Oranga Tamariki; legal shakeup

[Lilith7]

Now they're going after Oranga Tamariki. While it was far from perfect, they're trying to load more work - which according to some, ought to be legal & therefore done by lawyers - onto social workers.

This govt very clearly doesn't mind who suffers, as long as they cut costs.
 

https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/35028...m=referral

In April, Oranga Tamariki proposed 632 jobs could be disestablished ‒ a net loss of 447 roles.
Another section proposes reducing reliance on the legal team, in some parts through Oranga Tamariki’s investment in “social worker professional capability”.
It says as part of lifting performance and accountability, “functional leads would have sole responsibility for delivery in areas that they own and would not need the support of solicitors (e.g. policy advice and social workers Family Court-related work)”.
Labour’s children spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said claiming the legal services “don't provide frontline support services to children just doesn't make any sense ... and it is going to have an impact on children”.
“This is crazy to expect social workers to take on more and to take on the role, the job and the responsibilities of professional lawyers who are legally trained to provide those services, to expect that of social workers in unfair to the social workers.”
Oranga Tamariki was facing a social worker shortage earlier this year, with a select committee report stating at the time of the hearing, “the ministry had 160 vacant social work roles, which it said puts a lot of pressure on frontline workers to provide services”.
Prime said the proposal was “loading on to an already stressed and pressured workforce of social workers”.