Social work grads offered $7000 to work for CYF

11.45am

Social work graduates are being offered a payment of $7000 to join Child, Youth and Family (CYF), along with a minimum starting salary of $35,000.

The inducement is part of CYF efforts to fight a backlog of thousands of unallocated cases, including those involving child abuse, and the growing demand for services.

The "support payment" for graduates is offered as either a $7000 gross payment against their student loans, or the same amount paid into the employee's superannuation fund.

CYF said today there had been a "steady increase" in the number of notifications of child abuse over the past three years.

"These have gone up from just over 28,000 (in the year to end of June 2002), to 33,102 (in the year to end of June 2003) and now to 43,314 (in the year to end of June 2004)," a statement said.

The 43,314 calls received in the year to June 30 was a rise of more than 30 per cent on the same period 12 months earlier.

Of those calls, 36,066 required further action by social workers.

"Critical cases", which require CYF to act within 24 hours, were up by more than 40 per cent, with 4306 notifications being classed at critical.

The Northern region, which includes Whangarei and the Far North, recorded the biggest rise in critical notifications.

CYF said the numbers could be due to a greater awareness of the agency's services, not simply a rise in abuse.

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

However, the number of unallocated cases had reduced.

"Since January of this year, CYF has been achieving some success in reducing the number of unallocated cases and the number has gone steadily down from 4600 in January to 4500 in April, 3800 in May and 3600 in June," the statement said.

Last year, a review of the department found it was under considerable fiscal and service pressure and it was given $120 million by the Government.

The CYF statement said 93 social workers had been recruited and a further 56 were due to start soon.

To be eligible for the $7000 support payment, new social workers need to have graduated with a degree or a minimum of a level 6 diploma in social work within the last 12 months.

They must also meet "performance expectations".

The social workers are entitled to three weeks' leave each year, plus an additional week if they participate in an after hours duty roster.

- NZPA