Crown response annual report, strengthening care safety
This pānui shares the latest progress on the government’s response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
In this issue, we outline the highlights of the 2025/26 Crown response annual report, second package of workforce capability building initiatives, and targeted engagement on a draft care safety framework.
Annual Report provides latest update on the Crown response to the Royal Commission
The Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry: Annual Report 2025/26 is now available. This report brings together information from across the Crown response, providing an update on activity and progress from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
The report also highlights where further work is needed or planned, and how the Government is responding to the Royal Commission's recommendations.
Some of the key milestones from this reporting period include:
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2,339 survivors received $27.1 million in top-up redress payments
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$24.1 million in financial redress provided to 142 Lake Alice survivors
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1,718 settlement offers made by State redress agencies in 2025/26, around 11% above target
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more than 131,000 care record images digitised by Archives New Zealand
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$2.9 million allocated through the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund
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42 mental health inpatient facility improvement projects approved across 16 campuses, supported by $5 million investment
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62 survivor-led National Day of Reflection 2025 events supported through a community fund
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$25 million Social Investment Fund allocation for prevention initiatives supporting mothers affected by substance use and their young children.
Read the full Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry: Annual Report 2025/26 here:
Corporate publications | Crown response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry(external link)
Addressing capability gaps in disability, children’s workforce
The Royal Commission highlighted the importance of safeguarding capability in reducing the risk of abuse and neglect in care settings. Safeguarding means preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect.
The Government has approved funding of $7.2 million over five years for a second package of workforce capability building initiatives in response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry. This will fund two targeted initiatives that address critical gaps in the ability of workers in disability and children’s care settings to recognise, prevent, respond to and report abuse, neglect and harm.
The first initiative supports capability building for disability care and support workers. Its focus will be to upskill about 13,500 workers who provide care and support to about 6,000 disabled people living in Disability Support Services funded community residential homes. It develops and implements a programme to ensure workers can better recognise any signs of medical deterioration in disabled people, and take timely, appropriate action to prevent harm.
The second initiative focuses on training casual staff working with children and young people in Oranga Tamariki care settings. It will develop a nationally coordinated training programme across a broad range of safeguarding topics that would equip around 270 casual staff to prevent, identify and respond to the abuse and neglect of children and young people in care.
Building workforce capability is a key part of the Government's objective to make the care system safer for current and future generations.
Read about the first package of workforce capability building initiatives here:
Targeted engagement on a draft cross-system care safety framework and workforce assurance
A draft care safety framework was developed through cross-agency policy work involving the Crown Response Office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha and Oranga Tamariki. The content of the framework, including its underlying functions and outcomes, has been designed to incorporate the care safety functions and principles recommended by the Royal Commission.
The Crown Response Office is engaging with a number of established reference and advisory groups that have deep knowledge of the care sector and the care workforce to test the draft framework and workforce assurance initiatives. The framework was developed as a starting point to describe the functions of a strong care safety system, and how to build a stronger care safety system over time.
Feedback from this targeted engagement will help shape the final version of the care safety framework and inform advice on steps to move closer to a safe care system.
The Crown Response Office and care agencies will report back to Ministers with more detailed proposals for implementing cross-system requirements and expectations by April 2027.
Read the proactively released Cabinet paper about this here:
Implementing-a-Cross_system-Care-Safety-Framework.pdf(external link)