05. Agencies working better together

This can mean parents and children have to repeat processes, such as needs assessments with each agency as illustrated below. Often it means parents, caregivers and school staff need to maintain relationships with a variety of support agencies.

If agencies coordinate their activities more there would be fewer agencies that parents and children need to work with and a single shared understanding of what is required to meet a student’s needs and who will do it. This could mean a single assessment/eligibility process for children with special education needs. Each agency would then provide separate supports as they do now.

Another option would be to have a single assessment/eligibility process and then a single set of supports provided. This would mean more consistency and make it easier for parents, their children and schools to get the supports they need. It would also be more efficient from the Government’s perspective. This option would be challenging to put in place because the current supports are based on different policy intentions, funding arrangements, thresholds, and target populations, but it may be something that could be worked towards in the longer term.

There may be other opportunities to improve how agencies work together. For example, supports are most effective if provided as early as possible, rather than after families and whānau and their children have been struggling for some time. If agencies do work more closely, there may need to be a lead agency appointed. There could also be value in establishing independent service coordinators to help families, children and agencies work together.

Question 3

How could services be better coordinated and focused on the needs of students and families?

Multiple processes and multiple supports

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