Cuts in welfare deplored

Press, 17 March 1977, Page 30

Cuts in welfare deplored

PA Wellington! Alarm at the erosion of; the standard of Government: social services has been expressed by the Association of Social Workers at its annual meeting in Wellington. ■ While it was justifiable to cut Government spending in' other fields at a time of economic stringency, ex- 1 penditure on social services should not be cut because! they were most needed at 1 such a time, the social workers said. , Several successful remits' pointed to the probation service as particularly affected by the Government’s spend-! ing cuts, which they said,! were undermining the ser-j vice’s policy of providing! community-based treatment: of offenders. "Staffing problems related to inadequate staff ceilings, i retention and promotion, coupled with inadequate salary levels, cause low morale,” one remit said. It also attacked poor work conditions and inadequate transport and office facilities. Another remit asked that funds be diverted from; ouilding new prisons to services such as probation which treated the offenderin the community. The association endorsed a; report by its Auckland: branch calling for improved; community services in thej

'West Auckland area, where there were no branch offices of the Departments of Social i Welfare, Labour, or Maori Affairs. It also decided to support measures “with teeth” to deal with child abuse.