About the Well Child/Tamariki Ora Quality Programme

Well Child Schedule

The Well Child/Tamariki Ora (WCTO) programme aims to support and promote the healthy development of children and their families/whānau from birth to five years. It is a universal programme, designed on the principle of providing services for all, with additional services available according to need.

The current New Zealand WCTO schedule includes four contacts during the postnatal period provided by lead maternity carers (LMCs), a six-week check by general practice, and a further eight contacts from four to six weeks through to five years provided by WCTO providers (Ministry of Health 2010c, 2010d). Additional contacts (which may begin antenatally) are provided on the basis of assessed need. It also includes oral health, immunisations, new-born metabolic screening, new-born hearing screening along with a before school check.

Aims and standards of the quality improvement framework

Midland initial indicators/measures

• New-borns are enrolled with a General Practice by 49 days
• Immunisations are up to date by 8 months
• New-borns are enrolled with a WCTO service by 49 days
• Infants receive all WCTO core contacts in their first year
• Infants are breastfed at 3 months
• Children are enrolled with oral health services by 12 months
• Children receive their core oral health checks
• Children are caries free at 5 years old
• Four year olds have a before school check (B4SC)

Whole system approach

Quality indicators do not stand alone: they are part of a whole-system approach to quality improvement that includes:

• standards (the WCTO Quality Improvement Framework)
• monitoring (Midland performance data dashboard)
• support for collaboration and planning quality improvement priorities (DHB-led local WCTO quality improvement programmes and Midland WCTO Quality Improvement Manager)
• support for learning and sharing best practice (Well Child Innovation Hub)

Project team

Project management

The Ministry of Health has provided funding for one full time project manager for a 2 year period to work in each region to help manage and encourage innovation in the sector. The project manager reports quarterly to the Ministry of Health on quality progress for the Midland region.

Kathryn Fromont - Midland Project Manager
RM, R Comp N, PG Dip Management Studies

Regional governance

Regional governance for the project is carried out by the Midland WCTO Project Board, which consists of the Midland Well Child Portfolio Managers.

Core roles:

• Ensure the project delivers on the required benefits for their DHB
• Provide clear leadership and direction to the project
• Ensure strategic alignment of existing and new projects with the WCTO quality activities.

Membership

Local steering groups

Each district has formed a local group of expert child health stakeholders to develop and lead quality work/initiatives within their area of expertise.

Core roles:

• Providing expertise on initiatives for the quality plan;
• Providing clinical input for targets related to clinical outcomes;
• Leading/carrying out tasks to meet the objectives of the quality plan;
• Motivating and supporting staff to achieve targets;
• Reviewing the reports to ensure that the measures are reaching their targets;
• Acting upon identified areas for improvement; and
• Assessing the effectiveness of the plan and its implementation as well as making changes as required.

Waikato steering group membership

Tairawhiti steering group membership

Taranaki steering group membership

Bay of Plenty and Lakes to be confirmed.