Nearly 6000 children waiting for social workers

Almost 6000 New Zealand children are languishing on waiting lists as Child, Youth and Family Services battles a flood of new notifications after the Coral-Ellen Burrows murder.

The unallocated caseload had doubled since June, with 4600 cases waiting to be allocated to a social worker -- and a further 1000 children yet to have their cases entered into the computer system, The Press newspaper reported today.

A surge in notifications was triggered by the death of Coral-Ellen Burrows last year, with the agency's inability to cope sparking fears of another avoidable child death.

Acting general manager of social work Shannon Pakura said suspected abuse notifications had increased by 40 per cent in December and January.

"In my view, the increased waiting list is due to the publicity at the end of last year surrounding the Burrows case. That really placed a lot of pressure on the department, and there has been a particular surge in urgent and low-urgent notifications."

After a series of high-profile child abuse cases, the agency received a $120 million emergency cash injection in October -- including immediate money for 112 extra social workers and 28 other front-line staff.

Ms Pakura said most of those staff had been employed and would provide short-term relief, and work had already started on entering information from the 1000 cases into the computer system.

An interim demand strategy, which would find a way to deal with the increase, was almost complete. Part of the strategy included the possibility of administration support for social workers.

"We are taking the increase [in notifications] seriously. Treasury is certainly aware of it, but what we need to find out is whether or not all this information needs a response from CYF or whether community organisations can help."

Child, Youth and Family Minister Ruth Dyson said she was confident the department now had in place systems that would allow it to better manage increased numbers of notifications.

She said there had been a 40 per cent increase in notifications in the past three months.

This had put "huge" additional pressure on the department, "but this pressure must receive a response which deals with the additional notifications to my satisfaction".

Seventy additional social workers had been employed since the start of the year, she said.

Administrative assistants were being employed to free social workers to concentrate on their professional tasks, rather than paperwork.

"It is important that the public know that the term 'unallocated' does not mean that phone calls to Child, Youth and Family are being ignored.

"The cases are regularly monitored to ensure child safety, and I am confident that the actions now under way will give us this outcome."

National Party social services spokeswoman Katherine Rich said the figures were "absolutely and totally unacceptable".

- NZPA