Chief Executive's introduction
The past year has been largely defined by the tragic events in Christchurch and on the West Coast. I am hugely proud of the work that we did in response to the September and February earthquakes in Canterbury and the support we were able to offer in Greymouth. We will keep that momentum and effort going, as we start moving to the longer-term task of recovery. We will continue to work closely with other government agencies, including the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, to support the recovery effort. This work will be a significant feature of the period covered by this Statement of Intent.
The focus of the three-year period covered by this Statement of Intent will be the transformation of our services and taking new approaches to social services.
We have been leading the way with a number of initiatives that help agencies work with each other to address family and community needs. Ultimately, we want a social sector that organises itself around the individual, not the other way around. Improving the way we join up with other agencies, both government and non-government, means that we will all be more effective. We will be looking at how we build on the work already underway in this area.
The Welfare Working Group delivered its report to the Government in February. The report looks at New Zealand’s welfare system and makes recommendations for reform. The next step is for the Government to release their response to the Welfare Working Group’s Report. We will be supporting the Government to implement any changes they make as a result.
This Statement of Intent outlines the broad range of work the Ministry will be undertaking over the next three years to achieve our outcomes. It also outlines how we organise ourselves to support the services we deliver.
This is my last Statement of Intent as Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development. It has been a huge privilege to lead this organisation over the last ten years. I want to pay tribute to all of the staff that I have worked with in our organisation over that period. Whatever has been achieved in that time is a result of their passion, commitment and caring.
Peter Hughes
Chief Executive
Ministry of Social Development
