| Ministry of Social Development | |
|---|---|
| Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | |
| Logo of the Ministry of Social Development | |
| Agency overview | |
| Jurisdiction | New Zealand |
| Ministers responsible | Paula Bennett, Minister for Social Development and Employment Hon Tariana Turia, Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment |
| Agency executive | Mr Brendan Boyle, Chief Executive |
| Child agency | StudyLink, Office for Disability Issues, Office for Senior Citizens, Heartland Services, Family and Community Services, Child, Youth and Family, Work and Income, Students, Seniors and Integrity Services, Ministry of Youth Development |
| Website | |
| http://www.msd.govt.nz | |
The Ministry of Social Development (Māori: Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora) is a New Zealand government agency which has two main functions: providing social policy advice to the government, and providing social services. It is New Zealand’s largest government department employing people in over 200 locations around the country. The Ministry works closely with other government agencies, non-government organisations, advisory and industry groups, and communities and iwi. The Ministry delivers its services through a number of business groups and agencies.[1]
Contents |
The Ministry of Social Development provides:
Community Links are centres where people, their families and communities can access a range of [social] services from the Ministry of Social Development and other organisations and community agencies.[2]
Work and Income provides financial assistance and employment services throughout New Zealand. They offer a single point of contact for New Zealanders needing job search support, financial assistance and in-work support.[3]
StudyLink provides information about student finances and other study-related issues, and provides financial support to students. Their services are provided through their website, a centralised contact centre and a number of offices around the country.[4]
Family and Community Services' focus is the delivery of early intervention and prevention services and programmes for families, and activities that strengthen the people and organisations working in communities that support them. They:
Child, Youth and Family provides the statutory care and protection of children and young people, youth justice services, adoption services and funding to community service providers.[8]
Students, Seniors and Integrity Services:
CSRE creates strong evidence based knowledge which supports social development policy and service delivery across government agencies. CSRE engages in research, evaluation and data analysis to help provide a deeper understanding of the social sector. It also publishes information and reports on social issues and trends on the Ministry of Social Development website.[9]
Social services policy provides social sector policy advice concerning children and families, young people, working age people, and older people. The Ministry of Youth Development also sits within Social Services.[10]
A number of other agencies are administered the Ministry of Social Development. They are generally responsible to a separate Minister.
The Ministry of Youth Development encourages and assists young people to be involved in the social, educational, economic and cultural development of New Zealand, both locally and nationally.
The Ministry has five key functions:
The Office for Disability Issues promotes and monitors the New Zealand Disability Strategy; provides policy advice on issues affecting people with disabilities; and provides services to the Minister for Disability Issues.[10]
The Office for Senior Citizens provides policy advice on issues affecting older people; promotes and monitors the Positive Ageing Strategy; and provides services to the Minister for Senior Citizens.[10]
1904 - Old Age Pensions Department established.
1909-1912 - Pensions administered as a division of the Post and Telegraph Department.
1913 - Pensions Department established.
1 April 1939 - Social Security Department under the control of Social Security Commission was established by the Social Security Act, 1938. It replaced the former Pensions Department and absorbed the major portion of the Employment Division of the Department of Labour.
1 April 1972 - Department of Social Welfare formed from the amalgamation of the Social Security Department and the Child Welfare Division of the Department of Education.
1 May 1992 - Major restructuring of the Department of Social Welfare into business units:
December 1998 - Housing policy function of the Ministry of Housing transferred to the Social Policy Agency of the Department of Social Welfare.
1 October 1998 - Department of Work and Income (branded as Work and Income New Zealand or WINZ) established with the merger of Income Support with the New Zealand Employment Service, Community Employment Group and Local Employment Co-ordination.
1 October 1999 - Ministry of Social Policy established, with the amalgamation of the Social Policy Agency and Corporate Office functions of the former Department of Social Welfare and the addition of the new Purchasing and Monitoring Group.
1 October 1999 - Department of Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) established. Was previously Children, Young Persons and their Families Agency (CYPFA).
1 July 2001 - Housing Policy function of the Ministry of Social Policy moves to Housing New Zealand Corporation.
1 October 2001 - Ministry of Social Development established with the amalgamation of the Ministry of Social Policy and the Department of Work and Income.
1 July 2006 - Child, Youth and Family becomes a service line of the Ministry of Social Development. [12]