Justice

If we spent as much…NZCCSS release

By Ant / 31 July 2007

NZCCSS made a press release today (below). In essence, they are concerned about the low levels of spend on social services providers to address serious and increasing levels of need. So here’s the question I’d like to pose:

If the (any) government diverted more of its resources into front line support/services, and less into research which told us, with seemingly increasing levels of particularity, of the social ills with which we suffer, and which front line services know of first hand, would our country be a better place, or would political decision making be significantly harmed as a result? Where is the balance to be found? A third question, directly relating to NZCCSSs release – do we believe in a ‘hand up’? It’s good contemporary politik-speak, but where’s the basis for that, biblically, in the Kingdom? And how, exactly, is it sustainable? Sooner or later, a hand up will mean a step down for another – and I think the sooner, the better.

NZCCSS Release:

“Christian social service providers have answers to the symptoms of persistent
poverty such as bad housing, violence, abuse, alcoholism, and poor educational
outcomes, but they need support for their work. The poorest New Zealanders have
remained at the bottom of the pile since 1982″, says New Zealand Council of
Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) President Ross Kendrew. “There are answers
and there is hope, our member agencies know a great deal about what works and
makes a difference, but they need support for their work. We urge the government
to work with social service providers to ensure they have the capacity to address
these immediate, pressing needs”
The recently released Ministry of Social Development report “Household incomes
in New Zealand; trends in indicators of inequality and hardship 1982 to 2004” has
demonstrated that the poorest New Zealanders have remained at the bottom of
the pile with no improvements since 1982. Poverty and associated problems of
one generation are being experienced by the next.

Intergenerational poverty has resulted in families with increasingly needs and
multiple issues. This has created mounting pressure on community based social
services throughout the country. “We are receiving many reports from member
agencies of huge pressure on existing social services. Waiting lists are common
and our members are struggling to meet families’ needs”, says Trevor
McGlinchey, Executive Officer NZCCSS.

While the Government has resourced a number of targeted programmes these are
not the answer. Funding for frontline social services that respond flexibly to the
needs of families has remained static for many years. “Inflation and rising wage
costs mean social service agencies are struggling to reach out to those most in
need. Immediate action is required to support social service agencies to support
families”, comments Ross Kendrew.

NZCCSS members see the widening gap between rich and poor and experienced
how this erodes family/whanau & community resources to sustain and support
families under pressure. Vaughan Milner, convener of the NZCCSS Child and
Family Policy Group, says “While there is no doubt poverty drives a person to
seek our help, it is usually poverty combined with the loss or lack of other
support that creates the need for preventive services from our agencies”.

“The poorest in our community have paid the price for the increasing prosperity of
the richer class of New Zealanders”, states Trevor McGlinchey. “In our egalitarian
and caring society we must ensure that social service providers are equipped to
provide the hand-up that people in poverty need – not at some time in another
year or two, but right now”.