Posts by Marc C
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Access: Just think of the children, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
WINZ have enough to sort out in their own backyard, or say, the head office and the Ministry I suggest. You may find this of interest:
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39670
As had already been suspected long ago, the "trials" for Mental Health Employment Services", and apparently even for "Sole Parent Employment Services" appear to have been an abysmal failure, according to Carmel Sepuloni, who got an OIA response on 04 September, which she used to ask some hard questions to the Associate Minister for Social Security yesterday.
All this was already becoming somewhat evident, when an earlier OIA request was responded to by MSD earlier this year. See details here:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services-msd-withholds-o-i-a-information-that-may-prove-their-trials-a-failure/So given other recent OIA responses, and also the fact, that NO real EVIDENCE was presented by MSD on supposed "medical scientific research" that is claimed to prove the "health benefits" of paid work in open employment, and also the harm to health of "worklessness", we can assume that the whole welfare reform agenda is falling to pieces:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/The MSM is stubbornly ignoring such news, as the flag debate, the Rugby World Cup and other stuff seem much more important, while they also offer your grand leader John Key a great opportunity to present himself in that so loved spotlight again. I am sure he will be off to London soon.
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Sigh, the “gutter” is a bottomless pit, I fear. There will be no hope with that kind of trend within the NZ media, and no hope for the too easily "formative" minds of too many in future. New Zealand will be “lost”, unless this is stopped, right now!
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Yes, the refugee quota could and should be doubled, right now, and the Prime Minister, himself a son of a refugee from NAZI persecution and discrimination, is an utter hypocrite for dragging his feet.
But as others have already commented, the majority, mostly "silent", who have now voted in National three times into government, they simply do not care, except for their own self and perhaps direct family and friends.
They have also not cared about the misery many living off benefits face day in and out, as prejudice has been spread and fed for so many years. Beneficiaries were at least a few years back the most discriminated lot in this country, that was even before "Asians". I suspect now it is Muslims, as people have seen so much horror news about IS and other terror in Syria and Iraq.
We only need to look at the polls to get an idea for which political lines are favoured by that "silent majority". New Zealand has nothing much to be proud of, but they will in large numbers be again, for their All Blacks, and little else will matter over coming weeks. The government was swift with extending opening hours for bars and clubs for the Rugby World Cup, that shows their priority.
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Access: Just think of the children, in reply to andin,
I was only drawing conclusions on the drama I see unfolding, so I was not at all supporting the drive to undermine or even abolish social security or the Act. I am informed the SSA is being "rewritten" at present, by this government, and you may guess what that may mean.
The state of affairs on this planet gives me NO pleasure, rest assured.
I would rather have a robust social security system, protected from the kind of attacks and dismantling I face under this crap government, but sadly, the opposition does not give me much reason to be cheerful either, as they commit to nothing substantial, really.
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Speaker: Are we seeing the end of MSM,…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
That must mean then, we are finally going to get "the truth" presented to us, after science has been "misleading" us for so many years.
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This is all good and important stuff to think about, but the challenge for social security in New Zealand, same as in other developed countries, is largely how to deal with the consequences of globalisation. When the SSA was introduced the world was a radically different place. States were more “nation states” of various forms, where outside influences, and changes due to trade and flows of migration were not having such significant and the same effects as we experience today.
New Zealand has over recent times had high levels of inward and outward migration, and people do in ever increasing numbers not necessarily commit to live in one country for their whole lives. This means that more people like to have “flexible” arrangements, and like to look after their own affairs, like for instance take benefits and savings with them, should they choose to move on and out of New Zealand.
Employment has changed, so few stay in jobs for years, or even most their lives, again flexibility is common, some only ever work in marginal employment. Some earn well others not so, and while there is some movement between social status and income ranges, there can be abrupt changes in an increasingly unstable working environment, where job loss is nothing that unusual for a significant part of the population.
Trade is international more so than ever before, and fluctuations in for instance commodity prices, see dairy produce, can have huge impacts on the economy of New Zealand. High immigration movements create pressures on availability and affordability of housing, and many other aspects are representing us a present reality totally different to the 1930s.
http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports.aspx
So many people have also a rather different view when it comes to social security, to health care and what else ties in. The increasing instability and uncertainties that people face make them on one hand more dependent on social welfare and health care support, but for those that have “assets” like savings, some wealth, and above all skills and qualifications that can offer them better opportunities in many other places, they want less dependence on rigid systems, so their loyalties to tax payer funded systems is vanishing. Hence governments look at social security and so a bit more differently, and see justification to bring in more “flexibility” and more “efficiencies”, topics that have been frequently discussed here.
What it means is, that social security policy and delivery is changing, likely to be changed more, and the systems that were once in place are being replaced by others, that may not be what some expect and wish for. When loyalties to systems break up, e.g. by people opting out, wanting more “self dependence” and less tax burden, as their personal circumstances may allow them, this has a major consequence for the system as a whole, and particularly for those most in need of them.
So I fear, we are facing immense and serious challenges for the future, solidarity is something less found and less evident in today’s society, and with that, the state is in between a rock and a hard place, when it comes to delivering services. Hence as one end consequence increasing attempts to outsource and somehow privatise social and health services, to save costs and deliver more stream lined services.
The above also considers that many new migrants may come from places with little in the way of social security systems as the ones that still exist in New Zealand, and thus have less ability or even willingness to “identify” with such. I fear we are at risk of losing the social focus, based on a collective focus, due to all these developments and trends. Everything is becoming a commodity, that will be tested for the value and worth to people needing it.
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An interesting topic and discussion, and there is more to consider, I think. I listened to this before lunchtime today, which adds more to consider:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201769761/media-commentator,-gavin-ellisApple, Google and Facebook taking over roles that have so far been occupied by the MSM, that is stuff to worry about, as Gavin Ellis rightfully commented on.
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Speaker: SIBs: The reality of…, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
Fostering First in Germany has closed down, it says, when clicking the link for it on ‘keyassets’ website (under ‘Global foster care through Core Assets’):
http://www.ffd.de/I wonder what reason was behind that. Visitors to that site in Germany are told to go to the state foster care agency.
As for some above commenting positively on ‘Workwise’ and ‘the Wise Group’, I have witnessed first hand, how a mental health sufferer I know did not get much support from one of their staff. The person was very disappointed, and did not achieve what she hoped for. I would not generalise, but what I have read and heard, it means the Wise Group is very keen on more contracts with government, and keen to grow.
They lean heavily on the known “fit for work” experts that rely on UK research and “evidence”, and at least some of that research is rather “dodgy” as I have found, actually reading it.
Constructive help should be encouraged, but when it ends up in a fee structured referral system, such as what MSD seem to be using in their “trials”, then there will always be a delicate actuarial balancing act necessary, to earn enough to cover costs, and thus make the services economically feasible. So “output” is required at certain levels, and it does not matter whether we have Serco like “service providers”, or trusts or NGO charities doing the job, they will all have to get persons put through in high enough numbers, to present expected results. This will inevitably lead to cutting corners, to in some cases put the client’s interests second, when cost pressures build up, that may be risking the whole operation.
Even ‘Workwise’ , ‘Pathways’ and ‘Te Pou’, all part of the “Wise Family”, need to at least break even. So where are greater “efficiencies” achieved? As all face the same competitive environment, it is likely to be in employing staff who are paid less than any state services, plus perhaps more “efficient”, streamlined systems they use.
http://www.wisegroup.co.nz/As for the “evidence” that MSD love to go on about, I suggest to interested persons to actually read the various reports that they refer to, which do not deliver all the evidence that is so often talked about. Here is an interesting analysis, also using OIA info:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/But that does not only look at the challenges disabled face, it is this ideological discussion about “worklessness”, that they love going on about, less vocally now, though, it seems. I wonder why?
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Min. of Health, Dep. Dir.-Gen., OIA rqst, social bonds, transfered fr. MSD, reply, 25.08.15.pdf
So far progress seems slow with the much hailed "social impact bonds", as a recently obtained OIA response shows (from a trusted source).
This is what the Ministry's website has for informatin:
http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/social-bonds-new-zealand-pilot/social-bonds-progress-dateThey are moving slowly but determinedly, it seems.
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Min. of Health, Dep. Dir.-Gen., OIA rqst, social bonds, transfered fr. MSD, reply, 25.08.15.pdf
Return based outcomes, and the discussion about social bonds, perhaps some may be interested in this recent OIA response from the MoH (transferred to them by MSD). It has been obtained from a trusted source. We thought they may have gone ahead further.
So they are still in the procurement and preparation phase it seems:
http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/social-bonds-new-zealand-pilot/social-bonds-progress-date