Community Forums in October & November: Welfare Expert Advisory Group The Welfare Expert Advisory Group was established in May this year to advise the Government on options to ensure the welfare system is accessible and fair to all New Zealanders. To ensure people have an adequate income and standard of living, are treated with and…
Harriet Payne, Alzheimers NZ Every 3 seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. Here in New Zealand, 4 out of 5 Kiwis are affected by dementia. The impact of dementia on Kiwi families and whānau is growing each year, and affects people of all ages. Dementia is one New Zealand’s most significant and growing health…
MEDIA RELEASE: Tuesday 25th September 2018 NZCCSS welcomes the announcement today that Oranga Tamariki social workers have reached agreement on a pay equity settlement. “Recognition of the value of social work in supporting family, whānau and community wellbeing is long overdue. However, it is critical pay rates for NGO social workers are not left behind”,…
MEDIA RELEASE: Tuesday 18th September 2018 Social Security System Fit for the next 80 years – lift incomes and enable participation Eighty years after the introduction of the first comprehensive social security laws in New Zealand in 1938, our country is once again taking on the challenge of designing a welfare system that will meet…
A Decade Overdue: the need for regulation of property management in New Zealand Anglican Advocacy in Christchurch released this damning report on the antics of the property management industry on 28th August. Tenants and property owners shared their stories of how property managers have broken the law or failed to provide even the most basic…
media release Monday 27th august 2018 “Today is another step towards a more just and fair rental market, especially for the tens of thousands of people struggling with high rents and low incomes,” says New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) Policy Advisor Paul Barber. “We are delighted to see that the Government is…
Haumaru Housing Celebrates First Year of Operation Haumaru Housing is a partnership between Auckland Council and The Selwyn Foundation operating 62 villages across Auckland with more than 1400 units for older people. It is a not-for-profit NGO that retains all earnings to invest in the people and properties to the benefit of the local neighbourhoods….
Grainne Moss, the CEO of Oranga Tamariki, told groups at the national provider Focus on The Future Hui on 28th June that organisations contracted through the department will receive a 1.3% funding increase from 1 July 2018. This funding has been made available from Oranga Tamariki operational budget after no increases to NGO funding were…
Review of New Zealand’s consumer credit regulation The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is seeking feedback on proposals to strengthen the controls on high-cost credit (such as pay day lenders, truck shops). There are proposals covering five main areas and NZCCSS supports change for stronger regulation and control of lending in all of them….
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) welcomes the launch today of the Renters United Plan To Fix Renting. For many years NZCCSS and other community based have been calling for better rental laws. Our member social services report the desperate situations that many people on low incomes find themselves in. “NZCCSS members…
MEDIA RELEASE: Thursday 17 May 2018 “This Budget has not recognised the extremely dire situation that community social services are experiencing”, said Trevor McGlinchey, Executive Officer New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services. “While, we are pleased to see the initiatives which will begin to address the needs of those in our communities who are…
Disappointment that the Select Committee has not recommend changes in key areas of the Bill on scope of practice for social work was the first reaction from social workers’ organisations to the report on the Social Workers Registration Amendment Bill released on 19th April. Both the Association of Social Workers and the Public Service Association…
More good news for low income renters was the decision by Housing Minister Phil Twyford to pause all tenancy reviews for people living in public housing, which are Housing NZ or community housing where an income-related rent subsidy (IRRS) is paid. The introduction of tenancy reviews for almost all of those living in social housing…
Right Care, Right Time? The industry organisation for the aged care sector, NZACA, has described access to aged care as a “DHB lottery” based on the findings of a research report released in April. The report found older people in some DHBs had to wait six months or more longer for admission to rest home…
NZCCSS Submission on the Child Poverty Reduction Bill NZCCSS has given its support for the overall intent of the Bill which for the first time in this country’s history sets out a process for measuring and planning to reduce child poverty into legislation. Setting measures and targets in legislation to reduce child poverty is a…