The PSA - the union representing Child Youth and Family workers – today said the findings of Judge Mick Brown’s report presented a ‘logical and acceptable path to a better resourced department able to deliver a quality service.’

‘There is not much here, on the face of it, that we would take issue with either practically or philosophically but the real test will only come in a few months with the next budget,’ PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said.

‘We will continue to work with the department in sorting out the immediate and long-term goals but, make no mistake, there is going to have to be a significant and sizeable recognition of the reality here in budget dollars.

‘Judge Brown is explicit in calling for an unequivocal commitment for money to revamp the service and he needs to be. However the PSA is confident this government is more than aware of this and will deliver on it,’ he said.

Recommended changes like social worker registration and improved and on-going training will help in the key issues of pay and the recruitment and retention of social workers and are in line with our submission to the Ministerial Review, Wagstaff said.

‘What we want is a systematic building up and improving on what we have already – including the resource of motivated, skilled and committed staff.

‘What we don’t want is for this report to be turned into a reason or excuse for a further restructuring of Child Youth and Family. Instead we must build on and back up the capability of the service,’ he said.

‘Judge Brown’s report details the effects of constant change and the “fatuous outputs and nonsensical outcomes” approach of the last decade.

‘As a nation now – one with shared goals about what we want – we have to put the decline and disaster of that approach behind us,’ Wagstaff said.

‘This is a report for all New Zealanders and a report that embraces how we want, and must, act and perform as a society. We must all work to make sure things happen from here,’ he said.

For more comment please call the PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff on
025 277 8131 or media officer Colin Williams on 04 917 2039 or 025 575 839

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