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“Make sure our money is not wasted” child protection specialists tell Health Select Committee

Child Advocacy trust Child Matters appeared before the Health Select Committee today with the strong message that whatever interventions the Committee concluded might be valid, such interventions will not succeed if the people involved do not have the skills to carry them out.

Child Matter’s CEO, Anthea Simcock told the committee that whatever recommendations come out of the current inquiry, they run the risk of not being successful if people do not have the skills to undertake those initiatives properly. If this happens it would be a waste of taxpayers money.

“NZ has a history of overlooking maltreatment and neglect of children because people lack the necessary skills,” she said. “As a result, children are not protected, and abuse continues.”

“Government must set basic standards for professionals in every sector working with families and children. It should be a national requirement that professionals working with children whether in education, health, social services, be required to undertake child protection training.”

She also told the committee that because child protection training is a specialist and sensitive process it should be carried out by skilled teachers with child protection expertise in the field.

To ensure that child protection training is effective in giving people not simply the knowledge, but the confidence and commitment to act, she recommended that government took responsibility to set the frameworks and expectations that ensure quality child protection training.

“Otherwise,” she suggested, “We are wasting our money and resources.”

ENDS


About Child Matters:

• Child Matters is the only charitable trust in New Zealand solely focused on child abuse prevention education, education and advocacy.
• It works to prevent child abuse by 1) speaking up for New Zealand children; and 2) educating adults to identify child abuse and take the appropriate action.
• Child Matters is a catalyst in communities, working to connect organisations and build leaders who are making positive impacts on child abuse prevention.
• Child Matters is an independent charitable trust with a cross sector view and influence around child abuse in New Zealand. It has links to all organisations who work with children and enables them to tackle the issue of child abuse in their local communities.
• Every adult in New Zealand is affected in some way by child abuse and, therefore, Child Matters believes every adult has a role to play in protecting children. Its child abuse prevention educational programmes are a powerful solution.
• Child Matters believes child abuse prevention education must be made compulsory for all key organisations working with children.
• Child Matters works with a range of organisations to educate their staff to identify child abuse and take the appropriate action. It encourages organisations to adopt a child abuse prevention education and staff wellness programme to demonstrate they take child abuse prevention seriously.
• Child Matters operates nationally.
• For more information, visit: www.childmatters.org.nz

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