Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:12379] 
10.  
JUDY TURNER (United Future) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) 
: Is she satisfied that the Department of Child Youth and Family Services is capable of meeting its statutory obligations under its current structure; if so why? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) 
: Yes in light of our commitment to implementing the comprehensive recommendations of the baseline review. It is a tragedy that this level of analysis on the structure management and function of the department was not undertaken before it was established in 1999. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree that the department’s current emphasis on the recurrence of abuse in serious cases is coming at the expense of preventing abuse in the first place—as evidenced by the fact that 99 percent of unallocated cases are at the lower criticality levels—and does she agree that only a dual-intake process as suggested by United Future would demonstrate that the Government is serious about breaking the cycle of abuse in its infancy; if not why not? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: That recommendation in the United Future policy last week is entirely consistent with the recommendation in the baseline review to establish the family support services overview and leadership role within the Ministry of Social Development. 
Moana Mackey 
: What is the Government doing to ensure that Department of Child Youth and Family Services systems and front-line staff consistently deliver best social work practice? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: As part of the implementation of the baseline review recommendations and the $120 million additional investment in the Department of Child Youth and Family Services nearly 90 additional social workers have been employed this year and a further 56 are to be employed in 2004-05. The department’s systems and regional management are being strengthened and it is also developing a demand management strategy to ensure the safety of our children. 
Judith Collins 
: Does the Minister agree that no matter what structure she imposes on the Department of Child Youth and Family Services it is her own lack of leadership that has led to a culture of mediocrity permeating the department? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No but I will continue to listen to that member’s very constructive criticism. 
Sue Bradford 
: What steps is the Government taking if any to ensure that children and young people in statutory care have a safe way of seeking help should they be subject to abuse or violence at the hands of the very people who are supposed to be caring for them? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: There are very tight protocols—which in my view are being complied with—in terms of the response that the Department of Child Youth and Family Services makes to any potential abuse within a caregiver situation. That allegation is immediately investigated and as was the case with the caregivers’ family recently described in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 the caregivers are immediately removed from that family home. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree that public confidence in the Department of Child Youth and Family Services continues to be very low; if so does she agree that unless the system is overhauled in order to relocate the statutory mandate for preventive work to a separate family support service then potential cases of child abuse will continue to turn into serious cases with tragic consequences further dragging down the department? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No I do not believe that restructuring on its own would help the department to ensure that public confidence was restored but I support the recommendation of the baseline review that the department focus more on its core functions and stabilise its operations. 
Judy Turner 
: Is the Minister aware that initiatives to emphasise preventive work with at-risk families through differential intake in the United States the United Kingdom and Australia have reduced the demand for crisis services; and does she concede that that approach is the best way to fulfil Mick Brown’s 2001 plea to reduce unallocated cases to zero as soon as possible? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Yes I believe that that is a constructive proposal. 
Judy Turner 
: Would the Minister consider piloting a system such as that proposed by United Future that differentiates immediate child protection concerns from broader family support needs by creating the new role of family support coordinator and trialling it at a local level; if not why not? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No I do not think it would be helpful to introduce yet another new system when a comprehensive review of the work of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services came up with a comprehensive range of recommendations which we have agreed to implement.