Communities are better able to support themselves

The Ministry works across the community sector to deliver services directly, or in partnership with others.

Social services better meet the needs of their communities

Community Response Fund

The Government introduced the Community Response Fund to assist non-government organisations to help our most vulnerable individuals and families through the global economic crisis.

During the year, we managed three funding rounds to support funding decisions by 12 regional panels and a national panel. As a result, $29.6 million was approved to social service providers, of which $29.4 million was paid out. An additional $5.7 million was paid out in 2010/2011, as a result of funding decisions made in 2009/2010.

Community Response Model

The Community Response Model is an extension of the Community Response Fund approach.

In 2010/2011, 14 regional Community Response Forums were established throughout New Zealand to review Ministry-funded programmes within their local communities. Forum members come from the community, government agencies and iwi. They are working with each other and their local government colleagues to identify the forms of support currently available in their communities, what works, and what each community needs.

The Community Response Model shifts the focus from central decision-making to community planning, and enables communities to have a say in the decisions that affect them.

High Trust contracts

We have adjusted our contracting processes to cut down the administration and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of trusted agencies with a history with us of high performance. As at 30 June 2011, we had 93 High Trust Contracts. We expect to have a further 120–150 High Trust Contracts in place by the end of the 2011/2012 year.

During 2010/2011, we also worked with 14 of our providers who are also designated Whänau Ora providers to simplify the make-up of their existing contracts with us and other agencies.

Alongside Te Puni Kökiri, the Ministry of Health and other agencies, we assessed 130 Whänau Ora business cases in 2010/2011.

Contract mapping

In 2010/2011, we have led the development of the Contract Mapping technology which allows the public to have better access to information on government funded social services on a regional basis. The technology overlays information onto Google Maps and makes it available through a website. In addition to our own, contract information from Te Puni Kökiri, and the Ministries of Education, Health and Justice has been available on the website since March 2011.

Communities have better access to social services

At a Community Link, people, families and communities can expect support tailored to their own personal needs and priorities. This includes intensive wraparound support if that is what is needed. At a Community Link, clients only need to tell their story once, not every time.

In 2010/2011 we had Community Link/Integrated Service Response in 50 sites. This constitutes a third of the Work and Income network. We focused on making the service more agile, and linking in integrated services where it suited the client, rather than bringing everyone to our site.

During 2010/2011, we strengthened connections to our education, health, justice and youth partners, to ensure they are part of the Integrated Service Response. This included making sure we had effective working relationships with local doctors, iwi social service providers, collections officers, principals, our own social workers in schools, and youth justice co-ordinators. At the end of the year, there were 833 agency partners either in a Community Link or working with the Community Links to deliver a joined-up service.

A further 30 sites will become Community Links by June 2012. We are also developing opportunities for other agencies to host Community Links, such as social services providers.

Integrated response means there is no ‘wrong door’ to get the support you need, and focuses on the root causes of problems, not just the symptoms.

At a Community Link, clients come away with a plan to get back on their feet with immediate practical solutions and longer-term support as required.

Community Link in Courts

In 2010/2011, we strengthened the Community Link in Courts initiative in the Porirua, Masterton and Auckland Family Courts. Community Link in Courts can be accessed by self-referral (Family Violence Court users) or judicial referral (Family Violence Court defendants who plead guilty). A total of 212 clients received services under this initiative during the year.

Evaluations of all three Community Link in Courts sites will be completed by December 2011. The evaluation findings will inform decisions about the future development of the service.

Heartland Service Centres

We have 35 Heartland Service Centres continuing to help people living in provincial and rural parts of New Zealand to access a range of government and community services. Five of these are co-located with a Community Link.

Settling In programme

The Refugee and Migrant Settling In programme helps refugees and migrants to establish themselves in New Zealand. Key achievements in 2010/2011 included:

• introducing the Settling In programme to Queenstown, Gore and Oamaru, which increased the total number of locations from 11 to 14
• supporting additional services in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch which have large and diverse refugee and migrant populations.

The Refugee and Migrant Settling In programme provides skills, knowledge and confidence to cope in a new country.

People with disabilities

In 2010/2011, the Ministry started to implement a three-year campaign to improve attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people. We are supporting community-driven social change through national strategic partnerships and the Making a Difference Fund.

In March 2011, New Zealand submitted its first report to the United Nations on our progress with implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A sector reference group was involved throughout the development of the report. We provided a range of opportunities for the public to provide feedback on the draft report.

The report, Disability Rights in Aotearoa New Zealand 2010: A report on the human rights of disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand, was published in December 2010. This presented findings from 100 interviews with disabled people around the country.

In the campaign’s first year, we focused on consultation, engagement, and preliminary research into people’s beliefs and attitudes to disabled people.

Structural changes in the sector

On 1 February 2011, the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector transferred from the Ministry to the Department of Internal Affairs. The transfer followed a review by the State Services Commission of the institutional and Vote arrangements for the Community and Voluntary Sector.

2010–2013 Statement of Intent Performance Indicators

Communities are better able to support themselves