief Social Worker for the Department of Child, Youth and Family and President of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers.

Alfred (Alf) Filipaina (Ngāpuhi & Samoan heritage) was a member of the New Zealand Police from 1978 until retiring over 38 years later. Since 2010, he has been a councillor for the Manukau ward on the Auckland Council. Alf is currently the Deputy Chair of Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority and is a member of the LGNZ subcommittee for Māori elected members.

Ruth Jones (Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Ngāti Porou) has a long history as a leader in the disability sector of Aotearoa, having been a practitioner and manager for the past twenty years. She is a qualified social worker and co-director of Kanohi ki te Kanohi consultancy.

Christopher (Chris)Graveson (Ngāi Tahu) is an expert in legal, policy and operational knowledge on Justice for Children, which includes children who are victims, witnesses or suspects and offenders, as well as international standards that apply to children. Chris is a member of two international working groups for UNODC in Vienna, through which he contributed to the development of international standards for children who are witnesses or victims of crime.

© Scoop Media