Statement:
Our Continuous Improvement of Care
On 24 July 2024, the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report and recommendations – titled Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light – was presented to Parliament and subsequently made public.
Established in 2018, this Inquiry has been expansive. The importance of the Commission’s mahi to Aotearoa New Zealand’s care sector – its past survivors and their advocates, current service users, their whānau, and support staff – and to political and religious leaders and the wider public, cannot be overstated.
The Totara Farm Trust Board and our Leadership Team (the Trust) is reviewing the conclusions and recommendations laid out for the sector in this 2,500-page document.
The Trust recognises the bravery of the nearly 3,000 survivors who shared their stories with the Commission.
Among these stories is one from the whānau of a person who was temporarily in respite care at a Totara Farm Trust residence in 2011.
The Trust acknowledges the bravery of the whānau member in telling their story publicly, and we admire their ongoing advocacy for improvement of care for their child and others with similar complex needs.
Over a period of time after 2011, we have worked with trusted, independent third-party auditors to review and improve all our governance polices and operational procedures. We now have leadership roles focusing on service delivery, people and systems, managing risk and strategy, and supporting the team’s continuous-improvement approach.
This was an important allocation in specialised staffing, because improvement is a continuous journey. To stop improving is to fall behind.
The Trust takes the Commission report’s conclusions incredibly seriously. This is why, prior to the report’s release, we also established a Continuous Improvement of Care Sub Committee (Committee) of our Board to review the full report and its recommendations and ensure all Trust policies and procedures are in line with the Commission’s recommendations. This means we might update policies and procedures or develop new ones.
Committee members have been drawn from within the experienced Trust Board. The Committee also includes an independent external advisor for additional expertise and accountability.
The Committee will meet monthly and will regularly report to the full Trust Board. Its recommendations for the Trust, based on its review of the Commission’s report, will be presented to the Board in the first quarter of 2025.
The Trust is grateful for the opportunity to take this essential next step and ensure we can continue to live up to our organisational value to be a place that provides its residents with ‘full access to a full life in a wholly inclusive society.’
Ngā mihi nui,
– Sue Crockett, Totara Farm Trust Board Chair
Timeline / Our Progress
July 2024: Continuous Improvement of Care Sub Committee established.
August 2024 – February 2025: Monthly Committee meetings.
Early 2025: Committee recommendations presented to the Board.
From Mid-2025: Recommendations implemented.