16 August 2002

New CYF Partnership With Maori

Embargoed till 11am Friday 16 August

A trial involving a new social work services partnership between Maori and Child, Youth and Family has been expanded today.

The Department and the iwi social service Tupoho, from Whanganui, have signed a Shared Social Work Services agreement. CYF funding will allow Tupoho to employ a part-time qualified social worker for six months to deliver social work services to Maori in the Whanganui region. The signing follows a similar agreement signed recently between CYF and Te Atiawa in Lower Hutt.

“These agreements are important for us. It is one further step in ensuring that CYF will work closer with iwi to better support at-risk Maori children and families,” says chief social worker Shannon Pakura.

“Child, Youth and Family will continue to supply statutory social work services, such as care and protection investigations. CYF is very keen to support iwi in providing services to Maori. Tupoho will provide support to families, visit children regularly to ensure that they are safe, and will assist families and caregivers in their dealings with agencies, such as other state agencies and specialist services.

“We will be maintaining close links with Tupoho to see and hear the benefits of working closely together to ensure responsive services are delivered to vulnerable Maori children and families. If the trials are effective we may see more of these Shared Social Work Services agreements with iwi in future.

“The Department is strongly committed to working more effectively with Maori to help at-risk children and families,” says Ms Pakura.

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