“When we begin to believe that there is greater joy in working with and for others, rather than just for ourselves, then our society will truly become a place of celebrations” Jean Vanier (1928 -2019), humanist, philosopher, theologian and advocate for humanity Welcome to the latest Policy Watch e-letter highlighting the latest news, research and…
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Community Housing Aotearoa, the Salvation Army, the Housing Foundation and Habitat for Humanity are working together on the KiwiBuy campaign to persuade the government to put more resources into shared ownership and progressive home ownership products that can help more kiwis own an affordable home. Using shared ownership and progressive home ownership models, community-based housing provides…
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Help shape the Action Plan for 2019-2023 The Government is hosting meetings across the country in July and August to discuss what priorities it should focus on for family carers for the new Carers’ Strategy Action Plan. For the first time issues such as paid family care will be on the table for the Carers’…
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Carer Support is not working and needs to be replaced as soon as possible with flexible budgets that people can use for what they, when need it. That is the main point from a report Respite in New Zealand: We Must Do Better, released in May by the Carers Alliance. Some 430,000 people in this…
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The close attention now being paid to the practice of uplifting children by Oranga Tamariki (OT) is welcome. The release of the Newsroom video “New Zealand’s Own Taken Generation” highlighting the lived reality of the removal of children by the State brought a greater clarity and understanding of this everyday practice to the attention of…
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Important for NZCCSS members to note! New information sharing provisions come into force 1 July 2019. Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Justice have released separate guidance on new information sharing provisions under the OrangaTamariki Act 1989 and the Family Violence Act 2019. The Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 [Sections 65A to 66Q] New provisions enable…
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The work of the Royal Commission is progressing. The approach to abuse that occurred in faith-based settings are now in the Terms of Reference and are set out below. In the care of faith-based institutions means where a faith-based institution assumed responsibility for the care of an individual, including faith-based schools, and— for the avoidance of…
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The contribution of the churches in social policy and social change is the focus of a research report published this year by the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at Otago University. The report Making a Difference: Faith-Based Organisations Contributing to Social Change in Aotearoa written by Dr Richard Davis, gives some insight into the…
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Section 7AA of Oranga Tamariki Act – NZCCSS Hui Report In May Auckland social services provider VisionWest was the venue for a hui for NZCCSS members and other interested community social service organisations on how best to work alongside Iwi/Māori and to understand Section 7AA of Child Youth and Family (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act due…
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During 2019 NZCCSS is marking 50 years since the organization was established. In February we began the year with a vigil at Wellington Anglican Cathedral of St Paul. Emily Menkes, our social media coordinator, has been interviewing some of the people who have helped shape the history of NZCCSS. This interview is with NZCCSS Council…
Continue Reading → Wellbeing Budget 2019: How transformative is it? “The Wellbeing Budget is about a new approach to tackling New Zealand’s long-term challenges. It’s about a joined up government focused on building capabilities of our future generations”. Minister for Finance, Hon Grant Robertson Ki te kahore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi – Without foresight or…
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MEDIA RELEASE: Thursday 30 May 2019 “We are encouraged by the 2019 Wellbeing Budget and see hopeful signs for the future if this beginning is more strongly built on in future Budgets”, said Trevor McGlinchey, Executive Officer, New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS). “The investment in our children, in addressing New Zealand’s mental…
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“Having enough income to meet our needs and being treated with respect and understanding is a basic human right. As a society we cannot afford to demean the human dignity of another” Community Social Worker Sr Margaret Martin from Wiri in South Auckland, and NZCCSS Council member. Welcome to the latest Policy Watch e-letter highlighting…
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MEDIA RELEASE: Friday 3rd May 2019 NZCCSS welcomes the release of the WEAG report Whakamana Tāngata: Restoring Dignity to Social Security in New Zealand. “It is wonderful to see that this report places the dignity and the mana of people at the centre of its recommendations,” says Ian Hutson, NZCCSS President. “This means providing hope…
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MEDIA RELEASE: Tuesday 16th April 2019 Now is the time to make the decision to increase fairness in our tax system and close the biggest gap caused by the lack of taxes on wealth in this country, says NZCCSS. That is why we are joining with the other supporters of Tax Justice Aotearoa to urge…
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