Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
Question No. 2—Social Development and Employment
2. ANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What announcements has she made about the social sector in New Zealand?
Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Mālō ni, Mr Speaker. Today, the Government launched our Social Sector Commissioning Action Plan. The action plan represents a new chapter for more than 18,000 social service providers across Aotearoa New Zealand. Improving how Government commissions and works with social services was one of our key manifesto commitments. Our response to COVID-19 showed us how much we can achieve when Government works alongside providers to deliver outcomes for our people and communities. This action plan provides a pathway for how we can roll out this relational approach across the motu. This will fundamentally change the way we work with social services to better support them to help our communities.
Angie Warren-Clark: What change will New Zealanders in need see from the action plan?
Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: This action plan is part of our welfare overhaul programme and is one step towards modernising our welfare system so that social sector organisations can support New Zealanders to live with dignity. This means people will be provided with the support they need when they need it, without providers having to cut through unnecessary red tape along the way. Over time, this transformation will mean New Zealanders know where to go for assistance, and the support available to them is community-led. Their experiences will also help to inform further improvements to the delivery of social services that are responsive to their needs.
Angie Warren-Clark: How will the action plan change the way social service providers work with Government?
Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Our COVID-19 response made it clear how effective our social service providers can be with more certainty and flexibility to respond to the unique and diverse needs of those accessing their services. For our social services, these changes mean they can be more sustainable, less focused on paperwork and competition for funding, and more focused on supporting their communities. The approach has started, with more agencies receiving longer-term contracts, which provides them with the certainty to plan ahead. This is also a mammoth coordination task between Government organisations. Fifteen have been mandated to take this approach and work more effectively in collaboration with social services.
Angie Warren-Clark: How will the action plan support a Te Tiriti partnership?
Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Underpinning this action plan, and the starting point for transformation, is Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the need for us to recognise and give practical effect to Te Tiriti. Māori-Crown partnerships must be at the heart of effective commissioning. This action plan will support iwi, hapū, and whānau to create their own solutions. It will support equitable access, experiences, and outcomes for Māori who work in the sector and apply tikanga in a way that benefits the provision of support. Our social sector commissioning kaupapa is not just about improving Government practices; it’s also about strengthening the ties that bring together Government, the sector, iwi, Māori, and communities to support people in their whānau, including disabled people; people experiencing mental illness; Māori and Pacific peoples; and rainbow, rural, and ethnic communities.
