The fono was held on zoom. The Pacific team met with workers providing support to Pacific children, young people and vulnerable adults/people in or recently out of care. The purpose of the fono was to understand their experiences as professionals and to discuss systems, policies and processes that enhance or prevent their ability to provide an exceptional service to Pacific children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Participants in the fono shared:

• The various pathways into care such as socio-economic factors, varying cultural values and families migrating from the Pacific Islands with little support.
• The current care system is reactive rather than proactive. This needs to change in order to provide genuine support for young people.
• There should be a youth-based approach to care to ensure that young people have a voice in the system.
• There must be a pathway to empower young people to speak up and report abuse. This pathway must be accessible, culturally appropriate and safe for young people.
• Pacific people are often placed in a box and have to abide by Western settings. There must be Pacific approaches to care, including ensuring that there are culturally competent workers.
• Young people should be involved in decision-making processes such as where they are placed.
• Transparency is key in meeting the needs of young people.

The Pacific investigation team would like to thank all participants for attending this fono. If you have any questions, please contact: talanoa@abuseincare.org.nz.