Ministry looks to shut down abusive website NZPA Tuesday, 23 January 2007
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Ministry of Social Development has called in its lawyers and is working around the clock to ensure a website dedicated to attacking Child, Youth and Family (CYF) social workers is shut down.
The website, launched this month, says CYF has too much power and it wants to hold them accountable.
"This blogsite is dedicated to all those people who have been bullied, intimidated, or `familially raped' by the Department of Child, Youth, & Family: people, it's time to get your power back."
The website invites people to e-mail "name and shame" stories "and we will publish them – uncensored".
"Photos of any and all offending parties are welcome, together with private and public addresses, contact details, car registrations, etc."
CYF comes under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Development, and its chief executive Peter Hughes called those responsible for setting up the site "gutless cowards" who were hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet.
He said the statements made were damaging and false.
"Our social workers deal daily with danger, violence, emotion, anger, substance abuse, and poverty.
"They make critical life decisions in high-risk situations, often under extreme time pressure."
Mr Hughes said the workers witnessed the devastating harm visited on children every day, and they turned up for work because they believed in making a difference in the lives of children and young people.
"It's a tough job."
Mr Hughes said they would be working with police and he had instructed lawyers to do whatever was necessary to get rid of the website.
"We will be working 24/7 until that is done.
"I now want to concentrate on our staff, making sure that those named on this revolting website are looked after and supported. This website potentially puts at risk the safety of our staff and their families."
Included among the posts on the website are ones calling certain social workers "truly evil", "inexperienced", or like the Gestapo, and one accused a judge of making an important decision after a "liquid lunch".
Others make derogatory references to the appearance of some social workers.
The PSA, the union for CYF workers, said it was urgent the ministry shut the site down.
PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the Government must act to ensure the Internet was not abused to attack public servants who were carrying out government policy in the public interest.
"This issue is not just about social workers but also about how we ensure that public servants can safely carry out their work without fear of personal, public retribution for doing their job."
Mr Wagstaff said it was "cowardly and vindictive" that disgruntled clients of CYF had chosen to publicly attack individual social workers instead of using the large number of avenues available to resolve concerns with treatment by Child, Youth and Family.
"This is a classic case of shooting the messenger. If CYF clients have a problem with the way they are treated, they must use the many processes available to them to resolve it.

"Comment:
If they are doing such a wonderful job what are they worried about. They get to call people names like unfit parent & that’s ok. His time would be better spent doing a complete reshuffle of this cyfs department starting from the top.

case worker from hell

Yeah shes out there u bet . . . still destroying families lives & still not being made accountable for her actions. My first encounter with her was through a extended family member whos child was put in there care .She was working for cyfs Takapuna branch @ the time but the mother of the child & her did not get on. It was her way or the high way & NO COMPRIMISE. My family member was in the middle of making a complaint to the area manager of cyfs Takapuna about this Nazis unprofessional behaviour towards her when surprise surprise she was transferred to Cyfs kaikohe branch where she was a Supervisor or was the last time I heard .So all u parents up north god help you should she ever become an area manager. She is a law unto herself. 2nd encounter 2 b continued