What we’re here to do
Manaaki tangata, Manaaki whānau.
We help New Zealanders to be safe, strong and independent.
He whakataukī
Unuhia te rito o te harakeke
Kei hea te kōmako e kō?
Whakatairangitia, rere ki uta, rere ki tai;
Ui mai ki ahau,
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
Māku e kī atu,
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
----
If you remove the central shoot of the flax bush
Where will the bellbird find rest?
Will it fly inland, fly out to sea, or fly aimlessly?
If you were to ask me, What is the most important thing in the world?
I will tell you,
It is people, it is people, it is people [2].
----
Northern kaumātua attribute this saying to a rangatira whose relatives married her off to secure peace but prevented her from having children. The saying is part lament, part warning. She begins by referring to the flax bush, something all New Zealanders are familiar with. Each flax bush (pā harakeke) consists of many sword-like blades growing in fans. New shoots (rito) emerge between the two centre blades in each fan. Māori identify each shoot as he tamaiti (a child) and the two blades between which it grows as ngā mātua (the parents). The flax bush is a favourite Māori metaphor not just for the parent-child family but for the larger family group, the whānau. Note that flax fans grow not singly but together in a clump; their roots are so intertwined that they stand or fall together. The rito is the growing point not only of the fan but of the whole bush. Weavers cutting flax always take the outer leaves of a fan, leaving the central three: to remove the rito is to destroy the whole fan. If the bush stops growing and fails to put out flower stalks, there will be no flowers full of nectar to attract the bellbird and give it cause to sing. Instead it will fly distractedly between land and sea, searching for somewhere to perch and feed. If the whānau ceases to produce and nurture children, it too will die. The saying concludes with the strongest possible affirmation of the value of people and thus of the whānau which produces and nurtures them.
Metge, J & Jones, S (1995). He Taonga Tuku Iho nō Ngā Tūpuna; Māori proverbial sayings – a literary treasure. New Zealand Studies 5(2), 3-7.
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is an organisation that first and foremost has people as the focus of everything it does. We work in every region of New Zealand and our people have connections to every community. Our work touches nearly all New Zealanders at some point in their lives.
We can’t predict or influence what happens during someone’s life, but we can support them and contribute positively to their wellbeing today and into the future. We provide services to the public and policy advice to the Government with the aim of supporting New Zealanders so they can be safe, strong and independent.
Most of the supports and services we provide improve outcomes for people, but not all of our services work for everyone. For example, some people have high barriers to entering employment or require different types of services from those we currently provide.
Regardless, in every situation we are driven by our purpose to help New Zealanders to be safe, strong and independent, and by a sense of manaakitanga (supporting, caring and looking out for others with the best of intentions). We aim to become a trusted and proactive organisation, by connecting clients to all the support and services that are right for them, and by improving the social and economic wellbeing of New Zealanders.
Manaaki tangata, manaaki whānau emphasises our commitment to all New Zealanders and highlights the importance of ensuring that the people, whānau and families that we serve (and their particular needs) remain the focus of this support; the essence of the work that we do.
We are responsible for administering New Zealand’s benefit system, supplying some services in relation to public housing, funding a range of social services, partnering with communities to address social issues, and providing policy advice to the Government.
We provided services to the following Ministers in 2017/2018:
- in the previous Government (up to October 2017): the Ministers for Social Development, Social Housing, Social Investment, Disability Issues, Revenue, Veterans’ Affairs, Seniors and Youth
- in the present Government (from October 2017): the Ministers for Social Development, Housing and Urban Development, Disability Issues, Revenue, Veterans, Seniors, Youth and Employment, and the Associate Ministers for Social Development and Housing and Urban Development.
In 2017/2018 we oversaw the expenditure of over $25 billion of public money and provided services and assistance to more than a million New Zealanders. Our clients included youth, whānau/families, working-age people, students, disabled people, seniors and communities.
In addition to these core functions, we also:
- monitored four Crown entities: the Office of the Children’s Commissioner [3], the Families Commission (operating as Superu) [4], the New Zealand Artificial Limb Service [5], and the Social Workers Registration Board [6]
- supported three statutory tribunals and advisory committees: the Social Security Appeal Authority [7], the Student Allowance Appeal Authority [8], and the Social Workers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal [9]
- advocated for key population groups through the Office for Seniors [10], the Office for Disability Issues [11] and the Ministry of Youth Development [12]
- resolved claims of abuse and neglect for people who were under the supervision, or in the care, custody or guardianship, of the State, or who had come to the notice of the State, before 2008 [13]
- administered many key pieces of legislation [14] that provide the framework to support the decisions we make and to ensure a fair system for all New Zealanders [15]
- provided leadership across government by: chairing the Chief Executives’ Group on Disability Issue
- co-leading two workstreams under the Child Wellbeing Strategy
- contributing as a member of the Social Wellbeing Board [16], the Vulnerable Children’s Board, the Digital Government Leadership Group, the Government Health and Safety Lead, and the Multi-Agency Team on Family Violence Prevention
- hosting the cross-agency secretariat supporting the Welfare Expert Advisory Group
- developing place-based initiatives, including leading development in the Tairāwhiti region
- accrediting social service providers that are contracted by Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children (Oranga Tamariki), the Ministry of Justice, and the Department of Corrections
- worked with Māori [17] to: reset and co-ordinate the Te Hiku Social Development and Wellbeing Accord
- support the Tūhoe Service Management Plan
- explore new partnership opportunities with iwi/hapū to be developed as part of Treaty settlements
- support the E Tū Whānau initiative – a Māori/Crown partnership to prevent and address issues of violence within whānau
- establish and support a Māori Reference Group to provide input into policies and practice impacting on Māori.
Footnotes
[2] We would like to acknowledge Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri Trust for their permission to use this whakataukī.
[3] The Office of the Children’s Commissioner independently monitors and assesses services provided by Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, and advocates for the interests, rights and wellbeing of children and young people. This independent monitoring function is currently under review.
[4] The Families Commission (Superu) was disestablished from 30 June 2018 by the Families Commission Act Repeal Act 2018.
[5] The Service provides individualised services to rehabilitate amputees.
[6] The Board manages the registration of social workers, including overseeing the social work registrations framework.
[7] The Authority hears appeals against decisions on income support entitlements made by MSD that have been confirmed or varied by a local Benefits Review Committee.
[8] The Authority hears appeals against decisions made by MSD relating to Student Allowances, and consists of a single member appointed by the Minister for Social Development.
[9] The Tribunal administers the complaints process concerning registered social workers established by the Social Workers Registration Act 2003, and exercises the disciplinary powers over registered social workers specified by the Act.
[10] The Office for Seniors supports the rights and interests of older people, ensuring they can age positively and are highly valued and recognised as an integral part of communities.
[11] The Office for Disability Issues is the focal point within government on disability issues. It supports the implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and advocates for a more accessible and inclusive New Zealand.
[12] The Ministry of Youth Development provides and maximises opportunities for the positive engagement and contribution of young people, including funding youth development opportunities designed to develop their personal, social and decision-making skills.
[13] More information can be found at https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/contact-us/complaints/
[14] A full list of this legislation can be found at http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/about-msd/legislation. In addition, we operate under a range of public sector legislation such as the Official Information Act 1982, the State Sector Act 1988, the Public Finance Act 1989, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, the Privacy Act 1993, and the Crown Entities Act 2004.
[15] The key statute that we administer is the Social Security Act 1964. Legislation is currently before the House to update and modernise this legislation and the Social Welfare (Reciprocity Agreements, and New Zealand Artificial Limb Service) Act 1990, and we expect it to be passed into law during the coming year.
[16] Previously the Social Investment Board.
[17] Our commitment to fulfilling our relationship with Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi means we aim to deliver our services with fairness and equity. The Treaty’s principles of partnership, protection and participation underpin our work and aspirations to enable positive outcomes for everyone.
