Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
12. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development 
: What opportunity is there for providers to demonstrate that they have improved practice in order to achieve the Minister’s new “fresh look for Family Start”; and what support has the Ministry for Social Development put in place for providers to understand the ramifications of these changes announced on 24 March 2011? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development) 
: 
 There have been numerous opportunities for providers to demonstrate that they have improved practice—more than you Mr Speaker would allow me to do in the time that I am given for this. Family Start is the most intensive and expensive programme funded by the Ministry of Social Development to work with our most vulnerable families. An independent report in December 2009 found serious problems with a number of providers and I made that report available to all of them. Since then the Ministry of Social Development has made extensive technical and professional support available particularly over the last 12 months to providers who are struggling to meet the new performance criteria around those most vulnerable children. At the end of the day nine providers have been assessed as performing well and the Ministry of Social Development will be entering a 3-year contract with them. We will support providers where we know they are delivering good quality programmes but we cannot accept that our most vulnerable families should receive substandard services. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Is she aware that Te Whanau o Waipareira Trust Family Start is measuring weekly visits for all new whanau that take place in it and put it in the top 10 of providers and that 80 percent of its whanau are remaining after 12 months; if so why is it being considered as one of the providers to be shut down? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The advice that I have had is that it is one of five poor performers in that it is failing to adhere to some of the basic requirements of the Family Start programme manual and has not been able to successfully implement best-practice advice. This is the minimum standard of practice that is expected to meet its contract requirements. Further even with additional guidance and support it has been one of five providers that have not demonstrated that they can reach an adequate level of service delivery and sustain that to be business as usual. It has had something like 14 visits from the department on this very programme since July last year. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Can I ask the Minister what consultation has occurred with Maori and Pasifika communities who will be significantly affected by the proposed cut in Family Start services in particular in Mangere and Papakura? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I think it is really important that we make it clear there is not going to be a cut to services or a cut to the amount of money. We are going to re-tender. So what we have are particular issues with the standards of service for these providers. We are going to re-tender and I imagine other providers will pick up that work. We have got at least 3 months until those contracts are up and we will extend them slightly if we need to so that we have got a transition for those families who need it. But at the end of the day we are re-tendering; we are not cutting the amount that is in Family Start.