tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199622372024-03-17T07:53:02.065+13:00Lindsay MitchellThe welfare state is unsustainable economically, socially and morally.Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.comBlogger6492125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-49456700799930984452024-03-10T18:38:00.000+13:002024-03-10T18:38:42.750+13:00What media bias looks like<p>When news media took a pummeling last week at both TVNZ and TV3, a number of critics said part of the reason ratings are poor is the public don't trust them. The public believe that the media is biased.</p><p>The print media is similarly suspect. An <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/350206538/mum-ex-hiding-income-avoid-child-support">article </a>in Stuff today (which may feature in the Sunday Star Times) provides a great example of indiscriminate reporting. The headline reads:</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mum: Ex ‘hiding income to avoid child support’</span></p><p>It features a single mother of three complaining about her self-employed ex hiding his income to avoid child support.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote> 'Full-time single mum-of-three Janet says she is left struggling to get by because one of her children’s fathers is able to conceal how much he is earning ... "I am unable to work as I also have a disability my legs are swollen and I’m still recovering from recent hernia surgery." '</blockquote><p></p><p>As an unemployed single mum she must be receiving a benefit but nowhere in the article is this spelt out. Her desire for income privacy does not extend to her ex's.</p><p></p><blockquote> 'She said he was meant to pay just over $1100 a month between January and April but had only paid $473 in February. From May his support will drop to $623 a month.'</blockquote><p></p><p>This is where it gets interesting. It was only August last year that the new child support pass-on rules kicked in. Prior to that IRD kept child support payments to offset the benefit cost.</p><p>It seems the mother has now become concerned about how much the father is earning as she stands to pocket more of it.</p><p>If the liable father is artificially reducing his declared income, perhaps this development is a factor? The business editor omits mention of this possibility. </p><p>The mother has a younger son to a subsequent partner who she is not complaining about because he doesn't earn an income. He is on a benefit (which he may be staying on to avoid paying more than the minimum child support ... another unexplored angle.) </p><p>She says the first father hasn't given his sons birthday or Xmas presents for 14 years. So she has raised them alone for some years. Only now, when she stands to receive the child support directly, has life turned into a terrible "struggle" with her children needing support from charity - this despite a benefit-dependent single mother with two or more children receiving on average of around a $1,000 weekly net.</p><p>Without proof, the report creates an impression that self-employed fathers are hiding income to avoid paying child support. This despite the income difference between self-employed fathers with liabilities versus all taxpayers being just two percent.</p><p>The only sensible comment in the entire piece is from a tax partner at Deloittes who points out that self-employed fathers with child support liabilities may have lower incomes because they often share care of their children and work fewer hours.</p><p>This is a biased piece of journalism. It's uncritically sympathetic to the mother and accusatory of the father. Note the reporter does not say he was approached for comment.</p><p>Ultimately the piece raises far more questions than it answers. An attempt to answer the questions might have provided some balance.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-87750814309138788482024-03-07T12:10:00.000+13:002024-03-07T12:10:39.297+13:00Is real change on the cards?<p>Sometimes the gems are buried. My ears pricked up when the following statement was reported on a news programme playing in the background:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>"MSD staff assessing anyone applying for emergency housing will increase their scrutiny of whether they have unreasonably contributed to their immediate emergency housing need ..."</i></p></blockquote><p>I googled Minister for Social Development Louise Upston's press releases to confirm that's what she actually said. Indeed she had.</p><p>If the government means it, this is hugely significant.</p><p>It has been clear for decades that NZ's approach to welfare has gone awry. The late Roger Kerr, of the NZ Business Roundtable, once said to me, "The only way forward is to go back to the concept of 'deserving' and 'undeserving'."</p><p>To be honest, at the time I thought this was slightly draconian. But the passage of the years has only brought me further around to his view. By protecting people from the consequences of their own foolish actions NZ has only created more 'need'. In other words, the 'undeserving' have been rewarded.</p><p>This is a direct offshoot from the philosophy of 'non-judgementalism' which is absolutely rife through the social services and charity sectors, and even health and education. It is formally taught. Every needy individual is a 'victim' of circumstances, never their own poor decision-making.</p><p>I am personally a great believer in second chances and the right to redeem oneself, and have certainly had occasion to avail myself of these principles (or lived with the consequences of not being forgiven or excused.) But like many pendulums, the one called 'tolerance' has swung too far.</p><p>The welfare system is now the lifeblood of criminals. People who trash other people's property, who threaten and abuse neighbours, who keep aggressive dogs as status symbols, who have not a skerrick of regard for others, turn up at WINZ demanding to be placed in emergency housing. And they are.</p><p>(Not to mention the tens of thousands of other people who took no responsibility for their own education, go on to produce children recklessly and, in turn, take no responsibility for theirs.)</p><p>Between the passage of the Social Security Act in 1938 and the early 1970s the percentage of working-age people on a benefit never exceeded two. Today it stands at almost twelve, with the time people stay dependent growing every year.</p><p>As a society we have created this level of reliance by believing and acting on a bad idea. That we must not judge others. We must not mention their faults and shortcomings. We must bend over backwards to <i>not</i> blame the person responsible for their own troubles. That's the kindness and compassion we are taught to aspire to.</p><p>Until Louise Upston said something quite contrary but actually terribly sensible.</p><p>In assessing applicants for emergency housing case managers must take into account whether they have "unreasonably contributed" to their need.</p><p>One assumes that if the answer is positive, there will be no emergency housing offered.</p><p>Quite right too.</p><p>My theory is that the emergency housing crisis - putting people into motels, lodges and motor camps - came about because the Labour government created an expectation that anyone who showed up at the newly-generous WINZ department asking for a house would get one (or something akin). If people had been turned away they would have found their own solutions. Living with friends or family usually. If friends and family wouldn't have them - presumably because they were undeserving - why should the taxpayer fork out to put them into place where they can wreak anti-social havoc on nearby neighbours?</p><p>It's the individual who should experience the consequences of their own unwise actions - not everybody else.</p><p>So let's support Upston and encourage her to take this new approach further. I would vouch that the majority of New Zealanders want to help people who, through no fault of their own, need a benefit and public housing. But that willingness does not extend to people who chronically cause their own misfortune.</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-51435272074058510232024-02-26T14:39:00.000+13:002024-02-26T14:39:58.815+13:00Child poverty - complex or simple?<p>Question: Do you understand how the child poverty statistics
are derived?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Clearly some people do not.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last week the latest child poverty statistics were all over
the media. But there are a number of misunderstandings that need addressing. Like
this one from NewstalkZB’s John MacDonald who <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/christchurch/canterbury-mornings-with-john-macdonald/opinion/john-macdonald-politicians-can-fix-child-poverty-as-if/">wrote</a>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><i>"Living in households that
get-by on less than half the median income, before basic living costs are taken
into account. <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><i>Now I’ve looked-up online to
find out what the median income is in New Zealand and there seems to be all
sorts of numbers available, but one figure I’ve seen is $91,400. So, let’s go
with that one, for the purposes of today’s discussion. <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><i>Half of that is $45,700. So,
it’s kids living in households where less than $45k is coming in the door
annually. <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><i>With tax, that takes it down
to about $38,000. Or about $730-a-week to live off."<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the median income Stats NZ produces isn’t <i>actual</i>
– it’s <i>equivalised</i>. In the past I have attempted to explain how this
process works, probably unsuccessfully. But now Stats NZ has helpfully produced
a pictorial explaining the process:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRN-423PHvSD1yDDVOsP9bNngTnnzJBSijE9AU8vHQduFs7uTERZqLIcKFKZIJmj7Thqt_PppUCORDgfcsCIQKWefE3xkYKRb9NG5edtbzRknUzpn2KUCyVnRdBJsFKNqtgngi7iiGG8Z98QLhmAyzuQVUzjtgg7bEGm45wWsb3Bh_esKIJaoy/s618/Equivalisation%20pictorial.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="618" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRN-423PHvSD1yDDVOsP9bNngTnnzJBSijE9AU8vHQduFs7uTERZqLIcKFKZIJmj7Thqt_PppUCORDgfcsCIQKWefE3xkYKRb9NG5edtbzRknUzpn2KUCyVnRdBJsFKNqtgngi7iiGG8Z98QLhmAyzuQVUzjtgg7bEGm45wWsb3Bh_esKIJaoy/w375-h309/Equivalisation%20pictorial.png" width="375" /></a></div><o:p> (Left click on image to enlarge.)</o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first household becomes relatively rich compared to the
third household. But in reality, their household incomes are <i>identical.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Similarly RNZ demonstrated their misunderstanding <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/509855/child-poverty-more-families-going-without-household-essentials">reporting</a>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><i>"One in six children (or 17.5
percent) lived in households with less than half of the median household
disposable income after household costs - that was up 3 percentage points on
last year."<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In this case the median household income has been described
as “disposable”. That’s wrong too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The disposable income of a household is all income ‘earned’
by members aged 15 or older after taxes and transfers. Disposable income then
undergoes equivalisation for the purposes of creating official child poverty
statistics.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Teresa Tepenia-Ashton of Unicef <a href="https://www.unicef.org.nz/media-releases/thousands-more-kiwi-children-living-in-poverty">said</a>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;"><i>“It’s unacceptable for a
single child to be in poverty in this country. With 1 in 8 children
experiencing material hardship, we need Government to prioritise the interests
of children in any decisions relating to welfare changes, so we can bring this
number down to zero.”<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A target of zero children in poverty is an impossibility
because of the way poverty is measured. It is <b>relative</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zero poverty could only occur if every single
household in NZ had the same equivalised income. It’s pure nonsense (similar to
other ludicrous loony-tune ideas like Road to Zero 2030, Predator Free 2050 and
Smoke Free Aotearoa 2025.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s also been a great deal of handwringing over the
higher poverty rates for Māori and Pasifika children. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that is at least partly a facet of the
equivalisation process. Pacific households in particular tend to be large,
include children and are often inter-generational. It follows that their
equivalised incomes will therefore be lower than households with fewer members.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The complexity inherent in the multiple measures of child
poverty does nothing to instil confidence in their veracity. What the
complexity does do is create a bias towards overstating poverty – a useful tool
for proponents of greater wealth redistribution.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I tend towards a simple view. One which rarely rates a
mention. The strongest correlate for child poverty is the rate of single
parenthood. In New Zealand it is high. Among Māori it is very high.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fixing that – an outcome largely in the hands of individuals
– will go a long way towards reducing childhood hardship and deprivation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br />Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-15852455721955633682024-02-18T20:49:00.001+13:002024-02-18T21:05:23.815+13:00National needs to go further<p>In today's State of the Nation speech Christopher Luxon talked repeatedly about getting young people off welfare. It seems that National has devised a traffic light system which will use increasing levels of sanctions - welfare deductions - when beneficiaries fail to meet their obligations. He uses the word 'tough' a lot.</p><p>In his speech he made the following observation:</p><p>"Kids born this year will be turning 16 in 2040."</p><p>Well, because I can tell you something about them, let's look at the children born in 2022 who will be turning 18 in 2040.</p><p>By the end of their birth year 12,639 of them were dependent on a benefit provided to their parent or parents. That's 21.5% of all babies born that year. Over one in five.</p><p>Then consider that the link between a child's early entry into the benefit system and later benefit dependence in their own right, is strong.</p><p>MSD's own commissioned research showed:</p><p></p><blockquote> - Nearly three quarters (74%) of all beneficiaries up to age
25 had a parent on benefit while they were a child, and just
over a third (35%) had a parent on benefit throughout their
teenage years.<br />
<br />
- The greater the family benefit history the longer the client
tended to stay on a benefit, particularly for the Jobseeker
benefit.1</blockquote><p></p><p>It's laudable to talk about getting 18 year-olds off welfare. Better still though to discourage their entry into the welfare system in the first place.</p><p>The focus of reforms must be two-fold. Dealing with 40,000 young people on Jobseeker right now is critical. But so is looking to the future and turning off the tap that feeds inter-generational dependence.</p><p>Labour's soft-on-sole-parents approach has to go. That means ending the nonsense of not naming fathers and reintroducing work obligations for parents who add children to an existing benefit.</p><p>But more broadly, the cash-for-kids scheme has to stop. The assistance provided to unemployed parents who refuse jobs should be through 'money management' - a system used for youth beneficiaries. The rules are:</p><blockquote><p> -your rent or board and things like your power bill and any debts will be paid straight from your payment. You won't get this money yourself.</p><p> -you will get paid a weekly allowance of up to $50 into your personal bank account.</p><p> -any money left over will be put onto your personal payment card. This is like a debit card that you can use to buy your food and groceries at approved stores.2</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Until cash incentives that equal incomes from work are removed, the inter-generational problem will continue to plague New Zealand. Yes, there will be downsides to money management. But will they be any worse than the devastating social outcomes that come from unconditional welfare?</p><p><br /></p><p>1/ https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/newsroom/media-releases/2015/taylor-fry-key-findings.pdf</p><p>2/ https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/on-a-benefit/payments/money-management-youth.html</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-83422044264678800872024-02-08T07:44:00.003+13:002024-02-08T07:44:50.425+13:00Labour hid developing welfare crisis<p>When National became government in 2008, Finance Minister Bill English's determination to understand the extent of benefit-dependency led them to commission Taylor Fry to produce annual actuarial reports. These were duly published at the MSD website every year but ceased when the government changed in 2017. Now however, an Official Information request by the NZ Herald has revealed that the reports actually continued - only their publication ceased.</p><p>In my columns I have referred repeatedly to the worsening depth of dependency using the sole measure available - one solitary statistic published in MSD's annual reports not typically subject to public scrutiny.</p><p>So while I am not shocked by the content of the latest Taylor Fry report, the detail is staggering.</p><p>According to The Herald:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"> "... recipients of the main Jobseeker payment [are] now expected to spend an average of 13 years on a benefit."</p><p style="text-align: left;"> "Sole Parent Support clients are projected to spend an average of 17 working-age years on a benefit (up from 12.5 years in 2019), but the upper quartile of this group – about 18,700 people – are expected to spend more than 25 years in the system."</p><p style="text-align: left;"> "...about 2000 teens on the Youth Payment or Young Parent Payment [are] now expected to spend an average of 24 working-age years on a benefit – a 46 per cent increase from the 2019 estimate. About 500 of them are expected to be on income support for more than 38.5 years, almost the rest of their working lives."</p></blockquote><p>Against a scenario of "record low unemployment" - which Labour leader Chris Hipkins campaigned vigorously on - these increases are unfathomable. Unless one weighs up the amount that benefit incomes have increased by over the same period. Unsurprisingly paying people more not to work means they stay on welfare longer. A child could figure that out.</p><p>That was compounded by a raft of actions which included diverting case managers away from an employment focus to checking beneficiaries were receiving their full and correct entitlements; abolishing early work requirements for sole mothers who added a subsequent child to an existing benefit; temporarily suspending medical certificate requirements and the annual jobseeker reapplications; significantly reducing the use of sanctions to enforce work obligations; and generally fostering a sense of entitlement due to gender and race victimhood. </p><p>In response to the discovery of the reports, former MSD minister Carmel Sepuloni says she did not recall being briefed on the research by officials.</p><p>She then had the utter gall to state:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> “What these trends show are an absolute need to create and maintain sustainable pathways to employment … National have talked a big game in opposition and now they need to show us their plan to get people into work.”</p></blockquote><p>"These trends" are the direct result of bad policies implemented by Sepuloni who then kept their devastating impact hidden.</p><p>Though it shouldn't be Sepuloni primarily carrying the can. It was the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern who appointed Cindy Kiro to lead a bunch of leftist academics and activists to produce the most ill-advised welfare policy recommendations imaginable, many of which were implemented.</p><p>Ardern's unique brand of 'kindness' morphed quickly into cruel incompetence.</p><p>As Taylor Fry's analysis apparently suggests, people on benefits tend to have more precarious family, living and financial situations with worse life satisfaction and more contact with police and mental health services than they otherwise would.</p><p>Crucially, the longer people stay on welfare, the harder it is to get off.</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-30675854840597534512024-02-05T12:32:00.000+13:002024-02-05T12:32:01.655+13:00A terrible trend in desperate need of turning<p>When did you last read a headline in MSM about more children
being raised on welfare? Yet latest Ministry of Social Development
benefit statistics (1) show at the end of 2023 the number reached
a new high of 222,500.</p>
<p><img alt="" height="255" shrinktofit="true" 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" width="424" /></p>
<p>I predicted this would happen when Jacinda Ardern became Prime
Minister, making herself Minister for Child Poverty Reduction to
boot. In a nutshell, I believed that her plan to increase benefit
income would only draw more parents onto them. She began by
introducing the Best Start Payment of $60 per week for newborns -
her simplistic solution to income inequality being ever more state
redistribution of wealth. This was followed by increases to basic
benefit rates; removal of financial penalties for failure to name
liable fathers; pass-on of child support and increased family tax
credits.<br />
</p>
<p>In effect she decided to pay parents more <i>not</i> to work by
further closing the gap between income from the state and income
from employment. In fact, for a sole parent with a couple of
children, there is now no gap between income from a benefit (with
all the add-ons like accommodation supplement and family tax
credits) and an average paying job. By April last year the average
benefit income for this family type was $1,057 weekly. (2)</p>
<p>So, even against a backdrop of low unemployment, it is no
surprise that the number of children in benefit-dependent homes
has risen. Why does it matter? If these children have been
technically lifted out of poverty, isn't that a good thing? <br />
</p>
<p>For one, homes where no-one is employed lack routine and
discipline. Who gets the kids up and ready for school? <br />
</p>
<p>Look at the stats (3&4) for Northland: lowest regular school
attendance at just over a third (34.2%) and highest dependence on
a single parent or jobseeker benefit (14.5% of working-age
population). Christchurch has the highest regular attendance at
almost a half (49.4%) and second lowest reliance on the same
benefits (6.4%). Mere coincidence?</p>
<p>But the more insidious aspect of benefit-dependent homes is the
lack of appreciation for education. Who needs to be literate and
numerate when WINZ puts money in your bank every week regardless? In the absence of teachers, this attitude is the main
message being sent and received.<br />
</p>
<p>Yes, some people fall on hard times and need a period of
financial help. But they are not seduced or sedated by benefits
long-term. They pick themselves up and get back into the real
world taking their children with them. New National MP James
Meager (5) talks about watching his own solo Mum on a benefit,
"...juggle three kids, part-time work, correspondence school..."
She drove home the importance of education. She inspired her
children. But the same MP also says, "Too many children in our
country will grow up without that opportunity."</p>
<p>He is right. It is a statement of fact. Too many children will
never experience living with a parent who works. The expected
average future years on a benefit (6) measured from a point in
time is now 13.6 - up from 10.7 when Ardern became Prime Minister.
Another mere coincidence?</p>
<p><br />
</p>
<p><br />
</p>
<p>1/
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/index.html">https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/index.html</a><br />
</p>
<p>2/
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/benefit-system/total-incomes-annual-report-2023.pdf">https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/benefit-system/total-incomes-annual-report-2023.pdf</a><br />
</p>
<p>3/
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/224715/Term-3-2023-Attendance-report.pdf">https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/224715/Term-3-2023-Attendance-report.pdf</a></p>
<p>4/
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2023/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-december-2023.pdf">https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2023/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-december-2023.pdf</a><br />
</p>
<p>5/
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20231206_038580000/meager-james">https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20231206_038580000/meager-james</a></p>
<p>6/
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/annual-report/2023/msd-annual-report-2023.pdf">https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/annual-report/2023/msd-annual-report-2023.pdf</a></p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-20667083365221223572024-01-31T12:54:00.000+13:002024-01-31T12:54:18.216+13:00Nobody's Child<p>On the face of it I have some sympathy for Mr Singh who claims to
have worked hard in prison to turn his life around and has passed drug
tests since leaving there in September. But, due to violent neighbours,
he has rejected a lodge where Work and Income placed him and is
currently living in his car. His case manager has run out of patience
and delivered some harsh words to Mr Singh, now seeking new
accommodation, in a phone call Mr Singh recorded and gave to <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/507988/work-and-income-case-manager-tells-client-seeking-housing-support-to-go-rob-a-bank">RNZ.</a></p>
<p>As I said, I have some sympathy for this character. But, if I can
find it, why can't his immediate family? If not a brother or father, he
must be somebody's son. Why isn't a family member offering Mr Singh a
bed? Mr Singh says he has family with whom he is "ready to reconnect".
But to all intent's and purposes he is presently Nobody's Child, along
with many thousands of other New Zealanders relying on complete
strangers to provide them a liveable income and home.</p>
<p>This is the crux of New Zealand's heavy dependence on welfare. This
is primarily why almost 12 percent of working age people rely on
benefits.</p>
<p>What started from the reasonable idea that the elderly needed an
income once unable to provide for themselves, has evolved into catch-all
for familial indifference.</p>
<p>What do I mean?</p>
<p>Way back in the day families were ordered by the courts to take
responsibility for members unable to take responsibility for themselves.
The law was known as the Destitute Person's Act. Some orders could
involve quite distant connections. I doubt today many would be
comfortable with being ordered to take financial responsibility for a
wayward nephew or alcoholic aunt. But on the flip side of the coin, why
should complete strangers be expected to assume responsibility?</p>
<p>There must be a middle ground. And there was. For decades New
Zealander's reliance on welfare benefits created by Micky Savage in 1938
never exceeded 2 percent of the working age population. But that middle
ground relies heavily on a shared value of personal responsibility, a
requisite we have strayed well away from. Personal responsibility means
taking care of oneself and one's family, "...in sickness and in health."
Granted, there are situations where this is simply not possible but
they are exceptional.</p>
<p>Today many thousands are on welfare because they had a relationship
break up. (Mr Singh's own problems began, he says, with that very
occurrence.)</p>
<p>This immediately brings to mind benefit-dependent single mothers, yet
many of the liable fathers are also unemployed and willing to stay that
way as income from working only gets sucked up by child support. There
are armies of young people who could be living in the family home but
prefer to live 'independently' on Jobseeker and accommodation support.
Even if a parent discourages this, the system does the opposite.</p>
<p>Some might argue that only the rich can afford personal
responsibility. But the current obscenely-loose definition of 'need',
and consequent array of unchecked benefits only keeps the poor poor. I
would argue that any parent can earn enough through work to house and
raise their child. In recent decades thousands have done, and continue
to do so, proving my point.<br />
</p>
<p>If the country does not soon recapture a widespread commitment to
personal responsibility, the collective financial burden - along with
the many unwanted social consequences - will continue.</p>
<p>In the absence of any reason why a sense of personal responsibility
would re-emerge, it will fall to government to make it happen. The only
way to achieve this is to begin removing the crutches. No more sole
parent benefit; time limits on the unemployment benefit and raising
super eligibility to a realistic age would make for good starters.</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-73309637912648333432024-01-24T12:48:00.000+13:002024-01-24T12:48:46.241+13:00The danger of the Treaty debate wearing us down<p>Screeds have been written about the Treaty of Waitangi. And there's more to come as division over race and rights ramps up.</p><p>Its content and meaning are getting lost in the crossfire and the danger of 'contestants' talking past each other looms, if not already happening.</p><p>When matters get murky, and misunderstandings abound, there is also a danger of observers getting worn down and disengaging. To avoid this happening personally, I made a mental list of what really aggravates me. In no particular order:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p> 1/ Maori spiritual and religious belief being embraced and promoted by a formerly secular public service.</p><p> 2/ A separate health system 'by Maori for Maori' that's a duplication and indulgence. Every individual that interacts with the health system now faces nurses and doctors etc of various ethnicity and birthplaces.</p><p> 3/ A child who cannot be cared for by its natural parents having a substitute picked primarily by race.</p><p> 4/ Cultural reports that use colonisation to excuse criminal behaviour and result in sentence discounts.</p><p> 5/ The cultural practice of 'rahui' which block public access to public property.</p></blockquote><p>That's not a long list. But each of these concrete bones of contention has arisen from Treaty 'creep', one way or the other. For instance, regarding item 1, the practice of reciting karakia (Maori prayers) is defended by the public service as "cultural acknowledgement" adding:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> "The Public Service is committed to building and maintaining capability within organisations to engage with Māori and understand Māori perspectives. The Public Service Act 2020 (the Act) section 14 recognises the role of the Public Service to support the Crown in its relationships with Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi | the Treaty of Waitangi. To this end, the new Act includes provisions that put explicit responsibilities on the Public Service Commissioner, when developing and implementing the public service leadership strategy, to recognise the aims, aspirations and employment requirements of Māori, and the need for greater involvement of Māori in the Public Service."1</p></blockquote><p>Obligations under the Treaty must flow one way. No other prayers are required or permitted at the commencement of public service meetings. </p><p>Back to my list. Wanting an end to each of the above can, in no way, be described as racist, or hysterically, 'white supremacist'. An end to these practices would be consistent with an end to racism. Not the reverse.</p><p>Individually we each have our own objections to what has developed. Not just over the past six years, but decades. There can be no doubt that over the coming months and years the debate will intensify. It may be far more effective to list and talk about practical concerns than argue the original- versus- evolved meaning and intent of the Treaty. The latter course is rapidly descending into the realms of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. By all means a redefinition of the articles or replacement with a constitution should be an option. But if that relies initially on a referendum then the arguments that persuade will be much closer to home - through letters-to-the-editor, talkback, social media, around the dinner table and at the pub.</p><p>I noticed a neighbour is flying the national Maori flag. I am assuming as a show of support for Maori. But what does that mean? They agree with TV1's John Campbell? They are virtue-signalling their 'non-racist' credentials?</p><p>I support Maori. I support them to look forward instead of back - which most do. I support them to get a decent crack at the cherry like everyone else. To get equal opportunity but understand that doesn't guarantee equal outcomes.</p><p>But above all I support a set of rules we can all live with free from fear or favour. None of the items on my short list would pass the test.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/assets/DirectoryFile/Information-request-regarding-secular-organisations.pdf</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-66027665055901757942024-01-02T20:10:00.000+13:002024-01-02T20:10:39.512+13:00Cracking down hard ... on people with hangovers<p>A sneaking suspicion is crawling up my spine.</p><p>In a reaction to ram-raiding (which has now morphed into aggravated angle-grinding); to cold-blooded murders by a home detainee; to brazen trolley-filled supermarket shoplifting; to defiant silence from witnesses of child abuse deaths; New Zealanders voted for a crack down on law and order. The issue was second only to inflation on the list of the voter concerns in the run-up to the 2023 election. New Police Minister Mitchell has sent a public message to old Police Commissioner Coster - Quit with the tolerance of crime.</p><p>Since the election police visibility on our roads has ramped up. For instance, on a bypass road running between a golf course and a military facility the speed limit recently reduced from 80kmph to 50kmph. Of a morning, frequent sirens blast as police catch unaware 'speeders' as if shooting fish in a barrel.</p><p>Now we learn forty five people were arrested on New Year's Day leaving Rhythm and Vines for drinking and driving. Well actually drinking, sleeping it off and driving. The three check-point operation was run in the morning.</p><p>The age-old sensible slogan will have to be amended to 'Don't Drink, Sleep and Drive.'</p><p>OK. People with hangovers probably aren't the safest drivers behind the wheel. But then neither are people with fatigue, who chose not to sleep. </p><p><i>"No driver has the right to put other people's lives at risk; every person in and around your vehicle relies on you being in full control of it" </i>says the police area commander. Quite.</p><p>But all of this smacks of window-dressing: Look at us. Look how tough we are. Look at all the resources we can summon up to catch people doing 55kmph in what was for years safely a 80kmph zone. Or to hobble the hungover.</p><p>In reality the police have much bigger, nastier fish to fry. But the temptation will always be, when pressed, to chase after low-hanging fruit.</p><p>Anyway. That's my suspicion. The demand for a 'tough on crime' approach will be executed but not in quite the way we anticipated.</p><p>And there will be no room to complain. Commissioner Coster need only reply, "You asked for it."</p><p>Let's hope I'm wrong.</p><p>In the year to November 2023 there were <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/crime-snapshot">347,068 crimes</a> comprising assault, sexual assault, abduction, robbery, burglary and theft reported to police. Up 35,644 (or 10 percent) on the previous period.</p><p>Legal boundaries must always be drawn somewhere but sometimes crossing them is a minor breech. </p><p>Policing and punishing minor misdemeanors does nothing to prevent innocent people from becoming victims of serious crime.</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-16272440288239690312023-12-07T06:16:00.001+13:002023-12-07T06:17:00.813+13:00Oh, the irony<p>Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children's Commissioner during Helen Clark's Labour government but returned to academia subsequently.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 2019 the WEAG reported back with 42 recommendations including:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>Recommendation 11: Remove some obligations and sanctions (for example, pre-benefit activities, warrants to arrest sanctions, social obligations, drug-testing sanctions, 52-week reapplication requirements, sanctions for not naming the other parent, the subsequent child work obligation, and the mandatory work ability assessment for people with health conditions or disabilities).</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Most of these recommendations were adopted. For example single mothers no longer have to name the fathers of their children and if she has another baby while on a benefit there is no reset of her work obligations.</p><p><br /></p><p>Yesterday, as Governor General, Dame Cindy Kiro delivered the Speech from the Throne on behalf of the new National - ACT - NZ First government and said:</p><p><br /></p><p><i>“Having 11 per cent, or one in nine New Zealanders of working age on a main benefit, means too many people are dependent on the effort of their fellow citizens instead of being self-supporting."</i></p><p><br /></p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/nz-first-mp-shane-jones-to-go-to-speaker-over-te-pati-maori-mps-reference-to-king-charles-at-swearing-in-ceremony/Q3HKXV2DUBGO7NDSO3GSAXUJMI/">NZ Herald</a>, the Speech also, <b>"... promised the reintroduction of benefit sanctions..."</b></p><p><br /></p><p>With her 2019 recommendations Kiro was instrumental in creating the conditions for the number of beneficiaries to increase.</p><p><br /></p><p>In March 2018, when she began her welfare investigation, there were 273,387 beneficiaries. Now there are 367,152. What sat at 9.3 percent of working-age New Zealanders has risen to 11.5 percent; most worryingly 168,276 children in benefit-dependent families grew to 216,648.</p><p><br /></p><p>What a rich irony to hear the architect of such ill-advised reforms forced to describe their result, and advise their removal. One wonders if Ardern had considered this possibility when she appointed Cindy Kiro Governor General in 2021? It is doubtful. Foresight was never her strong point.</p><p><br /></p><p>Dame Cindy Kiro will remain Governor General until 2026. But she has always been a friend and ally of left-wing governments. Perhaps she deserves kudos for professionally delivering a speech which must have personally rankled. At least she did it with dignity and grace. A lesson there-in for opposition MPs who have showed very little over the past two days.</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-90791761555385866882023-11-25T10:20:00.004+13:002023-11-25T10:20:59.715+13:00Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement<p>A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading 'Oranga Tamariki' ACT's coalition agreement contains the following item:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <i> • Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989</i></p></blockquote><p>According to Oranga Tamariki:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <i>"Section 7AA is our practical commitment to the principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi."</i></p></blockquote><p>Make no mistake. Its removal will have major ramifications. Section 7AA is essentially the legislation that allows Oranga Tamariki to be a 'by Maori, for Maori' organisation. (In fact, the very name Oranga Tamariki may lose prominence given the coalition arrangement between NZ First and National agrees to: Ensure all public service departments have their primary name in English, except for those specifically related to Māori. Oranga Tamariki does not relate specifically to Maori but a majority of its clients are. In 2022 68 percent of children in state care were Maori.)</p><p>Back to Section 7AA. According to Oranga Tamariki the legislation's "end goal" is to achieve the following:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <i>"Our vision for tamariki Māori, supported by our partners, is that ‘no tamaiti Māori will need state care’. This aligns to the calls being made by iwi and Māori that tamariki Māori should remain in the care of their whānau, hapū and iwi."</i></p></blockquote><p>In the most recent report (2022), as required under Section 7AA, then Minister for Children Kelvin Davis wrote:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <i>"All mokopuna deserve love and security, and to have access to their culture. This is a right and not a privilege. Ideally, they would be surrounded by their immediate whānau to be provided this. When that is not possible, close or extended whānau or family is the preference. Māori are fortunate to have wider whānau, hapū and iwi networks to call on for such support."</i></p></blockquote><p>The Chief Executive, Te Hapimana (Chappie) Te Kani, has been implementing a 'Future Direction Plan' which, "... builds a strong foundation for the future of tamariki and rangatahi being within the care of whānau, hapū and iwi."</p><p>But the new Minister for Children, ACT's Karen Chhour believes the well-being and safety of the child takes priority over cultural considerations.</p><p>Many Maori children have links to non-Maori by blood. They are children with mixed parentage. Where there are conflicts over their care - who should or shouldn't step into that role - the non-Maori side of the equation must not be ruled out. That's what Section 7AA effectively does. For that reason it must go.</p><p>It is impossible to predict how its removal will play out but such a major disagreement between the Chief Executive and the new Minister will have to be resolved. The political opposition is going to be immense. And it will be ugly. Chhour has already had to withstand being told she is "not kaupapa Maori", to stop viewing the world through a "vanilla lens" and that she should "leave her Pakeha world." All distractions from her overarching goal to put the child's interests firmly first.</p><p>For my part I wish the new Minister every ounce of strength and courage. </p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-58002845549624376652023-11-14T06:27:00.000+13:002023-11-14T06:27:30.465+13:00On the 50th anniversary of the DPB<p>The Domestic Purposes Benefit has been variously described as a “disaster” (David McLoughlin 1995), an “economic lifeline” (Jane Kelsey 1995) and “an unfortunate experiment” (Muriel Newman 2009).</p><p>Its effect on family formation can never be definitively ascertained. But the growth of the sole parent family dependent on welfare has correlated with more poverty, more child abuse and more domestic violence. Each of these was intended to be reduced by the introduction of the DPB.</p><p><b><u>The data</u></b></p><p>On the cusp of Generation X (born mid-to-late 1960s) the two-parent family was overwhelmingly the norm.</p><p>In 1966 there were 922,349 dependent children under 16 years of age. 883,239 depended on married men or 96 percent of the total. A further two percent (19,829) depended on widows or widowers. The remainder had unmarried, separated, divorced (and not remarried) parents, or were orphans.[1]</p><p>Fast forward to 2023.</p><p>In lieu of pending census results, Statistics NZ projected population living arrangements (based on medium fertility, mortality and migration) predicted there would be 5,222,400 people living in New Zealand, which is pretty much on the button. These would include 641,000 couples with 1,123,500 children, and 248,800 sole parents with 404,700 children. Therefore, 73.5 percent of children live with two parents, not necessarily biological or married. Fewer than three quarters. It is important to note that not all of these ‘children’ will be under 18.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzK_N7vNISAXRE-XkkomtnQAyR9q5pyfJIeOZ6Xge-bqaZbghLQ-vQ5wadrAnFSJvoySwoQmmbtndf7T70rOcoGP11jta_KkAEHsRvzQ9xtlH23bPfbZWYPSmkiB50HGlc7nD9B676-JJQmWKuTc4TxqgIH7iwKv4Ye7iGXqbKyApY6H9vSDgv/s602/Family%20arrangements%202023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="602" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzK_N7vNISAXRE-XkkomtnQAyR9q5pyfJIeOZ6Xge-bqaZbghLQ-vQ5wadrAnFSJvoySwoQmmbtndf7T70rOcoGP11jta_KkAEHsRvzQ9xtlH23bPfbZWYPSmkiB50HGlc7nD9B676-JJQmWKuTc4TxqgIH7iwKv4Ye7iGXqbKyApY6H9vSDgv/w401-h158/Family%20arrangements%202023.png" width="401" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Subnational family and household projections, population by living arrangement type, and age, 2018(base)-2043, https://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE8603</span> </p><p>This less-than-perfect comparison between family composition in 1966 and 2023 nevertheless serves the broad purpose of illustrating the stark change that has occurred. And while just under three quarters of children living with two parents still represents a majority, an associated socio-economic gradient means that in the most deprived neighbourhoods, the proportion is much lower.</p><p><b><u>Why did the change occur, and what role did politics play?</u></b></p><p>Governments rightly respond to public demand for legislation to accommodate evolving attitudes and practice. But that response can, in turn, accelerate the pace of change. It is said that governments ‘get what they pay for.’ Certainly, a government with a particular agenda – proactive as opposed to reactive – will deliberately use legislation to incentivise the change they want. But unintended incentives also arise with legislation introduced, for example, to alleviate what is thought to be a temporary or minority need.</p><p>This chicken-and-egg chain of events characterises the beginning of the decline of two parent families as the norm.</p><p><b><u>1960s</u></b></p><p>Throughout the 1900s births outside marriage were steadily increasing. The rate grew from 8.93 (per 1,000 unmarried women) in 1911 to 40.63 in 1966. That year 11.5 percent of all births were what was commonly called ‘ex-nuptial’.[2] While many of these babies were adopted out to strangers, increasingly they remained with their mother or cohabiting parents. Not only was it getting harder to find adoptive families, but the tide of sentiment was turning against the practice. Feminist dogma maintained the child belonged with its biological mother without exception. Biological fathers were not accorded the same priority.</p><p>Young women - and men – were rejecting the conventions and constraints complied with by earlier generations. Some viewed marriage as a restrictive, archaic institution.</p><p>Researcher Kay Goodger writes:</p><p style="text-align: left;">“The reasons for the increase in ex-nuptial fertility in the 1960s … include the large increase in the number of unmarried women in the younger reproductive age groups as the post-war baby boom generation reached adolescence; the increased mobility and autonomy of youth; a rise in pre-marital sex combined with relatively poor access to birth control; and a decline in the practice of marrying because of pregnancy.”</p><p>Goodger also notes that although the contraceptive pill became available in 1961 there was initial reluctance to prescribe it to unmarried females.[3]</p><p>Add into the mix the urbanisation of Māori and their more liberal attitudes to marriage and childbearing. In 1969 the Status of Children Act removed the discriminatory term ‘illegitimate’ which had never been applicable in Maoridom.</p><p>Widows had long been supported through social security benefits which begged the question why other single mothers weren’t similarly helped. As society’s collective (though not consensus) moral view shifted from stigmatising to sympathising with sole parents a policy response became inevitable.</p><p>Under a National government, from 1968 a Domestic Purposes Emergency benefit became available, but was not an automatic entitlement. Social welfare case managers could approve an emergency benefit to a sole parent at their discretion. Discretionary granting wasn’t a radical concept at that time. Historically old age and invalid pensions were subject to character tests.</p><p><b><u>1970s</u></b></p><p>But the numbers receiving this emergency benefit grew rapidly and the 1972 Royal Commission on Social Security recommended a statutory benefit replace it. That came into being on November 14, 1973 under an incoming Labour government (having been hurried along by a National private member’s bill to the same effect.) Relegated to page 18 of the capital’s evening newspaper under the headline, “Rights of appeal, and benefits for all solo parents in new welfare act,”[4] its advent was barely newsworthy. </p><p>What mattered was a sole parent of either sex now had a statutory entitlement to the new benefit regardless of the reason for their sole parenthood. Journalist Colin James noted, “The creation of the domestic purposes benefit made it much more practicable for women to leave unsatisfactory (or unsatisfying) relationships in which otherwise they might have stayed.” [5]</p><p>Writer Michael Belgrave describes this shift as the morality-based welfare state being replaced with the rights-based welfare state.[6] Human rights grew ever broader, and the guarantee of meeting those rights led to state support entitlement. The concept of ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ beneficiaries was losing traction. Michael Jones wrote that, “… the rights movement, popular in the 1970s and 1980s, reduces or even eliminates any sense of shame at being in receipt of benefits.”[7]</p><p>The proportion of children without two cohabiting parents grew quickly thereafter. “Children with a parent on DPB increased from 4% of all children under 18 in 1976, to 17% in 1991, and to 19% in 1996.” [8]</p><p>As early as the late seventies alarm bells started to ring. Measures to disincentivise applications (like compulsory marriage counselling) were introduced but unsuccessful in stemming growth in recipients and cost to the state.</p><p><b><u>1990s</u></b></p><p>No fault divorce was introduced in 1980, with no court hearing required from 1990, further easing the pathway to separation. Compounding this development was a deep recession which saw unemployment rise to 11 percent in 1992. For purely pragmatic reasons decisions to separate were based on accessing two incomes instead of one. Jane Kelsey explains, “Perversely, because benefit eligibility reflected individual circumstances, and benefit rates and means testing were based on family income, many families were better off financially to separate.”[9] One parent would claim the DPB while the other claimed the unemployment benefit. (From 2004 it became possible for separating parents to split the custody of their children and both claim the DPB. Activists fought for this law change because the DPB had a higher payment rate and other more favourable conditions.)</p><p>As an aside, the practice of living apart for the purpose of collecting benefits continues to make measuring genuine sole parenthood fraught. In 2019 Auckland University of Technology researchers wrote: “We find that 70% of those who say they receive the domestic-purposes benefit also answer yes to the question of whether they have a partner – confirming that the sole-parent status derived from GUiNZ [Growing Up in New Zealand] is essentially different to those studies which rely on benefit status to infer partnership status."[10]</p><p>While separation and divorce were the most common causes of sole parenthood MSD acknowledges that, “A second contributing factor was an increase in the number and proportion of pregnant single women who did not marry or place their child for adoption.”[11] </p><p>Throughout the 1990s DPB numbers exceeded 100,000.</p><p>In 1997 State Services Minister Jenny Shipley stated, “I want every child to be a chosen child".[12] Oral contraceptives became fully subsidised and over time, contraception has only become more accessible and more effective. </p><p><b><u>2000s </u></b></p><p>Under Helen Clark’s Labour government (1999-2008) more single mothers moved into part-time work and receipt of the In Work Tax Credit. But the Global Financial Crisis (2008-11) saw a resumption of growth in DPB numbers after which they fell steadily again under John Key’s National government. The latter drop was substantially aided by the plummeting teenage birth rate (a significant feeder into long-term dependency ranks) but also more stringent work-testing. The carrot and stick approach contributed to a steadily increasing sole parent employment rate.</p><p>Then in 2013 the DPB quietly ceased to exist. Unfortunately, this was no more than a modernising of the benefit name to Sole Parent Support with some eligibility adjustments resulting in a transfer of some from DPB onto other benefits.</p><p><b><u>Post 2017</u></b></p><p>An upward trend resumed after Ardern took office in 2017 and began steadily increasing benefit payments and child tax credits. Currently there are around 75,000 on Sole Parent Support but over 100,000 sole parents across all main benefits. The number of children reliant on Sole Parent Support grew
by 35,000 or thirty percent between September 2017 and September 2023.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>Ardern also oversaw other controversial legislative changes which further undermined the responsibility of fathers. For example, single mothers on welfare are no longer financially penalised if they fail to name the father of their child(ren). </p><p>When confronted with evidence that child poverty strongly correlates with family structure (sole parents are the poorest family type) Ardern was dismissive.[13] Like her recent Labour predecessors, MSD Minister Steve Maharey in particular, she refused to acknowledge the importance of nuclear families. </p><p>Yet at some point in the not-so-distant-past, politicians and public servants recognised the concept of family as the fundamental social and economic unit and were extremely reluctant to undermine its formation and stability. How times have changed.</p><p><b><u>The Present and the Future</u></b></p><p>Right now, benefit-dependent single parents are on the rise again. They proliferate in emergency housing. Single parents have the lowest home ownership rates and the highest debt to income ratios. </p><p>Police report that family violence is at record levels – single welfare dependent females are the most vulnerable to partner violence according to victim surveys. The correlation between substantiated child abuse and appearing in the benefit system is incredibly strong. </p><p>Child poverty now drives both a public and private industry of people who claim to be helping to alleviate poverty. There are domestic child sponsorship programmes, KidsCan, Variety, etc. Forget famine-stricken African nations.</p><p>While benefits became more generous, easier to access and stay on under Ardern’s regime of “kindness”, any remaining obligations to the taxpayer became passe. There is no sign whatsoever that a resumption of deserving and non-deserving considerations will make a comeback. In fact, morality is ever more remote. Widows who become sole providers through no fault of their own are no longer differentiated from gang women who produce children as meal tickets. No distinction is made between reasons for ‘need’ and the taxpayer is expected to like it or lump it, despite the fact that fifty years of trying to solve social problems with cash payments has only made them worse.</p><p>American sociologist Charles Murray wrote about the identical welfare challenge in the US, "When reforms do occur, they will happen not because the stingy people have won, but because generous people have stopped kidding themselves.” [14]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[1] New Zealand Official Yearbook 1973, p77</p><p>[2] New Zealand Official Yearbook 1973, p91,92</p><p>[3] MAINTAINING SOLE PARENT FAMILIES IN NEW ZEALAND: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW, Kay Goodger, Social Policy Agency, https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj10/maintaining-sole-parent-families-in-new-zealand.html</p><p>[4] Rights of appeal, and benefits for all solo parents in new welfare act, Evening Post, p18, December 1, 1973</p><p>[5] New Territory, the Transformation of New Zealand 1984-92, Colin James</p><p>[6] Past Judgement, Needs and the State, Michael Belgrave, 2004, p32</p><p>[7] Reforming New Zealand Welfare, Michael Jones, 1998</p><p>[8] MAINTAINING SOLE PARENT FAMILIES IN NEW ZEALAND: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW, Kay Goodger, Social Policy Agency, https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj10/maintaining-sole-parent-families-in-new-zealand.html</p><p>[9] The New Zealand Experiment, P279, Jane Kelsey</p><p>[10] Protective factors of children and families at highest risk of adverse childhood experiences: An analysis of children and families in the Growing up in New Zealand data who “beat the odds” April 2019, https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/children-and-families-research-fund/children-and-families-research-fund-report-protective-factors-aces-april-2019-final.pdf</p><p>[11] Economic Wellbeing of Sole-Parent Families, November 2010, Families Commission</p><p>[12] https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/minister-urges-new-zealanders-take-responsibility-sexual-health</p><p>[13] https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com/2016/06/jacinda-ardern-in-sst.html</p><p>[14] Charles Murray, Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950-1980</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-85081953640885956092023-11-02T15:25:00.001+13:002023-11-02T15:25:21.437+13:00Infant deaths are not a fait accompli<div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"4opat","text":"STUFF claims a letter was dropped off anonymously to the organization detailing deaths of 57 children since Oranga Tamariki came into being in 2017. OT's chief social worker was interviewed by Jack Tame and did not deny the number. It is consistent with the oft-cited historical statistic that every five weeks a child in New Zealand dies from abuse.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"19sg6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"aa0of","text":"There are other consistencies that accompany these deaths. They occur in state houses. The perpetrators are on benefits. The children are already known to Oranga Tamariki. In the latest case of toddler Ruthless-Empire the child was not in the care of OT but \"on their books\".","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4bqb1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2jij3","text":"The victims are also disproportionately Maori. Apologists will assert this is because Maori are more likely to suffer from poverty and its causes, for instance, addiction and unemployment. These are hollow excuses for making the lives of totally vulnerable and dependent children miserable and painful. And too often, very short.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a4hvd","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dcc7a","text":"But why is this pattern so sickeningly predictable yet seemingly unavoidable?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ok4i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2odcl","text":"Ground-breaking research from the Auckland University of Technology (led by Rhema Vaithianathan who is now assisting a number of US jurisdictions applying her work in a practical way) investigated the factors which are common to child abuse and neglect cases. CYF data was linked to multiple administrative records including from the benefit system. A major finding was:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":16,"length":8,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":16,"length":8,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"efu43","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8hgqo","text":" \"Of all children having a finding of maltreatment by age 5, 83% are seen on a benefit before age 2.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"agmcl","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1lnp6","text":"In other words the vast majority of substantiated abuse occurs in the population dependent on benefits. For the 2007 birth cohort, around three quarters of maltreatment findings by age two involved children of single parents, which provides a clue as to which particular benefit.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4kfd3","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7540i","text":"Turning to the rates of abuse, the incidence of maltreatment by age 2 was 10% for those children whose caregivers who had received a benefit for 80% or more of the past five years. In contrast, for those who had spent no time on a benefit, the finding dropped to 0.3 percent. The difference is massive. Expressed as a likelihood, the child in the habitually-benefit dependent home is 33 times more likely to be abused.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ib76","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"eavep","text":"Unsurprisingly there are other factors that significantly influence findings. The percentages of children with a substantiated finding by age two with the following circumstances are:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9i07q","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1i6gi","text":" Other children with a care and protection record in last five years (34.9%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8d12s","text":" Mother or caregiver aged under 25 (53.5%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"106tr","text":" One plus address changes recorded in benefit data in last year (26.1%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5umi3","text":" Single parent (74.3%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"652oc","text":" High deprivation neighbourhood deciles 8-10 (69%)*","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"37hg2","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ulkt","text":"The mother of Baby Ru had failed with an earlier child and had only assumed care of her latest when he was around eighteen months; OT was involved to some degree; she is young and moves around. As yet her benefit status is unknown.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5qve9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fimt8","text":"So a number of the predictive factors were there.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"74bhl","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f5ueq","text":"Back to the research which also produced findings for Maori children separately. Across all of the variables the incidence of child maltreatment was elevated. Sixty percent of the those born in 2007 and abused by age two were Maori.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ek76i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7lenq","text":"So to some degree just being Maori increases the risk. Most Maori children are safe and cherished but their risk of abuse or neglect is higher. Baby Ru also ticked that predictor box. And while abuse statistics are not mortality statistics, abuse is usually the precursor to the death of an infant.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3v99b","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fpn35","text":"The killing of children has gone on for a long time. The first inquiry in New Zealand occurred in the 1960s. So I didn't expect to find anything new or useful to say but reflecting on this little guy and the work of Rhema Vaithianathan, I wonder again why, as a society, we let it go on?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"35c4l","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"i5o3","text":"Due to ethical and stigmatisation concerns, in 2015 the National government eventually rejected the proposal to establish a tool that could predict the most at-risk newborns with a view to early intervention. MSD Minister Anne Tolley famously said, \"Not on my watch.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7aqfa","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e9t8j","text":"Eight years have passed. By omission we tacitly accept deaths will continue.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e4d30","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5v6ga","text":"By commission, we continue to provide no-strings weekly cash payments to furnish lifestyles that are downright dangerous for very young children.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3uhhr","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3mb06","text":"BUT ... the country has voted for change. It is not in the mood for more prevarication and excuse-making.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"evcml","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a4b","text":"The incoming MSD Minister should get the good professor in his or her office next week and start talking.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8aq2c","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ei2t4","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dhudf","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8vst9","text":"* \"Based on conservatively linked data. This is known to understate the proportions with CYF contact and findings of maltreatment.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/predicitve-modelling/index.html","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.6"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0">STUFF claims a letter was dropped off anonymously to the organization detailing deaths of 57 children since Oranga Tamariki came into being in 2017. OT's chief social worker was interviewed by Jack Tame and did not deny the number. It is consistent with the oft-cited historical statistic that every five weeks a child in New Zealand dies from abuse.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="adp25-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="adp25-0-0"><span data-offset-key="adp25-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="erunt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="erunt-0-0"><span data-offset-key="erunt-0-0">There are other consistencies that accompany these deaths. They occur in state houses. The perpetrators are on benefits. The children are already known to Oranga Tamariki. In the latest case of toddler Ruthless-Empire the child was not in the care of OT but "on their books".</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d9v5f-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d9v5f-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d9v5f-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="coqk1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="coqk1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="coqk1-0-0">The victims are also disproportionately Maori. Apologists will assert this is because Maori are more likely to suffer from poverty and its causes, for instance, addiction and unemployment. These are hollow excuses for making the lives of totally vulnerable and dependent children miserable and painful. And too often, very short.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1o9v4-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1o9v4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1o9v4-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fm9o8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fm9o8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fm9o8-0-0">But why is this pattern so sickeningly predictable yet seemingly unavoidable?</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2p2e5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2p2e5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2p2e5-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cf7a6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cf7a6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cf7a6-0-0">Ground-breaking </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/predicitve-modelling/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="cf7a6-1-0">research</span></a><span data-offset-key="cf7a6-2-0"> from the Auckland University of Technology (led by Rhema Vaithianathan who is now assisting a number of US jurisdictions applying her work in a practical way) investigated the factors which are common to child abuse and neglect cases. CYF data was linked to multiple administrative records including from the benefit system. A major finding was:</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3fev7-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fev7-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3fev7-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7m9jl-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7m9jl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7m9jl-0-0"> "Of all children having a finding of maltreatment by age 5, 83% are seen on a benefit before age 2."</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="30qj8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="30qj8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="30qj8-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="eegt5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="eegt5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="eegt5-0-0">In other words the vast majority of substantiated abuse occurs in the population dependent on benefits. For the 2007 birth cohort, around three quarters of maltreatment findings by age two involved children of single parents, which provides a clue as to which particular benefit.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ethc2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ethc2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ethc2-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="acbgj-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="acbgj-0-0"><span data-offset-key="acbgj-0-0">Turning to the rates of abuse, the incidence of maltreatment by age 2 was 10% for those children whose caregivers who had received a benefit for 80% or more of the past five years. In contrast, for those who had spent no time on a benefit, the finding dropped to 0.3 percent. The difference is massive. Expressed as a likelihood, the child in the habitually-benefit dependent home is 33 times more likely to be abused.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8japv-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8japv-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8japv-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="b0999-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="b0999-0-0"><span data-offset-key="b0999-0-0">Unsurprisingly there are other factors that significantly influence findings. The percentages of children with a substantiated finding by age two with the following circumstances are:</span></div></div><ul class="public-DraftStyleDefault-ul" data-offset-key="4jrut-0-0"><li class="u5tut p7Opnu sTh2bo public-DraftStyleDefault-list-ltr rich-content-UL public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-reset public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4jrut-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4jrut-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4jrut-0-0">Other children with a care and protection record in last five years (34.9%)</span></div></li><li class="u5tut p7Opnu sTh2bo public-DraftStyleDefault-list-ltr rich-content-UL public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5loca-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5loca-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5loca-0-0">Mother or caregiver aged under 25 (53.5%)</span></div></li><li class="u5tut p7Opnu sTh2bo public-DraftStyleDefault-list-ltr rich-content-UL public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ce9p1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ce9p1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ce9p1-0-0">One plus address changes recorded in benefit data in last year (26.1%)</span></div></li><li class="u5tut p7Opnu sTh2bo public-DraftStyleDefault-list-ltr rich-content-UL public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e0ffo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e0ffo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e0ffo-0-0">Single parent (74.3%)</span></div></li><li class="u5tut p7Opnu sTh2bo public-DraftStyleDefault-list-ltr rich-content-UL public-DraftStyleDefault-unorderedListItem public-DraftStyleDefault-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-listLTR" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e5fe-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e5fe-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e5fe-0-0">High deprivation neighbourhood deciles 8-10 (69%)*</span></div></li></ul><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ff5fa-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ff5fa-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ff5fa-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1vlld-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1vlld-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1vlld-0-0">The mother of Baby Ru had failed with an earlier child and had only assumed care of her latest when he was around eighteen months; OT was involved to some degree; she is young and moves around. As yet her benefit status is unknown.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8h42e-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8h42e-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8h42e-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9c1ha-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9c1ha-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9c1ha-0-0">So a number of the predictive factors were there.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1gs7q-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1gs7q-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1gs7q-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6l1en-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6l1en-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6l1en-0-0">Back to the research which also produced findings for Maori children separately. Across all of the variables the incidence of child maltreatment was elevated. Fifty nine percent of the those born in 2007 and abused by age two were Maori.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="73aim-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="73aim-0-0"><span data-offset-key="73aim-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="em2el-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="em2el-0-0"><span data-offset-key="em2el-0-0">So to some degree just being Maori increases the risk. Most Maori children are safe and cherished but their risk of abuse or neglect is higher. Baby Ru also ticked that predictor box. And while abuse statistics are not mortality statistics, abuse is usually the precursor to the death of an infant.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bnboc-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bnboc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bnboc-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3c73s-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3c73s-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3c73s-0-0">The killing of children has gone on for a long time. The first inquiry in New Zealand occurred in the 1960s. So I didn't expect to find anything new or useful to say but reflecting on this little guy and the work of Rhema Vaithianathan, I wonder again why, as a society, we let it go on?</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="eotr0-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="eotr0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="eotr0-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0">Due to ethical and stigmatisation concerns, in 2015 the National government eventually rejected the proposal to establish a tool that could predict the most at-risk newborns with a view to early intervention. MSD Minister Anne Tolley famously said, "Not on my watch."</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0" style="text-align: left;"><span data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0">Vaithianathan <a href="https://www.aut.ac.nz/news/stories/economics-professor-disappointed-by-limited-plans-for-child-abuse-prediction-tool">responded</a>:
</span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"4opat","text":"STUFF claims a letter was dropped off anonymously to the organization detailing deaths of 57 children since Oranga Tamariki came into being in 2017. OT's chief social worker was interviewed by Jack Tame and did not deny the number. It is consistent with the oft-cited historical statistic that every five weeks a child in New Zealand dies from abuse.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"19sg6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"aa0of","text":"There are other consistencies that accompany these deaths. They occur in state houses. The perpetrators are on benefits. The children are already known to Oranga Tamariki. In the latest case of toddler Ruthless-Empire the child was not in the care of OT but \"on their books\".","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4bqb1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2jij3","text":"The victims are also disproportionately Maori. Apologists will assert this is because Maori are more likely to suffer from poverty and its causes, for instance, addiction and unemployment. These are hollow excuses for making the lives of totally vulnerable and dependent children miserable and painful. And too often, very short.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a4hvd","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dcc7a","text":"But why is this pattern so sickeningly predictable yet seemingly unavoidable?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ok4i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2odcl","text":"Ground-breaking research from the Auckland University of Technology (led by Rhema Vaithianathan who is now assisting a number of US jurisdictions applying her work in a practical way) investigated the factors which are common to child abuse and neglect cases. CYF data was linked to multiple administrative records including from the benefit system. A major finding was:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":16,"length":8,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":16,"length":8,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"efu43","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8hgqo","text":" \"Of all children having a finding of maltreatment by age 5, 83% are seen on a benefit before age 2.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"agmcl","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1lnp6","text":"In other words the vast majority of substantiated abuse occurs in the population dependent on benefits. For the 2007 birth cohort, around three quarters of maltreatment findings by age two involved children of single parents, which provides a clue as to which particular benefit.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4kfd3","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7540i","text":"Turning to the rates of abuse, the incidence of maltreatment by age 2 was 10% for those children whose caregivers who had received a benefit for 80% or more of the past five years. In contrast, for those who had spent no time on a benefit, the finding dropped to 0.3 percent. The difference is massive. Expressed as a likelihood, the child in the habitually-benefit dependent home is 33 times more likely to be abused.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ib76","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"eavep","text":"Unsurprisingly there are other factors that significantly influence findings. The percentages of children with a substantiated finding by age two with the following circumstances are:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9i07q","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1i6gi","text":" Other children with a care and protection record in last five years (34.9%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8d12s","text":" Mother or caregiver aged under 25 (53.5%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"106tr","text":" One plus address changes recorded in benefit data in last year (26.1%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5umi3","text":" Single parent (74.3%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"652oc","text":" High deprivation neighbourhood deciles 8-10 (69%)*","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"37hg2","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ulkt","text":"The mother of Baby Ru had failed with an earlier child and had only assumed care of her latest when he was around eighteen months; OT was involved to some degree; she is young and moves around. As yet her benefit status is unknown.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5qve9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fimt8","text":"So a number of the predictive factors were there.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"74bhl","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f5ueq","text":"Back to the research which also produced findings for Maori children separately. Across all of the variables the incidence of child maltreatment was elevated. Sixty percent of the those born in 2007 and abused by age two were Maori.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ek76i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7lenq","text":"So to some degree just being Maori increases the risk. Most Maori children are safe and cherished but their risk of abuse or neglect is higher. Baby Ru also ticked that predictor box. And while abuse statistics are not mortality statistics, abuse is usually the precursor to the death of an infant.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3v99b","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fpn35","text":"The killing of children has gone on for a long time. The first inquiry in New Zealand occurred in the 1960s. So I didn't expect to find anything new or useful to say but reflecting on this little guy and the work of Rhema Vaithianathan, I wonder again why, as a society, we let it go on?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"35c4l","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"i5o3","text":"Due to ethical and stigmatisation concerns, in 2015 the National government eventually rejected the proposal to establish a tool that could predict the most at-risk newborns with a view to early intervention. MSD Minister Anne Tolley famously said, \"Not on my watch.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7aqfa","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e9t8j","text":"Eight years have passed. By omission we tacitly accept deaths will continue.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e4d30","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5v6ga","text":"By commission, we continue to provide no-strings weekly cash payments to furnish lifestyles that are downright dangerous for very young children.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3uhhr","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3mb06","text":"BUT ... the country has voted for change. It is not in the mood for more prevarication and excuse-making.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"evcml","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a4b","text":"The incoming MSD Minister should get the good professor in his or her office next week and start talking.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8aq2c","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ei2t4","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dhudf","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8vst9","text":"* \"Based on conservatively linked data. This is known to understate the proportions with CYF contact and findings of maltreatment.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/predicitve-modelling/index.html","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.6"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9ghu6-0-0">“We shouldn’t resile from the problems we face around maltreatment of children in New Zealand or from radical solutions like this that would allow resources to be targeted accurately. The social service sector in NZ needs a data-driven, evidence-based revolution. We are still tinkering at the edges and children are the losers.”</span></div></div></div></blockquote><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"4opat","text":"STUFF claims a letter was dropped off anonymously to the organization detailing deaths of 57 children since Oranga Tamariki came into being in 2017. OT's chief social worker was interviewed by Jack Tame and did not deny the number. It is consistent with the oft-cited historical statistic that every five weeks a child in New Zealand dies from abuse.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"19sg6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"aa0of","text":"There are other consistencies that accompany these deaths. They occur in state houses. The perpetrators are on benefits. The children are already known to Oranga Tamariki. In the latest case of toddler Ruthless-Empire the child was not in the care of OT but \"on their books\".","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4bqb1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2jij3","text":"The victims are also disproportionately Maori. Apologists will assert this is because Maori are more likely to suffer from poverty and its causes, for instance, addiction and unemployment. These are hollow excuses for making the lives of totally vulnerable and dependent children miserable and painful. And too often, very short.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a4hvd","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dcc7a","text":"But why is this pattern so sickeningly predictable yet seemingly unavoidable?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ok4i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2odcl","text":"Ground-breaking research from the Auckland University of Technology (led by Rhema Vaithianathan who is now assisting a number of US jurisdictions applying her work in a practical way) investigated the factors which are common to child abuse and neglect cases. CYF data was linked to multiple administrative records including from the benefit system. A major finding was:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":16,"length":8,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":16,"length":8,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"efu43","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8hgqo","text":" \"Of all children having a finding of maltreatment by age 5, 83% are seen on a benefit before age 2.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"agmcl","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1lnp6","text":"In other words the vast majority of substantiated abuse occurs in the population dependent on benefits. For the 2007 birth cohort, around three quarters of maltreatment findings by age two involved children of single parents, which provides a clue as to which particular benefit.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4kfd3","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7540i","text":"Turning to the rates of abuse, the incidence of maltreatment by age 2 was 10% for those children whose caregivers who had received a benefit for 80% or more of the past five years. In contrast, for those who had spent no time on a benefit, the finding dropped to 0.3 percent. The difference is massive. Expressed as a likelihood, the child in the habitually-benefit dependent home is 33 times more likely to be abused.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ib76","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"eavep","text":"Unsurprisingly there are other factors that significantly influence findings. The percentages of children with a substantiated finding by age two with the following circumstances are:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9i07q","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1i6gi","text":" Other children with a care and protection record in last five years (34.9%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8d12s","text":" Mother or caregiver aged under 25 (53.5%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"106tr","text":" One plus address changes recorded in benefit data in last year (26.1%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5umi3","text":" Single parent (74.3%)","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"652oc","text":" High deprivation neighbourhood deciles 8-10 (69%)*","type":"unordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"37hg2","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ulkt","text":"The mother of Baby Ru had failed with an earlier child and had only assumed care of her latest when he was around eighteen months; OT was involved to some degree; she is young and moves around. As yet her benefit status is unknown.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5qve9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fimt8","text":"So a number of the predictive factors were there.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"74bhl","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f5ueq","text":"Back to the research which also produced findings for Maori children separately. Across all of the variables the incidence of child maltreatment was elevated. Sixty percent of the those born in 2007 and abused by age two were Maori.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ek76i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7lenq","text":"So to some degree just being Maori increases the risk. Most Maori children are safe and cherished but their risk of abuse or neglect is higher. Baby Ru also ticked that predictor box. And while abuse statistics are not mortality statistics, abuse is usually the precursor to the death of an infant.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3v99b","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fpn35","text":"The killing of children has gone on for a long time. The first inquiry in New Zealand occurred in the 1960s. So I didn't expect to find anything new or useful to say but reflecting on this little guy and the work of Rhema Vaithianathan, I wonder again why, as a society, we let it go on?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"35c4l","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"i5o3","text":"Due to ethical and stigmatisation concerns, in 2015 the National government eventually rejected the proposal to establish a tool that could predict the most at-risk newborns with a view to early intervention. MSD Minister Anne Tolley famously said, \"Not on my watch.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7aqfa","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e9t8j","text":"Eight years have passed. By omission we tacitly accept deaths will continue.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e4d30","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5v6ga","text":"By commission, we continue to provide no-strings weekly cash payments to furnish lifestyles that are downright dangerous for very young children.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3uhhr","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3mb06","text":"BUT ... the country has voted for change. It is not in the mood for more prevarication and excuse-making.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"evcml","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a4b","text":"The incoming MSD Minister should get the good professor in his or her office next week and start talking.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8aq2c","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ei2t4","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dhudf","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8vst9","text":"* \"Based on conservatively linked data. This is known to understate the proportions with CYF contact and findings of maltreatment.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/predicitve-modelling/index.html","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.6"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="77q66-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="77q66-0-0"><span data-offset-key="77q66-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fe9eo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fe9eo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fe9eo-0-0">Eight years have passed. By omission we tacitly accept deaths will continue.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d4vt2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d4vt2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d4vt2-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="fmfm1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fmfm1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fmfm1-0-0">By commission, we continue to provide no-strings weekly cash payments to furnish lifestyles that are downright dangerous for very young children.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cn7sr-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cn7sr-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cn7sr-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4pp5i-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4pp5i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4pp5i-0-0">BUT ... the country has voted for change. It is not in the mood for more prevarication and excuse-making.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="c52o4-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="c52o4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="c52o4-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8e40i-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8e40i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8e40i-0-0">The incoming MSD Minister should get the good professor in his or her office next week and start talking.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9ms3j-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ms3j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9ms3j-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="evt9g-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="evt9g-0-0"><span data-offset-key="evt9g-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7m1n1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7m1n1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7m1n1-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d67i4-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d67i4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d67i4-0-0">* "Based on conservatively linked data. This is known to understate the proportions with CYF contact and findings of maltreatment."</span></div></div></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-31782275771330745172023-10-21T18:14:00.000+13:002023-10-21T18:14:24.157+13:00Welfare and the wasted opportunity<div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"75eig","text":"MSD released its annual report for 2022/23 yesterday. There is bad news. The average future years expected on a main benefit has increased yet again.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f6gu3","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ajb30","text":"The crosses below indicate failed direction of trend which is explained with: \"This KPI did not meet the direction because of less favourable economic forecasts (including higher unemployment rates), lower exit rates and changes in our client mix from those requiring support during the COVID-19 pandemic.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":78,"length":228,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.14.6"}"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><p class="MsoNormal">MSD released its<a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/annual-report/2023/msd-annual-report-2023.pdf"> annual report </a>for 2022/23 yesterday. There is bad news. The average future years expected on a main benefit has increased yet again.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The crosses below indicate failed direction of trend which is explained with: <i>"This KPI did not meet the direction because of less favourable economic forecasts (including higher unemployment rates), lower exit rates and changes in our client mix from those requiring support during the COVID-19 pandemic."<o:p></o:p></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlNHNSdXhRUIdzayAuWA2zHSRP6FExdKumZuDc-TpDfTlPEdiAevvW2NAw9KCE0_UXrmLpEoxjbAPSdtMQ6joeU2vWWBbM5_SijIf8fBq8GUUJUAYXN5e5IQRJqSRHM7SbuLgOPGyujGWkpafZiHJme2WNtPZTu5W6EWfT2Q0d5DaRaY6_Lqq/s517/Future%20years%202022%20to%2023%20header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="38" data-original-width="517" height="28" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlNHNSdXhRUIdzayAuWA2zHSRP6FExdKumZuDc-TpDfTlPEdiAevvW2NAw9KCE0_UXrmLpEoxjbAPSdtMQ6joeU2vWWBbM5_SijIf8fBq8GUUJUAYXN5e5IQRJqSRHM7SbuLgOPGyujGWkpafZiHJme2WNtPZTu5W6EWfT2Q0d5DaRaY6_Lqq/w374-h28/Future%20years%202022%20to%2023%20header.png" width="374" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhv_fljnDbGyd-xH8QmElD3eMvuKOYuF-WSGNYQzz25ZDEcVD86edLd62VfZ7yxl9S9uIVtJy6xcrSsKW46UjCxHGhr0nvCyFcXhp2K2f9mFOn1vntEjuCb50DcrIlrcPLfZEIjNhqOLjFc2xIb0e0LCs5KNgNVnnR_7YLgY7JQok9iz8C6Nj/s518/Future%20years%20on%20a%20benefit%202022%20to%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="104" data-original-width="518" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhv_fljnDbGyd-xH8QmElD3eMvuKOYuF-WSGNYQzz25ZDEcVD86edLd62VfZ7yxl9S9uIVtJy6xcrSsKW46UjCxHGhr0nvCyFcXhp2K2f9mFOn1vntEjuCb50DcrIlrcPLfZEIjNhqOLjFc2xIb0e0LCs5KNgNVnnR_7YLgY7JQok9iz8C6Nj/w373-h73/Future%20years%20on%20a%20benefit%202022%20to%202023.png" width="373" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">But hang on. The direction has been wrong since 2017. Here are the figures from <a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/annual-report/2022/annual-report-2021-2022.pdf">last year’s</a> annual report.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMzXIT8CL1X4x3e1rEliFDNRx-B1vT6WhreN1s0IAp43DcgP6HKWEplNjobXK8T2r0o6K2sZ1Le2rsC3v89YpYnU9su8vNGBmEn06SPztT-TyPlNZnAp8ul9Se1qzZXDk8D6QNaUdA7hh7BqIeVwBgnpTxA5ByM2OYTy0Ac1xyI795EtFGWAF/s580/Future%20years%20on%20a%20benefit%20MSD%20screen%20shot%202018%20to%202022%20header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="49" data-original-width="580" height="32" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMzXIT8CL1X4x3e1rEliFDNRx-B1vT6WhreN1s0IAp43DcgP6HKWEplNjobXK8T2r0o6K2sZ1Le2rsC3v89YpYnU9su8vNGBmEn06SPztT-TyPlNZnAp8ul9Se1qzZXDk8D6QNaUdA7hh7BqIeVwBgnpTxA5ByM2OYTy0Ac1xyI795EtFGWAF/w384-h32/Future%20years%20on%20a%20benefit%20MSD%20screen%20shot%202018%20to%202022%20header.png" width="384" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPFJzQqcRJg1C_9khq_OG7A8Aa7AONgtROo665u-u8Z5TjUucprmV6HPFw9OWBD_u-I5P0piunZg0qHOTdcOhayKJ62GatlcuCOJXxFiscG0FpqbvZdLnybVA4EuM1hEMkA468qUXcrBP5W2mNYLp-R1yI8rKcfoazpWYuroymy_jFRFiDUeX/s581/Future%20years%20on%20a%20benefit%20MSD%20screen%20shot%202018%20to%202022.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="96" data-original-width="581" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPFJzQqcRJg1C_9khq_OG7A8Aa7AONgtROo665u-u8Z5TjUucprmV6HPFw9OWBD_u-I5P0piunZg0qHOTdcOhayKJ62GatlcuCOJXxFiscG0FpqbvZdLnybVA4EuM1hEMkA468qUXcrBP5W2mNYLp-R1yI8rKcfoazpWYuroymy_jFRFiDUeX/w384-h64/Future%20years%20on%20a%20benefit%20MSD%20screen%20shot%202018%20to%202022.png" width="384" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Apart from the first nation-wide lockdown the <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/unemployment-rate/">unemployment rate</a> (depicted by the red line below) has generally <b>decreased from 4.9 to </b><b>3.6 percent. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngnkNm6JNTCrBo8Ie_wA8ipZwC2b5nvqmxX7fBezkRMu4JmJffvDMVXH3VdmMr-lCG5h00vbFdrYHs__glepiFAi1MxWXGIF008B6AoGcnZKAIrnPRsZmdNhnrVFh_onXatYf1xgE8fEEgog-JbpKBBs3NqMh8xDgl2nDY2sYDTWWzljSadhk/s533/Unemployment%20rate%20June%202017%20to%20June%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="533" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngnkNm6JNTCrBo8Ie_wA8ipZwC2b5nvqmxX7fBezkRMu4JmJffvDMVXH3VdmMr-lCG5h00vbFdrYHs__glepiFAi1MxWXGIF008B6AoGcnZKAIrnPRsZmdNhnrVFh_onXatYf1xgE8fEEgog-JbpKBBs3NqMh8xDgl2nDY2sYDTWWzljSadhk/w364-h230/Unemployment%20rate%20June%202017%20to%20June%202023.png" width="364" /></a></div>Against a backdrop of a mostly strong labour market MSD has overseen a substantial rise in the time people are staying dependent on welfare.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Unlike the previous National government, the Labour government did not set an official target of reducing dependency. Rather MSD measures their ‘success’ in building trust and confidence in clients; in timeliness of access and availability of assistance; in equity of outcomes for Maori; client satisfaction with family violence services; and in building awareness of and access to support.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This ‘kindness’ arose from recommendations by the Cindy Kiro-led Welfare Expert Advisory Group convened by the incoming Ardern government of 2017. MSD would counter criticism claiming that they have generally met their KPIs built around these measures.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But what does the funder of MSD (the productive taxpayer) actually want to see?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not numbers like <a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2023/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-september-2023.pdf">these</a>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH55bWB09OiVohYBT7IA80yeymJSCBYJu3KvFnhD595B-kJxTOn1_53EmsZ-IYWDVnAZdMNeD7J5uFgmqXm34NyTwR0D31mWZTRarZDr2PmfsXoK0rqugY2kJmgfk2dzYr_D_ghzJLCvGEzj1mqyzCPBwTphCAyN2czl0XW4M5dR8DnF39GXD/s466/Main%20benefits%20sept%20quarters%202018%20to%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="401" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH55bWB09OiVohYBT7IA80yeymJSCBYJu3KvFnhD595B-kJxTOn1_53EmsZ-IYWDVnAZdMNeD7J5uFgmqXm34NyTwR0D31mWZTRarZDr2PmfsXoK0rqugY2kJmgfk2dzYr_D_ghzJLCvGEzj1mqyzCPBwTphCAyN2czl0XW4M5dR8DnF39GXD/w318-h370/Main%20benefits%20sept%20quarters%202018%20to%202023.png" width="318" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">What taxpayers want (those of us who voted for change anyway) is a return to welfare for the genuinely needy. For those who have suffered misfortune through no fault of their own and cannot be self-sustaining.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Labour squandered a rare opportunity to significantly reduce welfare dependency. While the borders were closed thousands could have taken up the employment opportunities presented. Instead, numbers on welfare stagnated and the time spent there only got longer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It is absolutely critical for the new government to turn this around. With an ageing population and declining birth rate (also faced by the other countries we compete with), labour force shortages will continue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The new government doesn’t need to cut benefits. They just need to require anyone who can work to take the job on offer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the long run that would be the far kinder option for all parties concerned.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-15429276834989315162023-10-13T16:46:00.000+13:002023-10-13T16:46:45.491+13:00'Most open and transparent government ever'<p>Three weeks ago I highlighted a very disturbing trend in benefit numbers.</p><p style="text-align: left;">In the ten week period to September 15, 2023 the number of people on a main benefit rose by 6,768 or almost two percent, whereas in the ten week period ending September 16, 2022 the numbers were virtually flat with a very small decrease of 141 recipients.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeSuKMjqeEh8CC61JjrwwgM35lhUJQGDUpbUnAwLzfmyQofTN05kne3Kd5e241FtAW-pJrBPHNdc0pFK63OuQjXhBfTbrk8f4ONIqWuC8kei_TFv1zuy3dy5G7q9bB0yq56F2UzorP49AYgF34OeISgQhU0_5_CcJyz-gHzOb4ggAfBwCiLIo/s636/7b14b8_1093cf92e070459a8ca6f4baf14b38f3~mv2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="636" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeSuKMjqeEh8CC61JjrwwgM35lhUJQGDUpbUnAwLzfmyQofTN05kne3Kd5e241FtAW-pJrBPHNdc0pFK63OuQjXhBfTbrk8f4ONIqWuC8kei_TFv1zuy3dy5G7q9bB0yq56F2UzorP49AYgF34OeISgQhU0_5_CcJyz-gHzOb4ggAfBwCiLIo/w364-h219/7b14b8_1093cf92e070459a8ca6f4baf14b38f3~mv2.webp" width="364" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I would like to be able to tell you that the trend has been arrested but after the last report was published on 22/9/2023 and showed a further one week increase of 948 the data stopped appearing.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The reason given is "processing delays".</p><p style="text-align: left;">Perhaps campaign sensitivities might be closer to the truth.</p><p style="text-align: left;">For three weeks now no updated data has been made public.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xt-kOqDqE9W0VKdcdeOR1_owuE133bKeoylbFVSnO1GrEhmNfb8qKkSQxLajsKx9uhHkGWCULGq6ILAOC27N3O_BQtjCLjE2bB000IS6V2quJWDGANRMOkg3QA9n5H11M7R8OGimlGWLHfN0oLPpjNK1Hhm-BlT9RsWhVh0reMou0X0eRryb/s536/Processing%20delays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="536" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xt-kOqDqE9W0VKdcdeOR1_owuE133bKeoylbFVSnO1GrEhmNfb8qKkSQxLajsKx9uhHkGWCULGq6ILAOC27N3O_BQtjCLjE2bB000IS6V2quJWDGANRMOkg3QA9n5H11M7R8OGimlGWLHfN0oLPpjNK1Hhm-BlT9RsWhVh0reMou0X0eRryb/w395-h146/Processing%20delays.png" width="395" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Election day eve is as good a time as ever to remind ourselves that Jacinda Ardern promised New Zealanders the most open and transparent government ever.</p><p><br /><br /></p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-58616875683230088492023-10-04T15:33:00.000+13:002023-10-04T15:33:29.189+13:00Checking out Carmel Sepuloni's campaign claims<p>Radio NZ <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/499336/labour-friendly-turf-christchurch-throws-up-some-testy-exchanges-for-carmel-sepuloni">reports</a>
that Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni was on the campaign trail
in Christchurch yesterday defending her government’s performance. She said
that:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 14.15pt; margin-right: 14.15pt; margin-top: 0cm;">“Her government had seen higher numbers of
beneficiaries moving into jobs …”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet the numbers on a Jobseeker benefit continue to climb.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Technically her assertion may be true but it’s like someone claiming
they’ve been making higher numbers of credit card repayments while continuing
to over-use the same card and grow the debt.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Higher numbers may have been moving into jobs, but even <i>higher</i>
numbers have been moving onto benefits. It’s the net difference that matters
and when she is back in opposition Sepuloni will be using exactly that measure to
mount attacks on the government.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">FACT: At September 22, 2023 there were 181,167 people on a
Jobseeker benefit. In September 2017, just prior to Sepuloni taking up the reins,
the number was 120,726. She has overseen a fifty percent increase.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back to the RNZ report:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 14.15pt; margin-right: 14.15pt; margin-top: 0cm;">“The majority of people went on a benefit for a
short time to get a helping hand, Sepuloni said.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Again, over a given period, this might technically be true
but it’s a claim intended to mask the true and worrying situation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">FACT: Three quarters of beneficiaries have been dependent
for more than a year and MSD’s annual report shows that <span lang="EN-US">average future expected time on a benefit grew from
10.7 years in 2018 to 12.8 years in 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Today Sepuloni
is <a href="http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/5/422714">saying</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 14.15pt; margin-right: 14.15pt; margin-top: 0cm;">"I’m proud of the work Labour has done to lift
over 77,000 children out of poverty.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">FACT: At September
2017 there were 172,302 children on benefits. By June 2023 that number had
grown by 23 percent to sit at 211,617. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rest assured that whatever Sepuloni would rather sweep under
the carpet right now will miraculously become a problem during the 54<sup>th</sup>
New Zealand parliament odds-on to be led by a National/ACT government.<o:p></o:p></p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-14907316826149483872023-09-28T13:59:00.000+13:002023-09-28T13:59:39.284+13:00A conundrum for those pushing racist dogma<p>The heavily promoted narrative, which has ramped up over the last six years, is that Maori somehow have special vulnerabilities which arise from outside forces they cannot control; that contemporary society fails to meet their needs. They are not receptive to messages and opportunities in the same way as other races because the trauma of colonisation carried from one generation to the next. </p><p>We are told, whether it's health or education, Maori cannot be reached, or cannot access, or cannot receive current 'best practice' because it is couched in racism. Until our institutions look through a Maori worldview lens, inequity and injustice will continue. Progress will be impossible. These are the circumstances that New Zealand's academic institutions and public agencies have accepted, embraced and acted on.</p><p>So I have a conundrum for them.</p><p>Teenage births are considered, by many, to be undesirable. Sixty years ago they led to shot-gun marriages; thirty years ago (and since) to long term dependence on welfare. They often lead to undesirable outcomes for offspring. After all, teen-age mothers are barely more than children themselves, and the biological fathers of their children seldom actively participate in parenting.</p><p>But as females became better educated and independent, they themselves started to question the wisdom of premature pregnancy and all that it entailed. In an ultra-connected world, reality TV programmes like Sixteen and Pregnant followed the lives of teenage mothers, exposing the difficulties and hardships they experienced and were viewed by millions worldwide.</p><p>Health authorities put ever increasing efforts into reducing teen births through contraception education and availability, especially new long-acting reversible contraceptives and the morning-after pill. Secondary schools provided more guidance and advice.</p><p>In terms of welfare reform, where births were not prevented, the Ministry of Social Development got closer to the mothers, exercising control of their benefit money, connecting them to mentors, ensuring GP enrolment and keeping them in study. Unconditional cash stopped.</p><p>From youth surveys it seems young people are increasingly delaying sex and /or avoiding pregnancy.</p><p>The result?</p><p>Teenage births have plummeted BUT for Maori and non-Maori alike (as did abortions by the way).</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvgxQ-tz6UJ350kows58FChW9JH_obKA3ReAyepT9DGcVKFBii6mGjpKKad6kixmz8OyAX0Oi5VnJXMg0vtJEmu6jUaSBjeZlu4pO0W-YGJ2FuiTmGBD_g9L_odiBO3Bf5VxAMLa2g5CCb5cVl87ntjADm4qrtOBm3YBcQi8p1PAA3WWajHqKk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="817" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvgxQ-tz6UJ350kows58FChW9JH_obKA3ReAyepT9DGcVKFBii6mGjpKKad6kixmz8OyAX0Oi5VnJXMg0vtJEmu6jUaSBjeZlu4pO0W-YGJ2FuiTmGBD_g9L_odiBO3Bf5VxAMLa2g5CCb5cVl87ntjADm4qrtOBm3YBcQi8p1PAA3WWajHqKk=w400-h253" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Whatever factors are driving this steep decline, Maori females responded in exactly the same way as non-Maori females.</p><p>This phenomenon gives lie to much of the hitherto described propaganda which is now pushed as 'fact'.</p><p>Yes, Maori teenage births are still more common - and still leading to benefit dependence - but that's actually another issue.</p><p>The point here is, regardless of ethnicity, teenage girls are subject to and responding to the same social stimuli in the same way.</p><p>Maori females are throwing a spanner into the works. They challenge the current orthodoxy.</p><p>Perhaps the orthodoxy is unsound?</p><div><br /></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-67092019399462900462023-09-23T10:37:00.000+12:002023-09-23T10:37:59.752+12:00Alarming trend in benefit numbers<p>While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend.</p><p>Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In the ten week period to September 15, 2023 the number of people on a main benefit has risen by 6,768 or almost two percent, whereas in the ten week period ending September 16, 2022 the numbers were virtually flat with a very small decrease of 141 recipients.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIfetu_1yAMbePUygyEZ3ZREZd4JgyVmV5DjcoX_GE765n_3uaGSN0m32tbRiTPsK6p0NnT5_P-rDTZsAPR907E81lQbIPup3LHnzkjF-gVFUPRxoWonB3SxrCy_gXF1s8Sv-rkPXH_tznKc14lHruvR3p6joly62lIC-MkIeXld0SBcHs0XTr" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="752" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIfetu_1yAMbePUygyEZ3ZREZd4JgyVmV5DjcoX_GE765n_3uaGSN0m32tbRiTPsK6p0NnT5_P-rDTZsAPR907E81lQbIPup3LHnzkjF-gVFUPRxoWonB3SxrCy_gXF1s8Sv-rkPXH_tznKc14lHruvR3p6joly62lIC-MkIeXld0SBcHs0XTr=w397-h238" width="397" /></a></div><br />The finance minister Grant Robertson continues to insist the economy is in good shape. This real time indicator would strongly suggest otherwise.<p></p><p>85 percent of the increase is in Jobseeker Support. In turn, over a third of the increased Jobseeker Support is in those receiving Jobseeker/Health Condition or Disability.</p><p>These are people who could be working if they could access health treatments.</p><p>The detail about the nature of their health conditions is not provided in weekly updates but quarterly trends point to psychological/psychiatric conditions playing a large part.</p><p>Prime Minister Chris Hipkins claimed in the TV1 leaders debate that the health system is not in crisis. He also constantly boasts about "record low unemployment".</p><p>Make of it what you will.</p><p>But these numbers don't lie and in the past ten weeks thousands more have lost jobs or become too sick to work.</p><p>It must be deeply upsetting for them to hear the Prime Minister willfully ignoring their plight; indeed, denying their very existence.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Sources:</p><p>https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/weekly-reporting/2022/sep/data-file-income-support-weekly-update-16-september-2022.xlsx</p><p>https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/weekly-reporting/2023/sep/data-file-income-support-weekly-update-15-september-2023.xlsx</p>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-28785536279010975302023-09-21T17:58:00.000+12:002023-09-21T17:58:32.507+12:00"Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence"<p><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oranga Tamariki has just released a </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="foo-1-0">review</span></a><span data-offset-key="foo-2-0" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4vs90-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4vs90-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4vs90-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div></div><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6gmgd-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6gmgd-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6gmgd-0-0"></span></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6gmgd-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6gmgd-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6gmgd-0-0"> "In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely."</span></div></div></div></blockquote><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1p7f2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1p7f2-0-0"></div></div></div></blockquote><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1p7f2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1p7f2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1p7f2-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cukm5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cukm5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cukm5-0-0">The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5s91f-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5s91f-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5s91f-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8cdv6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8cdv6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8cdv6-0-0">Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an "uptick since 2022". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="aevr-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="aevr-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aevr-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="67llt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="67llt-0-0"><span data-offset-key="67llt-0-0">Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3vhgo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3vhgo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3vhgo-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dq1op-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dq1op-0-0" style="text-align: left;"><span data-offset-key="dq1op-0-0"></span></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dq1op-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dq1op-0-0" style="text-align: left;"><span data-offset-key="dq1op-0-0"> "...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum."</span></div></div></div></blockquote><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1jq4l-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1jq4l-0-0"></div></div></div></blockquote><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1jq4l-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1jq4l-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1jq4l-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d95na-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d95na-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d95na-0-0">Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that "should be avoided at all costs."</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8khti-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8khti-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8khti-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="altun-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="altun-0-0"><span data-offset-key="altun-0-0">Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are "often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves." Their work environments are "dangerous". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are "tired" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="aoiu1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="aoiu1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aoiu1-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="43p8o-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="43p8o-0-0"><span data-offset-key="43p8o-0-0">Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, "Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending." Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="47b71-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="47b71-0-0"><span data-offset-key="47b71-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="37nqu-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="37nqu-0-0"><span data-offset-key="37nqu-0-0">All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="183g6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="183g6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="183g6-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8bnjt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8bnjt-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8bnjt-0-0">Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: "Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does."</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bcuiq-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bcuiq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bcuiq-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="f01in-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="f01in-0-0"><span data-offset-key="f01in-0-0">The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as "overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers." One worker describes how the constant change is "... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing."</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2ev8m-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2ev8m-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2ev8m-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5v2p5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5v2p5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5v2p5-0-0">In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, " Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio." A comprehensive reset is called for.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3tf72-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3tf72-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3tf72-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e5s5j-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e5s5j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e5s5j-0-0">The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7qcc5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7qcc5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7qcc5-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dljda-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dljda-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dljda-0-0">Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:</span></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5tst7-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5tst7-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5tst7-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div></div><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"c2ijl","text":"Oranga Tamariki has just released a review of its secure facilities and community homes for youth and children. This followed allegations of inappropriate staff behaviour in June 2023. Shedding light on what drove such an incident:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":36,"length":6,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"a0rrq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c04tl","text":" \"In the cases we heard of harmful behaviour, such as allegations about staff providing young people with vapes or other contraband, allowing inappropriate movies or standing by during fights, the prevailing driver was surviving the shift safely.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"brjpv","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ph2n","text":"The report is damning and sad. Staff morale is clearly very low as they struggle with, amongst other challenges, 'review fatigue'. It would seem the only constant in their environment is change.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9hch7","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"43mv2","text":"Like other front line agencies they do not have enough workers. Youth justice facilities should be able to take 171 residents but can only staff 133. Demand is increasing. While overall youth offending is declining, the seriousness is not and the report refers to an \"uptick since 2022\". Demand is forecast to rise to 225 in 2024.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e5sla","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79iq1","text":"Just under half of those in secure residences are aged 16-19 and three quarters of the youth justice residence population identify as Māori. Many have mental health challenges.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e0fi6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"blbr","text":" \"...there appears to be a greater proportion of youth crime committed by so-called ‘life-course persistent’ criminals: chronic offenders whose anti-social behaviour is rooted in an early childhood of trauma and abuse, and who offend well into adulthood. This is a group whose offending is more entrenched and at the severe end of the spectrum.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9icru","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7g35","text":"Children and youth of different age cohorts - and reasons for admission - are getting mixed despite the practice being one that \"should be avoided at all costs.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dpsn1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"62atc","text":"Staff are relatively unskilled in respect of the complex resident needs they face. Many are low-skilled and unqualified youth workers. They are \"often left to interpret policies or make up processes and standard operating procedures for themselves.\" Their work environments are \"dangerous\". Bullying and harassment - which appears to not only flow between staff, but between staff and residents - is relatively common. The staffing structures are overly hierarchical with too much middle-management. The physical residences themselves are \"tired\" despite having been purpose built in the 1990s and early 2000s.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6ctl9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"deufh","text":"Some safety issues are created by legislation, for instance, \"Because regulation prevents rangatahi from being locked in their rooms at night, children in a wing or dormitory can move between rooms if they want to (or are threatened). Along with blind spots, this creates an environment at high risk for sexual violence, assault, nighttime escapes and grooming in regard to gangs or higher end offending.\" Lack of radios, poor wi-fi, security camera blind-spots, old-fashioned keys, and smuggled contraband all contributed to increased danger for staff and residents.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ailaq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f7vlp","text":"All in all the residences feature a lack of leadership, clarity of purpose, transparency, accountability, trust, and fear of retaliation. The report paints a bleak picture.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3kh5u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"g7b","text":"Oranga Tamariki was established in 2017 and there have been several reviews since: \"Taken together, the litany of reviews makes for confronting reading. They paint a picture of poor agency and system performance, sometimes at odds with Oranga Tamariki’s core mission of being child centred in all it does.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a8d3p","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ro6p","text":"The current review is no less confronting. Middle-management are fatigued by the reviews and have lost faith. “Oranga Tamariki only ever reacts”, said one respondent, “and then generally in an ad hoc and panicked fashion.” “There is no time to embed changes”, said another, “because there is never a considered implementation plan, showing how all the pieces fit together.” Front-line staff are described as \"overwhelmed by the constant parade of reviewers.\" One worker describes how the constant change is \"... exhausting and, frankly, it's cynicism inducing.\"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fek16","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4gq7f","text":"In the last two years all Youth Justice residences have moved to adopt Māori values working in collaboration with Māori academics and Māori practitioners. There does not appear to be any direct criticism of this approach but the reviewers insist, \" Ideologies, catch phrases and lists of projects are not a substitute for a properly considered strategy, operating model and outcomes framework for the secure residences and community home portfolio.\" A comprehensive reset is called for.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5bed1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bulrt","text":"The many recommendations all sound energetic and purposeful but are far too numerous to summarise. I am afraid I got weary reading about what the reset would require and found myself sympathising deeply with those who will be tasked with its implementation. Once more into the breech.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8tkbu","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ddoq5","text":"Perhaps though this singular list of failure is just one of many that a new government will have to confront. In the following summation 'Oranga Tamariki' could reasonably be substituted with other public agency names:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1rrs","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"93acm","text":" \"...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff.\" ","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Performance-and-monitoring/Reviews-and-Inquiries/Rapid-residence-review/Secure-residence-review.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}}},"VERSION":"9.14.3"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2gjlf-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2gjlf-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2gjlf-0-0"><blockquote> "...Oranga Tamariki has lost trust and confidence: the trust of many in the community, of other agencies, of its tamariki and rangatahi, and in some cases, of its own staff." </blockquote></span></div></div></div></blockquote>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-19886825706520036472023-09-08T17:26:00.000+12:002023-09-08T17:26:44.085+12:00Cultural indoctrination of the NZ Police<p>I asked my better half, "What is the job of the police?" Quite quickly he responded, "Ultimately, to protect the community." That's not bad. I had toyed with, "To enforce law and order," but on reflection, some laws are 'an ass' and regarding 'order' police actions during the parliamentary protest remain controversial. Why am I grappling with this?</p><p>Today police spend much - if not most - of their time policing 'family harm' - a euphemism for violence perpetrated against partners and children. Their own <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/annual-report-2021-2022.pdf">annual report</a> says family harm call-outs are the fastest growing type of which there are already almost 500 a day - a 47 percent increase on 2017 we are told.</p><p>To assist in their work Police are provided with <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/advice-services/family-violence/family-harm-approach-resources">handouts</a> titled <i>'Colonisation ... destabilising a culture'</i> and<i> 'Urbanisation ... destabilising a culture'.</i> After absorbing the hand-outs, the question is posed, <i>'Given what you have just learnt about colonisation, do you believe Māori have their needs met in keeping with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?' </i>One assumes the correct answer is 'no' (though it's kind of weird that an American psychologist's framework is used alongside the predictable and omnipresent call for tikanga values to dominate.)</p><p>Another diagram further explains how the historical trauma of colonisation worsens with each generation:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hafLtHk_DfAHdSuFSQSf_8yn-DZ15iXTj4R4nbWy5VJAzO75IYTrrQFXZ4vX_66Zkrs5ru4TZkB1y6gw6afdcIPp7e8w2ft0HRh3oeg4YmhaJFN9fnWk2h5TqSdvdS0Gq_TMysE8xKmAhKjw5xdTqIeSl1dS02C2Hn1NWXaJK-bGKUBl7PnF/s698/Maori%20and%20family%20harm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="698" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hafLtHk_DfAHdSuFSQSf_8yn-DZ15iXTj4R4nbWy5VJAzO75IYTrrQFXZ4vX_66Zkrs5ru4TZkB1y6gw6afdcIPp7e8w2ft0HRh3oeg4YmhaJFN9fnWk2h5TqSdvdS0Gq_TMysE8xKmAhKjw5xdTqIeSl1dS02C2Hn1NWXaJK-bGKUBl7PnF/w394-h267/Maori%20and%20family%20harm.png" width="394" /></a></div><br /><p>(Left click on image to enlarge)</p><p>A couple of decades ago this type of material would have sat unremarked in a reading list for a BA in sociology. In fact, the source for the 'destabilising a culture' handouts is a PhD thesis written in 2001 by someone appearing European but citing their tribal credentials. Graduates and their 'learnings' have now firmly infiltrated public service agencies across the board.</p><p>But what is the takeaway for the police? That Maori perpetrators of family violence are themselves victims? That Maori perpetrators have no personal agency? How on earth can this belief be built into the practice of policing? It is clear how it has been built into the practice of administering justice - lenient sentencing with discounts for sympathetic cultural reports. Perhaps the same teaching discourages police from even delivering offenders for the proverbial wet bus ticket.</p><p>As usual I have more questions than answers not least of which is, given half of those convicted of family violence offences are NOT Maori, what's their excuse??</p><p>Never mind. I think New Zealanders are sick and tired of hearing excuses <i>of any hue</i>. We are compassionate people but increasingly reserving our sympathy for the real victims - the robbed, the raped, the murdered. Many though are getting particularly angry at being blamed by dint of ancestry for past colonial misdeeds that give present licence to thugs.</p><p>In respect of the police handouts about colonisation and urbanisation, it was Maori who enslaved Maori - not Europeans. No-one forced Maori into the cities. They went in search of jobs, money and excitement. And guess what? Most grabbed the opportunities, along with partners from other races, and became wealthier and happier. Just as their co-inhabitants and more recent immigrants were doing. My parents arrived in NZ in the sixties with meagre savings - no better off than newly urbanised Maori. But they found jobs and made their way. They weren't wallowing in the fact that their parents and grandparents had worked in coal mines or scavenged. But they both have memories of bitterly unhappy and arguing fathers and mothers the experience of which they resolved to never subject their own children to.</p><p>The police propaganda doesn't explain that most people learn from adversity. That it is beholden on them to do so.</p><p>The police propaganda examines family harm and delivers a faulty diagnosis: that Maori offenders have no free will. That their actions are determined by past circumstances beyond their control. We can but await the sixth, seventh and eighth generations of violent offenders.</p><p>I'm not buying it. Blame must be laid, in the first instance, at the feet of family violence perpetrators. The principles of personal agency and responsibility must be paramount. On what other basis can an effective policing system operate? No purpose is served by sending police into volatile and dangerous situations with heads full of guilt about their colonial past.</p><p>If that was a successful strategy then family harm incidents would be declining. Not the opposite.</p><div><br /></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-16852168812808910182023-09-01T17:10:00.049+12:002023-09-01T18:45:25.359+12:00What's happening to at-risk children?<div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">Police recorded 175,573 family harm investigations in the June year 2021/22 – a 47% increase from 2017. That’s just under 500 a day. Children are <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/family-harm-policy-and-procedures-310123.pdf">present</a> at around half. </p><p class="MsoNormal">According to the latest <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/annual-report-2021-2022.pdf">NZ
Police Annual report</a>, <i>"Assault on a person
in a family relationship now represents around 66%
of reported serious assaults and family harm calls
for service are increasing at greater rates than others."</i></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Police <a href="https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/family-harm-policy-and-procedures-310123.pdf">manuals</a> repeatedly stress the critical importance of
ensuring the safety of children present at a family harm incident.<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This all creates an expectation that reports to Oranga
Tamariki (formerly CYF) would follow suit. They don’t. In fact, Reports of
Concern (ROC) from ‘Police-Family Violence’ <i>fell</i> between 2017/18 and
2021/22 from 7,455 to 1,013. Unsurprisingly <a href="https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Entries-into-care/Entries-to-Care-A3-2022-1.pdf">entries
into care</a> (whereby a child’s situation is deemed dangerous enough to place
him or her under the guardianship of the state) follow the same trend:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiwEVVeCwE6oEDho8V2HnZR8WfH7GeJGlWPc609zoTzJGttmx9M_oY3LSJIdnoA3fnnqpqap80_XheQgTtxTb2lA_EQb_sG_dTxvnmnk8w-YKuaGNGmUAvmPT2k4iTCRPJsgCH4szU6JY7gI95uVWNX0ZJi6wgmePhKWGrHMFusFY3PsuyOgai" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="729" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiwEVVeCwE6oEDho8V2HnZR8WfH7GeJGlWPc609zoTzJGttmx9M_oY3LSJIdnoA3fnnqpqap80_XheQgTtxTb2lA_EQb_sG_dTxvnmnk8w-YKuaGNGmUAvmPT2k4iTCRPJsgCH4szU6JY7gI95uVWNX0ZJi6wgmePhKWGrHMFusFY3PsuyOgai=w377-h213" width="377" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">When asked why reports from Police-Family Violence to Oranga
Tamariki had fallen so sharply OT responded:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.15pt;"></p><blockquote>“A number of new cross-agency
collaborations have been set up to triage and respond to episodes of family
harm, such as Integrated Safety Response in Canterbury and the Waikato, and the
Multi-Disciplinary Cross-Agency Team in South Auckland. This has been coupled
with evolving practices within existing family violence inter-agency response
models. These initiatives and changes are likely to have contributed to the
decrease in Police family harm reports of concern since 2017/2018 by ensuring
the response is directed to the right agency or NGO quickly, which in many
cases negates the need for a report of concern to Oranga Tamariki.” </blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oranga Tamariki suggested that I might, <i>“also wish to
enquire with the Police, who may be able to provide additional insights into
the reduction in family harm related reports of concern."<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The response from Police was similar in that <i>“procedural
changes”</i> were primarily offered as reasons for the statistical drop. It
would appear that <i>“safety triage”</i> meetings now occur before a report of
concern is made, if at all. Oranga Tamariki might or might not attend these
meetings. The next reason was rather more definitive though.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.15pt;"></p><blockquote>“Police previously had the
ability to generate a ROC either on a Police desktop, or a button function within the 5F application for reporting Family Harm on Police mobile phones. The button within the 5F application was removed in 2019 for several reasons, mainly the procedural shift mentioned above.”</blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This rather begs the question, why
was it there in the first place? To assist and ensure quick and certain action
on the part of Police? Is it better to over-report than under-report?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Questions aside, on their own, changed procedures tell us
nothing about what’s <i>actually</i> happening to at-risk children's outcomes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then earlier this week Oranga Tamariki published a <a href="https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Prevalence-of-Harm-to-Children-and-Protective-Factors/Prevalence-of-Harm-to-Children-A3-2023.pdf">chart</a>
at their website showing that the number of children and young people subjected
to acts intended to cause injury have increased over recent years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYB6Wi4-i1kUSjjTmtiwcIxXdvBz41el2EFTgyGkVjs3NTAoUhI1POzDWRf4duVAGkzwAyaWmlkv2kNcs8OKFcEcqIy6vVDs-gI-bv14HUM9s3S6tQhq7sK0G1bGrrauwRP2xJI7C3AC5fMTBWBQ9ePdwhpQ8aQHxp661YIoV72Bs1nxvHKLTp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="862" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYB6Wi4-i1kUSjjTmtiwcIxXdvBz41el2EFTgyGkVjs3NTAoUhI1POzDWRf4duVAGkzwAyaWmlkv2kNcs8OKFcEcqIy6vVDs-gI-bv14HUM9s3S6tQhq7sK0G1bGrrauwRP2xJI7C3AC5fMTBWBQ9ePdwhpQ8aQHxp661YIoV72Bs1nxvHKLTp=w316-h291" width="316" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Once again flags are raised.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m not alone in asking questions of Oranga Tamariki. A <i>Stuff</i>
reporter was <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300958410/how-many-kids-are-being-killed-oranga-tamariki-cant-say">dismayed</a>
that even OT's chief social worker could not tell him how many
children have died from abuse or neglect since 2019. He describes <i>Stuff’s</i>
coverage of <i>“three child homicide trials in the past few months – in the
Auckland courts alone.” <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In fact, the best source of statistics for child deaths from
abuse or neglect is the Family Violence Death Review Committee (FVDRC) – not Oranga
Tamariki. But their data dissemination also leaves a lot to be desired. Deaths
from 2021 will not be available until December 2023 and then the data must be
requested. In the introduction to their <a href="https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/assets/Our-work/Mortality-review-committee/FVDRC/Publications-resources/Seventh-report-transcripts/FVDRC-seventh-report-web.pdf">Seventh
Report</a> the chair of the committee acknowledges a <i>"continued move
away from reporting statistics".</i> When I queried this and asked for an alternative
source, the following answer returned:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.15pt;"></p><blockquote>"The FVDRC decided to move away
from data reports as there were a number of tables with empty cells, limiting the conclusions which could be drawn."</blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I find this very disconcerting. Data can always be released
with caveats and cautions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And like Oranga Tamariki, the Health Safety and Quality
Commission (which oversees FVDRC) suggested I refer to police data. No
surprises to find that extends only to 2020. Around in circles we go again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New Zealanders want to have trust in the Police, Oranga
Tamariki and associated entities, but when sets of data seem so glaringly at
odds – or hidden from view - it is difficult to maintain confidence in any of
the institutions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is ample evidence – including from the Police themselves
– that family violence is increasing. Consider that the <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/library-research-papers/research-papers/new-zealand-gang-membership-a-snapshot-of-recent-trends/">National Gang List</a>, <i>“increased
from 4,361 in February 2016 to 7,722 in April 2022 with the majority Māori.
Figures increased in all Police Districts except for Northland.”</i>The
Ministry of Social Development has previously<a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/research-on-gangs-and-their-cost/index.html"> revealed</a> that, <i>“Almost half of
the serious offences committed by gang members are family violence-related. A
high proportion of gang members’ children experience multiple incidents of
abuse or neglect.”</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet when I asked Oranga Tamariki to provide <i>“any
documents”</i> that relate to referenced parliamentary research papers
detailing increasing gang membership the answer came back:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.15pt;"></p><blockquote>“Oranga Tamariki does not hold
any information within scope of this part of your request, therefore this part
of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act.”</blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That New Zealand’s primary child protection agency is paying
no attention to the growth in gangs is also surprising and disturbing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The dwindling number of children being notified to and put
under the oversight of Oranga Tamariki worryingly resembles the falling prison
population which looks good on paper but comes with consequences, some of them,
as we have witnessed, quite appalling. The Auckland murders of two construction
site workers couldn’t have happened if the perpetrator’s sentence had not been discounted
away from one served in prison to a stint on home detention.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One final question. Is it a coincidence that ‘Corrections’
and ‘Children’ share the same Minister?</p><div>
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1">
<p class="MsoEndnoteText"><br /></p></div><div id="edn8">
</div>
</div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-32314640072009246592023-08-24T08:08:00.000+12:002023-08-24T08:08:16.835+12:00Chris Hipkins out of his depth on unemployment<p> <span data-offset-key="11kie-0-0" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The following </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansD_20230822_20230822" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="11kie-1-0">exchange</span></a><span data-offset-key="11kie-2-0" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> took place in parliament on Tuesday August 22nd:</span></p><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"enrob","text":"The following exchange took place in parliament on Tuesday August 22nd:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":14,"length":8,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"d7seq","text":"____________________________________________________________________________","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5hapi","text":"Christopher Luxon: Given, and by his account, the economy is doing great, why are there 55,000 more people on the jobseeker benefit than when Labour took office, including 8,000 more in just the last four months?","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"d1e5g","text":"Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are more people in New Zealand—that is absolutely correct. The New Zealand economy's fundamental indicators are looking more positive. Inflation is trending down, GDP growth is returning, and we continue to have record low unemployment. On this side of the House, we are unapologetic about our commitment to keep Kiwis in jobs. I note that's quite a contrast to members on the other side of the House, who are being quite open in their intention to increase unemployment.","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":20,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dsgh0","text":"Christopher Luxon: Why, then, if everything is so swimmingly great, are there 55,000 more people on jobseeker benefits?","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":17,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2njs","text":"Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I've indicated, the population is, of course, larger, but we should also note that there are more people in the labour market.","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":20,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e08vu","text":"___________________________________________________________________________","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8m5ki","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ust2","text":"The following are the Jobseeker totals just prior to Labour assuming government, and the most recently available.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"co18k","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"d8hgs","text":"September 30, 2017 120,726","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":22,"length":7,"key":1}],"data":{}},{"key":"4gca0","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dvdms","text":"August 11, 2023 177,138 ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":21,"length":8,"key":2}],"data":{}},{"key":"euj7i","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bq2cf","text":"Jobseeker numbers are indeed up by at least the amount Luxon claimed. But Hipkins explanation, “the population is, of course, larger …” does not justify the difference.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":95,"length":40,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2ft20","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"b6lm6","text":"A chart from MSD illustrates that in June 2018 4.1 percent of the working-age population was on a Jobseeker benefit. In June 2023 it was 5.5 percent. It will be slightly higher now. Yes, the population is larger, but so is the share that is on a Jobseeker benefit.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":47,"length":12,"style":"BOLD"},{"offset":137,"length":11,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":2,"length":14,"key":3}],"data":{}},{"key":"4vc1l","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ru0n","text":" ","type":"atomic","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":1,"key":4}],"data":{}},{"key":"6651u","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8u68d","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"center"}},{"key":"7lj13","text":"As well Hipkins said, “…we continue to have record low unemployment.”","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4c073","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5dcms","text":"Also not correct. From StatsNZ:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":23,"length":7,"key":5}],"data":{}},{"key":"18ud6","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"cg2kj","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3t4ol","text":" ","type":"atomic","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":1,"key":6}],"data":{}},{"key":"3qubt","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6h452","text":"Unemployment has been creeping up since March 2022.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"eu7e1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a9r5g","text":"Looking at the chart you may start to scratch your head. Why were there far fewer people on Jobseeker benefits in September 2017 when the employment rate was bigger at 4.7%?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"hhou","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fr45k","text":"That is a highly technical question which StatsNZ deals with here. A diagram from their paper illustrates the two distinct groups: that from which the HLFS data is drawn, and beneficiaries. It’s the HLFS which provides the official unemployment rate. The potential for the two measures to get out of sync and even trend in different directions is obvious. For instance, if someone on a Jobseeker benefit is not required to look for work, they will not appear as unemployed in the HLFS. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":61,"length":5,"key":7}],"data":{}},{"key":"dq1dc","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2lrje","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"90uc0","text":" ","type":"atomic","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":1,"key":8}],"data":{}},{"key":"1jdth","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ept12","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2adjt","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{"textAlignment":"center"}},{"key":"2u4n","text":"The reality is the Labour government made it easier to get on a benefit and to stay on a benefit. The result is evident. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"d6mgn","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"anvbu","text":"And the Prime Minister cannot bat it away with incorrect claims and excuses.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansD_20230822_20230822"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2022/quarterly-benefit-fact-sheets-national-benefit-tables-september-2022.xlsx"}},"2":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/weekly-reporting/2023/aug/income-support-weekly-update-11-august-2023.pdf"}},"3":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2023/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-june-2023.pdf"}},"4":{"type":"wix-draft-plugin-image","mutability":"IMMUTABLE","data":{"config":{"alignment":"center","size":"inline","showTitle":true,"showDescription":true,"textWrap":"wrap","width":504},"src":{"id":"7b14b8_255f00b232c443ebb472ae7d94bdf475~mv2.png","height":490,"width":398,"original_file_name":"Jobseeker percentage of working age pop june 2018 to june 2023.png","file_name":"7b14b8_255f00b232c443ebb472ae7d94bdf475~mv2.png"}}},"5":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/unemployment-rate/"}},"6":{"type":"wix-draft-plugin-image","mutability":"IMMUTABLE","data":{"config":{"alignment":"center","size":"content","showTitle":true,"showDescription":true,"textWrap":"wrap"},"src":{"id":"7b14b8_4ca8e83fcc7140aaaade109991488b2a~mv2.png","height":322,"width":998,"original_file_name":"Unemployment rate June 2009 to June 2023.png","file_name":"7b14b8_4ca8e83fcc7140aaaade109991488b2a~mv2.png"}}},"7":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.stats.govt.nz/assets/Reports/Guide-to-unemployment-statistics-third-edition/guide-unemployment-statistics-third-edition.pdf"}},"8":{"type":"wix-draft-plugin-image","mutability":"IMMUTABLE","data":{"config":{"alignment":"center","size":"inline","showTitle":true,"showDescription":true,"textWrap":"wrap","width":613},"src":{"id":"7b14b8_342ad1e58689494aa054b3b823d511ca~mv2.png","height":343,"width":537,"original_file_name":"Chart showing overlap between officially unemployed and jobseeker dependent.png","file_name":"7b14b8_342ad1e58689494aa054b3b823d511ca~mv2.png"}}}},"VERSION":"9.14.2"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="e65t8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e65t8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e65t8-0-0">_____________________________________________________________</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bqjp8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bqjp8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bqjp8-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Luxon</span><span data-offset-key="bqjp8-0-1">: Given, and by his account, the economy is doing great, why are there 55,000 more people on the jobseeker benefit than when Labour took office, including 8,000 more in just the last four months?</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="885l3-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="885l3-0-0"><span data-offset-key="885l3-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS</span><span data-offset-key="885l3-0-1">: There are more people in New Zealand—that is absolutely correct. The New Zealand economy's fundamental indicators are looking more positive. Inflation is trending down, GDP growth is returning, and we continue to have record low unemployment. On this side of the House, we are unapologetic about our commitment to keep Kiwis in jobs. I note that's quite a contrast to members on the other side of the House, who are being quite open in their intention to increase unemployment.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="a6h6h-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="a6h6h-0-0"><span data-offset-key="a6h6h-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Luxon</span><span data-offset-key="a6h6h-0-1">: Why, then, if everything is so swimmingly great, are there 55,000 more people on jobseeker benefits?</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9fqnh-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9fqnh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9fqnh-0-0" style="font-weight: bold;">Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS</span><span data-offset-key="9fqnh-0-1">: As I've indicated, the population is, of course, larger, but we should also note that there are more people in the labour market.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bpilr-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bpilr-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bpilr-0-0">______________________________________________________________</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="80qah-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="80qah-0-0"><span data-offset-key="80qah-0-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="80qah-0-0"><span data-offset-key="80qah-0-0">The following are the Jobseeker totals just prior to Labour assuming government, and the most recently available.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1bgil-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1bgil-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1bgil-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1nql9-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1nql9-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1nql9-0-0">September 30, 2017 </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2022/quarterly-benefit-fact-sheets-national-benefit-tables-september-2022.xlsx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="1nql9-1-0">120,726</span></a></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2h666-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2h666-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2h666-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dvmbt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dvmbt-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dvmbt-0-0">August 11, 2023 </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/weekly-reporting/2023/aug/income-support-weekly-update-11-august-2023.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dvmbt-1-0">177,138 </span></a></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="944f5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="944f5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="944f5-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="epc1m-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="epc1m-0-0"><span data-offset-key="epc1m-0-0">Jobseeker numbers are indeed up by at least the amount Luxon claimed. But Hipkins explanation, </span><span data-offset-key="epc1m-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">“the population is, of course, larger …”</span><span data-offset-key="epc1m-0-2"> does not justify the difference.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3bf67-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3bf67-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3bf67-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4pm1i-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4pm1i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-0-0">A </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2023/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-june-2023.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-1-0">chart from MSD</span></a><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-0"> illustrates that in June 2018 </span><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-1" style="font-weight: bold;">4.1 percent </span><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-2">of the working-age population was on a Jobseeker benefit. In June 2023 it was </span><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-3" style="font-weight: bold;">5.5 percent</span><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-4">. It will be slightly higher now. Yes, the population is larger, but so is the share that is on a Jobseeker benefit.</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4pm1i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-4"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4pm1i-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRPty3VdVznDdebv2hsUApStSP1hCVqCrJjcKAE6mteDIEbMjWkyx510BFgUySI5Q7jhe1P9WyYF2xx0N3P_s2zsFMujAdk4vjXy7FYuuWHTKX5MvSK3Lapn8Y4MN93GxRhmTWR_EGBt8oPktdRqHjR8SIioIcsAin1a8wiqx5R3vz_rEgMFP/s490/Jobseeker%20percentage%20of%20working%20age%20pop%20june%202018%20to%20june%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRPty3VdVznDdebv2hsUApStSP1hCVqCrJjcKAE6mteDIEbMjWkyx510BFgUySI5Q7jhe1P9WyYF2xx0N3P_s2zsFMujAdk4vjXy7FYuuWHTKX5MvSK3Lapn8Y4MN93GxRhmTWR_EGBt8oPktdRqHjR8SIioIcsAin1a8wiqx5R3vz_rEgMFP/s320/Jobseeker%20percentage%20of%20working%20age%20pop%20june%202018%20to%20june%202023.png" width="260" /></a></div><br /><span data-offset-key="4pm1i-2-4"><br /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu m0GVv public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="esb0g-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="esb0g-0-0"><span data-offset-key="esb0g-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2qikt-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2qikt-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2qikt-0-0">As well Hipkins said, “…we continue to have record low unemployment.”</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="62bgr-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="62bgr-0-0"><span data-offset-key="62bgr-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0">Also not correct. From </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/unemployment-rate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="3fm0t-1-0">StatsNZ</span></a><span data-offset-key="3fm0t-2-0">:</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3fm0t-2-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyCM3Zm1S1wpuwPl7GmRRakWRWdB5uj0nJmWY4aqdtwlwztfVMWmPCjF8_FfoqZqP8NLgoNoijTc4kAISx-QiXAgFjrHSg08b9qYMlSov3KY2Jy8FCMDyjX7wxC-ZcJxE4Yr4vxhufVlk3qgiFQ-dK0MemnWQUTfLYPjpmK95R0BghN-AZSQz/s998/Unemployment%20rate%20June%202009%20to%20June%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="998" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyCM3Zm1S1wpuwPl7GmRRakWRWdB5uj0nJmWY4aqdtwlwztfVMWmPCjF8_FfoqZqP8NLgoNoijTc4kAISx-QiXAgFjrHSg08b9qYMlSov3KY2Jy8FCMDyjX7wxC-ZcJxE4Yr4vxhufVlk3qgiFQ-dK0MemnWQUTfLYPjpmK95R0BghN-AZSQz/w415-h133/Unemployment%20rate%20June%202009%20to%20June%202023.png" width="415" /></a></div></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fm0t-0-0"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Right click on image to enlarge)</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bblc6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bblc6-0-0"><br /></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4s5cd-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4s5cd-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4s5cd-0-0">Unemployment has been creeping up since March 2022.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="81r95-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="81r95-0-0"><span data-offset-key="81r95-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="17ejl-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="17ejl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="17ejl-0-0">Looking at the chart you may start to scratch your head. Why were there far fewer people on Jobseeker benefits in September 2017 when the unemployment rate was bigger at 4.7%?</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4il3n-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4il3n-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4il3n-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2gseh-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2gseh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2gseh-0-0">That is a highly technical question which StatsNZ deals with </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/assets/Reports/Guide-to-unemployment-statistics-third-edition/guide-unemployment-statistics-third-edition.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="2gseh-1-0">here.</span></a><span data-offset-key="2gseh-2-0"> A diagram from their paper illustrates the two distinct groups: that from which the HLFS data is drawn, and beneficiaries. It’s the HLFS which provides the official unemployment rate. The potential for the two measures to get out of sync and even trend in different directions is obvious. For instance, if someone on a Jobseeker benefit is not required to look for work, they will not appear as unemployed in the HLFS. </span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2gseh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2gseh-2-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2gseh-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhEF4DDrrBBMiHolwBRccYlFZBwsx0o3Y2_TvcFVRe5ji3Eterj205VyWmFejMD4jaosVD1fns4K2sohOBXYgvGrlC5D8JPjApSH2ZtDOannB-woRsK4ZVexVOtVr1bGKQoshbJiZRmxprNaUKWOqEHfh71H6Bym413YOFU9gBr8wog06YVpP/s537/Chart%20showing%20overlap%20between%20officially%20unemployed%20and%20jobseeker%20dependent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="537" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhEF4DDrrBBMiHolwBRccYlFZBwsx0o3Y2_TvcFVRe5ji3Eterj205VyWmFejMD4jaosVD1fns4K2sohOBXYgvGrlC5D8JPjApSH2ZtDOannB-woRsK4ZVexVOtVr1bGKQoshbJiZRmxprNaUKWOqEHfh71H6Bym413YOFU9gBr8wog06YVpP/s320/Chart%20showing%20overlap%20between%20officially%20unemployed%20and%20jobseeker%20dependent.png" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu m0GVv public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="65hs0-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="65hs0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="65hs0-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="800a5-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="800a5-0-0"><span data-offset-key="800a5-0-0">The reality is the Labour government made it easier to get on a benefit and to stay on a benefit. The result is evident. </span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="cr93j-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cr93j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cr93j-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1oncm-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1oncm-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1oncm-0-0">And the Prime Minister cannot bat it away with incorrect claims and excuses.</span></div></div></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-61005221984787587612023-08-17T08:28:00.001+12:002023-08-17T08:30:01.028+12:00Cultural fixation is a crock<div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"fjjg0","text":"The public service’s dogged determination to impose Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations across the sector results in the absurd and incongruous.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4fq7r","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"2njbf","text":"According to Oranga Tamariki, formerly Child, Youth and Family:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"139v4","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dif4v","text":"Oranga Tamariki is currently introducing a new practice approach (completion 2024) that is framed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, based on a mana enhancing paradigm for practice, and draws on Te Ao Māori Principles of oranga and transpires into a practice that is relational, inclusive, and restorative which is good for all tamariki, children, whānau, and families.[i]","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":362,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":359,"length":3,"style":"BOLD"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":359,"length":3,"key":0}],"data":{}},{"key":"8g1oi","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"frqrt","text":"It sounds rather like the ‘Maori way or the highway.’ In 2021 Te Pati Maori, supported by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis, insisted that OT adopt a ‘by Maori, for Maori’ approach.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"a5tjb","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"79di6","text":"Children in OT care are now put into “four high-level categories”: Maori, Pacific, Maori/Pacific, and lastly, as an after-thought almost, NZ European and other.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"800nu","text":"But the definitions have become even more indistinct.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dvrhq","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4uvf2","text":"Just published, a survey of children and young people in state care contains the following table which illustrates my point:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":18,"length":6,"key":1}],"data":{}},{"key":"f57em","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"iq2l","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"ec6eo","text":" ","type":"atomic","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":1,"key":2}],"data":{}},{"key":"e85nc","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6s2qs","text":"Children in the care of OT are now categorised as either Maori, Pacific, Maori and Pacific or non-etc. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"5lp6n","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"mdi6","text":"Cultural identity is ‘paramount’ apparently ... but if you are Asian or Indian or NZ European ... yeah ... nah. You are just non-Maori or non-Pacific. The details of your lineage are of no account. In truth the only cultural identity of interest is Polynesian and OT struggles to disguise this.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":167,"length":4,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9gpu9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"7uib1","text":"How does the “bi-cultural practice” advocated in OT’s ‘Maori Cultural Framework’ serve, for example, a refugee child? When I asked OT which two cultures the framework catered to, the answer was inconclusive:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":54,"length":27,"style":"UNDERLINE"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":54,"length":27,"key":3}],"data":{}},{"key":"5buk8","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"epc77","text":"Under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki must\n ensure, wherever possible, that all policies adopted by the department, and all services provided by the department, recognise the social, economic, and cultural values of all cultural and ethnic groups; and have particular regard for the values, culture, and beliefs of Māori.","type":"unstyled","depth":1,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":79,"style":"ITALIC"},{"offset":80,"length":278,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f5d58","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"141us","text":"I can only interpret that as Maori and other. Whatever happened to multi-culturalism?","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c1f0c","text":"Oddly though, in this ‘by Maori, for Maori’ organisation, in April 2023 only 28 percent of staff were Maori. Nearly three quarters weren’t.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6dkj1","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1hu13","text":"And here’s another irony. Of those who answered all the questions in the survey referred to, “99% answered in English only, none answered in Māori only, and less than 1% answered in both English and Māori.”","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":93,"length":113,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8cnlt","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9vhh4","text":"Staff are predominantly NZ European, and the language used by staff and their clients is predominantly English.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"65ph2","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"74vv1","text":"Oranga Tamariki’s crucial role is to ensure the safety and security of children. All and any at-risk children. Yet the survey itself showed “little overall improvement in tamariki and rangatahi experiences.”","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":140,"length":67,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9pl9n","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4odnv","text":"Their fixation with culture is a crock.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9ovui","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"akcv4","text":"\n[i] OIA response to L Mitchell 21 June 2023","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":1,"length":43,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"16px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[{"offset":1,"length":3,"key":4}],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{"0":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/382bbba8-7f8b-446a-ba8d-9fff06669521/blog/create-post?referralInfo=sidebar#_edn1"}},"1":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Te-Matataki-2023/Te-Matataki-2023_FINAL.pdf"}},"2":{"type":"wix-draft-plugin-image","mutability":"IMMUTABLE","data":{"config":{"alignment":"center","size":"content","showTitle":true,"showDescription":true,"textWrap":"wrap"},"src":{"id":"7b14b8_e55c6c0a7f9c41a2af440db3a8a9b3f7~mv2.png","height":245,"width":736,"original_file_name":"OT survey table 2022.png","file_name":"7b14b8_e55c6c0a7f9c41a2af440db3a8a9b3f7~mv2.png"}}},"3":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/News/2018/Our-maori-cultural-framework/Maori-Cultural-Framework-A3.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":""}},"4":{"type":"LINK","mutability":"MUTABLE","data":{"url":"https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/382bbba8-7f8b-446a-ba8d-9fff06669521/blog/create-post?referralInfo=sidebar#_ednref1"}}},"VERSION":"9.12.4"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="foo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="foo-0-0">The public service’s dogged determination to impose Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations across the sector results in the absurd and incongruous.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="17lhf-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="17lhf-0-0"><span data-offset-key="17lhf-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="al7jn-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="al7jn-0-0"><span data-offset-key="al7jn-0-0">According to Oranga Tamariki, formerly Child, Youth and Family:</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="faubo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="faubo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="faubo-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dmk66-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dmk66-0-0" style="text-align: left;"><span data-offset-key="dmk66-0-0" style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span data-offset-key="dmk66-0-0" style="font-style: italic;">Oranga Tamariki is currently introducing a new practice approach (completion 2024) that is framed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, based on a mana enhancing paradigm for practice, and draws on Te Ao Māori Principles of oranga and transpires into a practice that is relational, inclusive, and restorative which is good for all tamariki, children, whānau, and families.</span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/382bbba8-7f8b-446a-ba8d-9fff06669521/blog/create-post?referralInfo=sidebar#_edn1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dmk66-1-0" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">[i]</span></a></blockquote><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/382bbba8-7f8b-446a-ba8d-9fff06669521/blog/create-post?referralInfo=sidebar#_edn1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dmk66-1-0" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span></a></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ccui4-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ccui4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ccui4-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="48fgc-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="48fgc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="48fgc-0-0">It sounds rather like the ‘Maori way or the highway.’ In 2021 Te Pati Maori, supported by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis, insisted that OT adopt a ‘by Maori, for Maori’ approach.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="b8co1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="b8co1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="b8co1-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="9fmrq-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9fmrq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9fmrq-0-0">Children in OT care are now put into “four high-level categories”: Maori, Pacific, Maori/Pacific, and lastly, as an after-thought almost, NZ European and other.</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9fmrq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9fmrq-0-0"><br /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2onb1-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2onb1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2onb1-0-0">But the definitions have become even more indistinct.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="d3ia9-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d3ia9-0-0"><span data-offset-key="d3ia9-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dgpt2-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dgpt2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dgpt2-0-0">Just published, a </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/Research/Latest-research/Te-Matataki-2023/Te-Matataki-2023_FINAL.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="dgpt2-1-0">survey</span></a><span data-offset-key="dgpt2-2-0"> of children and young people in state care contains the following table which illustrates my point:</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dgpt2-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dgpt2-2-0"><br /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2ch52-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2ch52-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2ch52-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bvova-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXaQQ7viYaX0cWyByiJKprVXMGpFafhgNcUWweF2J9sJ7bYqV8FYJxSDM_sFhAvop9ZhayFxe983x20lTv451jJQ-0bkU_CLN7NJVb99n8BeOKJFTZCxDoDJoYojW934U7avXoOAV-2b624UjA5y3Z9VU2u5yWAodfQYpUNq5-X-g9r287IPM/s736/OT%20survey%20table%202022.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="736" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXaQQ7viYaX0cWyByiJKprVXMGpFafhgNcUWweF2J9sJ7bYqV8FYJxSDM_sFhAvop9ZhayFxe983x20lTv451jJQ-0bkU_CLN7NJVb99n8BeOKJFTZCxDoDJoYojW934U7avXoOAV-2b624UjA5y3Z9VU2u5yWAodfQYpUNq5-X-g9r287IPM/w410-h137/OT%20survey%20table%202022.png" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bvova-0-0"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Left click on image to enlarge)</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bvova-0-0"><br /></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7dg6j-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7dg6j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7dg6j-0-0">Children in the care of OT are now categorised as either Maori, Pacific, Maori and Pacific or non-etc. </span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="85c1s-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="85c1s-0-0"><span data-offset-key="85c1s-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="2bhv6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2bhv6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2bhv6-0-0">Cultural identity is ‘paramount’ apparently ... but if you are Asian or Indian or NZ European ... yeah ... nah. You are just non-Maori or non-Pacific. The details of </span><span data-offset-key="2bhv6-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">your</span><span data-offset-key="2bhv6-0-2"> lineage are of no account. In truth the only cultural identity of interest is Polynesian and OT struggles to disguise this.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="40eon-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="40eon-0-0"><span data-offset-key="40eon-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="94rn0-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="94rn0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="94rn0-0-0">How does the “bi-cultural practice” advocated in OT’s </span><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://orangatamariki.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/About-us/News/2018/Our-maori-cultural-framework/Maori-Cultural-Framework-A3.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="94rn0-1-0">‘Maori Cultural Framework’ </span></a><span data-offset-key="94rn0-2-0">serve, for example, a refugee child? When I asked OT which two cultures the framework catered to, the answer was inconclusive:</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5l3sj-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5l3sj-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5l3sj-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth1 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="c33va-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="c33va-0-0"><span data-offset-key="c33va-0-0" style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span data-offset-key="c33va-0-0" style="font-style: italic;">Under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki must</span><span data-offset-key="c33va-0-0"> </span><span data-offset-key="c33va-0-2" style="font-style: italic;"> ensure, wherever possible, that all policies adopted by the department, and all services provided by the department, recognise the social, economic, and cultural values of all cultural and ethnic groups; and have particular regard for the values, culture, and beliefs of Māori.</span></blockquote><span data-offset-key="c33va-0-2" style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6hsto-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6hsto-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6hsto-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="aqegn-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="aqegn-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aqegn-0-0">I can only interpret that as Maori and other. Whatever happened to multi-culturalism?</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="aqegn-0-0"><span data-offset-key="aqegn-0-0"><br /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1154i-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1154i-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1154i-0-0">Oddly though, in this ‘by Maori, for Maori’ organisation, in April 2023 only 28 percent of staff were Maori. Nearly three quarters weren’t.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="f50qh-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="f50qh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="f50qh-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="5j3ch-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="5j3ch-0-0"><span data-offset-key="5j3ch-0-0">And here’s another irony. Of those who answered all the questions in the survey referred to, </span><span data-offset-key="5j3ch-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">“99% answered in English only, none answered in Māori only, and less than 1% answered in both English and Māori.”</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dbbc4-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dbbc4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dbbc4-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="1q0fc-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1q0fc-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1q0fc-0-0">Staff are predominantly NZ European, and the language used by staff and their clients is predominantly English.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7tliq-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7tliq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7tliq-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="b70fb-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="b70fb-0-0"><span data-offset-key="b70fb-0-0">Oranga Tamariki’s crucial role is to ensure the safety and security of children. All and any at-risk children. Yet the survey itself showed </span><span data-offset-key="b70fb-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">“little overall improvement in tamariki and rangatahi experiences.”</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="7hvmv-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="7hvmv-0-0"><span data-offset-key="7hvmv-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bv8eo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bv8eo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bv8eo-0-0">Their fixation with culture is a crock.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="62nke-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="62nke-0-0"><span data-offset-key="62nke-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="256ha-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="256ha-0-0"><span data-offset-key="256ha-0-0">
</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="TWoY9 itht3" data-hook="linkViewer" href="https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/382bbba8-7f8b-446a-ba8d-9fff06669521/blog/create-post?referralInfo=sidebar#_ednref1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-offset-key="256ha-1-0">[i]</span></a><span data-offset-key="256ha-2-0"> OIA response to L Mitchell 21 June 2023</span></span></div></div></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-42436714112931029902023-08-11T18:49:00.000+12:002023-08-11T18:49:01.706+12:00Recession starts to bite<p> <span style="font-size: 20px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In just one month the number of people receiving a main benefit has risen by almost 3,000.</span></p><div data-draftjs-conductor-fragment="{"blocks":[{"key":"9km8l","text":"In just one month the number of people receiving a main benefit has risen by almost 3,000.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":0,"length":90,"style":"{\"font-size\":\"20px\"}"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"85vs9","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dsgs","text":"The percentage of the working-age population benefit-dependent rose from 11.2% at the end of June 2023 to 11.3% at the end of July 2023.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"em1e8","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c7ca0","text":"Over the same period in 2022 the increase was just 1,100 claimants meaning the proportion of the working age population stayed at 11%","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"e1mpj","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"88gke","text":"Most of last month’s increase was due to a rise in Jobseeker numbers with approximately 1,800 more on Jobseeker Work Ready and a 900 increase in Jobseeker Health Condition/Disability claimants. The first reflects a weakening labour market while the second reflects an unresponsive and ineffective health system.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"c0u9q","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"9fa5d","text":"MSD acknowledges that, “The work exit rate for main benefits in July 2023 was relatively low compared with July months in prior years. In recent months, we have seen a reduced demand for labour, as indicated by the decline in online job advertisements in the June 2023 quarter.” They offer no rationale however for why numbers unable to work due to a health problem are over and above forecasts.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[{"offset":23,"length":256,"style":"ITALIC"}],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"gce8","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"cfh9","text":"Māori made up the majority of the increase with 1,400 more main benefit clients; NZ European accounted for 800; Pacific people 400 and Asians 200 (almost 400 people did not specify an ethnicity, and some specified more than one ethnicity.) ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bfrm","text":"","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1386q","text":"Three years post the initial Covid lock-down key statistics continue to head in the wrong direction:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}],"entityMap":{},"VERSION":"9.12.4"}" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="4mjdl-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4mjdl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4mjdl-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bcpsn-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bcpsn-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bcpsn-0-0">Data released today shows that the percentage of the working-age population dependent on a main benefit rose from 11.2% at the end of June 2023 to 11.3% at the end of July 2023.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="12b7j-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="12b7j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="12b7j-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="ecgjv-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ecgjv-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ecgjv-0-0">Over the same period in 2022 the increase was just 1,100 claimants meaning the proportion of the working age population stayed at 11%</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8o057-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8o057-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8o057-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="6cj3q-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6cj3q-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6cj3q-0-0">Most of last month’s increase was due to a rise in Jobseeker numbers with approximately 1,800 more on Jobseeker Work Ready and a 900 increase in Jobseeker Health Condition/Disability claimants. The first reflects a weakening labour market while the second reflects an unresponsive and ineffective health system.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bquth-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bquth-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bquth-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="8kvh8-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8kvh8-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8kvh8-0-0">MSD acknowledges that, </span><span data-offset-key="8kvh8-0-1" style="font-style: italic;">“The work exit rate for main benefits in July 2023 was relatively low compared with July months in prior years. In recent months, we have seen a reduced demand for labour, as indicated by the decline in online job advertisements in the June 2023 quarter.” </span><span data-offset-key="8kvh8-0-2">They offer no rationale however for why numbers unable to work due to a health problem are over and above forecasts.</span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="970ep-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="970ep-0-0"><span data-offset-key="970ep-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="bvit6-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bvit6-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bvit6-0-0">Māori made up the majority of the increase with 1,400 more main benefit clients; NZ European accounted for 800; Pacific people 400 and Asians 200 (almost 400 people did not specify an ethnicity, and some specified more than one ethnicity.) </span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="dpc3r-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dpc3r-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dpc3r-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="JvlZN rqyPc p7Opnu public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr fixed-tab-size rich_content_P" data-block="true" data-editor="editor" data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0"><span data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0">Three years post the initial Covid lock-down key statistics continue to head in the wrong direction:</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0"><span data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbhch_nz72lQcC5TI8hgOwHROO_f53OgLc3D4hdCwceE-irfh6j-LxhXEsP5e5kjpq2cdBjVKuuMtU9BIKSQSXx8qElDktgswSXOHaAGXbK-CHq243yPgGQFmpk9dvPom1GuTC2HAAfwRSBSjaJMAdzSDx8GzJfWq_5cgBbXW672UwA67jRFF/s574/Monthly%20benefits%20July%202019%20to%20July%202023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="574" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbhch_nz72lQcC5TI8hgOwHROO_f53OgLc3D4hdCwceE-irfh6j-LxhXEsP5e5kjpq2cdBjVKuuMtU9BIKSQSXx8qElDktgswSXOHaAGXbK-CHq243yPgGQFmpk9dvPom1GuTC2HAAfwRSBSjaJMAdzSDx8GzJfWq_5cgBbXW672UwA67jRFF/w402-h94/Monthly%20benefits%20July%202019%20to%20July%202023.png" width="402" /></a></div><br /><span data-offset-key="33q4u-0-0"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/monthly-reporting/">https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/monthly-reporting/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NB: The Monthly Benefit data series began during the first Covid lockdown and only dates back to April 2019.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</span></div></div></div>Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19962237.post-14720474240215355412023-07-29T12:46:00.003+12:002023-07-30T09:48:31.164+12:00Working at the fisheries<blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@lulusuapopo/video/7253592462709607681" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7253592462709607681" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lulusuapopo?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@lulusuapopo">@lulusuapopo</a> <p></p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7253592522570713858?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Lulu Suapopo">♬ original sound - Lulu Suapopo</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_10pNgf8s19a9WIU5OKo7A3EuxyrSzbcXhE_ag1fGxgut_tur4X617_fvRZlVLtrnt5Jw7okEO2R63yaoScrJMK1xfLYCdSkah4PTV8lywAcrqYko1TbRnoPWgCRBbb1DGWDR33AekJKiN4VAct1kZrQc6J7ouVNKr97crh2QjQ4eJ26kUvvM/s659/Benefit%20incomes%20April%202023.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="659" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_10pNgf8s19a9WIU5OKo7A3EuxyrSzbcXhE_ag1fGxgut_tur4X617_fvRZlVLtrnt5Jw7okEO2R63yaoScrJMK1xfLYCdSkah4PTV8lywAcrqYko1TbRnoPWgCRBbb1DGWDR33AekJKiN4VAct1kZrQc6J7ouVNKr97crh2QjQ4eJ26kUvvM/s400/Benefit%20incomes%20April%202023.png" width="400" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Source: https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/benefit-system/total-incomes-annual-report-2023.pdf<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_10pNgf8s19a9WIU5OKo7A3EuxyrSzbcXhE_ag1fGxgut_tur4X617_fvRZlVLtrnt5Jw7okEO2R63yaoScrJMK1xfLYCdSkah4PTV8lywAcrqYko1TbRnoPWgCRBbb1DGWDR33AekJKiN4VAct1kZrQc6J7ouVNKr97crh2QjQ4eJ26kUvvM/s659/Benefit%20incomes%20April%202023.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>
Lindsay Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04437693272797130833noreply@blogger.com0