Graeme Axford

documents his experience with CYF's, (Child, Youth & Family Services)

Introduction

CYF discriminate against qualified Social Worker
Have Child Youth and Family services (CYF's) cut of their nose to spite the face let's look at their staffing problems. In the press (Monday, 23 October 2006) there was an article that claimed Eight staff a week quit CYF This comes to spite the introduction of $7000 recruitment cash incentives for graduate social workers. (Source NZPA 15 July 2005) So you would think a newly qualified Social Worker would be snapped up in a jiffy given the people leaving compounding the current shortage. Previous articles also point to a shortage of people being trained to full the vacancies in the future. (The dominion post, 23 September 2004,)

At my first interview in Greymouth I made CYF aware of a program called mainstream which is a government led Initiative that coincides with the NZ Disability Strategy. In brief Mainstream offers a 100% subsidy for the first and 50% for the second year along with other supports for people with disabilities who are considered not quite work ready. Non Government Organizations can not use the scheme otherwise I would be employed now. CYF by their own admission have not put the mainstream employment option on radar and refuse to after me having been for two interviews and they seem to think I am not work ready.

While I agree with some but not all the reason why CYF will not employee via normal channels the areas of concern can be easily overcome with training, experience and supervision. This story takes on some really bizarre twist and turns with CYF trying to conceal facts about what the interview panel discussed about my application. CYF have contradicted themselves then called into question my qualifications and providers in an attempt to disguise and justify what I consider to be their blatant discrimination

What CYF see in me and call a skills deficiency is really my disability coming into play and in pure ignorance they can not see this. I believe I can show CYF have acted without integrity and brought the department into disrepute over the handling of my complaint.

CYF have shown blatant discrimination to which I believe I can prove. In doing so some of the pages on this site are very long but if you want to see the evidence it's all here.

A web blog will be coming soon, until then feel free to email me with your comments. I will be interested in getting your feedback or hearing about your experience with CYF as either, client staff or other interested party, come on don't be shy write in.

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