Staff misconduct cases soar at CYF

National Party Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins has released figures showing a big increase in staff misconduct cases at CYF since 1999.

Answers to written Parliamentary questions show the number of staff misconduct cases have soared from 2 in 1998/99 to 46 in 2001/2002.

“The Minister can’t provide the most up to date figures because, conveniently for Labour, there have been problems ‘due to a change in the way information was captured and stored’.

“When the number of staff facing disciplinary action has climbed so dramatically in such a short time, the Minister must ask questions.

“Clearly there is something wrong with the culture at CYF, which has been forced to carry an increasing workload without adequate Ministerial leadership.

“If CYF was a private care provider, they would lose their government contracts with this kind of record,” says Ms Collins.

Ends

Parliamentary Question 03531 (2005)
Sent: Monday, 4 April 2005 03:53 p.m.
Subject: 03531 (2005) Published - Social Development & Employment (Associate Minister - CYF) - Normal Reply
Question: Were any Child, Youth and Family staff reported or investigated for misconduct for each year from October 1999 through to and including October 2003; if so, how many staff were involved each year, specified by the nature of their misconduct?

Portfolio: Social Development & Employment (Associate Minister - CYF)
Minister: Hon Ruth Dyson
Date Lodged:15/03/2005
Answer Text: Child Youth and Family records do not cover the full period requested due to a change in the way information was captured and stored in the period July - December 2003. At this time, a new centralised database incorporating information in relation to investigations relating to misconduct was being developed and introduced.

However, available records show the following number of disciplinary cases were initiated by Child Youth and Family in the four year period 1 July 1998 to 30 June 2002:

1998 - 1999 2
1999 - 2000 22
2000 - 2001 58
2001 - 2002 46
Note these numbers do not include cases resolved through the department's informal processes (specified in the Code of Conduct), nor all formal cases (particularly for earlier years), and do not separately categorise different causes for the disciplinary action, or the specific nature of any misconduct.

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