30 Jun 2009

200 job cuts confirmed at Social Development Ministry

10:56 pm on 30 June 2009

The Ministry of Social Development has confirmed it is cutting about 200 jobs.

Chief executive Peter Hughes says the job cuts mainly affect staff working in management and administration roles.

It includes the axing of 80 positions at Child, Youth and Family, including 18 community liaison social workers based in 12 centres throughout New Zealand.

Mr Hughes says the cuts are needed to make the ministry run more effectively as its services are being placed under increasing pressure as a result of the recession.

He says the job cuts will allow the ministry to create 60 to 70 jobs in frontline roles.

The ministry employs almost 10,000 staff.

An umbrella group representing social service agencies says the decision to cut 80 jobs at Child, Youth and Family will make it harder to tackle child abuse.

Liz Kinley, from the organisation Jigsaw, says community liaison social workers have a crucial roles in raising awareness about child abuse and she is worried what will happen without them.

Ms Kinley says despite plans to increase the number of frontline social workers, the ministry needs to plan how it will train communities to recognise and report abuse in the future.