Proactive release care safety Cabinet paper
The government’s response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission’s recommendations covers three areas: addressing the wrongs of the past, making the care system safe, and empowering those in care, their whānau and communities.
In this newsletter we provide an update about making the care system safe and a reminder about the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund closing date of 27 February 2026.
Building and strengthening care safety
Around half of the Royal Commission’s recommendations for Government action are focused on making the current care system safe by safeguarding people in care or preventing entry into care in the first place.
The Crown Response Office is working with the Care agencies (Ministries of Health, Social Development, Education, Oranga Tamariki) to identify gaps in existing settings and requirements to keep people in care safe, so options to resolve them can be developed. This work responds to recommendations relating to the system for regulating care services in New Zealand. The recommendations include establishing care safety principles, reviewing roles and functions, looking at options for a duty of care, safeguarding, workforce standards and training, and complaints processes.
This work will be driven by a Cabinet mandated ‘Safety in Care’ System Leadership Group. The Group will address gaps in core safety functions across the care system and individual care sectors.
To find out more, read the proactively released Cabinet paper:
Survivor Support and Recognition Fund closing soon
Applications for the fund close Friday 27 February 2026.
As announced in the November 2025 Pānui Newsletter this is the second round of the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund for Non-Government Organisations and community groups to deliver support and services to survivors of abuse and neglect in care and Local Authorities to memorialise unmarked graves.
To find out more visit: Hāpai Hapori Community Matters – www.communitymatters.govt.nz/survivor-support-and-recognition-fund(external link)
Alternate formats of the pānui newsletter can be found here: Alternate formats