OT office ‘hell’ factor in death

Staff at Oranga Tamariki’s Tauranga office had told management at least nine times before Malachi Subecz’s death that they were ‘‘increasingly worried about the health and safety and quality of social work’’ being provided to the community.

Oranga Tamariki provided a report to Dame Karen Poutasi as part of her investigation into how government departments could have prevented the boy’s murder by his caregiver, Michaela Barriball.

This report included an admission by Oranga Tamariki that staff at its Tauranga office had raised concerns with management at least nine times.

Staff were quoted as saying they were ‘‘increasingly worried about the health and safety and quality of social work we are providing the community’’. Between August 2020 and November 2021, nine health and safety incidents were lodged by six different staff members at the Te Ā huru Mō wai office.

Reports raised by staff related to the effect of high workload, a high number of unallocated cases, lack of capacity on site, burnout and stress, and concern about the flow-on effect on social work practice.

The office first received concerns about Malachi being in Barriball’s care in June 2021. By November 2021, the 4-year-old boy was dead.

The report into Oranga Tamariki’s failures that could have prevented Malachi’s death cited issues at the Tauranga office as a key factor. ‘‘When workload pressures are high, a greater tolerance for risk may occur and reasons may be found to close an open case rather than exploring the best response,’’ it said.

The report also acknowledged that at the time concerns were raised for Malachi’s safety, Te Ā huru Mō wai social work staff were at capacity and experiencing ‘‘long-standing workload pressures’’.

‘‘Social work staff at Te Ahuru ¯ Mō wai site were clear at the time of their involvement with Malachi and his whānau, that workload and resourcing issues were having a direct impact on their practice.’’

An example of this pressure and lack of process, the report said, was the allocation of Malachi’s initial assessment to a new social worker.

The report of concern for Malachi arrived at Te Ā huru Mōwai in late June 2021, when Malachi’s family raised concerns after the 4-year-old was put into Barriball’s care on June 22, after his mother was imprisoned.

On November 12, Malachi died in Starship Hospital from blunt force injuries inflicted by Barriball after months of torture.

The review revealed the new social worker, being a recent graduate, did not usually undertake assessments, and would normally be under supervision by more experienced staff.

The social worker did not contact any outside agencies for information about Malachi and his whānau, including the police, nor did she contact Malachi’s daycare or visit the place where he was living with Barriball. ‘‘Members of Malachi’s whā nau made repeated, sincere and considered efforts to raise their concerns about the care, safety and wellbeing of Malachi. The Oranga Tamariki response to these concerns was inadequate,’’ said the report.

Staff in Tauranga painted a shocking picture of the Te Ā huru Mō wai office under pressure from a high workload and office culture challenges. One staff member said: ‘‘The volume of work is unbearable . . . after hours is hell . . . We are in a horrible cycle of dealing with crisis.’’