Girls 'might still be alive today' if CYF followed procedure

By RUTH BERRY political reporter

Saliel Aplin and Olympia Jetson might still be alive today if CYF staff had followed the department's policies and procedures, the Government admitted yesterday.

An urgent debate into the two reports on the death of the half-sisters was held in Parliament yesterday, and Opposition MPs said the Government had to take responsibility for the public's loss of confidence in the department.

The reports come on top of a highly critical baseline review of the department, the announcement of the resignation of chief executive Jackie Pivac and concerns over CYF's failure to properly handle a call from the father of Coral Burrows.

National MP Katherine Rich said the Government had learned nothing from previous reports, including the former Children's Commissioner's report into the death of James Whakaruru and the report of Judge Mick Brown.

"The names of the murdered children have changed, but the same issue remains.

"After four years under this Government, New Zealanders do not have a child protection agency they can rely on."

Mrs Rich said she did not blame CYF for the girls' deaths, but it had to be held accountable for some of the "appalling errors of judgment" by its staff.

Social Development Minister Steve Maharey, standing in for CYF Minister Ruth Dyson, who had a "previous engagement" in Invercargill, said the reports showed that appropriate policies and procedures such as the Risk Estimation Tool and Serious Abuse Team protocol were not followed.

This was totally unacceptable and the Government was not hiding this, he said.

There was a good possibility that had the policies and procedures been followed, "these young girls may well have still been alive".

"That's the tragedy these reports tell us about."

The CYF supervisor and social worker responsible for the mistakes were no longer working there and only they could explain why they did what they did.

Mr Maharey said the Government had called for the CYF reports because it wanted to identify and fix the problems in the department.

It had inherited a department that had been restructured seven times in nine years by the National Government.

"Our best defence is to say that this is a tragedy; that we have been working to rebuild this department for the last four years."

Ms Dyson said outside the House that CYF's response to the baseline review would improve the quality of service and provide more support and resources for social workers.

Immediate priorities were to employ more frontline social work staff, develop a strategy for managing demand, and give greater support for regional delivery of services, she said.

MPs across the House expressed concerns about the failure of the different Government agencies dealing with the girls' family to put the pieces of the jigsaw together.

New Zealand First MP Barbara Stewart said the police, schools and the various welfare agencies had to work "far more collaboratively".

Green MP Sue Bradford said the reports revealed the chilling underbelly of a society that tolerated violence against women and children.

The "gaping holes" in CYF's social work practice had to be addressed.

Ms Bradford said Chief Social Worker Shannon Pakura had to be made an integral part of the CYF leadership team if the Government was serious about reforming the agency.

CYF reaction

* Since the deaths CYF has:Reminded all staff of their obligation to follow departmental processes and policies.

* Told staff that the use of the Risk Estimation Tool, or a record of its exemption, was mandatory.

* Reminded staff of the requirement to use the Serious Abuse Team protocol, and implemented revised training across the country.