New Ministry of Vulnerable Children focuses on problems, not potential – PSA
The government’s choice of name for the new Ministry of Vulnerable Children is short-sighted and may further disadvantage the families it aims to help, the Public Service Association says.
“This is a poor decision on the government’s part, because it immediately sends worrying signals about what the new Ministry is there to do,” PSA National Secretary Glenn Barclay says.
“It treats the children as a problem rather than looking at their potential.
“You might as well rename the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for Sick People – or instead of talking about the Ministry of Justice, start calling it the Ministry for Criminals.
“It will stigmatise the children who it’s aiming to help, and scare families who are trying to do the best for their kids.”
Mr Barclay says it’s “illogical” for the new Ministry to deliver services to children and young people, while the Ministry for Social Development will continue to be responsible for the child’s family.
“This treats at-risk children completely separately from their family, whanau and caregivers – which our members tell us is the wrong way to go.
“This bizarre separation will create more silos when we understood the whole point of this review was remove them.
“While the two Ministerial portfolios are currently both held by Anne Tolley, that may not always be the case – further reinforcing the separation.
“We ask Mrs Tolley to urgently reconsider both the name and the structure of her ministry.”
Mr Barclay says the PSA is looking forward to working with the chief executive, Grainne Moss.
“We hope to build a constructive and fruitful working relationship with her as our members at Child Youth and Family transition into the new Ministry structure.”
Well….Anne Tolley and the rest of the Current Mob have given the single digit salute to the new Children’s Commissioner.
Despite a Fairfax Poll saying the new name was as popular as a camplylobacter outbreak, despite the Children’s Commissioner saying the the name was “cripplingly disappointing”, the new ministry for preventing the abuse, neglect and murder of Kiwi children will actually be handicapped by the name Ministry for Vulnerable Children.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/82571122/Faces-of-Innocents-Planned-Ministry-for-Vulnerable-Children-labelled-stigmatising-and-cripplingly-disappointing
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/82699004/Ministry-for-Vulnerable-Children-name-stigmatising-and-labelling
And, the CEO of this new ministry IS going to be a career manager…with no experience in the area of children and young people and their families.
Oh no, her latest job was as the CEO of BUPA NZ…a multinational in the area of aged care and health insurance…with a less than exemplary reputation.
If this is the life raft….
….god help this ministry, and all who have the misfortune of having to sail in it.
Damn them.
What WILL happen is that they will contract out to profit driven providers the core work of Child Youth and Family staff. Foster care will be entirely through these profit driven providers…as has happened in the UK…where the new CEO hails from.
As happened with disability supports under the Misery of Health…providers will be able to cherry pick clients…and will decline to ‘provide services’ to those with high and very high and complex needs whose care requirements will erode their profit margin. These children will end up in ‘facilities’ where, if it turns out like it has done for many disabled people, providers will exploit, abuse and neglect to death….and the providers will not be held accountable.
Be afraid, be very, very, afraid.
They can call it anything they like and it will make no difference: the culture will remain the same -inefficient, ineffective and generally dysfunctional.
Children who need protection won’t get it and others will removed from generally safe situations and put into abuse situations.
Never trust a politician or a bureaucrat.