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| Paengawhāwhā | April Our monthly newsletter serves as a platform to connect the mahi of our team with insights from our policy groups, wider membership, and sector relationships. Through this lens, we aim to highlight how these combined efforts shape policy and influence decision-making.Each issue is structured around our four primary focus areas: Tō Tātou Rāngai | Our Sector Ōritetanga me te whakaurunga | Equity & Inclusion Kaumātua | Older People Tamariki | Children In the Kaumātua, Tamariki, and Ōritetanga me te whakaurunga sections, updates will align with the following themes: Threads in Action: Current Highlights. Key updates on impactful initiatives and accomplishments relevant to our members and sector. Weaving New Patterns: What Lies Ahead. A preview of upcoming projects and areas for potential engagement. Interwoven Impacts: Reflecting on Influence. Insight into how past work has contributed to broader sector outcomes. As always, we welcome your feedback and thank you for your continued commitment to this work. The team at NZCCSS wishes to acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis. Pope Francis served for 12 years and made history as the first Latin American Pope. Pope Francis will leave a legacy of progressive leadership and unity. In a world that feels increasingly more divisive, he showed the value of listening and openness, and of coming together for the common good. He was a champion for those facing hardship, establishing the ‘Year of Mercy’ and opening up a Vatican Palazzo for those without homes. In his final Easter message Pope Francis emphasized an urgency for peace across multiple conflicts and atrocities happening the world. As we head into ANZAC Day his words continue to ring true: “On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas! For all of us are children of God! I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible!” Wishing you all a peaceful and reflective ANZAC day.  Working in the Spirit of the Easter Message In the spirit of Pope Francis’s message of working together for the common good, this month NZCCSS has been continuing to build connections with other organisations and represent our membership with key decision makers. NZCCSS CEO Alicia Sudden has been engaging with key leadership across the public service including the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Oranga Tamariki and the Social Investment Agency. These have been valuable opportunities to raise issues from our membership, hear updates on key government work programmes and ensure the valuable experience of the community sector is considered at the decision-making table. Alicia also attended the Beehive to Business event to hear the Hon. Louise Upston’s vision for welfare and supporting people into employment. Minister Upston emphasized supporting the aspirations of people and her focus on working with business and community to improve employment outcomes.  NZCCSS is continuing to support the kaupapa of other organisations that align with our values and mission. One example includes the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) who recently launched Reimagining Aotearoa Together. This is a series of policies based on feedback from workers about a longer term prosperous vision for New Zealand. You can read more about this here: https://www.reimagineaotearoa.nz/ Senior Analyst Rachel Mackay also attended the Aotearoa Homelessness Summit held in Tauranga this month. The one day event was packed with insight, perspective, and experience from individuals and organisations acting to combat homelessness across the country. Many of our member organisations were present, including Lieut-Colonel Ian Hutson of the Salvation Army who spoke on a panel about maintaining hope when the work feels hopeless. Our work as part of the Tenancy Advocates’ Network and our commitment to equity for all often brings housing insecurity and homelessness to the fore in our work. Engaging with those who are working tirelessly to improve the lives of the people behind the statistics was valuable and rewarding. You can subscribe to receive the overview of the day from organisers here.  Launching the NZCCSS Guide to Government With Budget 2025 is just around the corner, we want you to have the resources you need to understand how government works and where the opportunities are to have a voice for a just and compassionate Aotearoa New Zealand. Today we are releasing our Guide to Government, short introductions to key topics. Our guides cover: Writing a submission the Makeup of Government the Parliamentary Financial Cycle How a Bill becomes Law Writing a Petition Long-Term Insights Briefings. Please find these resources here and share them with others who would find them useful. Threads in Action: Our Work Recent submissions relating to Equity and Inclusion: NZCCSS welcomed additional transparency requirements in the Procurement Rules but raised concerns about how it could influence social sector commissioning and opposed the removal of Living Wage requirements NZCCSS opposed the proposal to tax income intended for charitable purposes as it will reduce resources for supporting vulnerable New Zealanders. Weaving New Patterns: Budget 2025 We are looking forward to the release of the Government’s Budget 2025 on 22 May. The Budget is where the Government sets out each year how it will spend its money. Early indications in the 2025 Budget Policy Statement are that funding for any cost pressures or new initiatives will need to be found within existing baselines, this may lead to further programme cuts. However, implementing a social investment approach has also been highlighted as a Government priority. NZCCSS will be sharing our analysis of what Budget 2025 means for people and whānau and the organisations that support them. Interwoven Impacts: Treaty Principles Bill struck down We are delighted that the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill was rejected by Parliament. We, alongside many other Tangata Tiriti organisations, strongly opposed this legislation. Learn more here.  Threads in Action: Health Infrastructure Plan The Government has released its new Health Infrastructure Plan, detailing the investments to be made into upgrading and expanding the buildings that our healthcare system rely upon. We note with frustration that once again there is no mention of residential aged care in this plan. The issue of bed blocking in our major hospitals is well documented and damaging to the system as a whole, with older people being unable to access suitable residential care due to bed shortages. Failing to use the Health Infrastructure Plan to commit to the building of the 12,000 beds needed to meet demand by 2032 demonstrates once again that there is no prioritisation for the needs of older people in our healthcare system, nor an understanding of how appropriately catering to older people will impact the availability of healthcare for the rest of the population. Weaving New Patterns: Retirement Commission opens consultation in Retirement Income Policy The Retirement Commission has opened submissions for the 2025 review of Retirement Income Policies. The Terms of Reference for this review draw focus to the topics of KiwiSaver, emerging trends in ageing and income, the experiences of women in retirement, and comparison to global trends and policies. Submissions close on June 30, 2025, and we encourage anyone with comments to make to ensure that they do so. If you have any particular points you think should be emphasised in the NZCCSS submission, please be in touch with Senior Analyst Rachel Mackay on [email protected]  Threads in Action: Child Poverty Reports Released Over the past month two reports have been produced relating to child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand: Effectiveness of arrangements for reducing child poverty from the Office of the Auditor General This report examines the effectiveness of the governance and management arrangements that exist to support the government’s efforts to reduce child poverty. The report primarily focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Ministry of Social Development, the Treasury, and Statistics New Zealand in relation to the Children’s Act 2014 and the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018. This report identifies that while measuring and reporting on child poverty is done well, there is a need to strengthen: planning in relation to the implementation of initiatives to reduce child poverty efforts to reduce disparities in the rates of child poverty public understanding of child poverty Annual Report on The Child and Youth Strategy/ the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy and the Child Poverty Related Indicators from the Ministry of Social Development This is the first annual report on the refreshed Child and Youth Strategy launched in 2024 and establishes baseline reporting on the 13 Strategy indicators. While the report identifies some improvements seen in improved rates of school attendance, reduced rates of child and youth offending, increased access to maternity care and greater prevention of child abuse, progress across other strategic indicators has remained static or worsened. It is evident that greater efforts are needed to ensure that all children experience the strategy vision of New Zealand as the best place in the world for children and young people. Child Poverty Reporting & Budget 2025 As Budget 2025 approaches we also await Treasury’s Budget Child Poverty which reflects on any progress made in reducing child poverty over the previous year and any effect the 2025 Budget is expected to have on reducing child poverty. You can view last year’s Budget Child Poverty report here. Weaving New Patterns: Oranga Tamariki seeks feedback on the future of their work Oranga Tamariki’s Draft Long-Term Insights Briefing (LTIB) is now open for consultation. The topic of the LTIB is: How can we better prevent, respond to, and enable healing from, child maltreatment between now and 2040? There are three aspects to the LTIB: Oranga Tamariki has provided some potential options of how we can better prevent, respond to, and enable healing from, child maltreatment between now and 2040. Consultation questions 1-3 seek feedback on these options. (see pages 7-12 of the consultation document) Oranga Tamariki has identified some trends that create opportunities and challenges for the prevention of, response to, and healing from, child maltreatment. Consultation question 4 seeks feedback on these trends. (see pages 13-20 of the consultation document) Oranga Tamariki has identified four possible scenarios based on two drivers of child maltreatment: socio-economic disparity and social cohesion. Consultation questions 5-7 seek feedback on these scenarios. (see pages 23-25 of the consultation document). We invite any feedback on this LTIB and encourage you to also make a submission to share any insights from your mahi with Oranga Tamariki. Read the consultation document. Please direct any feedback you would like to share with NZCCSS to Senior Policy Analyst Melanie Wilson at [email protected] Interwoven Impacts: Sector Colleagues Over the past month we have engaged with several organisations in relation to our report Te Kōrero mō ngā Tamariki – exploring the context of middle childhood in Aotearoa. STOP One organisation is STOP/He Hapori Wātea Taitōkai. Based in Otautahi Christchurch, STOP provides whānau-centred support and therapy to Adults, Adolescents and Children who have engaged in, or are demonstrating, concerning or harmful sexual behaviour. STOP’s Resource Library provides a variety of tools to help adults respond effectively to sexualised behaviour among children and youth, and enable conversations about safe touch, personal space, consent and healthy boundaries. Their resource library includes information about developmentally age-appropriate sexualised behaviour across the stages of early and middle childhood and youth. Find out more at: https://www.stop.org.nz/ Works of love directed to one’s neighbor are the most perfect external manifestation of the interior grace of the Spirit. Pope Francis in his Evangelii Gaudium (2013) |
24 April, 2025
Te Raranga Kaupapa Here – Paengawhāwhā
The April edition of our Weaving Policy newsletter
Budget 2024 Social Services Analysis
We closely review Budget 2024, aiming to find the small line items that matter to our sector.
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Nine to Noon Radio Interview: Oranga Tamariki funding for charities in doubt
Our EO Nikki Hurst expresses deep concern over Oranga Tamariki’s uncertain funding and its impact on services.
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Seeking full manifestos from all parties
NZCCSS calls for voters to be able to make an informed choice by parties releasing full manifestos before polls open.
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