The Government's proposed restructure of social services departments is a ridiculous idea on that will add to already
compounding problems for the Child, Youth and Families Service, National's Social Services and Work and Income spokesman
Bob Simcock said today.
"The Child, Youth and Families Service is under tremendous pressure. They have got such a massive list of unallocated
cases that they are having trouble coping with the workload and retaining staff. This proposal will only create more
stress.
"Judge Mick Brown's report highlighted that one of the major causes of failure in the CYFS was the number of
restructures it has had, yet here the Government is announcing they are considering doing it all over again.
"They can't use the justification that CYFS and the Department of Work and Income have many of the same clients. All of
DWI clients go to the supermarket as well but that doesn't justify the departments amalgamating.
"The culture and skills of an organisation that provides care and protection services needs to be totally different from
the culture of an organisation that provides benefits.
"If amalgamation progresses at the very time when CYFS needs to have a public voice, it will lose that voice and become
a small part of a very large organisation. The budget difference is huge with CYFS responsible for $340 million compared
to the DWI's $13 billion. "By merging these organisations the Government is also attempting to avoid an embarrassing
personal grievance by DWI chief executive Christine Rankin whom it wants to ditch.
"Amalgamating these social service departments is ridiculous. They should be left to stand alone," Mr Simcock said.
Ends