Leading Social Development:
A PLAN FOR AUCKLAND 2006/2007
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Achieving Better Social Outcomes
Together
Our Ministry of Social Development 2006/2007 Regional Plan sets out the priorities and direction for the
Auckland region. It paints a picture of how we intend to achieve the things that will make a real
difference in the lives of this region‟s families and communities.
We can‟t do this alone! We need to be well connected to our central and local government partners. By
working in partnership with the people of Auckland, our communities will get an accessible service that
meets their needs.
Within the Ministry we have a growing number of regional services and activities. Under the leadership
of the Regional Commissioner for Social Development the challenge is to ensure that these services
are aligned, strongly led and tightly focused on the social development outcomes that matter.
Families are under pressure. Experience shows that they face many challenges. We strive to support
parents and families to ensure all children get the best possible start in life; and that anyone accessing
our services is guided through to the right place to get the help they need. Our merger with the
Department of Child, Youth and Family Services on 1 July 2006 strengthens our ability to achieve these
outcomes.
Record low unemployment presents a new set of opportunities for us. Although the number of working-
age1 New Zealanders receiving a benefit has decreased significantly in the last five years, some groups
remain at risk of long-term benefit receipt, and therefore lower living standards. There is a real
opportunity for us to focus on the groups that need extra help to move in to and hold on to sustainable
employment.
We have set these goals because we know that if they are achieved they will contribute positively to the
wellbeing of the people of the Auckland region, they will enrich your communities and improve the lives
of all New Zealanders.
We look forward to working to achieve these goals with you!
Peter Hughes
Chief Executive
1
Working-age people are those aged between 18 to 64 years (inclusive).
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Opportunities for Action in
Auckland
The Auckland region is thriving with diversity, challenges, and opportunities. It is home to New
Zealand‟s largest population with approximately 1.3 million people residing here. By 2050, the
population is predicted to increase to 2 million2.
Auckland is not one big uniform community, but rather a mix of individually distinct communities and
neighbourhoods with their own specific needs.
Auckland is a vibrant tapestry of ethnic and cultural diversity with more than 180 different ethnic groups
represented here. At the time of the 2001 Census, 68.5% of Aucklanders considered they were of
European ethnicity, 14% Pacific peoples, 13.8% Asian, 11.6% Mäori and 1.2% Other ethnicities.
When the 2006 Census results are released, all indicators signal that the demographic profile for the
Auckland region will have changed significantly in those five years.
Auckland is Australasia’s fastest growing metropolitan area
Every week about 150 new houses or apartments are needed to accommodate Auckland‟s growing
population. Another example of this growth is that 13,000 new vehicles drive on our roads and
motorways every year, and approximately 87% of people who commute to work do so by car3.
Such population growth brings with it a range of issues. This places additional pressure on existing
services, resources, and infrastructure such as the need for more schools, and environmental impacts
on land use for roads and residential housing.
Migration has been a key factor in this population growth, as it is estimated that up to 70% of new
migrants to New Zealand settle in Auckland4.
Auckland‟s people are relatively young, with 37%5 of the population aged less than 25 years. We have
a youth population that is diverse and mobile. This means that we need to be focused on providing
opportunities for young people - options involving education, training, and employment. If we invest in
our young people, quite simply, we invest in
our future.
The Auckland regional economy is the nation‟s biggest, accounting for around 31% of New Zealand‟s
employment6. Over the last several years, there have been significant reductions in the unemployment
level in Auckland.
The labour market we see in Auckland today is significantly different from that of ten,
or even five years ago. Today, key issues include skill and labour shortages.
Participation in work helps people gain independence and improve their circumstances, and benefits
their families and the entire community.
The Ministry in Auckland
In this section, we briefly introduce the areas of the Ministry that provide services here in Auckland. You
will find more information about our services and work throughout the plan.
2
Auckland Regional Council Annual Report Summary 2005, Auckland Regional Council.
3
Auckland Regional Council Annual Report Summary 2005, Auckland Regional Council.
4
State of the Auckland Region Report 2004, Auckland Regional Council.
5
Census of Population and Dwellings, Regional Summary, Census 2001, Statistics New Zealand.
6
State of the Auckland Region Report 2004, Auckland Regional Council.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
We have more than 1,400 staff working with clients, communities, employers, government agencies,
local government and non-government organisations across Auckland.
Employment, income support, labour market and social development services
We deliver services to 228,9637 clients through Work and Income from 36 Work and Income service
centres. We also have two contact centres and a multilingual contact centre in Auckland.
We provide employment and income support services to clients, and lead social and labour market
development in communities. We are focused on helping communities create local employment
opportunities and address skills issues.
The Local Industry Partnerships programme involves working with industry to create lasting
employment opportunities for people looking for work or returning to the workforce. We work with
industries and key employers to help address their skill and labour shortages. We have formal industry
partnerships with a combination of industries, their training organisations, and large employers.
This means we are able to provide employers with a more consistent, tailored and seamless service
that better meets their needs through the establishment of industry and employer partnerships.
Supporting families and communities
We play a key role in supporting people in their communities. Ensuring that all clients receive their full
entitlement to income support and helping them plan for the future, benefits not only individuals but also
their families and communities.
Family and Community Services provides leadership and co-ordination of services and programmes
that support families to be strong, violence-free and connected to their communities. We have funding
programmes that help develop service providers, and the Community Initiatives Fund supports projects
that contribute to the social development needs of a geographic community or a community of interest
such as a church or ethnic community.
We have two Heartland service centres, one on Waiheke Island and the other in Pukekohe. The
Heartland service centre concept is a one-stop-shop where people in smaller communities can access
a range of government and other related services.
Support and co-ordination for young people
The Ministry of Youth Development is one of the Government‟s key connection points with the young
people of New Zealand. A vital part of our work is talking with and listening directly to young people.
This puts us in a special position of being able to inform the Government on finding ways to take into
account youth interests when developing or improving policies and services.
Establishing regional teams such as the one here in Auckland helps us better support and make a
difference for young people at a local level. The regional team provides a base for supporting activities
focused on youth development, as well as developing new initiatives.
Tertiary education
StudyLink administers and pays Student Allowances, Student Loans, some scholarships and
Unemployment Benefit Student Hardship. We also provide information and advice to people
considering undertaking tertiary study to enable them to make informed choices that will maximise their
chances of successful study with the least possible debt.
7
All benefit statistics in this Regional Plan have been sourced from the Ministry of Social Development‟s Information Analysis Platform as at 31 March 2006. Where comparisons are made,
these reflect statistics as at 31 March 2005, unless otherwise stated. Migrant benefit statistics have been sourced from the Ministry of Social Development‟s national pivot table.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
In Auckland, there are several universities, along with numerous other large tertiary education
providers. As a result, StudyLink interacts with approximately 45,000 student loan applicants and
15,000 student allowance applicants in the region each year8. Our student services are located close to
the main tertiary education providers. In addition to the Outreach Office in Auckland City, StudyLink‟s
other key sites are at Takapuna, the Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec. We provide services
all year round at these locations.
The Takapuna site is located with Work and Income, to offer a comprehensive range of services for
students on the North Shore.
Preventing and minimising debt and fraud
Benefit Integrity Services helps to ensure people receive their correct entitlement to financial assistance
with an emphasis on preventing and minimising debt and fraud.
Services for older people and veterans
The Senior Services group is comprised of three key areas: International Services, War Pension
Services and the Community Services Card Centre.
International Services is responsible for the administration of New Zealand‟s international social security
agreements. New Zealand has formal social security agreements with eight countries.
International Services also administers Special Portability payment arrangements for
Pacific countries and General Portability payment arrangements for countries not covered by social
security agreements. This enables people who have lived and worked in New Zealand to take some or
all of their New Zealand Superannuation or Veterans‟ Pension with them if they move to live elsewhere
in the world.
War Pension Services administers War Disablement, Veterans‟ and Surviving Spouse Pensions on
behalf of Veterans‟ Affairs New Zealand.
Help with healthcare costs
The Community Services Card Centre administers the Community Services Card for the Ministry of
Health. This is an entitlement card that people on low to middle incomes or receiving income support
may use to obtain subsidies on doctors‟ fees and prescriptions, and to access secondary health
services from public hospitals. In addition, the Card Centre also produces the New Zealand
Superannuation Card.
Regional social policy and social development co-ordination
Regional social policy is delivered through our Regional Policy Advisors. The role was established to
support regional operational policy and identify wider social policy issues. In Auckland, these advisors
work closely with our Social Development Managers, and support the work of the Regional
Commissioner for Social Development, who leads social development across the region.
Social Development Managers and Regional Policy Advisors also work with local authorities, sharing
information and identifying and responding to the wider social policy issues that impact on social
development and delivery of our services in the region.
Other services of the Ministry in Auckland
Our Legal Services Group has an Auckland-based team that provides professional and practical advice
on legal matters to our staff in Auckland.
8
Statistics have been sourced from the Ministry of Social Development‟s Student Allowances and Loans system.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
We have risk and assurance advisors based in the region whose role is to give assurance across our
regional services. This includes providing sound, robust and factual advice and support on risk and
assurance matters around the quality of services, activities and programmes delivered in the region.
The Centre for Social Research and Evaluation has a small team based in Auckland. They hold a
regular series of seminars in Auckland, presenting information about current research initiatives and
findings. Invitations go out to representatives from the government, non-government, not-for-profit and
social sectors.
Investing in Auckland today, and tomorrow
We make a significant contribution to investing in and partnering with Auckland‟s communities.
Going forward means that we need to know where we are at today, which helps us set our key priorities
and responses for tomorrow.
Success Stories
Working together for success
StudyLink began working from the Takapuna Work and Income Service Centre in October 2005. This
co-location enables clients to receive a quality, seamless service from StudyLink and Work and Income,
and have access to employment opportunities from a more central and accessible location. The Service
Centre is only 10 minutes from the city centre and is close to several tertiary education providers.
Work and Income Service Centre Manager Gail Burrows is pleased with the move. “StudyLink has been
fully and easily integrated into the Centre. We have been able to complement each others’ service in a
very positive way”.
Case Manager Estelle Bosson agrees, saying “It has created a seamless service, particularly for our
clients who choose to start studying”.
TESTIMONIAL
“Our students are very happy with the level of service they receive from StudyLink. Over the last couple
of years, our campus student numbers have grown to 7,100. This in turn creates extra demand on
StudyLink services. StudyLink‟s staff have been working from our campus, and we have received many
compliments about the wonderful customer service ethic and their exceptional ability to find solutions
for students”.
Pauline Larsen
Team Leader, Massey Contact
Massey University
Auckland Campus
TESTIMONIAL
“The Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Social Development have worked together
for five years delivering successful employment programmes that match skilled people to skill-starved
Auckland businesses. This partnership has made life easier for business and changed the lives of over
500 people”.
Michael Barnett
Chief Executive
Auckland Chamber of Commerce
_
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Moving Forward in Auckland
Welcome!
I am delighted to introduce our first Ministry of Social Development Regional Plan for Auckland. This
document sets out our key priorities and responses to the needs, challenges and opportunities for this
vibrant and exciting region we call home.
Our work is diverse and wide reaching, and this reflects the nature of the region. I hope, whether you
read this plan from cover to cover, or just the areas that interest you most, you gain a sense of where
there might be opportunities for us to work together either now, or in the future.
Our people within the Ministry in Auckland are our greatest asset. I am continuously inspired by their
professionalism, and dedication to supporting the clients and communities they work with every day. I
am proud of them and the work they do.
The heart of our key priorities for Auckland is about people, families, communities and working together.
In this plan, we provide opportunities for action in:
leading social development; providing practical examples of where this is already happening,
where there is potential to do more, and improving access and co-ordination of services from the
Ministry and other government agencies for people when and where they need it
helping our children, young people and families in Auckland succeed; giving our children the
best start in life, helping our young people thrive and prosper to be our future leaders and
contributors to society, and supporting our families to be resilient, safe and secure
improving opportunities for people of working age; so that they can participate in work and their
communities, learn new or different skills to take up or retain jobs, and earn more
enhancing the wellbeing of older Aucklanders; so that they are able to be as independent as
possible, feel safe and secure, and are recognised as vital members of our communities
partnering with our communities; identifying and securing opportunities where we can make a
difference for children, families, individuals and communities in Auckland.
This plan will not succeed unless we all work together to help Auckland be the place where our vision
for tomorrow becomes our reality. I look forward to helping realise this vision with you.
Addressing the issues and challenges, and seizing the opportunities that this great region presents us
with, in many cases will take time, hard work, and goodwill.
I am confident however, that with your support, together we can make this happen.
Isabel Evans
Regional Commissioner for Social Development
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Leading Social Development in
Auckland
Social development is a catalyst for bringing about meaningful results for individuals and families so
that they can fulfil their potential and more fully participate in their neighbourhoods. It is about backing
people and communities to win.
As our Statement of Intent9 reinforces, we are now much more than an organisation focused on the
payment of benefits. While this will always be one of our functions, our uniting focus right across the
Ministry is about improving social development outcomes for people, families, and the communities we
serve.
We are committed to ensuring that our work at a regional level reinforces the Government‟s three
priorities for the next decade: economic transformation, families - young and old and national identity.
Social and economic development - joined together
Social development and economic development go hand in hand. This is not something we can do on
our own; we need to work in partnership with others such as communities, iwi, regional and local
councils, employers, industry, training and education organisations, enterprise agencies and
government agencies. Through collaboration, we can provide our clients with tailored services that meet
not only their needs, but employers‟ and industries‟ needs also.
We want to support Auckland to be a world-class economy, one that is internationally competitive. By
partnering with business and industry, we can increase participation in employment and training
opportunities for our clients.
As we get more working-age people working, we lift productivity within Auckland‟s economy. This helps
economic growth and builds a more prosperous region that supports stronger communities, social
services, and support for our children, families and those people who need additional support now and
in the future.
It is clear, as is stated in the Government‟s publication, Opportunity for All New Zealanders10, that
investing in social development results in a healthier, better-educated, employable and productive
population. Achieving this in turn, contributes to economic development and the continued success of
New Zealand and its people.
Participation in the labour market can be helped by removing or addressing factors that prevent people
from taking up or staying in work, and by encouraging investment that leads to new job opportunities.
Through StudyLink, we support the tertiary education sector‟s commitment to create the skills and
knowledge that New Zealand needs for a thriving economy. This involves investing in people by
ensuring that tertiary education is available and accessible to all New Zealanders, and that students are
completing their studies.
Through Work and Income‟s Business Sector Unit, we have currently established 19 formal industry
partnerships with a combination of industries, their training organisations and large employers. These
partners are wide-ranging and include the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, the Hospitality Association
of New Zealand, the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand, and the National Road Carriers
(Inc).
In the last two years, our industry partnerships have made a difference in the lives of hundreds of
Auckland clients by helping them get a job and start on a career path.
9
Moving Forward with Confidence: Statement of Intent 2006/2007, Ministry of Social Development.
10
Opportunity for All New Zealanders, Office of the Minister for Social Development and Employment, December 2004, page 20.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Social protection for people
It is important to provide protection for people who may not be able to take up employment due to their
current circumstances. Our income support services provide that safety net and ensure that people who
need extra support receive it, to maintain their independence and dignity.
Many people are telling us they want to work and participate in their communities, and as a result, the
way we deliver services to our clients is continuing to evolve. This is demonstrated by the New Service
Approach being delivered in all Work and Income service centres.
The New Service Approach provides clients with access to a range of employment programmes and
support services at their first point of contact with us based on their individual needs, regardless of their
benefit entitlement. Sole parents or people with ill health or a disability are now able to access support
and employment services which were traditionally more readily available to people receiving an
unemployment-related benefit11.
The New Service Approach was trialled in 12 service centres around the country, including the Otara
and Three Kings Service Centres, before being made available nationally in May 2006.
Through the Ministry of Youth Development, we also provide policy advice in a range of areas where
we do not have primary responsibility, but where young people are affected. This may include advice to
the Minister of Youth Affairs on issues being considered by Cabinet Committees such as the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, youth health, the New Zealand Suicide Prevention
Strategy12 and sentencing options for young offenders. Having a regional presence enables the Ministry
of Youth Development to provide this advice in relation to the particular issues affecting young people in
Auckland.
The Family Start initiative operating in parts of Auckland provides intensive home-based support
services and parenting programmes to vulnerable families with young children, improving their ability to
resolve difficulties and problems to ensure that their children have the best possible start in life.
A social picture of Auckland
The 2005 Social Report13 uses a set of statistical indicators to monitor trends across 10 „domains‟, or
areas of people‟s lives. Together, these 10 areas provide a picture of overall wellbeing and quality of life
in New Zealand.
The Social Report (through regional indicators) paints a picture of Auckland that is generally positive,
such as in life expectancy, educational attainment of the adult population, median hourly earnings,
workplace injury claims, representation of women in government, language retention and the number of
homes with telephone and internet access.
Areas where the Auckland region is not performing as well as some other parts of New Zealand include
participation in early childhood education, employment, household crowding and participation in sport
and active leisure.
The Social Report provides us with a strong indication of what is working well across the region and
where there are opportunities to work with others to improve these results.
Leadership and collaboration across the social sector
A key driver for us is to continue to build on the strong relationships and partnerships we have with
other agencies in Auckland. We are working closely with agencies such as Housing New Zealand to
increase access and co-ordination of our services to mutual clients.
The Mangere Integrated Services project involves a team of Housing New Zealand staff based at the
Mangere Work and Income Service Centre. The project focuses on improving housing solutions and
service delivery to mutual clients with housing needs. Such has been the success of the project that we
have expanded the integrated-services approach across Auckland.
11
An unemployment-related benefit includes an Unemployment Benefit and an Unemployment Benefit - Hardship.
12
New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy: A Life Worth Living: Consultation document, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth Development, April 2005.
13
The Social Report 2005, Ministry of Social Development.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Another example of our work across agencies and sectors is our involvement in the Counties Manukau
District Health Board‟s Let’s Beat Diabetes Strategy. Family and Community Services‟ Counties
Manukau Strengthening Families group leads the action area of developing activities to support
vulnerable families to make healthy choices under the Strategy.
Training on good nutrition and healthy eating options has been delivered by nutrition trainers of
Counties Manukau District Health Board for family support workers of The Salvation Army, Manukau.
This training will also be provided for Counties Manukau Family Start family support workers.
The Ministry leads the Debt to Multiple State Agencies project, which also involves Inland Revenue,
Housing New Zealand and the Ministry of Justice, (which supports fines-enforcement activities through
its Collection unit).
Debt to multiple agencies place heavy financial burdens on individuals and their families, and can
weaken efforts to reduce client disadvantage. It can also pose collection problems for the agencies.
Our leadership and involvement in the Debt to Multiple State Agencies project supports our Debt
Strategy, which provides a framework and strategic direction for all debt-related work across the
Ministry. The Strategy leads all of our activities focused on client debt issues, with the key goal being to
minimise debt so that people can participate both socially and economically in their communities.
We participate in regional fora such as the Regional Inter-sectoral Fora, led by Te Puni Kökiri. The
Regional Inter-sectoral Fora brings together key government stakeholders to collaborate on Mäori
economic and social development. We also co-ordinate the Auckland Policy Network meeting.
StudyLink is involved in the inter-agency Tertiary Education Roadshows. This provides a great
opportunity for our staff to meet with education providers and other key government agencies to
highlight the collaborative work undertaken regionally and nationally. It looks at changes to products
and services, technical training and sharing of information.
We hold regular meetings with student association representatives and other government agencies
working with our mutual clients. This helps us share information and identify opportunities for
collaboration and increased co-ordination of agency services to our clients.
We lead the across-agency response to youth issues in Auckland through the Auckland Youth Support
Network Group, which is a collection of central and local government agencies. This forum is focused
on developing locally-led solutions in response to youth issues in Auckland.
We have established an Auckland Family Violence Advisory Group. This comprises our staff working in
the area of family violence prevention, Child, Youth and Family Services community liaison social
workers and Strengthening Families co-ordinators.
The focus of the advisory group is to share information, provide advice and take a co-ordinated
approach to our work in the area of family violence across government and non-government sectors.
Working with councils in Auckland
Collaborating with regional and local authorities is an integral part of our work and investment in
Auckland‟s people and communities. The Regional Commissioner for Social Development, along with
senior Ministry managers in Auckland, meets with mayors, chief executives and senior council officials.
These meetings provide an invaluable opportunity to share information and identify further collaborative
projects that will benefit local citizens and communities.
Our Social Development Managers and Regional Policy Advisors play a significant role in working
alongside our councils to address social development and policy issues. We are involved with councils‟
Community Outcomes work including planning, measuring outcomes and identifying areas that we can
jointly support, such as Vision Rodney, Tomorrow’s Manukau - Manukau Apopo, Progress Papakura
and Franklin District‟s Our Blueprint for the Future.
Just a small selection of key local strategies that we are involved with includes the Waitakere Wellbeing
Collaboration Project, the Northcote Child and Youth Development Project, Auckland City Council‟s
Homeless Action Plan, and the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy14.
14
Auckland Regional Growth Strategy, Auckland Regional Growth Forum, 1999.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
We currently have two Youth Transition Services in partnership with the Waitakere and Manukau City
Councils. Planning is underway for our third Service, in partnership with the Auckland City Council.
Youth Transition Services align services for youth in their communities, follow-up what has happened
for school leavers and provide a range of tailored support to young people at risk of not taking up work,
training or further study.
The Regional Commissioner for Social Development chairs the Auckland Region‟s Welfare Advisory
Group, which brings together a range of government and non-government agencies. The focus of the
Group is on collaborative approaches to community welfare responses in the event of an emergency.
We work with the Auckland Region Civil Defence Emergency Management Group on planning for
co-ordinated responses to and recovery from emergencies.
The Ministry of Youth Development administers the Youth Development Partnership Fund. This Fund
means we can respond to emerging youth needs and create new opportunities by partnering with local
councils to support projects that benefit young people in their communities.
The focus for the first year of the Fund has been around helping our youth to participate in education,
training or work. This supports the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs goal that by 2007, all 15 to 19 year olds
will be in work, education or training, or other activities that contribute to their long-term economic
independence and wellbeing.
In late 2005, we conducted a widespread survey of local council staff and youth councillors and found
that there was a real need for more support and resources. We are developing tools and resources that
will support local councils get more young people involved in their communities. The project will be
rolled out in the latter part of 2006.
We are developing a local government strategy to support the vital relationships with local councils. Our
regional team will also be involved in Local Services Mapping exercises, led by Family and Community
Services. This work will help us to identify current opportunities and gaps in youth development services
available to young people.
Leading social development across the Ministry in Auckland
The broadening of the Regional Commissioner‟s role to that of Regional Commissioner for Social
Development reflects a wider Ministry leadership role and involvement in regional social and economic
sectors.
In Auckland, our whole-of-Ministry approach to the work we do together is called Leading for Outcomes.
This is about the increased and improved co-ordination of our services right across the Ministry in
Auckland, to ensure that they are more accessible to our clients. We have identified mutual priority
areas such as looking at how we can improve supporting our clients into lasting jobs, increase co-
ordination of services for young people and prevent family violence.
Our Social Development Managers and Regional Labour Market Manager work closely with our
Regional Director and Area Managers around service delivery on local projects that take an integrated
social and labour market development approach.
The benefits of this way of working, both from an internal and external perspective are improved
services for our clients, greater communication with and between our operations, and a fuller picture of
issues and trends by using our collective information and research. This provides us with increased
opportunities to work with you, our stakeholders, to improve the results and benefits for Auckland‟s
people and communities.
Success Stories
TESTIMONIAL
“The level of inter-agency co-operation that has been led by the Regional Commissioner for Social
Development within the past months has developed into a strength that is benefiting government
agencies in the Auckland region.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Looking ahead, I believe that government agencies are better shaped to work together to deliver a
whole-of-government approach than we have been in the past”.
Bruce Adin
Regional Manager - Northern Region
Ministry of Education
TESTIMONIAL
“I am impressed with the challenges that the Auckland region has set for themselves in delivering on
the Ministry of Social Development‟s Outcome Framework. We have always found Ministry of Social
Development managers and staff eager to collaborate with us, (and other agencies and groups), to
increase accessibility of services to mutual clients. The Mangere Integrated Service is one very
successful example of this co-operation”.
Madhavan Raman
Regional Manager
Housing New Zealand
TESTIMONIAL
“Isabel Evans and her team have played a key role in many projects and we couldn‟t have done what
we have without her support and leadership.
We have about 70 organisations working alongside our council on many projects. Work and Income has
been critical to the success of many of those projects”.
Stella Ford
Manager of Strategic
Policy and Advocacy
Manukau City Council
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Helping our Children, Young
People and Families Succeed
Auckland is a relatively youthful region compared to other parts of New Zealand. Pockets of Auckland
have higher numbers of young people than others; this is particularly evident in Manukau City, where
41% of the population is aged less than 24 years15.
Such a youthful population means that every time we connect with a young person we want to link them
to the world of possibilities. We want to see improved outcomes for every young Aucklander.
The Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa16 promotes taking a youth-development approach as a way
of understanding what needs to happen for and with young people in New Zealand. It is about how the
Government and society can support young people aged 12 to 24 years, and how they develop the
skills and attitudes they need to play a positive part in society, now and in the future.
The early years
The early years are the most important for child development. Intervention in these early years can
improve vulnerable children‟s health, learning ability, social and emotional development and can reduce
neglect and insecurity.
Government and non-government agencies provide a number of services to support families and
communities. Through Family and Community Services, we work with central and local agencies and
community organisations to develop and co-ordinate information and services for families.
One of the initiatives to help us achieve this is SKIP (Strategies with Kids: Information for Parents),
which provides support to parents raising their children. SKIP supports parents to bring up children in a
positive way, using love and nurture as well as setting boundaries to guide and teach them. SKIP helps
community organisations to promote positive parenting and to provide practical knowledge and skills on
raising children aged five and under.
We will be supporting a number of other initiatives in Auckland this year including fun days, community
events, a peer-development programme for teenage and young mothers and a parenting toddlers‟
course.
The teenage years
The teenage years are an important stage of development, as young people grow and take on adult
responsibilities and roles. Families play a key role in supporting positive youth development. We need
to improve services and support for families of teenagers, and for young people themselves.
The Ministry of Youth Development has developed resources to help strengthen drug education in
school communities. These include the Best Practice Handbook for Design, Delivery and Evaluation
Years 7-13 which is for principals, health teachers, drug education providers and funders of drug
education. In addition, Strengthening Drug Education in School Communities: A Practical Guide
provides a quick reference tool.
A minority of young people come into serious or frequent conflict with the law. The key to reducing
youth offending is better early intervention and support - early in life orearly in the life of the problem.
Increased collaboration with communities and other agencies is needed to identify and develop local
projects to help address youth issues in Auckland.
Building stronger futures
15
Tomorrow’s Manukau - Manukau €pšpš - A Vision for Manukau into the Future 2006-2016, Manukau City Council, 2005.
16
Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa, Ministry of Youth Affairs, January 2002.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Good education and training outcomes help prepare young people for the future. We need to assist
young people as they transition from school and provide practical career information and support to
help the young person make decisions about work, study or training choices.
We have youth transition initiatives that have operated successfully over the last few years in Rodney
and Papakura Districts and in Manukau City.
We support the Rodney Transition to Trades initiative with the Rodney Economic Development Trust for
school leavers in the district. This initiative involves the Trust working with employers and young people
to take up pre-apprenticeship training that leads to careers in trade-related professions.
In Manukau City, this is in partnership with COMET (the City of Manukau Education Trust). Youth
transition brokers are working with seven schools in Manukau City, connecting directly with young
people at school to help them identify a plan to transition from school into training, further education or
work.
The Papakura Youthworks initiative is in partnership with the Papakura District Council and the Tertiary
Education Commission, and involves two of our staffworking with young people, many of whom are
vulnerable and need advice, support or connection to education, training or work. We often work with
not only the young person but their family as well.
We are expanding the youth employment cadetship that has operated successfully in Manukau City
over the last few years, in partnership with Manukau City Council and the Tertiary Education
Commission.
Pathways to Employment Industry Expos, developed by Howick College and supported by Work and
Income, have proven to be highly successful in giving senior secondary school students across the
Auckland region an insight into careers in industries such as automotive engineering and building and
construction.
Since July 2005, we have provided mentoring and support to more than 500 students from west, central
and south Auckland secondary schools. These targeted initiatives aim to support young people at risk
of not having a plan when they leave school to make a successful transition from school to further
education, training or work.
In partnership with the New Zealand Defence Force and Manurewa‟s James Cook High School, we
have established a Services Academy. The programme exposes the young people to life in the armed
forces, including services training and skill preparation modules. Other secondary schools in Auckland
have expressed interest in the Services Academy, and we are looking to expand this programme over
the coming year.
We support services such as the Conservation Corps and Limited Service Volunteers programmes that
help young people to set goals for the future, increase their personal and relationship skills, improve
their health and reduce or eliminate factors that can prevent them taking up work, education or training.
In mid 2006, as in previous years, we employed 39 public service cadets, to be trained as Work and
Income case managers. The cadet programme provides young people aged between 16 to 21 years
with a career path in the public sector, linking quality training to the Modern Apprenticeship scheme.
Cadets are supported to work towards a „Certificate in Client Management‟, a nationally recognised
tertiary qualification.
Working in schools
The educational programme On Course, delivered by our StudyLink staff, focuses on potential tertiary
students while still at secondary school, to help them make informed decisions about their study and
specifically their funding options, including how to connect with StudyLink and other support services
and agencies. On Course also provides the opportunity for us to work with school career advisors,
principals, other school staff and parents and caregivers of potential tertiary students.
The Ministry of Youth Development is co-ordinating government involvement in funding and supporting
the Youth2007 research project - a comprehensive survey of the health and wellbeing of young New
Zealanders in secondary schools. The project will collect, analyse and distribute accurate and
comprehensive information for the development of policy and practices to improve the health of young
New Zealanders. Over 10,000 young New Zealanders aged 12 to 18 years from 100 different
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
secondary schools will be asked to complete the survey. The survey will be piloted in 2006 and will go
live in 2007.
Helping young people to be heard
We run a number of youth participation activities and provide youth-related information under the
banner of Aotearoa Youth Voices17. Providing an opportunity for young people to speak and be heard,
and increasing the ways they are involved in decision-making means young people can be part of
making a real difference. This year, a particular focus will be on planning and preparation for the next
Youth Parliament, to be held in 2007.
PROVOKE is an example of a youth-participation project that involves secondary school students,
youth organisations and adult liaisons around the country and provides them with a range of ideas and
tools to assist young people get their voices heard.
We support the Young Migrant Women‟s module of the Auckland YWCA’s Future Leaders’ programme
for young women from migrant and refugee communities.
The Pacific Youth Development Strategy, developed by Pacific youth and Pacific community leaders in
partnership with government agencies, aims to improve the wellbeing of Pacific youth in Auckland. It is
a means of ensuring that Pacific youth, today and in future generations, are full participants in New
Zealand society, have opportunities to achieve their potential and to participate in New Zealand‟s
growing economy, as a valued part of the workforce.
Supporting violence-free futures
We provide funding for the Waitakere Anti-Violence Essential Services (WAVES) Trust, an inter-agency
family violence network within Waitakere City.
In the coming year, we will be implementing the Children and Young People’s Witnesses of Family
Violence programme, which supports children who witness violence in their family. As a result, 45 „child
and young people‟ advocate positions will be established nationwide. We will also provide professional
leadership, training and co-ordination for advocates, individuals and organisations who work with
children and families in family violence situations.
Strong Pacific Families is being implemented in Manukau and Waitakere cities. The programme is
community driven. It aims to increase the awareness of the effects of violence so that Pacific families
can be violence-free.
Increasing access and co-ordination of services
We provide families and communities with information about and access to family support services. Our
online services include the Family and Community Services 211 Directory (formerly known as the
Family Services National Directory) which lists family-related services, programmes and resources
available in communities across New Zealand. FamilyWeb also links people to helpful websites on
subjects such as raising children, supporting young people, and growing older18. More topics are
planned and include marriage and relationships and connecting with your community.
The Strengthening Families programme encourages government and non-government agencies to
work together so that everyone benefits. Agencies are not repeating each other‟s work; families working
with more than two agencies get to see everyone at once and do not have to visit each separately. The
agencies meet with the family to develop a plan to address the family‟s needs.
The Working for Families package, aims to make it financially easier to work and raise a family. We
work closely with Inland Revenue to promote this assistance to employers, community groups and the
public. Our childcare co-ordinators work directly with childcare and Out of School Care and Recreation
(OSCAR) providers around the Childcare and OSCAR subsidies and the Working for Families package.
Through the combined efforts of government, non-government, and community organisations, together
we can help our children, young people and families in Auckland succeed.
Success Stories
17
Further information about the Aotearoa Youth Voices programme and contributing projects can be accessed via www.youthvoices.govt.nz.
18
Information about these services can be accessed via www.211.govt.nz.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Kei a tatou te Ihi - we have the power
StudyLink staff are involved with a programme called Kei a tatou te Ihi (KATTI), which delivers career
pathway and goal setting programmes to Mäori youth. A key focus of the programmes is to encourage
the involvement of whänau to support children towards achieving their career goals and aspirations.
The programme highlights the importance of ongoing education for students when they finish school
and is specifically developed for Mäori secondary school students who are in Years 10 to 13.
A number of tertiary education providers and government agencies make up the collaborative
committee which is respon-sible for the delivery of the programme. StudyLink‟s leading contribution is to
increase the awareness of the financial aspects of tertiary education, and the assistance that is
available.
Armed with a future
The Services Academy is a new youth transition initiative being piloted at James Cook High School in
Manurewa. The aim of the programme is to help students enter the New Zealand Armed Forces when
they leave school.
Twenty-two Year-12 and 13 students have been selected to take part. As part of the programme,
students will be assessed in English, maths, computing, physical fitness, drill, map reading and
orienteering, adventure-based learning, problem solving, leadership and bush craft.
“The Services Academy supports the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs goal of having all young people
between the ages of 15 to 19 in work, education or training by 2007”, says Regional Labour Market
Manager, Les Higgins.
Building safe families
We have three family violence response co-ordinators working across Auckland as part of the Family
Violence Intervention Programme. Led and co-ordinated by Family and Community Services and
implemented by Work and Income, the programme aims to support Ministry clients and their families
towards a violence-free future.
All Work and Income frontline staff have received family violence training to help them recognise,
respond and refer cases of family violence to the appropriate support agency. The family violence
response co-ordinators‟ role is to support, mentor and provide advice to our staff on family violence and
safety issues as well as up-to-date information on local family violence services.
TESTIMONIAL
“Overall I think the qualifications and experience I have gained from this programme has really
changed my life and shown me a great career path. I hope future students doing this programme will
get as much as I got out of it if not more. I would like to thank the Ministry of Youth Development and
SENZ for providing this great programme”.
William Wong
Participant in the SENZ Employment and Training Centre Programme
TESTIMONIAL
“SKIP is great because it acknowledges the skills parents already have and celebrates their parenting.
It focuses on what they can do and builds on that. I‟ve seen young women really inspired and
encouraged to give it a go and when things don‟t work quite as they should, come back and get help.
The resources are amazing and the women love them”.
Annalise Myers
Project Co-ordinator
Auckland Women‟s Centre
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Improving Opportunities for
Working Age People
For most of us, the greatest way we can achieve a level of independence is through being employed.
We want to ensure that everybody of working age who is able to take up work, is connected with a job
and where required, supported with work-related training to help them obtain the relevant skills and get
work.
Partnering with employers and industry to help people into work provides a vital and practical way that
we can make this happen.
Enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Auckland regional labour market is a challenge.
Taking on this challenge means that we need to know and understand our region well. Our region is
large and complex, and has a major role in the overall performance of the New Zealand economy.
Relative to the whole economy, a larger proportion of the region‟s jobs are in business and financial
services, reflecting Auckland‟s importance to the New Zealand economy as a commercial hub.Retail,
accommodation and manufacturing are also important industries for employment in the region. These
areas combined represent nearly half of the region‟s total jobs19.
Having strong levels of participation in high-quality, well-paid and diversified employment means
everyone who wants or needs to work is able to do so. A diverse workforce will have a greater range of
skills, experience, knowledge and talent, enabling greater adaptability.
Key issues for Auckland‟s labour market are labour and skill shortages, although some groups of
people still have higher levels of unemployment. This means that we need to tailor specific services to
help people who find it harder to get into work.
Our contact centres assist in raising client awareness of our programmes and services, including those
that can support them to take up work, or help make work pay.
We have developed an initiative with the Manukau Institute of Technology called Preparation for
Modern Apprenticeships that specifically assists young job seekers, providing them with the skills they
need to obtain a modern apprenticeship.
Labour market development
We have a dedicated labour market development and enterprising communities focus through Work
and Income‟s Labour Market Development unit, which focuses on helping Auckland‟s communities to
create local employment opportunities and to address industry skill shortages. The Local Industry
Partnerships programme involves working with industry to create lasting employment opportunities for
people looking for work or returning to the workforce.
Tailored services for employers
Our Business Sector Unit works directly with industries and key employers to help address their skill
and labour shortages. Services are demand led, with the needs of industry and employers being the
starting point for the design of our Straight 2 Work training and support programmes that help to reduce
these skill shortages. The training is designed by industry, for industry.
19
Business and Economy 2005, Auckland Regional Council.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
We are working with the Department of Corrections to assist with recruitment for the Auckland region‟s
new Women‟s Corrections Facility in Manukau City, which will open this year. We are also working
alongside our Waikato colleagues to support the Department of Corrections with their recruitment of
staff for the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, due to open in 2007.
In addition, our work brokers work directly with employers to identify and respond to their recruitment
needs. Promoting our range of services and positioning our clients as prospective employees to
employers pays dividends for both our clients and employers.
We contract with training providers to deliver work-related training, In Work Support or job placements
for our clients. These providers have experience in a variety of industries and sectors, as well as
working with a diverse range of people. They make a valuable contribution by helping us support more
people into work.
StudyLink works closely with Work and Income and Student Job Search to develop and put into
practice a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening work options for students; better preparing them
for their work search and connecting them to the labour market, particularly over the summer period.
Clients receiving income support assistance
In Auckland, we deliver services to 228,963 clients. Of this number, 107,901 are clients of working age.
There are 33,694 working-age clients receiving a Sickness or Invalid‟s Benefit. In addition, there are
33,380 working-age clients receiving a domestic purposes-related benefit20.
The number of working-age clients receiving an unemployment-related benefit in Auckland has
significantly reduced from 38,402 in March 2001 to 13,468 in March 2006, a reduction of 65%.
We are focused on significantly reducing Mäori unemployment. Our MŠori Employment Strategy
focuses on working with key partners across Auckland such as employers, training providers, iwi and
community organisations to help reduce Mäori unemployment. The number of working-age Mäori
clients receiving an unemployment-related benefit reduced from 4,235 in March 2005 to 3,860 in March
2006. While these results are positive, we know there is more to do in continuing to reduce Mäori
unemployment in Auckland.
The Pacific Wave Strategy, introduced in July 2003, has played a major role in helping reduce the
number of working-age Pacific clients receiving an unemployment-related benefit in Auckland. Through
the combined efforts of our staff and the support of employers, industry organisations and the
community, we have seen the number of Pacific clients more than halve, reducing from 5,288 in July
2003 to 2,642 at the end of March 2006. We will continue our focus on significantly reducing Pacific
unemployment in Auckland.
Through the Auckland Migrant and Refugee Strategy, we have specialised staff working directly with
migrant and refugee clients to help them find work or participate in training that will help them get work.
We have developed programmes to establish work-experience opportunities for migrants and refugees
who hold professional qualifications.
Since the introduction of the Strategy in July 2003, the total number of working-age migrant and refugee
clients in Auckland receiving an unemployment-related benefit has reduced from 1,932 to 596.
Our multilingual contact centre currently provides services in 11 languages. It provides access to
employment and information on income support services for clients who may have difficulty
communicating in English.
To help newly arrived refugee clients be fully informed and settle more easily into their communities, we
provide information about entitlements to income support assistance and their responsibilities as a
client.
20
A domestic purposes-related benefit comprises DPB Sole Parent, DPB Caring for the Sick or Infirm, DPB Woman Alone and Emergency Maintenance Allowance.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Helping clients reduce any time spent out of the workforce is vital in supporting them and the economy.
Our staff are focused on helping people back into work who have been affected by business closures
and redundancies.
Our WRK4U (Work for You) seminars are designed to inform people about what jobs are available and
what assistance they can get from Work and Income, in terms of income support and additional
assistance when they move into work.
We fund the Financial Planning for Change programme, currently being piloted in Mangere, that
provides financial planning and advice to new applicants for the Unemployment and Domestic Purposes
Benefits who are interested in being part of the programme. The New Zealand Federation of Family
Budgeting Services assists us with this programme.
As part of our focus on preventing and minimising debt and fraud, staff visit employers to encourage
employees to advise us if their situation changes, which could affect their entitlement to additional
assistance. We also encourage them to contact us if they have a debt in order to arrange repayment.
Supporting clients with specific needs
We need to be able to remove other barriers to employment opportunities for our clients. Our case
management approach with sole parents and health and disability clients is helping many clients who
wish to move into work to do so, with the right support and services. For some clients with specific
needs, part-time work may be the option that best suits them.
Disability touches many people‟s lives, either personally or through family and friends. This provides us
with challenges and opportunities to work towards increasing ways that disabled people or people with
impairments can participate in their communities.
The New Zealand Disability Strategy21 has the vision of a fully inclusive society that highly values the
lives and continually enhances full participation of disabled people. It provides an enduring framework
to ensure that government departments and agencies consider disabled people before making
decisions that may affect them.
We continue to work with the Counties Manukau District Health Board on the PATHS (Providing Access
to Health Solutions) programme designed to help Work and Income clients access specific health
interventions that help them return to work.
It is clear that no one approach suits everybody and we are increasingly focusing more on what a
person can do rather than on what they cannot. It is about recognising people‟s potential to work, and
introducing different ways of supporting them towards achieving employment, independence and
increased participation in their communities.
Support for new business enterprises
Supporting new ventures is an area where we can assist people to start their own business through our
Enterprise Allowance programme. Enterprise Allowance is both a subsidy and a grant to help clients
who are unemployed get over financial hurdles associated with moving into self-employment. The end
result is for clients to be able to support themselves from their business.
While great progress has been made with the support of our partners over the last several years in
reducing unemployment, there is clearly still more to be done. Over the coming year, we intend to
strengthen our partnerships to increase opportunities for more working-age Aucklanders to participate
in meaningful and lasting jobs.
Success Stories
21
The New Zealand Disability Strategy - Making a World of Difference, Ministry of Health 2001.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
The perfect job
After several short-lived jobs, Gerald Cotton believes he now has the perfect job. For the last 18 months
he has worked for McEntee Hire in Warkworth, and plans to stay with the company for as long as
possible.
Before Gerald started working for McEntee Hire, he met with a Work and Income work broker and
explained that he wanted a job that was longer-term, interesting and the right fit for him. The work
broker knew just the employer and put Gerald in touch with McEntee Hire Manager, Brian Wilson. Brian
says he could see Gerald‟s potential and that he does a great job.
Gerald says his job is perfect for him because it is so varied and he has picked up new skills. “One perk
is the different places I travel to. At one place the view was so good I could see into tomorrow”.
Creating a bright future
Work and Income‟s Industry Partner-ship with the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand
(ECANZ) has given Jing He (pictured), a former Work and Income client, the opportunity to pursue his
passion for working in the electrical industry.
Through this partnership, the Electrical Training Company (ETCO) has been contracted to provide
industry training for Work and Income clients who wish to work in the electrical industry, but lack the
necessary skills and experience.
Chris Muller, Work and Income Key Account Manager says, “the Straight 2 Work electrical programme
helps our clients to learn and develop skills that will lead into employment or further career options, and
at the same time help ease the skill shortages that exist within the electrical industry”.
Providing information to newly arrived refugees
Staff from Benefit Integrity Services and Work and Income visit newly arrived refugees at the Mangere
Refugee Resettlement Centre up to six times per year. During each visit, they talk to refugees about
their entitlements and responsibilities while receiving assistance from Work and Income.
“We aim to make sure that refugees leave the Centre with an understanding of what help is available
from Work and Income and how they can access that assistance”, says Work and Income Regional
Migrant Services Manager, Sally Ewer.
Auckland South Benefit Control Manager, Jane Ronaldson says, “we encourage clients to let Work and
Income know of any changes in their situation so that we can make sure that their payments are correct
and therefore avoiding any overpayment or underpayment”.
Pictured from left are Ashveena Nand, Field Officer; Shiva Mudaliar, Investigator; Jenny Vale,
Investigator; David Beal, Regional Refugee Co-ordinator, presenting information to newly arrived
refugees.
A joint approach to debt management
As part of the Return to Work initiative, staff from Benefit Integrity Services visit employers who have
recently employed Work and Income clients.
The aim is to minimise debt and fraud by encouraging former Work and Income clients to declare their
income or cancel their benefit and arrange to repay any outstanding debts when they start work.
Employers are provided with a Return to Work information pack, which includes a laminated poster,
information about extra assistance such as Working for Families, a benefit cancellation form and debt
repayment forms.
Management job heals the heart
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Last year Johan Pretorius developed a rare heart condition and was forced to resign from work, having
to then apply for the Sickness Benefit for financial support. Johan had never received a benefit before
and was thankful for the assistance from Work and Income.
Johan had been receiving a Sickness Benefit for over five months when he found a full-time job as a
production manager at an Auckland manufacturing company.
Johan says his quick recovery was a result of his positive thinking. “I didn’t want my sickness to control
me or to let it dictate my life”.
TESTIMONIAL
“We have been extremely pleased with the Straight 2 Work programme that we are delivering with
Work and Income‟s Business Sector Unit in Auckland. Together, we are able to offer programmes to
people who do not have the appropriate skills to enter the electrical industry but
have a desire to”.
Neville Simpson
Chief Executive Officer
Electrical Contractors Association
of New Zealand
TESTIMONIAL
“A client participating in the Financial Planning for Change programme was initially apprehensive;
however found everything was easy to follow. She successfully completed the programme and now
recommends this to others, as she manages her own weekly budget and now has some money left
over each week”.
Budgeting Advisor
Vaiola Budgeting Service
Mangere
TESTIMONIAL
“We have been able to forge a relationship with the Ministry of Social Development, and one of the
advantages is that clients are receiving the same message from both organisations”.
Loraine Elliott
Auckland South Service Centre Manager
Inland Revenue
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Enhancing the Wellbeing of Older
People in Auckland - Today and
Tomorrow
Older people in Auckland make a significant contribution to our society through their skills, knowledge
and experience. Today, people aged 65 years and over are living longer, and while tending to be
healthier, the incidence of disability increases with age22. In Auckland, we have 117,491 clients
receiving New Zealand Superannuation.
The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy23 is the Government‟s commitment to positive ageing, and
reaffirms the value of older people in our society. The Strategy helps shape the work we do in
contributing to a society in which people can age positively.
Supporting independence
We have specialist Work and Income staff who provide services to older people. This is about ensuring
older people are supported so that they can participate as fully as they wish in their community, and get
all the assistance they are entitled to. In addition to our Work and Income service centres, we provide
regular New Zealand Superannuation services at locations in east and central Auckland.
Auckland is a diverse region with growing numbers of older people from varied ethnic backgrounds. Our
Pacific Wave Unit and migrant and refugee specialist staff work with our communities as a way of
ensuring these clients are connected with services for older people.
Work and Income and the Office for Senior Citizens designed a training package called Services for
Older People. This helps our staff have a greater understanding of the challenges and issues people
face as they grow older. We piloted the training package in Auckland and it is now a training resource
used nationwide.
Over the coming year, Work and Income will be looking at ways to increase the availability of suitable
employment opportunities for older clients who would like to take up part- or full-time work or specific
training opportunities.
Voluntary work is another area where many older people make a huge contribution every day in our
neighbourhoods across Auckland.
Supporting older people to feel safe and secure
We fund and manage the nationwide network of Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention services. We are
also engaged in policy, research and implementation work to strengthen the Elder Abuse and Neglect
Prevention Network. This improves our understanding of elder abuse and neglect and identifies what
works best for older people in terms of prevention, action and raising public awareness.
The Senior Services group delivers services and information that contributes to the ability of older
people to enjoy secure and adequate income levels and standards of living. It also ensures older people
have timely access to the information and services they need - through International Services, War
Pension Services and the Community Services Card Centre.
Keeping older people informed about our services, those from other government agencies and what is
available in the community, helps support their independence.
22
Statement of Intent 2005/06, Ministry of Social Development, page 67.
23
The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy: Towards a Society for all Ages, Ministry of Social Policy, 2001.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
International Services administers New Zealand‟s international social security agreements and
portability arrangements. Our portability arrangements enable many people who choose to retire
overseas to access part or all of their New Zealand Superannuation entitlement. International Services
also assists people who have lived and worked overseas to claim any international entitlements they
may have.
The Community Services Card Centre administers the Community Services Card for the Ministry of
Health, providing access to subsidised health services for many older people in New Zealand.
Supporting veterans
War Pension Services administers War Disablement, Veterans‟ and Surviving Spouse Pensions on
behalf of Veterans‟ Affairs New Zealand. War Pension Services and Work and Income staff attended
the Open Day at Auckland‟s Ranfurly Veterans Home & Hospital in February 2006, to provide
information and raise awareness of our services.
The Government designated 2006 as the Year of the Veteran to recognise the service and contribution
of our veterans. A Year of the Veteran Community Grants Fund24 has been set up to assist local
communities to provide ways of recognising the ex-servicemen and women in their community.
Improving services and access to information for older people
We want people to be able to easily access clear and complete information, to assist them to make their
own choices in relation to services and participation in their communities. We intend to increase the
ways in which clients can access information about our services, including through websites, printed
material and face-to-face community opportunities.
A priority for us over the coming year is the review of our delivery of services to older people, to prepare
for the challenge of an ageing population and to provide a more fully integrated service for older people.
This review seeks to understand what results we should be aiming to achieve for older people in the
longer term, what services older people need from us and how these services should be delivered.
Some work has already been completed on possible options for delivering services to older people in
the future. Over the coming year, Senior Services and Work and Income will jointly carry out further
work in consultation with other areas of the Ministry, and most importantly older people themselves, on
developing these ideas.
The vital contribution that older people have made and continue to make in our communities cannot be
under-estimated. We believe that with your support, together we can deliver on our commitment to
enhance the wellbeing of older Aucklanders now, and in the future.
Success Stories
Recognising older people’s skills and knowledge
The SAGES: Older People as Mentors programme, is a community mentoring programme funded by
Family and Community Services that provides support to individuals and families by working with them
to help develop their skills in areas such as home management, cooking and budgeting.
SAGES aims to improve community links and a sense of belonging to a community; encourage a
positive attitude, and improve problem solving skills within families living in Counties Manukau.
Mentors provide practical advice, give information on home management, and encourage positive
parenting practices.
SAGES is delivered by The Salvation Army Community Ministries, Counties Manukau and will assist 70
families over the next three years.
24
Further information on what funding is available and how to apply is located on the Veterans‟ Affairs New Zealand website www.veteransaffairs.mil.nz.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Partnering with our Communities
Auckland is a vibrant blend of communities with their own specific needs, challenges and opportunities.
Auckland‟s communities are diverse. An illustration of this is that Manukau City is home to 165 different
cultural groups and has the largest Mäori population in New Zealand25.
Our role is about valuing and supporting these communities, and collaborating with others is an
important way in which we do this.
Services for and with communities
We are undertaking Local Services Mapping in our communities. This involves government agencies,
local authorities and community organisations working together to identify the services a community has
and what services it needs. These have to address the particular needs of that area and action plans
will be developed, setting out what everyone will do to find practical solutions to meet these needs.
Local Services Mapping projects have been carried out in Papakura District, Manukau City, Waitakere
City, Rodney District and Northcote. We anticipate that action plans to address any issues or gaps will
be well underway by the end of 2006.
We invest in community initiatives for families. These focus on supporting families and communities.
They include programmes to help build a community‟s strength. Some examples of these initiatives
include the Jones Seven project that helps 12 to 17 year olds get life skills and plan their careers, and
the Future Leaders programme for young women from migrant and refugee communities, adapted from
the Auckland YWCA’s Future Leaders programme.
Supporting enterprising communities
Our Enterprising Communities Grants help community organisations design and implement projects
that will create skills and job opportunities for people who are finding it hard to get work.
The Grants support initiatives such as the Awhitu Peninsula Sustainability Project. The Project aims to
increase sustainable employment on the Awhitu Peninsula in ways that support and enhance the
Peninsula‟s special character ecologically and culturally.
We support community organisations with programmes such as Activity in the Community, which
assists communities to complete projects and provides our clients with work experience to learn new
skills while still receiving a benefit. It also allows the client‟s contribution to their community to be
recognised.
Taskforce Green is another initiative that helps clients gain work-related skills to improve their chances
of securing permanent work. It also benefits local communities through fixed-term community or
environmental projects that might not otherwise be completed.
Through our Work and Income Prisoner Re-integration teams we are working with the Department of
Corrections to assist offenders re-integrate into their communities. We do this by providing case
management and assistance once they are released and start work, to assist ex-prisoners to remain in
employment.
We have staff based in Auckland prisons who work with prisoners prior to their release to support them
gain employment following release. We also work alongside other organisations such as New Zealand
Prisoners‟ Aid and Rehabilitation Societies Inc. and the Community Probation Service to support ex-
prisoners.
Community-based services
In Manukau City and Henderson, we join with The Salvation Army to provide services through the
Ministry‟s Foodbank Strategy. The goal of the three-to-five year strategy is to reduce and ultimately
25
Tomorrow’s Manukau - Manukau €pšpš - A Vision for Manukau into the Future 2006-2016, Manukau City Council, 2005.
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
eliminate the need for foodbanks. Through this partnership, we have a case manager based at the
Manukau Salvation Army offices on a full-time basis and at their Henderson offices one day a week.
We work with community-based services for refugees and migrants. Our aim is to support them to take
part in New Zealand life and settle more easily into their new country.
We run orientation and information workshops; workshops with a strong focus on budgeting and
parenting, and community development workshops on leadership and advocacy. We are also providing
funding to 22 budget education and advisory services across Auckland that deliver services to
thousands of people every year.
Getting involved in our communities
Young people play a vital role in every New Zealand community. Increasing young people‟s
participation in their communities, including through community planning processes and decision-
making, produces better outcomes for young people and for their communities.
The Ministry of Youth Development runs training workshops on ways to increase youth participation
around the country. These workshops are for people working directly with youth and organisations
wanting to improve the way they connect with young people.
We administer the Youth Development Partnership Fund, which enables us to respond to emerging
youth needs and create new opportunities through partnering with councils to support projects that
benefit young people in their communities.
The youth development sector is dynamic and diverse. Youth workers are passionate and strong
advocates for youth development, however, the sector is facing a number of challenges. Improving
training and development opportunities for youth workers, improving co-ordination and leadership in the
sector and providing sustainable funding to community-based youth development agencies strengthens
the sector and leads to better outcomes for young people.
We participate in hundreds of community-based events and activities all over Auckland every year to
raise awareness about our services and promote information. This allows us to reach people who might
not otherwise have any contact with us. We relish these opportunities to promote our services, and look
forward to many more over the coming year.
We believe that by partnering with our communities and delivering increased co-ordinated and
accessible services, this will support Auckland‟s communities to be stronger.
Helping our youth towards adulthood
The Jones Seven project, delivered by former league player Tea Ropati, was developed for youth aged
12 to 17 who live in the Counties Manukau area.
The project is a community-based, out-of-school initiative that aims to guide young people on their
journey to adulthood and builds on support networks, including school, home and the wider community.
The project allows youth to plan their career and learn different life skills. Youth attend workshops and
mentoring sessions which address their social, cultural and personal career aspirations. Young people
who have been involved in the project have reported positive changes in their outlook on life, with
particular improvements in their focus, goals, attitudes and values.
The project is an initiative through the Community Initiatives Fund, administered by Family and
Community Services and sponsored by Koru Trust.
Tea Ropati, (standing), helps out John Tamalii and Chloe Steel from Papakura High School.
Supporting our communities
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
The Awhitu Peninsula Landcare group has been successful in implementing the Awhitu Peninsula
Sustainability Project. The Project‟s focus was to increase the availability of sustainable employment on
the Awhitu Peninsula, in ways which support and enhance the special ecological and cultural character
of the peninsula.
A Work and Income Enterprising Communities Grant was used to fund two part-time co-ordinators who
were responsible for the management of the Project.
Projects Committee Convenor, Charmaine Pountney says, “The unexpected benefit from this Project
has been the sense of greater cohesion and support in this local rural community. Staff members were
great networkers and made the Landcare office a place where people come to for all kinds of help.
Community empowerment, that‟s what it‟s been about. It‟s a great base for our next phase of new job
creation in environmental activities, too‟‟.
Work and Income Enterprising Communities Advisor, Jenny Clark says, “This Project has demonstrated
how a community that cares about the environment can build on its natural and human assets to create
long-term sustainable employment”.
A new opportunity for youth
The Open Mike Cafe is a youth-focused project where young people can gain awareness and skills in
organising events and running a cafe, and provides an opportunity for creative youth expression in
Papakura.
Funded by the Ministry of Youth Development under the Youth Development Partnership Fund and
organised by the Papakura District Council, the project aims to get more young people involved in local
activities and to develop a range of personal and work-related skills for the young people involved.
From left, Shirley Klein, Gateway Community Trust Community Service Co-ordinator; Sarah McGhee,
Regional Youth Development Advisor; Paul Kauri (on drums) Director, Gateway Community Trust; and
Leora Hirsh, Papakura District Council Community Development Co-ordinator talking about the
opportunity young people have at Open Mike Cafe.
TESTIMONIAL
“We are now entering our fourth year of having a Work and Income case manager being based at our
centre in Manukau City. This partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, aimed at reducing
dependency on food bank assistance has exceeded our expectations and has proved very
advantageous for our mutual clients. This relationship has continued with our recent agreement to
provide a community mentoring programme SAGES. In these we have excellent examples of a true
partnership between our respective agencies”.
Gerry Walker
Regional Director
The Salvation Army - Counties Manukau
TESTIMONIAL
“We realised we could not make things better for people in Rodney by ourselves. Things such as
providing more jobs, improving skills, and improving the way of life without real hands on and real
support from organisations like Work and Income. So, we‟ve developed a partnership with the Ministry
of Social Development that focuses on achieving the community‟s vision for Rodney”.
Jacqueline Aust
Senior Strategic Advisor - Partnering
Rodney District Council
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007
Ministry of Social Development
Regional Office
Building A
65 Main Highway
Ellerslie
Auckland
www.msd.govt.nz
Benefit Integrity Services
0800 558 008 (Debt Enquiries)
Community Services Card
0800 999 999
Family and Community Services
www.familyservices.govt.nz
International Services
0800 777 117
Ministry of Youth Development
www.myd.govt.nz
StudyLink
www.studylink.govt.nz
0800 88 99 00
War Pensions
0800 553 003
Work and Income
www.workandincome.govt.nz
0800 559 009
Leading Social Development - Auckland Regional Plan, 2006/2007