How can we better protect our children

Hear Advocacy Manager for Barnardoes New Zealand, Deborah Morris-Travers discuss what can be done to better protect New Zealand's children on Radio New Zealand.

New Chief Executive to head Barnardos New Zealand

The Board of Barnardos New Zealand is delighted to announce the appointment of Jeff Sanders as the new Chief Executive of Barnardos following the departure of Murray Edridge from this role. Jeff will take up the position in March 2012.

Jeff is currently the Chief Executive of Relationship Services Whakawhanaungatanga, a role he has held for nearly eight years. Prior to Relationship Services, Jeff led Wesley Community Action in Wellington and held a number of senior management roles in IHC. Jeff had earlier roles in Government and in the Methodist Church.

Jeff will bring to Barnardos an extensive experience in the community sector, considerable relationships with key Government agencies, strong leadership, relationship management and team building skills, and a track record of partnering with others and across cultures.

The Board was delighted with the number and quality of the applications for the position of Chief Executive and ensured that a rigorous assessment and interview process was used to select the successful candidate.

After a year of significant change, Barnardos is moving into a period of consolidation and service development. The Board are confident that with Jeff's ongoing leadership, a clear strategy and a new senior leadership structure, the organisation is well positioned for the future and continuing to ensure that Ko Ngā Tamariki I Te Tuatahi (Children Come First).

Outgoing Chief Executive, Murray Edridge leaves Barnardos to take up a role as Deputy Chief Executive, Family and Community Services, Ministry of Social Development. About Barnardos: Barnardos is one of New Zealand’s leading providers of service and support to children and their families. Barnardos has three significant service strands to our work: child and family services, early childhood education, and residential and foster care services.


Contact: Deborah Morris -Travers, Advocacy Manager 0272 811 575
Barnardos Facebook

Youth Transition project

We are pleased to provide a copy of the final research report 'Transitioning Youth with Sexually Harmful Behaviour back into the Community'. This project was undertaken by Dr Ian Lambie at the University of Auckland on behalf of Barnardos, and was generously funded by the Lottery Community Sector Research Fund. The project was designed to provide some understanding into the transitioning experiences of youth with sexually harmful behaviour in Aotearoa New Zealand as much of the existing literature is based on overseas research.

For more information or to view the report please click here.

Thank you to our Telecom volunteers!

A big thank you to the legal team from Telecom, Wellington, who generously gave us 10 hours of their time on Wednesday 16th November to help out at the ELC in Lower Hutt, working with head teacher Karen Kitson. The Telecom team threw on their overalls, put on some smiles and painted the playhouse for the children at the centre to enjoy.

“We had a great day - and the photos are a good reminder of how much can be achieved in a day when the team is involved. Personally, I've been suggesting to other colleagues that a team day at Barnardos is a good way to use their volunteer day” - Maree

“Thank you for organising the day - we really had a good time, and enjoyed everything we did - even the gardening! Karen had an indoor paint job - and then an outdoor one when the weather came right, and that was really good. The kids were amazing - and really made the effort worth it. We have recommended Barnardos to our colleagues who are looking to use their volunteer day too" - Rebecca                                   

0800 What’s Up turns 10!

0800 What’s Up, the Barnardos-run children’s helpline, celebrated its 10th birthday in style on 17 November with a well-attended event at Telecom Place in Auckland.

The 0800 What’s Up ambassadors were all in attendance – Peter Urlich, founding member of legendary Kiwi rockers Th’ Dudes; motivational speaker Cameron Calkoen; and multi-award winning athlete Terenzo Bozzone. Peter played some music (including a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday!) while Terenzo and Cameron talked about their own experiences and why they support 0800 What’s Up. Kiwi musician Adam Stevenson also played for the assembled guests.

To celebrate the landmark birthday, a poster competition was launched, for young callers to depict the importance of 0800 What’s Up and what the service means to them. There were many fantastic entries, and the prize of a Fuji camera was presented to the lucky winners at the birthday party.

Barnardos Chief Executive Murray Edridge spoke about the unique service, and highlighted the four key figures to remember about 0800 What’s Up: “It costs $1 million a year to run; half a million children try to call each year; 40 per cent of those calls are answered; and the average age of a caller is 13.”

Kanoa Lloyd, a Sticky TV presenter, also spoke at the event – Sticky TV is a key supporter of 0800 What’s Up. She then helped 11-year-old Zara as she read out the powerful story of a 13-year-old who had called 0800 What’s Up about cyberbullying.

The What’s Up counsellors and other What’s Up staff joined Murray to cut the beautiful birthday cake at the finale of the event.

Barnardos fundraiser Jo Johnstone said: “Everyone was really engaged and had a great time. There was a good feel to the evening.”

We would like to acknowledge our thanks and gratitude to the following supporters who contributed to making this event so successful:-

The Telecom Foundation, The Aromatherapy Company, Stevenson Events and Carltons Central Party Hire.


About 0800 What’s Up

0800 What’s Up is the only professional line devoted exclusively to children’s concerns. It provides free, confidential telephone counselling for five to 18 year olds from 12 noon to midnight, 365 days a year, and around half a million children and young people call to speak to our counsellors each year.

Whether it’s a chat due to loneliness, a call about bullying, or connecting a child to an emergency service because they are at extreme risk, no problem is too big or small for the 0800 What’s Up team. They work with our callers on their own terms, supporting and enabling them to develop resilience and feel in control of their situation.

Last year, the counsellors took 34 calls from children in imminent harm, meaning they had to take immediate action. But the number one issue children call about is relationships, followed by school-related issues, sexual issues, health problems and emotional issues.

Annual Report 2011

It has been a year of significant change for Barnardos – all of it aimed at building a brighter future for Aotearoa’s tamariki and rangatahi. Read more about it, and the work we've done throughout the year, in our annual report.

Time for New Zealand to step up on health inequities

It’s time for New Zealand to become a leader in reducing health inequities, according to health organisations, but we must start with the here and now.

Ten health sector leaders are calling on the government to endorse the political declaration of a World Health Organization (WHO) Conference which concluded on 21 October 2011 in Rio de Janeiro. The conference called on WHO member states to take action worldwide on social determinants of health which include children’s early years, education, economic status, employment conditions, housing and effective health care systems.

Spokesperson for the group, Public Health Association National Executive Officer Dr Gay Keating, says New Zealand needs to play a leading role in this vital global effort, but it must first address the inequities existing within its own borders.

“Most children here can expect to live a long time, but our poor children die at a faster rate than every other OECD country except Mexico and Turkey. This is no wonder when more than 230,000 of our children and teens live in deprivation, struggling daily with ill health, damp and crowded living conditions and financial insecurity.

“New Zealand is no longer a great place in which to raise your children. We’re now only world leaders in unintended teen pregnancy and death from injuries and child abuse.”

The group says the declaration is very clear governments must make a quality health system that is accessible by everyone a high priority. Special attention must also be given to early childhood development in public policies and social health services. “A good start would be a visible cross-party agreement on a strategy for improving the environment in which children live,” Dr Keating says.

The declaration says countries must act on social determinants of health, not just because they are a moral and human rights imperative, but also because they are “indispensable to promote human wellbeing, peace, prosperity and sustainable development.”

Dr Keating says health inequities in New Zealand have steadily worsened over the last few decades and this is having a profound impact on our wellbeing, prosperity and development as a nation.

“We will all pay dearly for leaving so many children in unhealthy conditions and with such bleak economic futures. The poor are paying right now. The rest of us will pay later when so many, who could be supporting us in our old age, are themselves unwell and in need of assistance from the state.”

Dr Jill Clendon
Nursing Policy Adviser and Researcher
New Zealand Nurses Organisation
027 412 9164

Prof Norman Sharpe
Medical Director
The Heart Foundation
Contact: Nicole Bremner, Senior Communications Advisor 021672594

Cindy Kiro
Massey University Wellington
Centre for Public Health Research
021 472 658

Dennis McKinlay
Executive Director
UNICEF NZ (UN Children’s Fund)
04 815 9380 or 021 396 966

Dr Jan Pearson
Chairperson
Agencies for Nutrition Action
027 4517359

Heather Henare
Chief Executive
Women's Refuge
027 449 0885

Trevor Simpson
Senior Health Promotion Strategist
Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand Runanga Whakapiki ake i te Hauora o Aotearoa
027 829 6099

Martin Street
Senior Communications Officer
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
021 790 236

Deborah Morris-Travers
Advocacy Manager
Barnardos NZ
0272 811 575

_________________________________
i)  Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 21 October 2011. Available at  www.who.int/entity/sdhconference/declaration/Rio_political_declaration.pdf.
ii)  www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/monitoring/household-incomes/index.html
iii)  Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health, Article 7, page 2.
iv)  ibid, Article 11.2 (xi), page 3.
v)  ibid, Article 16.2, page 7.

Inquiry into status of Māori children begins

As part of the Every Child Counts coalition, Barnardos has been supporting this call for an inquiry into the wellbeing of Māori children. We have succeeded in getting an inquiry underway in the Māori Affairs Select Committee. Check out the Terms of Reference.

Mums and dads wanted for positive parenting programmes

Some exciting opportunities are available to participate in research projects at the University of Auckland. These projects involve being a part of free parenting support programmes, and there are projects aimed at parents of children of different age groups.

For more information click here.

“Education Assist” package a welcome development

The announcement of a package of measures designed to improve the responsiveness of Child Youth and Family (CYF) when schools make contact to express concern about the wellbeing of children, has been welcomed by Barnardos.

"Given their frontline role with children and families, a dedicated calling line for teachers is a sensible move, with the potential to greatly improve two-way communication between schools and CYF," said Barnardos General Manager Child and Family Services, Mike Munnelly.

"A service like this will not be the panacea that stops all child abuse, but it is certainly helpful to improve the communication and information flow between schools and the statutory child protection agency for the benefit of children and young people," concluded Mr Munnelly.

Support available for Wairarapa young people

As the Wairarapa community tries to respond to the sudden deaths of four teenagers and strives to increase the safety and wellbeing of the community’s young people, Barnardos is reminding children, young people and parents that support is available through the helpline 0800 What’s Up (0800 942 8787).

“At this difficult time, the Wairarapa community is pulling together to strengthen support for children and young people, and we want to offer our support to this effort too,” said Murray Edridge, Barnardos Chief Executive.

“We recognise that for children and young people who are grieving and concerned about recent events, it can be helpful to have support that is anonymous."

“0800 What’s Up is a free helpline that specialises in supporting children and young people and has been providing this service for almost ten years. The professional counsellors are there to listen about anything, and help children and young people resolve problems as well as teach them skills which will help them in the future.

“0800 What’s Up is available from 12 noon to 12 midnight, seven days a week."

“We urge children and young people who want someone to talk to, to pick up the phone and ring 0800 What’s Up (0800 942 8787),” concluded Mr Edridge.

Who speaks for the children: Alcohol and the ability to make people laugh are no excuse

The verdict by Judge Philippa Cunningham that discharged without conviction a comedian who pleaded guilty to sexually offending against his daughter is deeply concerning and should be offensive to any right-thinking New Zealander.

“We have a significant child abuse issue in New Zealand which will only be addressed when we start to respect and value our children, and are prepared to stand up for them when they don’t have a voice,” said Murray Edridge, Chief Executive of Barnardos.

“Barnardos is very concerned that the judgement passed down on Friday 2 September will set a precedent. The verdict suggests that a person’s ability to get work in the future, and their ability to make people laugh, is more important than a child’s safety.

“This man has come home drunk, committed an unacceptable sexual act on his daughter and has admitted doing so. Unbelievably, he faces no legal consequences for his actions. A discharge without conviction means there will be no record of his crime. He has previously been charged with unlawful sexual connection and escaped conviction in that case too.

“It is very concerning to think that being talented and funny somehow excuses the inexcusable. I absolutely disagree with the Judge’s assertion that “the effects of a conviction outweighed the gravity of the offending”.

“These actions are not without impact. The mother and daughter were deeply traumatised by the drunken actions of this individual and have been receiving counselling.

Over the past weekend we have celebrated Fathers Day when we acknowledge and celebrate the importance and value of our Fathers and the role they play in keeping us safe. Sadly this was not the experience for this four year old.

“Child sexual abuse is a serious issue, with longitudinal studies showing that up to 20 percent of children in New Zealand experience sexual abuse and that abuse has long-term consequences."

“If we are going to change this, we need Police, the Social Services sector, the Judiciary and all New Zealanders to take abuses against children seriously. In this case it appears we have failed to do so,” concluded Mr Edridge.

A Wee Secret

A Wee Secret is a children’s book about two friends, Jet and Tui who both have a secret problem: bed wetting. The book’s author is Jacqueline Brown, a Children’s Continence nurse and is illustrated by Myke Sutherland, an ex Disney animator.

This story will help children who wet their beds to see that they are not the only ones, and with a little help one day their secret too will be a thing of the past. The book is full of colourful and smart illustrations which will keep your children entertained.

There is a comprehensive section at the back of the book which provides information and practical tips for parents on how to support children through their bedwetting journey. You can purchase this book for $18 + postage from the New Zealand Continence Association website.

As the result of changes we’re making to the way we deliver our services, we have appointed to new General Managers to lead our two largest service lines.

Mike Munnelly is the new general manager child and family services. A highly skilled and experienced social worker, he has social work, economics and management qualifications from universities in the United Kingdom. Mike joins us from the role of national support manager workplace services in the Department of Labour. Previous to that he had a variety of roles in Child, Youth and Family including regional manager and national manager care and protection. Mike will be based in Wellington and will join Barnardos on Monday 29 August

Lisa Watkins is the new general manager early childhood services. Lisa has a Master of Applied Finance from Victoria University and has significant experience in the financial services sector including senior roles in Countrywide Bank, Carter Holt Harvey, Tower Trust, National Australia Bank, Southern Cross Healthcare, Atlas Trustees and ANZ Bank. Over the last three years, she has worked for Lollipops Educare. Lisa will be based in Auckland and will join Barnardos on Monday 10 October.

Get your nomination in for the Every Child Counts annual awards now to acknowledge the work people and organisations do to support children and their families in communities throughout New Zealand. You can nominate an individual or an organisation. Find out more at www.everychildcounts.org.nz/

Nominations close on 31 August 2011.

White Ribbon Day is on Friday 25 November. The campaign offers men the opportunity to be part of the solution to end violence against women. There are lots of ways to show your support for White Ribbon Day 2011 – organise an event for your community, participate in the White Ribbon Ride, or sign the White Ribbon pledge. Find our more at http://whiteribbon.org.nz/

1000 days to get it right for every child

In the lead up to the election, and during the term of the next Parliament, Barnardos will be working with its partners in Every Child Counts to highlight this key message: 1000 days to get it right for every child. The 1000 days relates to the first 3 years of life - and also the 1000 days of a parliamentary term.

To launch the campaign, Every Child Counts has released a report assessing the economic cost of poor child outcomes at 3 percent of GDP, or $6 billion every year. The report was written by David Grimmond at Infometrics and looks at domestic and international evidence about the importance of effective investment in a child’s early years and is available here.

A companion report which looks at the issues for Maori and Pasifika children will be released in Auckland on 2 September.

The Infometrics report concludes that child poverty, its correlation with and influence upon poor parenting, the family environment and the inability of those in poverty to access needed goods and services is a major contributor to poor outcomes for children. Family environments are so influential that they predict children’s cognitive, social and emotional abilities and their subsequent success at school. Factors such as parental income and maternal education are associated with almost every measure of child health and wellbeing.

The report also makes some important points about:

1. The need for policy to reflect the realities of modern life such as sole parenthood, women's participation in the workforce and population diversity.
2. The value of policies that keep people linked to the labour market and that determine support on the basis of demographics i.e. families with children receiving support that still enables them to work - rather than harsh abatement regimes that disincentivise work.
3. The importance of services and interventions working to upskill parents as well as addressing the specific needs of children.
4.  The need for a commitment to undertaking research on the effectiveness of specific early childhood interventions within specific communities, and resourcing those communities to identify and deliver their own solutions (community-led development).
5. New Zealand's comparatively low public investment in children, the return on investment in children under 6, the value of early childhood education and the absolute necessity that public and community investment in children be effective.

Resources such as a community wheel of action and questions to ask political candidates will be available soon in September.

The government has issued a Green Paper on Vulnerable Children so that people can have their say and help shape government policy for these children.

The Green Paper contains 42 questions under 4 different headings:

1. Share responsibility
2. Show leadership
3. Make child-centred policy changes
4. Make child-centred practice changes.

The Green Paper is available in English, Maaori, Samoan and Tongan at: http://www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz/

We encourage you to get involved. This is an important opportunity to let the government know about your ideas for improving life for children.

The government will be hosting a number of meetings, hui and fono to enable public input. We will post information about these events when details are confirmed.

Written submissions do not have to provide a comprehensive response to every question. They can be as short or as long as you want them to be. You can send your ideas by email to: yourresponse@childrensactionplan.govt.nz

Or by post to: The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children PO Box 1556 Wellington, 601.

A number of our South Island offices, including our Christchurch early learning centres, are closed due snow.

Barnardos has welcomed the launch of the Green Paper on Vulnerable Children today as an opportunity to create a public conversation about the actions needed to improve the lives and outcomes of the nation’s most vulnerable children.

“The Green Paper is an opportunity for every New Zealander to get involved in identifying what government, communities, families and individuals can do to improve life for the nation’s most vulnerable children. Through the public discussion about the issues in the paper we have a chance to hugely increase awareness about the role we each play in securing the future of these children,” said Murray Edridge, Barnardos Chief Executive.

“We encourage every New Zealander to engage in the consultation on the Green Paper so that the resulting Children’s Action Plan has widespread support. Barnardos will be working to contribute the views, expertise and experience of its staff right around the country to the Green Paper process. Vulnerable children need all of us working together to create the communities, society and economy that will meet their needs and enable their success.

“In just twelve years, for the first time in New Zealand history, there will be more people over 65 than there will be children . If we want a secure, productive and prosperous nation we will need every child thriving, achieving and belonging.

“While some of the issues identified in the Green Paper will stimulate debate, this is an opportunity to build understanding about the policies and practices needed to ensure all children are healthy, educated and socially competent. We hope all New Zealanders – including political parties – will constructively engage in this process so that resulting policy changes can be supported and sustained in the long term,” said Mr Edridge.

ENDS

For more information contact:

Murray Edridge
Chief Executive, Barnardos NZ
Phone (04) 385 7560 or 0274 851 896

Deborah Morris-Travers
Advocacy Manager, Barnardos NZ
Phone (027) 544 299

Come and help launch the Green Paper on Vulnerable Children and help us make sure every child thrives, belongs, achieves.

This is an important event that will launch a national conversation about the role every New Zealander can play to improve the lives of children.

So come along to Aotea Square on Wednesday 27 July at 1pm, where the Hon Paula Bennett will launch the green paper. (Wet weather venue, Lower NZI, Aotea Centre, Auckland).

Please RSVP to RSVP@childrensactionplan.govt.nz

Every Child Thrives, Belongs, Achieves
Ka whai oranga, ka whai wahi, ka whai taumata ia tamaiti

Minister's invitation to the launch of the Green Paper for Vulnerable Children.

www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz

www.facebook.com/greenpaperonchildren

Due to the snowy weather conditions in the South Island today, the following Barnardos offices are closed:

• Christchurch Main Office
• All Christchurch BELC
• Oamaru Office
• Central Otago Office
• Gore Office
• Dunedin Office

Invercargill office remains open.

All KidStart visiting teachers can be reached on their cell phones.

For more information please phone, 0800 BARNARDOS.

Happy birthday Dr Tom!
 

Dr Thomas Barnardos was born on 4 July 1845 and each year his birthday is celebrated by Barnardos staff as ‘Founder’s Day.

Dr Tom dedicated his life to helping children and it’s estimated that he saved 60,000 children from poverty in the course of his lifetime. We’re proud to be continuing the work that he inspired.

Dr Tom’s life’s mission began when, at the age of 21, he went to do medical work in the East End of London at the height of the cholera epidemic. He had originally been planning to go to China to work as a missionary, but once he saw the great numbers of homeless and destitute children in England’s cities, he decided to stay in the UK and assist the needy.

Dr Tom opened his first ‘Dr Barnardo’s Home’ when he was just 25 years old. By the time of his death in 1905, there were 112 district homes throughout the UK. The homes fed, clothed and educated children in need. He also ran a rescue home for girls in serious danger and a hospital for the sick.

When Dr Tom married his wife Syrie, they received a home in Barkingside as a wedding gift. They promptly set about creating a 60-acre rural retreat on the grounds, with the vision of creating a village-style way of life for urban destitute children. The Girls’ Village Home opened just after Dr Tom’s 31st birthday. Between then and 1905 the home blossomed from 12 cottages to 66, housing some 1,300 girls – a bona fide garden city.

When Dr Tom died, he was buried outside his Barkingside home – which is now also the head office of Barnardos UK.

Kia ora koutou

At last, a new Great Start Newsletter…..

Thank you to our community and everyone who has given us so much good news to write about!

We hope you enjoy the read and please feel free to distribute further.

Noho ora mai ra
The Team at The Great Start House

The Barnardos Residential and Foster Care team has gained new funding that will allow them to recruit and train up to three foster carers, specialising in transition to adulthood programmes for young people who need a placement following their time in one of our group homes. Manager Paul Smith said:

“Prior to this contract, young people could be put in a placement that was available but may not meet their needs, or could move into independence when they were not ready. This meant they might experience placement breakdowns and multiple placement moves. The Supported Placement carers will become the young people's mentors and shoulders to lean on. They will help them find the job and training opportunities that are right for them, and will prepare them for independence."

Barnardos is proud to be a partner in ‘Raising Children in New Zealand’, a new television series about parenting children from birth to age three. Raising Children will screen on TVNZ 7 from 22 June at 7.05pm. A free DVD of the series will be available to all new parents from September through Plunket and Barnardos.

For more information, visit www.raisingchildren.org.nz

Every Child Counts is calling for nominations for its two annual awards, to be presented in December 2011. The awards acknowledge the work people and organisations do in support of children and their families in communities throughout New Zealand. Nominations close on 31 August 2011. For more information, visit the Every Child Counts website.  

Every Child Counts is a coalition of Barnardos, Plunket, UNICEF, Save the Children, Te Kahui Mana Ririki and 400 other organisations working to improve the status and wellbeing of New Zealand.

Great Start Taita was described in the media recently as “one of the busiest and most practical community centres in the Hutt Valley.” When you see what’s happening there, there are no surprises why!

Taita people are making amazing happens in their community with everything from a community garden, to a children’s gardening club, to violin lessons and a craft room.

It’s interesting too, that at this time of economic recession, when government and communities are looking for new solutions to the challenges faced by families, Great Start Taita continues to grow and provide its own response to community needs.

Following a request from local residents, a new craft room has been set up. Sewing machines were donated, including a brand new Bernina. The room will provide opportunities for volunteers to teach others how to sew, at the same time as building relationships with others in their community.

Another exciting development is the children’s gardening club. A core group of about 15 children are regularly attending the club on Mondays and Thursdays, to tend the community garden at Great Start and learn new skills that they can use at home. The children in the club have been responsible for some amazing work in their community, including the planting of large numbers of sunflowers to make Taita more beautiful. Emerging from that work, the children are developing Project Sunshine.

Project Sunshine will be formally launched on 2 July, when Great Start Taita hosts 20 students from the United Nations Association. An important aspect of the project is the distribution of sunflower seeds to children in other communities, along with information about what we can all do to protect honey bee populations.

Great Start Taita is an excellent example of the positive developments that can occur in communities when we focus on strengths and support people to build connections with others.

Read about the Great Start story here.  

All Christchurch KidStart and ELC services are now open again.

We recently published the strategic plan that will guide our work from 2011 to 2014. The plan outlines what we will do in each of our five key areas over the next three years, the outcomes we aim to achieve, and how we’ll measure our success. Just as importantly, it reminds us of the values, principles, and delivery strategies that guide us in how we do our work. You can read the plan here. 

Save the Children is providing specialist training to Plunket and Barnardos staff working with children from Christchurch.

Specialists from the United States will spend the next two weeks training staff to provide psychosocial support through Journey of Hope, a series of programmes developed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Our Richmond and Te Puna Oraka early learning centres, and our Christchurch KidStart in home care, are now operating again. If you need centre-based care for your children and you’re not currently registered with us, please call Nikki Parsons on 027 242 8355. For KidStart enquiries, please call 0800KidStart.

Our Christchurch regional office has also reopened.

Christchurch Earthquake *update 14*

Kia ora tatou - greetings to you all

Apologies for the delay in writing to you, I had intended this to go out last Wednesday, but life got a wee bit hectic in the interim.

I hope your new working week has started well. My week started last week by spending the first two days in Christchurch along with my wife Alyson, Niamh Lawless, Kaja Jungersen and Bill Smith. During those two days we took part in staff meetings, did various site visits, talked with lots of people, spent time with a team of structural engineers assessing our Colombo Street building, along with some moving of furniture, vacuuming, tidying up etc.

I was delighted with how well most of our staff are coping with the challenges they are faced with, but also mindful that they are going to continue to need our support and encouragement for some time to come. We are very fortunate that our buildings have survived so well and have all been assessed as safe and operable. Our services are now nearly all functioning, including the Richmond ELC which is having an open day today for families and will re-open officially tomorrow.

Whilst continuing to provide support to our Christchurch colleagues, it is appropriate that I thank you all for the energy and effort you have contributed over the last 4 weeks. Your dedication and preparedness to do whatever was required was simply outstanding and I know this has been greatly valued and appreciated by those in Christchurch. I do want to particularly acknowledge the work of the telephone counsellors in 0800 What's Up and Barnardos Parent Help Line who have handled a number of very difficult calls - having a friendly and reassuring voice answering a phone call from someone who is stressed and worried is a huge thing. Well done to you all!

Speaking of being appreciated, it was great to see how warmly Bill Smith was greeted by staff in Christchurch who have been the fortunate recipients of Bill's care, great skills, and outstanding customer service over many years. Bill deservedly had a bit of celebrity status as we visited various services. The nearest I got to any such celebrity status was a young man in our ELC at Te Puna Oraka who upon hearing that I was Murray got very very excited. Unfortunately it was a case of mistaken identity as he thought I was Murray from the Wiggles. Murray from Barnardos wasn't quite as exciting! If you don't know who Murray from the Wiggles is, my very kind and supportive colleagues at the National Resource Centre developed a new email signature for me - see the bottom of this email.

As we have been thinking so much of Christchurch in recent days, we are also mindful of the other challenges and losses facing people. In this context we think about the tragedies and trauma facing the people of Japan having been afflicted by an earthquake, a tsunami and now the threat of radiation exposure. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with them in the coming days.

I am also aware that we have lost one of our own in the last few weeks; Jane Gibbons who worked in our OSCAR service in Gisborne for 8 years and then in KidStart lost her battle with illness on 10 March. Our thoughts and best wishes are with Jane's family and Dianne and the team in the Barnardos Gisborne office.

Last week concluded with a Board meeting that went for most of the day on Friday. There were a number of interesting discussions with the Board and I will be providing you with some information from these in the coming weeks. This week I have a range meetings and have SLT coming together for their monthly meeting on Thursday. I also have the privilege to be sitting on the interview panel for the short-listed candidates for the position of Children's Commissioner. This is a very important role and it is great to have the opportunity to play a part in this appointment.

I am away on leave next week, so in my absence, Niamh will be sending you an update.

Enjoy your week, work hard and most importantly, look after each other.

Best wishes
Murray

We have completed the checks of our educators' homes and most of our Christchurch KidStart educators have now reopened.

If you need home-based care for your children and you’re not currently registered with us, please call 0800KidStart.

The Richmond early learning centre is looking likely to reopen on Monday 21 March. We'll be contacting parents to let them know the latest information.

If you need centre-based care for your children and you’re not currently registered with us, please call Nikki Parsons on 0272428355

Christchurch Earthquake *update 13*

Kia ora tatou - greetings to you all

A final update this week on what has been happening in Christchurch:

The Te Puna Oraka ELC is on track to reopen on Monday and the visits to the KidStart educators are progressing well. There’s been a small delay in the Richmond ELC reopening while we get an issue with the power lines sorted – several of the children will be attending Te Puna Oraka until Richmond opens. The regional office in Colombo Street is looking good to open on Tuesday as planned, with the cordon having been moved, the nearby building safely demolished and a structural engineer having checked the building.

Listening to media reports this morning I was reminded that while we’ve made great progress this week in getting our offices and services ready to reopen, life is far from normal for our people in Christchurch. From the Chief Executive of Orion talking about a contractor accidentally damaging a major power cable yesterday to news of a swarm of aftershocks that hit the city overnight, it’s clear there are still many challenges. We know also that the individual impacts are very real each day for our colleagues as they get confirmation of those who are confirmed as fatalities, of homes not being repairable, of family members not having jobs to go back to.

I want to reassure all our team in Christchurch that our support for you won’t end as you start to head back to work next week – we recognise that there will be ongoing challenges for you both personally and professionally, and we’ll all be here to help in any way we can over the coming months.

Walking through Wellington late this afternoon it was wonderful to see nearly every shop has a "We love Chch" sign in the window, and many are offering half of the selling price of some of their stock to the Christchurch appeals. I am sure this is replicated right throughout the country and reflects how the country has got behind the people of Christchurch.

I’ll be in Christchurch on Monday and Tuesday with my wife Alyson, Niamh Lawless, Kaja Jungersen and Bill Smith, and we’re looking forward to spending some time with our Christchurch colleagues and being part of the clean up and reopening efforts. As we travel to Christchurch, along with some re-opening gifts we will be carrying with us the best wishes and support of the rest of the Barnardos whanau.

I will send the next update out on Wednesday next week.

In the meantime, take good care and let us all think carefully about how the care for others and generosity of spirit that have been the outstanding positive images of Christchurch after the earthquake, could be real and evident in all of our families and communities.

Kia kaha
Murray

Te Puna Oraka early learning centre will be reopening on Monday 14 March. The centre is structurally sound and all the facilities are working, and we will have bottled water available. Parents and children have been invited to open days at the centre this week as part of the process to transition the children back into the centre, and we have information available on how you can help your children and family deal with the earthquake.

The Richmond early learning centre won't be reopening on Monday 14 March as we had initially hoped - we're aiming to reopen later in the week. We'll keep in touch with parents to let them know the latest information.

If you need centre-based care for your children and you’re not currently registered with us, please call Nikki Parsons on 0272428355

Kia ora tatou - greetings to you all

This is the first update for this week on Christchurch because we were waiting to hear directly from the Christchurch management team that had a planning meeting yesterday in the Ensors Road property. Arihia and her team were joined by Niamh Lawless and Anne Collins from Wellington for that discussion.

The latest Barnardos information from Christchurch is as follows:

The team in Christchurch are making good progress in getting our offices and services back to what we’ve all taken to calling ‘the new normal’.

The management team are using Ensors Road as their base for the week. The Child and Family Services staff are having a catch up there at 12.30pm on Friday 11 March, and all our Christchurch staff will be invited to a get together at 10.30am on Monday 14 March followed by a shared lunch. For those that work from the regional office and want to do so, after the shared lunch we hope to be able to have an initial visit to the Colombo Street building, with the intention of being able to operate from there from Tuesday. This is dependent on a nearby building being demolished this week, the cordon being moved as scheduled on Thursday, and the building passing a structural assessment - so watch this space!

Both our ELCs have been given the all clear by structural engineers and all the facilities – water, sewerage and power are working, although the children will need to use bottled water for the foreseeable future. Parents and children from both centres are being invited to open days this week at Te Puna Oraka as part of the process to transition the children back into the centres, and we hope to have both ELCs open from Monday.

You’ll be aware that so far only our KidStart educators in Kaiapoi and Rangiora have been able to reopen. The Ministry of Education is now allowing any Christchurch educator to reopen once we’ve visited their home to confirm it’s safe and that the educator is feeling ready to go back to work. The visiting teachers will be visiting all the educators this week with a builder, so those whose houses are okay should be up and running again from Monday. We know that some children have moved away either temporarily or permanently, and some educators are already reporting their houses are likely to be too damaged to reopen at the moment, so our services may look a little different for a while.

The team at Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi are positive and managing really well despite the challenges many of them are facing personally, with several still staying in temporary accommodation or with friends. I am enormously grateful and have huge respect for the magnificent job our Te Poutama colleagues have continued to do over the last two weeks under extremely difficult conditions.

Niamh and Anne in reflecting on their visit to Christchurch yesterday commented on the amazing spirit and resilience that was evident amongst our staff. Niamh and I will be heading back to Christchurch next week to be part of the staff gatherings and the reopening and clean up at Colombo Street.

Over the last few days, we’ve had wonderful offers of support from both individuals and from organisations such as Crown Relocations. The generosity of these people reaching out to help others at the same time as they deal with their own challenges is both amazing and humbling. We’ve also had offers of SKIP and Skylight trauma counselling materials from the team at MSD so they will be heading down to Christchurch this week.

Thank you to all of you who’ve sent messages of support – the latest messages are up on our website. And thank you also to everyone who has been part of the call teams who have kept in touch with all our staff, educators and parents over the last two weeks – you have helped us ensure they all feel supported, cared for and informed. The whanau of Barnardos has held together and grown stronger in this, the most difficult time of all - well done to all of you!

It feels like we are moving into the next phase of our earthquake recovery and support. However there will be significant challenges ahead and my hope and expectation is that we will, in a whole range of ways, continue to walk closely alongside our colleagues in Canterbury for sometime to come.

Last night I heard for the second time the song recorded with children after the September quake "Canterbury Can". I am certain this is true - particularly with the help of the rest of us.

Kia kaha
Murray

Most KidStart educators in Kaiapoi and Rangiora reopened this week. The Ministry of Education is now allowing all our Christchurch educators to reopen, once we’ve completed an assessment and confirmed the homes are safe and the educators are feeling ready to go back to work. The visiting teachers will be visiting all the educators this week with a builder, so hopefully those whose houses are okay will be up and running again from Monday 14 March. We’ll have information available on how you can help your children and family deal with the earthquake.

If you need home-based care for your children and you’re not currently registered with us, please call 0800KidStart.

Our Early Learning Centres are likely to be reopening on Monday 14 March. The centres are structurally sound and all the facilities are working. Children will need to bring bottled water. Parents and children are being invited to open days at the Te Puna Oraka centre this week as part of the process to transition the children back into the centres. We’ll have information available on how you can help your children and family deal with the earthquake.

If you need centre-based care for your children and you’re not currently registered with us, please call Nikki Parsons on 0272428355

EAP services has two new factsheets to help people deal with the impact of the earthquake. The factsheets have information about the most common reactions to trauma and crisis, and tips on how family members can support each other and how parents can help their children. If you need more support and advice, you can contact EAP 24 hours a day on 0800 327 669 or via email.

Click here for the fact sheet - "Families and Disasters"
Click here for the fact sheet -  "The Effects after a Stressful Event and Helping Children Cope"

Click here to read the most recent messages of support from various Barnardos staff around the country.

Kia ora tatou - greetings to you all

My last update for the week on the activities in Christchurch:

Our call teams are continuing to contact Barnardos staff every couple of days and we’ve been able to help with some practicalities, for example the provision of petrol vouchers and household requirements. The teams in Northern and Central had just started their calls to our Christchurch KidStart Educators and Parents, and ELC Parents yesterday when the power went off in National Resource Centre in Wellington – happily we were back up and running within an hour. The initial feedback is that Parents and Educators are very happy to hear from us, so thank you to all the staff involved.

We’ve heard via the media that the central city cordon may be moved inward next week, which could mean we’ll have easier access to the regional office soon. We’ve haven’t got any details yet and we still need some structural assessments done on the building before we can use it, but we’ll keep you posted. Our hub at Te Puna Oraka will be operating from Monday as a drop in centre. There are food and emergency parcels being delivered for distribution, and NGOs may be able to hot desk in the back room. The clean up is underway at our ELCs – thanks to some periodic detention workers who are cleaning up the liquefaction. We’re reviewing the Ministry of Education requirements to reopen so we’re probably still some way away from being operational again. As Arihia commented this morning, our people in Christchurch are all at a different place on the journey to restoration and we will move at the pace that best suits all.

Our Regional Managers Glenys Knowles and Tania Woodcock are supporting the South Island ELC Head Teachers and Area Managers outside Christchurch for a while – this will allow the management team in Christchurch to focus on the recovery effort. The Christchurch management team is meeting again on Tuesday 8 March, and Niamh Lawless and Anne Collins will be joining them.

Arihia and some of her team went to the NGO coordination meeting yesterday where there were representatives from more than 95 organisations. The agencies reported that their priorities are to do what they can for the community, regrouping as organisations, finding premises and equipment, and supporting staff.

Around the country we have several staff on call to help out in Christchurch in a volunteer capacity for organisations like the Salvation Army, Victim Support and the Red Cross. We wish them all well, and support and acknowledge their contribution.

It was great to hear from Arihia this morning that "as the end of the week draws closer it seems like we have made some steps forward in our own recovery”. She also acknowledged the support from the wider organisation which she says has been “tremendous, swift and seamless. Like John Key we should have no hesitation in accepting this support as it is no reflection on us - it’s a helping hand to support our getting back on track."

This afternoon I have been speaking with Shane Murdoch who used to work with us and is now General Manager of the Chomondeley Children's Home in Governors Bay in Canterbury. Unfortunately the home was very badly damaged in the earthquake and is likely to be demolished and rebuilt. There is obviously great sadness with the loss of such an historic and significant building, but they have been fortunate to obtain long term accommodation at the Living Springs camp also in Governors Bay - so this is cause for some celebration!

Those of you outside of Wellington may be aware that Wellington has also been experiencing a few earthquakes in the last few days – please be assured they’re relatively small but we all have a heightened awareness of the need to be as prepared as possible.

As we conclude what has been an exceptionally long and difficult week for everyone, I wanted again to say a huge thank you for all you have all done to support each other. If I had three magic wishes available to me, they would be:

• A quiet and safe weekend for everyone in Christchurch
• A week of renewal and positive encouragement next week
• Strength and encouragement for all of us as we care for each other and together face the challenges ahead

And finally, a quote from Mary Anne Radmacher:  Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”

Kia kaha,
Murray

 

Kia ora tatou

Having spent the day in Christchurch yesterday and experienced first hand being in the midst of the intense dust from the liquefaction, my thoughts are once again with our Christchurch colleagues given that strong winds are also forecast for today. The difficulty and discomfort this creates just adds to the challenges people are facing right now.

I have become increasingly aware this week that Barnardos is not a front line emergency response agency and that whilst we want to do all we can for the people affected by this incredible disaster, others such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are better equipped to provide community support at this time. That is why earlier this week, I encouraged any of you that are interested to think about whether you want to volunteer for one of these agencies in a personal capacity. Information for the volunteer scheme run by the Salvation Army can be found here.

Our time will come - and that will involve supporting children, young people and families in the Christchurch community over the coming weeks and months. The recovery process for this earthquake will be a long journey and we need to be well equipped to last the distance. We are actively connecting with other agencies such as Save the Children to ensure that we best utilise the range of skills in the community sector over the coming weeks.

From our initial inspections yesterday, it appears that our various properties in Christchurch have suffered relatively minor quake damage and after appropriate professional assessment will be able to be used as our activities are restored.

Most importantly however is the need to ensure that our staff and their families are given the best possible care and support to help them through these difficulties. The feedback I have received from many of our Christchurch colleagues is that are extraordinarily grateful and appreciative of how cared-for they feel. A very special thank you from me to all of you that have been involved in making them feel so nurtured at this time.

A number of our senior staff in Christchurch have been involved this afternoon in a major NGO/MSD coordination meeting in Hagley Park. I have yet to hear the outcomes of this meeting but we are hoping it will be very useful to ensure we focus our efforts and energies in the most beneficial way alongside the contributions of others.

One outstanding feature of the Christchurch recovery has been the wonderful stories and episodes that demonstrate a sense of community and a willingness to assist others despite the personal inconvenience or cost. This is a timely lesson for each of us and for all of our communities, and the hope is that this collective care of each other remains well after the earthquake recovery process has been completed.

I will send a final update for the week tomorrow, and then probably every second day next week. In the meantime, look after each other and those that are close to you.

Warmest regards,
Murray

 

Our early learning centres are currently closed. Before they can reopen, we’ll be checking they’re safe and making sure our staff are ready to go back to work – we’ll also need to get approval from the Ministry of Education.

We’ll let you know when the centres are able to reopen so keep checking our website. If you need to contact us, call 0800 Barnardos.
We won’t be invoicing you for any care from the day of the earthquake. If you have a direct debit or automatic payment, we’ll credit you for the days we didn’t provide care to you.

If you need advice on how to help your children deal with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, you can:

• call our parent helpline free on 0800 4 PARENT. The helpline will be available this weekend from 10am to 4pm, in addition to its usual hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
• read the factsheet from the International Center to Heal our Children.

Everyone at Barnardos sends their best wishes to you and your family.

All our educators are safe and we’re keeping in touch with them. Some KidStart services have reopened in Kaiapoi and Rangiora. The Ministry of Education has closed services in other areas for the moment. Before they can reopen, we’ll be visiting with a builder to check the educator’s house is safe and to make sure they’re ready to go back to work.

We’ll let you know when the service reopens in your area so keep checking our website. If you need to contact us, call 0800 KidStart

There may be some educators who can’t reopen at this stage if their houses are damaged. If this is the case for your educator, we’ll be in touch to talk about other options.

We won’t be invoicing you for any care from the day of the earthquake. To support your educator, Barnardos will be paying them until Friday 11 March regardless of whether they worked during that time. If you have a direct debit or automatic payment, we’ll credit you for the days we didn’t provide care to you.

If you need advice on how to help your children deal with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, you can:

• call our parent helpline free on 0800 4 PARENT. The helpline will be available this weekend from 10am to 4pm, in addition to its usual hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
• read the factsheet from the International Center to Heal our Children.

Everyone at Barnardos sends their best wishes to you and your family.

Some KidStart services have reopened in Kaiapoi and Rangiora. The Ministry of Education has closed services in other areas for the moment. Once we get their go ahead and you’re feeling ready to reopen, we’ll visit you to check your home and complete the MoE assessment form.

To support you during this time, we’ll pay you for your normal care hours until Friday 11 March regardless of whether you worked during this period. We won’t be invoicing any Christchurch KidStart parents from the day of the earthquake so Barnardos will be covering these payments.

The Ministry of Education has allowed our Rangiora and Kaiapoi KidStart educators to reopen and several are now operating. All our other KidStart services and early learning centres are still closed and will need to be assessed before they can reopen

For all our staff in Christchurch who have internet access, we'll be posting Murray's messages on this site each day as another way that you can keep in touch with what's happening. Murray has been in Christchurch today and he brought with him more than 40 messages of support from staff from around the country.

Below are Murray's messages to staff. Please watch this space for updates.

Christchurch earthquake: messages of support for staff

Click here to read the messages of support that Murray took to Christchurch on Monday.

Christchurch Earthquake *update 9*

Kia ora tatou

We’ve just heard from Murray and Arihia in Christchurch. Murray reports that it’s like driving through a sandstorm today as the strong winds are whipping up the piles of dusts. There are lots of people wearing face masks and the team reports bad hair days all around! Thank goodness Murray arrived with 12 blocks of Cadbury chocolate today …

The team has had a first look at all our buildings now and the first impression is that we’ve come through well – the buildings will still need to be formally assessed. They were briefly allowed in to the regional office in Colombo Street and were able to remove the cars, some PCs and some personal belongings.

We reported earlier in the week that our Kaiapoi office was open – just to clarify, it is restricted access only at this stage. The Rangiora and Kaiapoi KidStart educators got the ok from the Ministry of Education to reopen and several are now operating.

We’re putting all the messages of support from staff and other organisations on our website shortly. If you didn’t get a chance to send a message last week for Murray to take down on Monday, please feel free to send a message and we’ll post it on the website.

Noho ora mai raa

Niamh Lawless

Christchurch Earthquake *update 8*

Kia ora tatou

I've just got back from an NGO coordination meeting with representatives from many of the social services agencies and MSD. We talked about what was currently being provided in and around Christchurch, and how we best coordinate the efforts and resources of Government and the NGOs. It was good to see all the resources that are now available to support the different needs emerging in Christchurch and the total focus and commitment of everyone. Organisations such as the Salvation Army are looking for volunteers wanting to commit to a five day shift in Christchurch to help provide a range of support services. We will make more details of these initiatives available in the next day or so and staff who want to be involved will be supported by Barnardos to do so. Special paid leave will be available and requests to be involved should be made to your regional manager through your immediate manager.

All around the country, New Zealanders stopped today at 12.51 pm to mark the occurrence of the earthquake one week ago, by a two minute silence. In NRC we gathered together to listen to the service from Christchurch and I'm sure many of you did the same. We know that as more names of those who died in the quake are released, many staff in Christchurch and others of you around the country will be saddened to see names that you recognise and have connections with. Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with you and will continue to be so in the days ahead.

Members of SLT outside Christchurch had a phone conference today, and talked about the key activities for the next few weeks and how we can allocate our resources to most appropriately support everyone in Christchurch. As a group, we'll be touching base each day for the next few weeks.

The staff I met with in Christchurch yesterday were deeply grateful for the support that has been provided to them. As I said yesterday, they were really touched by the messages of support I took with me - they've asked if we can make them more widely available to the staff in Christchurch so we're looking at how we might do this. In the meantime at their request we've put all our daily updates onto the Barnardos website and texted all the staff in Christchurch to let them know they're available. We're continuing to call more than 100 staff every two days to give them the latest information and to check about how we can help. Thanks to Helen Alice's efforts, we've been able to secure some additional accommodation in Christchurch for at least a month. We'll be letting the Christchurch staff know about this when we call them tomorrow.

At the request of the Christchurch team, we're now gearing up to contact all our KidStart educators again tomorrow to give them the latest information and to see how they're going. We'll also be contacting all the ELC and KidStart parents. Thank you to Glenys, Tania and their teams for helping us out by making these calls. Some of our KidStart educators in Rangiora may be able to start operating again this week, the remainder will need to have their homes assessed by a builder and visiting teacher before they can open again - we've got a team of builders ready to start on this as soon as next week and we intend to bring in some visiting teachers from the Northern and Central regions to support the local staff to complete this work.

As we've communicated over the last few days, we've put processes in place to manage things like phone calls from Christchurch. timesheets, payroll, police checks etc. If there's anything that you're not sure how we're managing, please ask your manager or send an email.

I'm flying down to Christchurch tomorrow morning for the day, so expect an update from me tomorrow via Niamh. In the meantime, thank you to all of you who are helping out and please continue to do as you have so generously done over the last week.

Take good care of yourself and those around you.

Murray

Christchurch Earthquake *update 7*

Kia ora tatou

Here’s the latest update from Murray who has spent today with the team in Christchurch.

“Driving from the airport, my initial impression is that the damage in some areas is extraordinary but also very random as some areas are relatively unaffected. It's clear that many people will be under enormous stress and there's some hard work ahead.

I spent more than four hours meeting with the Christchurch management team and we had some good conversations about what’s needed. There are lots of ‘thank yous’ they'd like me to pass on, which I'll do tomorrow, and they've been really touched by all your messages of support. I'll be back in Christchurch on Wednesday and the team has given me a list of items to bring with me, from more phones and hand sanitiser, to face masks and the all important chocolate!

We managed to visit Te Puna Oraka and the hub today - there's no visible damage to either other than liquefaction, although we'll need to be careful in how we deal with this as it can be toxic. Our regional office is still in the cordon – we’re talking with authorities about when we might be able to get in to retrieve some files and to access the cars to help out staff who need transport. We're hoping to visit Ensors Road and the regional office on Wednesday.

Our fantastic visiting teachers in Christchurch have been able to make contact with all our local educators. Some in North Canterbury may be able to operate again later this week as their area has been relatively unaffected. We'll be showing our support for all our Christchurch educators by ensuring they're all paid for the next fortnight whether they're able to operate at the moment or not. All our ELCs will remain closed this week.

Some of our staff will be part of a meeting with the Ministry of Social Development and other NGOs at Hagley Park on Thursday. We also have staff rostered on at the welfare centres and of course many more working at Te Poutama Arahi Rangatihi taking care of the young people there. The message we’re still giving to the staff is that we want them to be able to focus on their families and friends, and the time for thinking about work will be later and only when they are feeling ready.

I’m heading to Te Poutama Arahi Rangatihi now with Helen Alice before I fly back to Wellington.”

Here in Wellington, we’re continuing to make contact with each of the Christchurch staff. We’re offering any assistance we can and just listening to their experiences. Some staff now have internet access at home, so we'll be putting Murray’s messages on our website as another way for us to keep in touch and show our support. We’ll keep calling everyone every couple of days to see how they’re going and sending out text updates.

You’ll all be aware that there will be a two minute silence tomorrow at 12.51pm to remember all those who have lost their lives, and each office will be observing this in whatever way feels appropriate.

One practicality to finish today’s message - if you’re needing to get police checks completed for new staff or educators in the South Island, please send them to Jan Morgan in Auckland for the time being.

Kia kaha and best wishes

Niamh

Christchurch Earthquake *update 6*

Kia ora tatou

This is the last update for this week, or it might be your first for next week - depending on when you read it.

I am sitting here in my office in Wellington on Friday night, thinking about the last three days - the enormity of the tragedy and the loss, and my gratefulness for and appreciation of the generosity and the support of those around us.

Bishop Richard Randerson in a memorial service for the victims of the Indonesian Tsunami three years ago said " Don't look for God in the tragedy, look for God in the efforts and sacrifices of the rescuers and the aid workers". So it is for the devastation of the earthquakes in Christchurch this week - our confidence and encouragement can come from the care and commitment of others who want to help and support.

Thank you so much for the response to my request earlier today for messages of support for our colleagues in Christchurch. On Monday morning I will travel to Christchurch loaded with computer and phone equipment, consumables, and 40 messages of comfort and support. If you still want to send messages please continue email them and we will ensure they get to your colleagues.

The phone support system I talked to you about this morning is underway with all staff in Christchurch having been contacted by phone or text during the day today. This will continue throughout next week with further contact scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The following email addresses and websites might be of interest to you:

The two key information websites are:
Civil Defence
Canterbury Earthquake

Housing assistance – there is a national website for offers of emergency housing for people.

Offers of assistance with materials and people should be directed to this email address.

Good information on coping with the psychological impact of the earthquake is available on the MoH website.

For those staff wanting to donate money to the earthquake relief effort:

If you want to donate directly to Barnardos staff and their families - send your contribution to the Finance Team at the Natioanal Resource Centre in Wellington.

A Mayoral fund has been set up for donations using the following BNZ bank account: 02-0800-084958-000.

Donations can be made to the Red Cross online or via the GrabOne website or Fundraise Online.

Donations can be made to the Salvation Army by calling 0800 53 00 00 (specify that your donation is for the 'Canterbury Earthquake Appeal')

At any bank as follows:

• Any ANZ Bank branch: Account number 01-1839-0188939-00
• Any National Bank branch: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00
• Any Westpac Bank branch: Account number 03-0207-0617331-00
• Any ASB Bank branch: Account number 12-3205-0146808-00
• Any BNZ Bank branch: Account number 02-0500-0982004-000
• Any Kiwibank branch: Account number: 38-9009-0759479-00

  After meeting with the management team in Christchurch on Monday, I will provide some info to Niamh and Caroline who will send you an information update on Monday afternoon.

  I hope your weekend is/was good and thank you once again for all you have done this week, will do in the days ahead, and for the way you care for each other.

  Best wishes

  Murray
  
  

  Christchurch Earthquake *update 5*

  Kia ora tatou

  It’s great to be able to report this morning that all of our staff have now been contacted and are accounted for. We do however know that some staff in Christchurch and in other parts of the country are still waiting for news about family and friends – this is an anxious and difficult time for you and our thoughts are with you all.

  Arihia and the Christchurch management team had their first get together yesterday. It is clear that our staff are still dealing with significant issues in their own lives and families and there is limited ability at this stage to care for others. Consequently, most of our services will remain closed over the coming days.

  Our Kaiapoi office has got the all clear, so the management team will be meeting there on Monday morning to support each other and to plan the days ahead.

  I will be going to Christchurch on Monday to be part of the meeting and Arihia and I will visit as many of our sites as we’re able to get to – our regional management building is still within the central city cordon at this stage. I’m taking some supplies with me; from hand sanitiser and other consumables to extra mobile phones, laptops and chargers.

  I’d also really like to take down as many messages of support and good wishes as possible. If you want to send a message to colleagues in Christchurch, please send an email. At the end of today we will print these messages and I will pass them on when I meet with the team on Monday morning.

  Barnardos has around 135 staff in Christchurch and we have established a telephone contact scheme where each one of these staff will be contacted every second day by an assigned caller based in Wellington. We will be ringing to see how they’re going, to give them any information they need, and to see how we might assist them further.

  Today at midday I will take part in a teleconference with the chief executives of other NGOs, the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Minister of Social Development – it’ll be good to hear how everyone is going, what resources and help people need, and what resources the government has available.

  Other Barnardos offices are also now seeing the impact of the earthquake. For example, our team in Invercargill are collecting supplies for families who are arriving in the city from Christchurch without any spare clothes or other personal belongings. They’re also talking with other organisations to see what accommodation is available for displaced families.

  Please note that our Parent Helpline will be opening this weekend to take calls from any parents who are needing support.

  If you have any comments , suggestions or offers of assistance, please send these to the feedback email address above, along with your messages of support.

  In conclusion, can I say how proud I am of every one of you for the way you have responded to this weeks disaster. Nothing has been too much effort and you have cared for and supported each other so generously and graciously. I know that this support and this care has been of immeasurable value to our Christchurch colleagues. I am also conscious that we are at the beginning of a long journey and we need to maintain our commitment to care and support for as long as it takes. Thank you so much.

  Murray

  
  

  Christchurch Earthquake *update 4*

  Kia ora tatou

  I don't think I have ever seen this country so focused on a single event as on the tragedy continuing in Christchurch. For the people of Christchurch and all of our Barnardos colleagues there, I hope this solidarity and the desire of all of us to assist is encouraging and comforting. To those outside Christchurch, it is appropriate that we recognise and acknowledge that we are all impacted by this and we need to look after ourselves, care for each other and for those around you, and continue to provide whatever support we can to those that are so significantly impacted by this disaster. I am aware that a number of staff are still waiting for news of family and friends and I know how difficult that must be for you. Please let us know if we can assist in any way.

  I can confirm that to the best of our knowledge, all our Barnardos staff and their families have been accounted for, apart from two staff members that we have been unable to contact to date.

  The Barnardos local management team in Christchurch is meeting together today to plan what we should do in the coming days. I hope to hear from them this afternoon as to what they most need from us over this period.

  The latest activities that are underway in the organisation are as follows:

• The ISS team is working with Arihia and the team in Christchurch to support their communication needs. They are rerouting phones to be answered at NRC or by recorded message, and providing additional mobiles with email and internet capability etc. They're also assisting in setting up office space for other NGOs to operate from, whose own premises have been damaged.
• We've had initial discussions with Save the Children about how we can work in with them to provide specialist trauma support to help children and parents deal with the physical and psychological impact of the earthquake.
• We're looking at increasing our Barnardos Parent Helpline and 0800 What’s Up capacity by increasing operating hours for parent helpline and using additional Barnardos staff to increase the number of counsellors we've got available on both helplines. We're also looking at how we can prioritise calls relating to the earthquake.
• We plan to update the Barnardos website and facebook, and the 0800 What’s Up website, with info for parents and children about how to deal with concerns raised by the earthquake.
• We've deferred the Barnardos Board meeting that was scheduled for today so that our entire energies and focus can be on what’s needed in Christchurch.
• Telecom is starting a campaign to collect analogue landline phones from around the country to distribute to people in Christchurch without power who only have cordless landline phones which are reliant on power. These phones plug straight into a jack-point and don’t require mains power. Spare analogue phones that you might have at home can be dropped into any Telecom store during retail opening hours.

  That's probably about all we know for now. I will let you know as more information becomes available. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

  Kia kaha and best wishes

  Murray
  
  

  Christchurch Earthquake *update 3*

  Kia ora tatou

  I am sure that like me, you have all been watching the events of the last 24 hours in Christchurch unfold with an increasing sense of disbelief - and helplessness. Take some comfort from the assurance that we have offered Barnardos absolute support and any required resources to assist our colleagues through this most traumatic of circumstances.

  I am keeping in regular contact with our managers in Christchurch - and in particular; Arihia Bennett and Helen Alice.

  The latest information we have from Christchurch is as follows:

  We’re currently working through some issues at Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi. There has been some building damage to the residence, but it remains able to be occupied. We are working with Child, Youth and Family to relocate some of the residents to ensure that we can provide the best care and support to the remaining young people. A number of our residential staff from Auckland are travelling to Christchurch tomorrow morning to support their colleagues at Te Poutama for the next few days.

  From the reports we have had, our two ELCs in Christchurch seem to be structurally sound although there are some issues with liquefaction and the ELCs will remain closed for at least the remainder of the week.

  KidStart services have also been closed until further notice but we have or are in the process of contacting all of our Educators and I believe they are all safe and accounted for.

  The regional office seems from the outside to be structurally sound but it needs to be checked by an engineer and there will be a lot of clean up needed inside the building. The office is within the central city cordon so we won’t be able to get back for the next few days at least.

  Arihia and Helen are letting us know what help they need from us. The priority for now is on making sure that our staff and educators are okay in their own lives before we even start thinking about people coming back to work and assisting others. We are also seeking to support other social service agencies as they manage their own challenges and look to develop their ability to provide support in the Christchurch community.

  To staff in Christchurch who are able to read this message, please know that we’re all thinking of you and that we want you to focus on being with your families for the foreseeable future. You will continue to be paid but you are not required to be at work until such time as you are able to do so. Please check with your supervisor or manager before attempting to return to work. We’re here to assist you in any way possible, so please know that you just need to ask – I know that Arihia and the management team are trying to get in touch with you all, but if you haven't had any contact or need some assistance, please contact Arihia on 0275900026.

  For all other staff, it is probably preferable if you want to make contact with Christchurch staff or services, please direct calls through someone at the National Resource Centre in Wellington.

  Thank you to all the staff around the country who are now picking up work such as answering our 0800 KidStart calls that would normally go to Christchurch, and the AMAC staff in Auckland who are picking up work from CMAC. For KidStart administrators, the proforma data needs to be sent to AMAC - attention - Maria Swainson. AMAC will process the care hours, pay the educators and generate invoices for parents.

  There are some major challenges being faced in Christchurch today and this will continue to be the case for some time to come. If any of you are struggling with what has happened, and is continuing to happen in Christchurch, please remember that we have help available – talk with your manager or contact Barnardos EAP provider.

  Take care and look after each other.

  Murray
  
  

  Christchurch Earthquake *update 2*

  Hi everyone

  Kia ora tatou

  We're continuing to hear from staff in Christchurch and thankfully there are still no reports of injuries among our staff or the children in our care. We are hearing from staff that some homes are seriously damaged and it's clear that this is a devastating event for many people in Christchurch.

  Our staff are doing an amazing job - the Christchurch crisis management is calling around our educators and the team at Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi are working double shifts to ensure the young people are well supported. I know that many of you are wondering how you can help and I'm sure this will become clearer over the next few days.

  If there are any significant developments overnight or tomorrow, we'll update you all. I know that all our thoughts are with our staff and the families they work with, and our own families and friends.

  Regards
  Murray
  
  

  Christchurch Earthquake *update 1*

  Hi everyone

  At this stage there are no reports of injuries to either our staff or the children and young people in our care. Our ELCs are reporting issues with liquification but the children are unhurt and are now being collected by parents.

  Our Christchurch crisis management team has mobilised and is being led by Arihia Bennett. We are offering the team any support that's needed.

  A number of services in Christchurch will be affected for the remainder of the week:

• For KidStart there will be no care for the remainder of the week and our early learning centres will be closed
• Any children's supervised contact sessions scheduled for this weekend are cancelled
• The KidStart educator conference planned for this weekend in Christchurch is cancelled
• The regional office will be closed for the rest of the week.

  Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi is continuing to operate as normal.

  Many of you will have friends and family in Christchurch - if you would like to be at home with your own families at this time, please feel free to leave work. If you have any concerns about colleagues or children in our care, please contact Andrea Fisher.

  We will be posting this information on our website shortly.

  Regards
  Murray
  
  

  Christchurch Earthquake

  Hi everyone

  You may have heard that there has been another large earthquake in Christchurch. Initial reports are that it was 6.3 but shallow and the media are reporting buildings are damaged.

  The initial reports are that our staff are very shaken but unhurt. Staff at the Christchurch regional office have now gone home. Communication is difficult at this stage as phone lines are overloaded and some systems went down briefly. We are still making contact with our ELCs and other offices, and we'll keep you posted.

  I know you'll all be concerned for everyone and I want to reassure you that we're talking with the regional team about what support is needed.

  Regards
  Murray

Parent helpline counsellors available

If you need advice on how to help your children deal with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, you can:

• call our parent helpline free on 0800 4 PARENT. The helpline will be available this weekend from 10am to 4pm, in addition to its usual hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
   
• read the factsheet from the International Center to Heal our Children.

 Support for children and young people

If you're aged between 5 and 18 and you need to talk about how you're feeling about the Christchurch earthquake, call 0800 What's Up. Calls to this phone counselling service are free from anywhere in New Zealand and our counsellors are available from 12pm to 12am seven days a week.
 

Due to the Christchurch earthquake, all Barnardos services are closed until further notice. This includes our early learning centres, KidStart, and children’s supervised contact. If you need urgent assistance, please contact the government helpline on 0800 779 997. If you need to contact Barnardos, please call 0800 Barnardos.

Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi residence is continuing to operate.

Everyone at Barnardos sends their best wishes to the people of Christchurch and those who have lost family and friends in this tragedy.

Below is a list of contact details that may assist you with regards to the recent Christchurch earthquake.

Government Helpline 0800 779 997
For information about all government services and support

Red Cross Personal Enquiry Line 0800 733 276 (0800 RED CROSS)
If you are concerned about whānau

Red Cross Line for Missing Persons 0800 435 700
If you are unable to contact friends or whānau

WEBSITES:
Civil Defence
For key information and status updates
www.civildefence.govt.nz

Canterbury Earthquake
For key information, council and Civil defence updates
www.canterburyearthquake.org.nz

Ministry of Social Development
For information about government support for you, for your whānau, or for your friends
www.msd.govt.nz/emergency/govt-agency-help.html
Work and Income offices are open for emergencies only

At this stage there are no reports of injuries to either Barnardos staff or the children and young people in our care in Christchurch as a result of today's earthquake.

If you have any concerns about either staff or children in our care, please contact Caroline Wakelin or call 027 484 0955.

A number of services in Christchurch will be affected for the remainder of the week:

• For KidStart there will be no care for the remainder of the week and our early learning centres will be closed
   
• Any children's supervised contact sessions scheduled for this weekend are cancelled
   
• The KidStart Educator conference planned for this weekend in Christchurch is cancelled
   
• The Christchurch regional office will be closed for the rest of the week.

Te Poutama Arahi Rangatahi is continuing to operate as normal.

We will update this site with any developments.

0800 BARNARDOS General enquiries

0800 4 BARNARDOS  Childcare enquiries

0800 WHATSUP 
Free children's helpline 

For media enquries phone Deborah Morris-Travers on 027 281 1575