Address at the Waikato Regional Plan Launch, Wednesday 9 July, Hamilton, 10am

Mihi

Introduction

Good morning and thank you for the introduction Blair. A warm welcome to the mayors, everyone from the Ministry of Social Development, local and central government representatives, iwi representatives, business people, community leaders and health, social services and community providers.  It is my pleasure to launch the Ministry of Social Development’s Waikato Regional Plan for 2008/2009.  

Partnership

In the last 12 months, The Ministry of Social Development has worked in partnership with other government agencies, individuals and organisations to develop and implement a variety of initiatives to respond to important social issues in the Waikato. It’s been about helping to build strong and healthy communities for people who live in this region. 

The Integrated Service Response introduced last year is one example of how the Ministry is bringing together services at a local level to support some of our region’s most vulnerable families. The response has meant that we have been able to build closer relationships with these families and connect them with appropriate services at the time extra help is needed.

We all like to reflect on the positive success of the previous year, but it’s equally important to look forward to what more can be done and what else we can achieve.

Pathway to Partnership

This year the Waikato Regional Plan is supported by the government’s $446 million Pathway to Partnership Plan announced earlier this year by the Prime Minister.

This extra funding supports community-based organisations that provide essential family, child and youth focused services. These organisations know exactly what their community needs, where the gaps are, and what can keep families, children and young people safe, healthy and well.  They are often the first point of contact that vulnerable families turn to for help. 

Pathway to Partnership will be rolled out over the next four years and by addressing annual cost adjustment issues and moving towards 100 per cent funding, community services will be better supported to respond to the needs of their community.

Pathway to Partnership is about partnering the community in this work, and in doing so, it also supports the five key priorities laid out in the Waikato Regional Plan for 2008/2009.

The first priority in the Plan is to give children the best start in life – all children deserve to grow up in a safe and happy environment. One important initiative in the Plan that supports this priority is Family Start, a programme run in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Development. The Programme provides home-based support services for families with multiple needs. It is through this additional support and advocacy that we can help improve children’s health, education and social achievements in Hamilton, Hauraki, Waikato.

The second priority for the Plan is to help young people achieve their potential.  We know that building young people’s educational achievements and learning foundations provides them with the best opportunity to make sound choices for their futures. With this in mind, the Ministry of Social Development will work with the Ministry of Education through the Schools Plus initiative to ensure young people stay in school or participate in appropriate training until they reach 18. 

Young people

We also know that sometimes young people may venture down a different path. They may become involved in criminal activity, or because of their behaviour, be prevented from participating in mainstream schooling.  This Plan addresses the issue of youth offending, and focuses on ensuring all young people have access to the support and opportunities needed to turn their lives around.

Our third priority is to help people live independent lives, while recognising that paid work provides the foundation for wellbeing in New Zealand families. One way of addressing this priority is through the LNK2Work Programme. This focuses on improving support for people with mild to moderate mental illness as they work towards returning to employment.  Valuing our older people is another key focus under this priority.  A new service approach will be trialled in Hamilton to develop better and more integrated ways to provide services to older people. This will help them stay in their homes and continue to participate in their communities.

Families and strengthening communities

The Plan’s fourth priority is supporting families and Whanau to be safe and resilient.  Strong, resilient families that know how to look after themselves are vital to New Zealand’s economic, social and cultural wellbeing.  In partnership with other government agencies we plan to build upon the recently implemented Integrated Service Response Programme. 

The programme identifies families with multiple and complex needs, providing them with services that aim to reduce their level of risk and build on their strengths.   This year we’ll also implement the Differential Response Approach in all Child, Youth and Family sites across the region. This will increase responsiveness to vulnerable families, children and young people by working locally with NGO groups. 

The fifth priority is centred on strengthening communities. One way the Waikato region aims do this is by supporting new business enterprises with Enterprising Communities grants. These help non-profit organisations develop and grow community-owned businesses that generate assets and employment opportunities for people finding it hard to get work. 

Conclusion

Achieving the five priorities of the Waikato Regional Plan is going to take partnership – partnership across the Ministry of Social Development, partnership with other government organisations, and partnership with non-government organisations and voluntary and community-based organisations. Working together acknowledges the need for solutions that are not a ‘one size fits all’ approach, but specifically tailored for families and individuals. 

Last year saw some great successes in achieving the priorities of the Plan. This year, I look forward to see how these successes can be built upon. It has been a pleasure to join you here today.  Thank you