A hiring freeze drove the drop in legal representation options in these regions
Oranga Tamariki is facing a shortage of lawyers in Gisborne and Southland as a result of a hiring freeze, reported the NZ Herald.
The Ministry for Children, which plays a critical role in providing legal representation for vulnerable children in youth and family courts, is presently addressing this shortage by reallocating resources from other areas.
“Like many public service agencies, Oranga Tamariki has a temporary hiring freeze in place whilst we work through a formal organisational change proposal with kaimahi”, said Oranga Tamariki spokesperson Caz Anderson in a statement published by the Herald. "Where vacancies occur, we assess the level of work and what resources are required before deciding the appropriate course of action. For example, the Dunedin office is supporting Southland, and similarly, the Napier office is supporting Gisborne".
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Nonetheless, Fleur Fitzsimons, assistant secretary of the Public Service Association (PSA), pointed out that the lawyer shortage was “letting down children and families” in a statement published by the Herald.
"Locally-based lawyers develop critical relationships and they understand their local communities," she explained, adding that lawyers also helped social workers in making lawful decisions about children’s care and protection.
Fitzsimons explained that calling on other regions’ lawyers would also result in overwork.
Lauren Pegg, chair of the Law Society’s family law section, also raised concerns about the shortage.
"The services these lawyers provide cannot simply be carried out by others in the organisation, for example social workers, who already face complex and heavy workloads," she said.
The hiring freeze is in line with a government proposal to reduce its workforce by 9%, which translates to 447 job cuts and the disestablishment of 632 roles, including 70 that are currently vacant. A total of 185 new roles will be introduced.