186Report by social worker

1. The court—

2. must obtain and consider a report from a social worker before making—
   1. a custody order under section 101 (other than an interim custody order) placing the child or young person in the custody of any person listed in section 101(1); or
   2. a guardianship order under section 110 that appoints the chief executive, an iwi social service, a cultural social service, or any other person as the sole guardian of the child or young person; or
   3. a special guardianship order under section 113A; and
3. may obtain and consider a report from a social worker before making any other order referred to in section 83(1) or 84(1).

4. In the course of preparing a report for the purposes of subsection (1)(a), the social worker must consider whether there is a realistic possibility that the child or young person to whom the report relates will be returned to the care of the parent, guardian, or other person who had the care of the child or young person before the care or protection order was made.

5. Every report provided to the court pursuant to subsection (1)(a) must (without limiting subsection (3)) make a recommendation, with reasons, on whether there is a realistic possibility that the child or young person to whom the report relates can be returned to the care of the parent, guardian, or other person who had the care of the child or young person before the care or protection order was made, and—

6. if there is such a realistic possibility, must—
   1. set out the steps that the parent, guardian, or the other person must take, or the behavioural changes that the parent, guardian, or the other person must make, before the child or young person can be returned to the care of the parent, guardian, or the other person; and
   2. recommend a time when, or a period within which, the option of returning the child or young person to the care of the parent, guardian, or other person will be pursued, having particular regard to the age of the child or young person; or
7. if there is no such realistic possibility, set out—
   1. the child's or young person's likely long-term needs, and proposals for how those needs will be met; and
   2. if a special guardianship order under section 113A is contemplated, a recommendation about which guardianship rights, if any, should be shared between the special guardian and the existing guardian (as defined in that section).

8. Every report obtained pursuant to this section in respect of a child or young person shall include—

9. such information as is required to be included in such reports by guidelines issued from time to time in writing by the chief executive after consultation with the Principal Family Court Judge:
10. such other information as may assist the court in its consideration of the matter:
11. such other information as the court may direct.

12. Every report required pursuant to this section shall be prepared, where appropriate, in consultation with a Maatua Whangai worker.

13. In this section, the term social worker includes a person employed in the speciality of social work by the director of a child and family support service, or by an iwi social service or a cultural social service, who consents to make a report under this section.