Children's Minister Kelvin Davis expects a review of all Government departments which could have intervened before the murder of five-year-old Malachi Subecz.

But the terms of reference for such a review are yet to be finalised.

Davis says the details for the wider review, including who would lead it, will not be finalised for 'a few” weeks.

In the meantime, a separate review at Oranga Tamariki is also working to finalise its terms of reference before it begins.

The wider 'system review” is expected to include police, Oranga Tamariki, Corrections and possibly the courts and education.

Malachi died in November 2021, following prolonged and horrific abuse at the hands of his caregiver.

Michaela Barriball was appointed as his caregiver on September 13, according to the court's summary of facts. She had temporary care of Malachi after his mother was imprisoned in late June.

Following Barriball's guilty plea, Davis said he will 'get to the bottom” of what could have prevented Malachi's death.

He asked for a briefing from Oranga Tamariki, which then confirmed it has commissioned its own independent review.

Malachi's extended family say they'd alerted the child protection agency to 'grave concerns” for Malachi's safety twice in the months before his death.

Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani says an independent reviewer will work alongside chief social worker Peter Whitcombe to investigate how Oranga Tamariki handled the case.​

A spokeswoman for the ministry says it's working on the terms of reference for Whitcombe's investigation.

Davis says it will 'take a few weeks” to develop the terms of reference for these two reviews, given he wanted multiple agencies to be in scope of the 'system review”.

He says it's too early to know when these investigations will report back.

'The sooner the better, but I can't put a specific date on it because we have to make sure we do this properly and if there are any gaps in the system – with whatever agencies are involved – then they need to be closed.”

Davis says he has support of Cabinet to commission a multi-agency review.

'Everyone is concerned. They want to know there are no gaps left, and more children aren't at-risk.”

Police have said they were not alerted to concerns about Subecz's safety before his death.

The Tauranga daycare where Malachi attended took photographs of bruises and other injuries caused by his abuse in late September, more than a month before his murder.

These photographs were not made available to police, and Oranga Tamariki has declined to say whether it had them in its possession.

-Stuff/Glenn McConnell.