1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,160 Speaker 1: Now the business of treating our kids badly seems to 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: be growing. Oranga Tamariki have thirteen hundred and nineteen oney 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: three hundred nineteen children currently overdue to be allocated to 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: social worker. That in part is because there's been apparently 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: a forty five percent increase in reports of concerns since 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: April of last year. So we've got a total of 7 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: eighty one thousand reports that need looking into. Now. The 8 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: Children's Minister Karen Chaws with us on this Karen Morning Morning. 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: How are you well? 10 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Thank you? Is this depressing and close to overwhelming? 11 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 2: I think we have to put things in perspective. What 12 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 2: reports of concern have increased by forty five percent, those 13 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 2: case numbers you're talking about have actually decreased by twenty 14 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 2: four percent. The staff are working really well at bringing 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: the numbers down of those unallocated cases of social workers 16 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 2: to children. We're working smarter, We've got better focus in 17 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: different regions with their challenges and why these are allocated 18 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: cases are happening. So whilst the reports to consumer increased, 19 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: our social workers are doing an amazing job to bring 20 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: those numbers down. 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: Would there be multiple reports of concern around singular children? 22 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: Hence the eighty one thousand looks more alarming than it 23 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: may well be. 24 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 2: Yes, some children may be counted more than once if 25 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 2: there's more than one reporter concern around that young person. 26 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: How many children in this country, in some way, shape 27 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: or form have some sort of alarming set of circumstances 28 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: around them that would require a government agency to help. 29 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 2: I don't have that exact number in front of me, 30 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: but it is quite high, and it is quite alarming. 31 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: But what we've also got to remember is it's a 32 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 2: positive that people are reporting their concerns because when we 33 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 2: know about it, we can actually get them in front 34 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 2: of them. 35 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: Well, that's true. What's to concern that? I'm just trying 36 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: to get my head around this, because I mean, this 37 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: just this is a different world than the one I 38 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: live in, sadly, But what's a report of concern? I mean, 39 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: what does that mean? Does a kid get beaten or 40 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: as you've just looked over the fence and gone and 41 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: that looks suspect. 42 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: So a reporter concern can include all of those. And 43 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: that's why they're triage when they come in, and their 44 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: triage to hire a serious need to lower needs when 45 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 2: they're lower needs. We can often use the community, which 46 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: I've been doing in the last twelve months setting up 47 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 2: more enabling community partnerships where communities can get involved so 48 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 2: that autoatomidice doesn't have to intervene. Not all these cases 49 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 2: will require autonatomitic key intervention. 50 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: Does the judicial aspect of this whole thing suit you 51 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: at the moment? I mean, in other words, if these 52 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: people end up in court in some way, shape or form, 53 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: are they being dealt to appropriately or is there a 54 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: weak link there? 55 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 2: I think that's where the investment. We've been putting a 56 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 2: massive investment into making sure that our young people are 57 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 2: seen and there's a prevention for the youth justice system. 58 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 2: We've increased the funding when it comes to the fast 59 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 2: Track program where multiple agencies will get involved early. We've 60 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: increase the funding to upgrade to the frontline technology system 61 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 2: to enable our social workers to be able to work 62 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 2: smarter and faster and be in front of children rather 63 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: than behind a desk. And we've increased the support staff 64 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: alongside our social workers. So whilst those numbers might sound concerning, 65 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 2: that twenty four percent decrease in the last twelve months 66 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 2: of unallocated cases shows that we're actually making progress, and 67 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: that our social workers are doing a fantastic job keeping 68 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 2: up with the amount of reports concern that are coming in. 69 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: All I can do is wish you well with it. 70 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: Karen appreciated Karen Shaw, who's the Children's Minister. There's something 71 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: foundly wrong with this country. For more from The mic 72 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks that'd be from 73 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.