Media release
28 October 2003
New Thinking Behind Recruitment Drive For Two New Auckland Residences
Child, Youth and Family is spearheading a major recruitment drive for two new residences set to open in Auckland in
February 2004.
The Department, which provides both statutory youth justice and care and protection services for children and young
people is looking for a wide range of staff for both residences. This includes unit managers, residential social
workers, youth workers, supervisors, night attendants, domestic staff, administrators, chefs and cooks. In total over 75
positions are being recruited. A training programme will be offered to existing and new staff to give them the skills
needed for working in the new residences.
One of the residences, Youth Justice North, will be the largest youth justice residence in the country, accommodating up
to 46 young people in a new purpose-built facility in Manukau, South Auckland. This will provide an increase of 15
much-needed youth justice beds. The residence design features smaller units: a six-bed unit for young people sentenced
under the Criminal Justice Act, and two 12-bed and two 8-bed units for those under remand and under Supervision with
Residence orders.
The smaller units are in line with international best practice, which has seen a shift away from larger units so as to
create a less institutional feel.
The other residence, Care and Protection North, is a redeveloped 10-bed residence on the site of Child, Youth and
Family’s existing Northern Residential Centre, also in Manukau.
At both residences, the weekday focus will be on therapeutic programmes, education and casework. At weekends, the
emphasis is on developing social skills and recreational programmes. The goal is for children and young people to
develop new skills to enable a successful return to families and the community. The new approach sets out to ensure that
suitably skilled staff offer young people programmes tailored to suit each person, supported by individualised planning
and casework.
Additionally, the differentiation between weekday and weekend programmes is new. At the moment many social work staff,
in particular, follow a three-week rotating roster.
The main benefits of the new system are:
- Young people will receive consistency of care by the same people at the same time on a weekly basis;
- There is greater programme continuity;
- It will assist the integration of on-site education with other programmes;
- Staff will have the chance to work less unsocial work hours, thus improving their welfare and reducing stress and sick
leave;
- The need for casual staff would be lessened, providing more skill and stability.
Alan Geraghty, Manager Residential Development says: “Child, Youth and Family is committed to forging better futures for
children and young people. We are committed to providing a therapeutic culture that maximises the opportunities for
children and young people to develop new skills to support them when they return to families and the community.
“We are also offering staff training and professional development for working in a challenging and rewarding
environment.”
-ends-
Note to Editors
Child, Youth and Family has a total of 8 residences nationwide including those in Auckland, Palmerston North, Lower
Hutt, Christchurch and Dunedin.