Child, Youth and Family exists to serve the children, young people and their families of New Zealand , and in particular those children and young people who have offended or who have been abused or neglected. Child, Youth and Family deals with the most vulnerable and at risk children and young people in our society.

In care and protection, Child, Youth and Family aims to:

prevent the recurrence of child abuse, neglect, and insecurity of care (that is, keeping safe children who have already been harmed or neglected).

In youth justice, Child, Youth and Family aims to:

reduce the rate and severity of child and youth re-offending;
hold young people to account for offending.

Links to Disability Strategy

The New Zealand Disability Strategy (April 2001) is underpinned by a vision of a fully inclusive society, ensuring that disabled people have a meaningful partnership with Government, communities and support agencies, based on respect and equality. Child, Youth and Family contributes to the implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy in a number of ways.

Child, Youth and Family merges with the Ministry of Social Development on 1 July 2006 . The Ministry’s 2006/07 Statement of Intent incorporates a Child, Youth and Family Statement of Intent. This combined document recognises the importance of cross-sectoral strategies in reducing inequalities, and the Office of Disability (ODI) led work on developing and implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

As part of the Ministry, Child, Youth and Family will continue it’s commitment to working closely with ODI to achieve better outcomes for children, young people and families where disability impacts on care and protection needs, and staff where disability impacts on them.

Intent

Child, Youth and Family will continue to foster a commitment to disability issues throughout the organisation. Accordingly two main themes underpin the activities proposed in the 2006-2007 Disability Implementation Work Plan:

Improving services to disabled children, young people and their families
Creating a ‘disability-friendly’ workplace by promoting “participation, empowerment, transparency, accountability and non-discrimination”¹

These themes have emerged from consideration of the New Zealand Disability Strategy, the New Zealand Action Plan on Human Rights and the Report of the National Health Committee on Community Membership for Adults with an Intellectual Disability (To Have an Ordinary Life)² and the strategic initiatives contained within the 2005-2008 Statement of Intent.

Overview

A snapshot of key activities for the coming year is:

The development of an advocacy service for children and young people with disabilities involved with Child, Youth and Family
Ongoing development of improved delivery of mental health services to children and young people involved with Child, Youth and Family.
Development of services to support parents with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disability and those with mental health problems.
Increased intensity of training for front line staff on the needs of children and young people with disabilities.
Clarification of roles and responsibilities for funding and providing disability services for children and young people involved with Child, Youth and Family through improvements to the Memorandum of Understanding between Disability Support Services and Child, Youth and Family.
Improving the reliability and availability of data on disabled Child, Youth and Family clients to support policy, service development and front line practice.
Inclusion of a disability focus in standards and approval processes for contracted providers and caregivers.

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Level 1 Activities: Universal responsiveness to disability issues

Accessible government information		Achieved/available	Planned this year
Agency’s websites
	Meet e-government Web-Guidelines 2.1	Self-audit was to be conducted by April 2006 & reported to the SSC. This has been refocused for the 2006-2007 period	By 30 December 2006
	Tested for accessibility for disabled people	External assessment received
	Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people	Actions against recommendations commenced	Ongoing
	Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF	Word documents along with PDF currently in place	Exploring feasibility
Other publications and public information available in alternative formats.		Braille - 2005 Children's Day free action pack Videos – subtitles are increasingly used	Ongoing
Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (i.e. phone and fax numbers, email addresses, etc)		Free-phone, fax and email are in place. Staff visit make visits to clients.

Accessible government buildings and sites	Achieved/available	Planned this year	N/A
All agency’s buildings and sites meet statutory and regulatory access requirements (e.g. NZS 4121)	CYF Offices and Residences comply with statutory & regulatory access requirements. There are no statutory & regulatory access requirements relating to Family Homes. CYF assesses individuals access needs in-home and meets these.	Ongoing
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification	Building compliance requirements are met.	Ongoing/ planned with upgrades
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust	The Barrier Free New Zealand Trust Accessibility Audit Check Sheet has been obtained.	CYF have an internal audit & approval processes. Audit scheduled 06/07	N/A

Agency’s buildings and sites accessible	Achieved/available	Planned this year
Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness	Training package identified in 2005/2006	To be delivered in 06/07
Reception areas accessible	Achieved	Ongoing
Counters lowered for wheelchair users	Given the nature of CYF & security issues counters are not lowered in all areas. But wherever possible this is in place.	Ongoing
Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service³	In progress	CYF National Call Centre staff will receive information on this service in 06/07

Accessible government services	Achieved/available	Planned this year
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues (e.g. policies on the use of New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters)	CYF is currently reviewing operational policies and procedures. Inclusion of disability issues is occurring.	Ongoing
Information/data on services provided to disabled people is recorded	CYRAS⁴ records contain data on services provided to disabled people. A “snapshot” of CYRAS disability data undertaken in December 2005 will assist in identifying issues around capturing and accessing this data and what CYRAS development is needed. This is currently on the IT work plan and will take place by 30 June 2007. The Differential Response Model (DRM) assessment tool which is currently being trialled will elicit further information on needs and gaps for children and family members who have a disability.	Ongoing
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training	Training delivered in 2005/2006	To continue in 06/07
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users	IT systems e.g. computers & key boards are adapted for staff with disabilities.	To be included in IT Contract Documents by 30 June 2007

Responsive government employment practices		Achieved/available	Planned this year	N/A
Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people		An EEO Policy is in place and there is increasing inclusion of EEO issues for disabled people through out HR policies & procedures as they are reviewed.	Ongoing
Recruitment and selection of vacancies responsive to disabled people (e.g. vacancies advertised to the widest possible audience, vacancies list alternative forms of contact – phone, fax, email, etc)		Recruitment & Retention strategy reviewed in 05/06, includes responsiveness to disabled people	Implement 06/07
Human Resource staff familiar with EEO issues for disabled people (e.g. staff receive disability responsiveness training, staff familiar with the Disability Perspective Tool Kit⁵, etc)		The Disability Perspective Toolkit is accessible to staff via the Child, Youth and Family disability page on the intranet.	Training scheduled 06/07
Disabled staff are supported
	Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (e.g. work station assessments)	Assessment and support are provided.	Policy. Write & implement in 06/07
	Accommodations provided to disabled staff (e.g. work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided)	Yes.	Policy. Write & implement in 06/07
	Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement	Yes. The career development system incorporates individualised/personalised career development plans that consider the impact of issues such as disabilities. This development takes place within the CYF EEO framework.		N/A
	Agency supports a disabled staff network group		Networks policy to be developed in 06/07
	Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people	Yes – e.g. Awhi mai Awhi atu	Ongoing
	Other support provided to disabled staff (please list)	Specialist equipment and applications may be made available after assessment, e.g. special keyboards, modification to cars etc. Flexibility in work arrangements may be agreed e.g. Negotiated start times, release time for specialist & treatment attendance	Ongoing

Information and data on disabled people is collected		Achieved/available	Planned this year
Information on agency’s responsiveness to disabled staff people
	Number of disabled people employed	5.3% of permanent staff recorded having a disability. Note that 19% of staff chose not to respond to this question.	Ongoing
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency	An asset and CAPEX register is maintained	Ongoing
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’⁶.	Currently information on this is held at individual sites.	Information Will be collated nationally
Information on agency’s responsiveness to the disabled public
	Information and data on agency’s contact with the disabled public is recorded (e.g. consultation with disabled groups)	In conjunction with service delivery, this information is recorded in the individual case notes. Key stakeholder relationships are established with disabled groups and meetings are minuted.	Staff attend regular forums run by IHC. Disability stakeholder management is provided through the Northern Regional Director and the Manager, Care and Protection.
	Information / data on agency’s disabled client group recorded	An environmental scan of the existing data to capture client group was undertaken in 2005. Work on enhancements to electronic data collection has commenced & this will further assist Child, Youth and Family.	Ongoing

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Level 2 Activities: Disability perspective included in ordinay work

Disability responsiveness training and resources	Planned this year	N/A
Disability Awareness Training is to be provided for all Child, Youth and Family staff. In the current period this will entail site-based delivery of the Kia Rangatu training package. It has specifically designed sessions to assist participants to explore what disability responsiveness means for their given work context. Development of this will be completed by 30 June 2006. Roll-out will follow by 30 June 2007. A wider strategy for disability responsiveness is being developed for roll-out across Child, Youth and Family over the next two-three years and will integrate new initiatives from within the Child, Youth and Family Service Development Group and the Ministry of Social Development policy group.	Yes
Promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool Kit within your agency The Tool Kit is accessible to all Child, Youth and Family staff through the Child, Youth and Family intranet. In order to raise the profile of the Toolkit with staff in policy and service delivery areas a practice note/communiqué will be circulated that will identify where this resource is and the circumstances where it should be referred to and used.	Yes

Disability perspective included in ordinary work	Planned this year	N/A
Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective
Cabinet papers	Raising awareness of disability perspectives through promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool, now available on the Child, Youth and Family intranet as per implementation plan.
Policy and procedure papers	Raising awareness of disability perspectives through promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool, now available on the Child, Youth and Family intranet as per implementation plan.
Strategic documents (e.g. Statement of Intent, Managing for Outcomes and key strategies)	The 06/07 Statement of Intent refers to the Disability Strategy (2001). It also identifies a need to listen better to vulnerable children and young people such as those with disabilities and identifies a need to develop staff skills and capabilities to deliver high quality services to those with disabilities as per implementation plan.
Legislation	Is already incorporated in Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act, 1989.
Consultation with disabled people/groups	Key National Office staff will attend external disability issues fora throughout 06/07. For example, IHC Fora on children with disabilities.

Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency	Planned this year	N/A
Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues (e.g. staff / membership supports the inclusion of disabled people, compliance with level 1 activities is encouraged, your agency’s purchase agreements require compliance with the Disability Strategy, and where appropriate requires the provision of any data/information on disability issues/disabled clients)	N/A
Other (please indicate) Incorporation of a disability focus into the Standards for Approval for those organisations applying to be a Child and Family Support Service under s396 and s403 of the CYPF Act is ongoing. The Approval Standards are being reviewed and updated and it is intended that the new standards will include specific standards relevant to the needs of Children and young persons with disabilities. Incorporation of a disability focus into the Child, Youth and Family Caregiver Approval Policy and associated documentation/processes. The Policy and processes will include specific reference to disability particularly with regard to the vetting and approval of Caregivers, determining their level of need should they have a disability, and matching the needs of children with disabilities with caregiver skills and resources.	Yes

Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency

Planned this year

N/A

Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues (e.g. staff / membership supports the inclusion of disabled people, compliance with level 1 activities is encouraged, your agency’s purchase agreements require compliance with the Disability Strategy, and where appropriate requires the provision of any data/information on disability issues/disabled clients)

N/A

Other (please indicate)

Incorporation of a disability focus into the Standards for Approval for those organisations applying to be a Child and Family Support Service under s396 and s403 of the CYPF Act is ongoing. The Approval Standards are being reviewed and updated and it is intended that the new standards will include specific standards relevant to the needs of Children and young persons with disabilities.

Incorporation of a disability focus into the Child, Youth and Family Caregiver Approval Policy and associated documentation/processes. The Policy and processes will include specific reference to disability particularly with regard to the vetting and approval of Caregivers, determining their level of need should they have a disability, and matching the needs of children with disabilities with caregiver skills and resources.

Yes

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Level 3 Activities: key Disability focused work your agency is leading

This section provides space for you to set out your agency’s activities involving key disability-focused work. Please include in this section any activities your agency is planning for this year, to implement the New Zealand Sign Language Bill/Act, the “To Have an Ordinary Life” report, and/or the Human Rights Action Plan.

1. Improving Services to Disabled Children, Young People and Their Families

1.1 Knowing our disabled client population

Description

Increase capture and reliability of disability data by:

Ensuring accurate, retrievable and accessible data on the disabled client population and their families which support policy, service development and direct services to children, young people and their families.

Desired Outcome

Improved profile of Child, Youth and Family disabled clients in reporting summary data;
Informed decision-making about service needs of this client group;
Improved responsiveness, ensuring the right clients receive the right services in the right way.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Evaluation of the information available on children and young people with disabilities from new assessment tools being piloted through the Differential Response Model.
Changing CYRAS to improve data capture on clients with disabilities to improve accuracy and accessibility of data by 30 June 2007.
Specific consideration of disability data requirements in generic work on management and information system development.
Providing support for front line staff to improve data entry of information on children and young people with disabilities by 30 June 2007.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Links to NZ Disability Strategy

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Action 6.4);
Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (Actions 10.2, 10.3);
Objective 13: - Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (Action 13.1).

Links with the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights

2.5 - Rights of children in institutional care or detention (developing an integrated dataset to record the numbers, characteristics and experiences of children in institutional care);
2.9 - The rights of the family (undertake research on the experiences of families with dependent children, and families caring for older people or disabled people).

Links with ‘To have an ‘Ordinary’ Life

Item 18 (p. 47). The collection and coordination of demographic information about people with an intellectual disability be improved by all Government departments

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1.2 Advocacy for Child, Youth and Family Clients with Disability

Description

Providing an advocacy service for children and young people with disabilities who are involved with Child, Youth and Family through:

Disability Awareness Training is to be provided for all Child, Youth and Family staff .
Phased development of an advocacy service for children and young people with disabilities, beginning with clients involved with the s141 Family Group Conference process.

Desired Outcome

Children and young people with disabilities who are involved with the Child, Youth and Family have assistance to participate in processes where decisions are made that affect them, through the provision of an advocate.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Disability Awareness Training provided to all staff to improve staff awareness and responsiveness to issues of disability and client need by 30 June 2007.
Development of a Children’s Charter will include the right for advocacy for CYF clients.
A process for the provision of an advocacy service for children and young people with disabilities involved with Child, Youth and Family through the s141 Family Group Conference process will be in place by 30 June 2007 .

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6);
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Actions 6.2, 6.3, 6.4);
Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (Action 13.7);
Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (Actions 7.6, 7.9);
Objective 8: Support quality living in the community for disabled people, and in particular (Action 8.4).

Links with the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights

2.3 - Participation in decision-making (ensure that the child’s or young person’s voice is given due weight in court and tribunal proceedings that affect them).

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1.3 Supporting Parents with Disabilities

Description

This Blueprint Investment Strategy project will develop a service design for supporting parents with disabilities, in particular those with intellectual disabilities, who are in contact with Child, Youth and Family. This will involve:

Consideration of successful approaches to supporting parents with disabilities who are likely to be involved with child welfare services.
Development of a cross-sector service design to respond to the support needs of this group of parents. This includes a contextual statement, review of current legislation, principle and policies and guidelines for best practice.
Clarification of inter-agency roles and responsibilities

Desired Outcomes

Parents with disabilities have a support service to access which is specific to addressing their parenting needs
Parents with disabilities for whom support needs are primary, retain the care of their children
Parents with disabilities who no longer care for their children are supported to understand the processes and have meaningful involvement with their children.

Outcome measures and timeframes

A service design will be in place by 30 June 2007.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3);
Objective 15: Value families, whānau and people providing ongoing support (Actions 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.6);
Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (Action 13.5).

Links with the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights

2.9 – The rights of the family.

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2. Working Collaboratively Across Sectors

2.1 Improving Service Delivery between Child, Youth and Family and the Ministry of Health’s Disability Services Directorate (DSD).

Description

This Blueprint Investment Strategy project is a joint project between the DSD and Child, Youth and Family Services (it includes some input from the Ministry of Education) around clarifying roles and responsibilities for clients who may be involved with either service.

A report was commissioned to:

Review and analyse the policy and legislative frameworks to determine how they currently impact on service delivery to disabled children and their families.
Review the Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Health and Child, youth and Family
Provide recommendations for a revised Memorandum which clearly outlines each agency’s responsibilities and which promotes collaboration to better meet the needs of disabled children and their families.

Desired Outcome

Disabled children and young people and their families/whānau are well supported by services provided across Child, Youth and Family, Health and Education sectors.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The recommendations of the report will be discussed and agreed upon through negotiation and consultation between Child, Youth and Family and DSD.
Measures and timeframes will be monitored by the Child, Youth and Family and DSD intersectoral steering group.
Implementation Plan in place by 30 December 2006.
Completion of Memorandum of Understanding by 30 June 2007.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 2: Provide the best education for disabled people (Action 2.1);
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Action 6.4);
Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (Actions 7.6, 7.9);
Objective 8: Support quality living in the community for disabled people, and in particular (Action 8.4);
Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (Actions 10.2, 10.3);
Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (Action 13.5).

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2.2 Identification of service and funding responsibility for client population under 20 years

for purposes of the Intellectual Disability Compulsory Care (IDCC) Act.

Description

Clarifying services and responsibility for those young people charged with an offence but deemed “unfit to plead” or are not charged because of intellectual disability.

Desired Outcome

Intellectually disabled young people who offend and are not part of a judicial process are well supported by services provided across Child, Youth and Family and Health.

Outcome measures and timeframes

This is a joint project between Child, Youth and Family and the Ministry of Health involving analysis of the legislative and policy frameworks for children with disabilities, including:

Identification of the population at issue, both numbers and characteristics.
Undertaking further work on a best practice service model for young offenders with an intellectual disability by 30 June 2007.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3);
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Action 6.4);
Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (Actions 7.6, 7.9);
Objective 8: Support quality living in the community for disabled people (Action 8.4);
Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (Actions 10.2, 10.3).

Links with the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights

2.5 - Rights of children in institutional care or detention (developing an integrated dataset to record the numbers, characteristics and experiences of children in institutional care);
2.9 – The rights of the family (undertake research on the experiences of families with dependent children, and families caring for older people or disabled people).

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2.3 Provision of additional support to families with disabled children where there are care

and protection concerns and whose circumstances are fragile.

Description

A joint CCS/Child, Youth and Family pilot programme will be developed to improve support for parents of children who are struggling due to their child’s disability, to enable them to retain care wherever possible.

Desired Outcome

The focus of this work will provide facilitation for the family, work to develop a family, community and agency response to the issue so that where at all possible the child or young person can remain with their family.

Outcome measures and timeframes

A joint project between Child, Youth and Family Northern Region and CCS to pilot a process to provide additional support for families with disabled children whose circumstances are fragile.

The project will be located in the Counties Manukau Service Centre area and will focus on families where there are children or parents with disabilities who need help in accessing support services such as respite care and the provision of advocacy with other agencies. It will have commenced by June 2007 and will be supported by a evaluation process. The timeframe for the evaluation will be confirmed as the detailed project plan is developed.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3);
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Action 6.4);
Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (Actions 7.6, 7.9);
Objective 8: Support quality living in the community for disabled people (Action 8.4);
Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (Actions 10.2, 10.3).

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2.4 Improved Access to Mental Health Services

Description

This Blueprint Investment Strategy initiative will improve access to DHB funded and contracted mental health services for Child, Youth and Family clients, by developing and implementing joint action plans, in each of the 21 DHB areas.

Desired Outcomes

Better availability of mental health services to children and young people involved with Child, Youth and Family.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Joint action Plans will be developed by 30 June 2007.
Access improvements for CYF clients to mental health services provided by the 21 District Health Boards will be evaluated in the 07-08 year.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3);
Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (Action 13.5).

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2.5 Improving Services for Parents with Mental Health Problems

Description

This Blueprint Investment Strategy project will design services to support parents with mental health problems who have children and young people involved with Child Youth and Family.

Desired Outcome

Improving outcomes for children and young people through provision of mental health services to support their parents to enable them to retain care wherever possible.

Outcome Measures and Timeframes

To review current legislation, policies and guidelines and develop, recommendations for service designs / models suitable for supporting parents with mental health problems who are in contact with Child, Youth and Family by 30 June 2007.
To purchase pilot services within the 06/07 year.
To evaluate these services in the 07/08 year.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3);
Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (Action 13.5).

1. The New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights: Priorities for Action 2005-2010, p.6.
2. National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability (September 2003) To have an ‘Ordinary’ Life: Kia Whai Oranga ‘Noa’
3. For information on NZ Relay service
4. CYRAS (Care & Protection, Youth Justice, Residential and Adoption Service) is the CYF case management programme utilised by all frontline staff.
5. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website
6. Information on the State Service Commission’s Mainstream Programme

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