United Future Media Statement
For immediate release
Monday 27 February 2006

Review of CYF Ignores Community Agencies

It is no surprise that Child Youth and Family has been included in the so-called ‘razor gang’ review of government departments, according to United Future Social Services Spokeswoman, Judy Turner.

“This is a department, which although it has lifted its game, is still under stress.”

It is nearly two years since United Future released its programme to get CYF on track. We called it the Dual Track Intake. It was accepted by the Government and became known as the Differential Intake Model.

Key to this report is a paradigm change within CYF: to recognise that CYF will never get on top of the phenomenal number of notifications until they contract their medium to low risk cases to competent community agencies and focus their attention on the costly, high-risk cases.

“What disappoints me is that this review is only looking at the “opportunities for other government agencies . . . to respond to these societal factors and relieve pressures on CYF services.” There are a large number of hugely competent non-government agencies who only need capacity building to pick up the additional workload.”

“Although the review mentions the need to improve collaboration between government partner agencies, again there is no reference to non-governmental agencies. Improved collaboration between government and non-government agencies would further reduce the level of unnecessary duplication.”

“Why is the review ignoring the value that competent social service agencies bring to the vital work of ensuring the safety and well-being of children?

“Government agencies alone cannot make a better society.”

“What I want to see as the outcome of this review is a cut in workload for CYF frontline staff, but not a cut in funding,” ended Mrs Turner.

ENDS

© Scoop Media