Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:10021] 
6.  
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) 
: Why did the roopu team in the Masterton office of Child Youth and Family Services have a 36 percent higher caseload than the other team in the office? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) 
: 
 I am advised that in November 2001 which is the period that I understand the member is referring to there was a significantly higher number of notifications than usual. The service delivery unit manager had established a third team had recently employed two social workers with a caseload of 11 each and was in the process of employing a supervisor. Work distribution was undertaken to address the imbalance referred to in the member’s question and I am advised that currently the team’s workload is well within the average. 
Katherine Rich 
: When the Commissioner for Children’s report into the Aplin and Jetson girls’ deaths highlights problems of insufficient support and resource for the roopu team does she support the department’s dismissal of the commissioner’s recommendation “to review the effectiveness of roopu teams and the resourcing training and professional support of those teams.”; if so why? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No I would support the revisiting of that recommendation. 
Moana Mackey 
: What is the Government doing to ensure that caseloads are allocated effectively? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The Department of Child Youth and Family Services is developing a national caseload management tool to manage caseloads for social workers that will factor in not only the number of cases but also the complexity skills and experience of staff. That tool will help ensure that cases are allocated consistently and equitably. 
Ron Mark 
: Can the Minister tell the House whether the social workers who were responsible for the case management of the Aplin and Jetson girls have resigned or been dismissed and further were any payments made upon the termination of their employment; if so how much were those payments and for what reason were they made? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I am unaware of any details relating to the latter questions but in relation to the primary question the social worker concerned has resigned. 
Dail Jones 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is customary for Ministers to say that they will supply other information at a later date. Can we have an undertaking from the Minister that that information can be supplied at a later date? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is up to the Minister. I do not judge the quality of the answer. 
Sue Bradford 
: Is the Department of Child Youth and Family Services currently undertaking work to develop both the management and social work practice capacity of those involved in the roopu teams? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I understand that the department has not focused either of those two priorities at the moment specifically within the roopu team. But as a result of the discussion that has been generated from the Commissioner for Children’s report that will be under consideration. 
Katherine Rich 
: Why was the Masterton office not being closely monitored by the chief executive given the restructuring that was going on and the several high-profile child deaths in the Masterton area? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Significant additional support and resourcing had in fact been allocated to the Masterton office and it is irresponsible for the member to imply any deficiency in response from the chief executive to the earlier tragedies. Direct support was given from head office and from other regions to ensure that the Masterton staff were properly supported and resourced to carry on their work. 
Katherine Rich 
: When the roopu team in Masterton overseeing the Aplin and Jetson sisters’ cases had a caseload 36 percent higher than the non-Maori case team managed files of greater complexity and had a key leadership position in that office eliminated does she accept that as a result of Labour’s restructuring front-line staff on that team were on a hiding to nothing? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No.