8. JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) Link to this
to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)
What is her role in the Cabinet committee on Government expenditure and administration’s review of Child, Youth and Family?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) Link to this
As the Vote Minister, the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) will sign off on the terms of reference of the reviews jointly with her colleague the Hon Trevor Mallard. The Minister will participate in the progress on the reviews and the report back of the findings to the Cabinet committee.
Is the Cabinet committee reviewing the difficulties and level of time-wasting that community agencies experience meeting the administrative requirements demanded for any funding and contracts with the department, and when can agencies expect an improvement in this appalling process?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
My understanding is that work is under way in terms of those areas. There are various tests occurring of certain initiatives, which I know the member has a close interest in, and these are on schedule. I fully support her concerns. The community agencies should be able to work effectively and quickly with Child, Youth and Family Services in that regard.
Steve ChadwickWould the Minister outline the key performance achievements of Child, Youth and Family Services that are monitored and reported?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The department has reduced the number of unallocated cases dramatically, despite a big increase in notifications. Children are being seen more quickly, and determinations of abuse and neglect are made more quickly. The number of social workers has also increased significantly under this Government and increasing numbers are being registered as registered social workers.
Judith CollinsHow long has she been calling for a review of Child, Youth and Family Services, and does she now concede that it is not actually entering a period of “performance excellence” as the Minister claimed at the Social Services Committee last year?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The baseline review of Child, Youth and Family Services of course started some time ago and has some time since been completed and is being implemented. Child, Youth and Family Services was set up in 1999 by the previous Government, was dramatically under-resourced at the time of its creation, and was a failing Government department when this Government came into office. There has been substantial improvement since that point, with something like a doubling of the vote for the department.
How can the Minister have any confidence in the outcome of the Child, Youth and Family Services review when it does not include a review of the costs of staff turnover, which currently stands at an unacceptable 11 percent?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I am interested to hear that a staff turnover of 11 percent at Child, Youth and Family Services is being described as unacceptable. About 4 or 5 years ago it was something like 34 percent, which is the figure that comes to my mind as the level of staff turnover in the department.