Corey
[FYI request #17368 email]
19 November 2021
Tēnā koe Corey
On 27 October 2021
, you emailed the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following
information:
•
Internal documents presently given to case managers that act as directives
on how they should conduct themselves with new clients who come forward
as having a disability.
The Ministry provides a range of developmental opportunities for client facing staff to
support an empathic and caring service, and to ensure that clients receive an
individualised service which addresses their needs. Ongoing learning and
development supports our people to place the client and whānau at the centre of our
mahi to ensure that the clients’ needs and circumstances are well understood by staff
which in turn shapes the service the Ministry offers.
The Ministry has weaved the principles of unconscious bias, and understanding a
client’s individual situation, challenges and needs throughout learning and
development opportunities. The Ministry’s development for staff has an emphasis on
providing coaching and learning ‘in the work’, helping to support better client
conversations, improved understanding of clients’ needs, and therefore more
effective decision-making.
A wide range of the Ministry’s ‘formal’ learning on exploring clients’ needs and
ensuring they’re receiving their full and correct entitlement to assistance, includes
guidance about exercising discretion and making decisions. These skills are covered
in training about the Ministry’s products, services and processes, including but not
limited to the following:
•
Induction Fundamentals
•
New Business applications
•
Hardship Assistance
•
Social Obligations Decision Making guidelines
•
Unconscious Bias
•
Reviews and Appeals
•
Online applications
Work and Income Case Managers work with Regional Health and Disability teams
(RH&D). RH&D teams support Work and Income regions to improve understanding,
remove inequalities, promote inclusion and improve employment outcomes for
clients with a health condition or a disability. The team work collaboratively with
health and disability providers to ensure clients are linked to the right services and
support.
The RH&D teams are made up of three key roles:
• the Regional Health Advisor (RHA)
• Regional Disability Advisor (RDA)
• the Health and Disability Coordinator (HDC).
The team is managed by the Manager Regional Services and supported professionally
by the Principal Health Advisor (PHA) and Principal Disability Advisor (PDA). Each
RHA and RDA has key strengths and experience, however their roles are
interconnected, and staff are encouraged to contact either for advice.
The role of the HDC is to work with health and disability organisations and providers
in the community including general practitioners and designated doctors. The
purpose of this is to improve their understanding and knowledge of Work and Income
operational processes, philosophy and to strengthen our knowledge of the services
and support they provide.
Your request for all internal documents presently given to case managers that act as
directives on how they should conduct themselves with new clients who come
forward as having a disability, is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as this
information does not exist.
The Ministry is committed to service excellence. If in a particular instance we are not
meeting this standard, please tell us so we can do something about it. Then we'll do
our best to make sure it doesn't happen again. More information about our
complaint’s procedure can be found online at the following link:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/about-work-and-income/complaints/index.html#null.
The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which you
made your request are:
• to create greater openness and transparency about the plans, work and
activities of the Government,
• to increase the ability of the public to participate in the making and
administration of our laws and policies and
• to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs.
This Ministry fully supports those principles and purposes. The Ministry therefore
intends to make the information contained in this letter and any attached documents
available to the wider public. The Ministry will do this by publishing this letter on the
Ministry’s website. Your personal details will be deleted, and the Ministry will not
publish any information that would identify you as the person who requested the
information.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email].
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If you are not satisfied with this response regarding case manager documents
regarding dealing with clients who have a disability, you have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
Robyn Reilly
General Manager, Service Delivery Capability
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Document Outline
