Kotahitanga - Get involved - Help us make a difference

Feedback welcome on our new investment strategy

We’re keen to receive feedback from stakeholders on our new 2018-22 Employment and Social Outcomes Investment Strategy(PDF) which outlines seven priority areas to improve the employment and social outcomes for people who are receiving, or are likely to receive, a working-age benefit.

Over the past seven years, we’ve been using an investment approach to improve employment outcomes for people on working-age benefits. This year’s approach has been updated to take account of the Government’s new approach to social investment – Investing for Social Wellbeing.

The new strategy outlines the priorities we think are the most likely to achieve the best possible outcomes over the next four years. The seven priorities are:

1. Increasing effectiveness of support to enhance the employment potential of young people
2. Embedding approaches that are more effective for Māori into all services
3. Increasing effectiveness of employment support for people with health conditions or disabilities
4. Expanding employment support to all clients with dependent children
5. Improving the sustainability of employment outcomes
6. Better aligning education and training towards sustainable employment
7. Enhancing our regional focus to better support regional employment growth opportunities

We are keen for our contracted providers and stakeholders to take a look at the strategy and provide us with feedback and ideas. This will help us better understand the complexities faced by our clients and contribute towards developing new services that lead to sustainable outcomes.

If you’d like to provide feedback or talk to us, please email us at Kotahitanga@msd.govt.nz

Help build new Whānau Resilience services

We are investing $15.379 million from Budget 2018 into new ‘Whānau Resilience’ long-term healing and recovery services for individuals, families and whānau affected by family violence.

This follows an engagement process with family violence service providers where we heard the overwhelming demand for crisis services means that most MSD funding is used to provide short-term reactive support.

Many people affected by family violence present with entrenched intergenerational trauma that takes time to work through and heal.

The goal of Whānau Resilience is for whānau to establish or re-establish a life free from violence, and become resilient to the patterns of behaviour that can lead to violence.

There will likely be a range of providers and organisations, including kaupapa Māori-based services, who are using trauma-informed and holistic approaches that could provide effective Whānau Resilience services.

This investment will ask for a range of successful providers to work together across their regions to determine what the needs are, what is available, and to collaborate to design effective responses based on the voices and input from individuals, families and whānau.

We have recently held workshops across the country to provide information to providers and communities about what this new funding may mean for them.

Find out more about this work

Rich feedback from Youth Service review

“Help, understanding, support, listening, no judgement – and a skilled Youth Service coach.”

These are things young people tell us they value most from the Youth Service as we look at how we can improve the service, what’s working and what to change.

Through surveys and workshops, 900 young people, 32 Youth Service providers and stakeholders, and 29 MSD staff have given rich feedback.

“It’s inspiring to see such a genuine and positive desire to strengthen the service for young people,” says Mel Harrington, MSD’s National Manager for Youth Services.

“It’s six years since we launched the service, and we want to build on what we’ve achieved, supporting young people to engage in education, training and work-based learning, and gain life skills to contribute to the community.”

Themes from five regional workshops included lower case loads for youth coaches, broadening the life skills services on offer, building youth coaches’ skills, more focus on employment, measuring social wellbeing outcomes, simpler processes, incentivised funding and more.

Our survey of young people showed more than three-quarters felt their needs were met, but around one in five did not. When asked what would make their experience better, the resounding response was it came down to the calibre of the youth coach.

“Our young people need and expect us to listen, to be compassionate, supportive and understanding, not judge and provide sound advice about pathways and choices. They are at the head of the waka and we are one of many paddlers guiding and supporting them to reach their destination,” says Mel.

“A massive thanks to everyone who gave us feedback to help with this review. We’ll be using what we’ve learned to shape Youth Service going forward, as the service goes to tender in 2019,” says Mel.