CYF steps up anti-smack information

Social workers will hand out advice to at least 20,000 parents visited "because someone has told us they are concerned about your child".

New advice booklets are being distributed to social workers next week as part of a campaign on the so-called anti-smacking law. It will include a new advice phone line, 0508 ASK CYF, and follows the recommendations of a review into the law's application last year.

The review, led by psychologist Nigel Latta, found more could be done to reassure parents about the repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act.

Child, Youth and Family said yesterday that it was on track to implement all the recommendations by April 1.

Social workers would get 20,000 booklets titled When We Visit in the next three weeks and would hand them to all parents they visited from next month.

The booklet states: "If we've come to see you it is usually because someone has told us they are concerned about your child. We'll talk through these worries with you, listen to you and see if there is anything we need to do to support your family."

It says CYF "may not need to talk to you again", but adds it is possible "we may take some action to keep your children safe".

It explains what CYF is, who the social worker is, what happens next, and what a parent's rights are.

"When the social worker has finished gathering information they will either close your case and nothing more needs to be done, or they will keep working with you to help your family be strong," the booklet says.

Parents are encouraged to ring the 24-hour freephone from April 1 with questions. CYF will also start a data collection system for cases in which smacking is a concern. Figures will be reported annually.

Prime Minister John Key said the new safeguards "give parents comfort they will not be criminalised for lightly smacking their children".

Former Green MP Sue Bradford, whose private member's bill brought the 2007 law change, said the extra information was welcome. "There are so many people who get upset because they've been visited by CYF they don't understand, they don't know what to do so I think it's great that they've done this."

Police Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope said there had been confusion created during the debate about the law change.

"A lot of that is probably misunderstanding of the role police would have in applying the law and the potential consequences."

Police were focused on assaults against children and were not discriminating against parents using appropriate discipline, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News