• Child Abuse Reporting Guidelines
• northland Regional Jobs Plan
• physical Punishment Of Children
• kingslea Redevelopment Proposed

CHILD ABUSE REPORTING GUIDELINES
A new booklet giving doctors clear information on how to spot and deal with child abuse was officially launched last week by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey and Health Minister Annette King.

The recommended referral process for GPs, Suspected child abuse and neglect, has been developed by Child, Youth and Family and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, with the support of the Ministry of Health and the endorsement of the New Zealand Medical Association. The recommended referral process is consistent with recommendations in the James Whakaruru report.

The nature of doctors' work means they often deal with the reality of abuse. Medical professionals have felt some uncertainty at times about how they should react when child abuse or neglect is suspected. The new booklet gives clear information on how to recognise signs of abuse and how to refer cases on to Child, Youth and Family or the police.

The booklet will be made available to all doctors. Its contents include:

• a master copy of a fax form for alerting Child, Youth and Family to concerns;
• a recommended abuse referral process to be followed;
• clear information about the signs of abuse and neglect; and,
• advice on legal issues.

The booklet makes it clear there are no legal barriers to doctors disclosing patient information relating to suspected or actual child abuse when this is done in good faith to an appropriate authority.

Mrs King says the Ministry of Health will later this year be organising training programme for all health professionals on the wider issue of family violence. $2.8 million has been set aside over the next three years for the development and implementation of Family Violence Intervention Protocols.

The booklet will also be available to medical and nursing schools so that they can incorporate the information into their teaching programmes.

Mr Maharey says Child, Youth and Family is continuing negotiations with a number of other organisations on the best ways they can report suspected child abuse.

• the guidelines can be viewed on-line at www.rnzcgp.org.nz

NORTHLAND REGIONAL JOBS PLAN
Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey travels to Northland this week to attend a presentation on the Department of Work and Income's regional employment plan. The Northland region has the highest level of unemployment in the country and DWI has been working closely with organisations in the North to move people off welfare and into real paying jobs.

PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN
Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey, Justice Minister Phil Goff and Youth Affairs Minister Laila Harré released officials advice last week on issues to do with the physical punishment of children.

The Government has investigated the legal framework adopted by other countries on the physical punishment of children. Officials are currently analysing the implications for New Zealand should Parliament decided to repeal or amend section 59 of the Crimes Act.

No decision has been taken to change the law on corporal punishment or to repeal or amend section 59 of the Crimes Act. However a member's Bill in the name of MP Brian Donnelly has been entered into the ballot which, if drawn may be the subject of a conscience vote. It is important that MPs are aware of the options that exist with respect to section 59 and the consequences of taking each of these options.

In October 2000 Cabinet asked officials to investigate overseas precedent as part of its plan to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). The UN has previously recommended that New Zealand review domestic legislation with regard to physical punishment of children within the family. A number of countries have moved to ban the use of physical punishment of children. Others are considering modifying existing legislation while others are making no change.

The Ministers said the issue was complex and contentious and required careful thought and debate before any change to the law was considered.

KINGSLEA REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSED
Plans to redevelop the multi-purpose Kingslea Residential Centre facility into a smaller centre solely focused on the needs of children and young people in need of care and protection.

Currently Kingslea houses up to:

• 7 children and young people in need of care and protection;
• 20 young people remanded into residential care by the youth justice system; and,
• 6 young people sentenced to adult terms of imprisonment by the criminal justice system but who are considered to be too vulnerable because of their age to be in an adult prison.

Up to 20 residential places would be available in the new centre solely to provide care for vulnerable children and young people.

Child, Youth and Family is undertaking public consultation on shifting Kingslea's youth justice operations to a site at Mandeville in North Canterbury, and it plans to transfer the criminal justice places to a new facility in Auckland.