The Management of Risk and Quality in the Social Services

Grant Duncan

A crucial question to address in any discussion of the costs of social services is: What level of risk is acceptable as a trade-off against the affordable economic costs of effective social interventions? It may be argued that New Zealand has already gone beyond the limits of acceptable risk, and that greater collective efforts need to be made to address social problems.

This paper addresses some of the theoretical and practical issues this situation raises for the social services, with the aim of drawing out a set of general principles to guide managerial actions for minimising risks to clients under restrictive fiscal-policy conditions. I look at how quality is often measured in the social services in terms of performance indicators, using Family Resolution Services as an example, and question whether these impose inappropriate incentives. 

The paper argues that the current systems for evaluating the performance of publicly funded social services focus attention on short-term goals, neglecting the more substantial outcomes of quality of life for individuals, families and communities. Although I offer some ideas about how various agencies can manage risk, under-resourcing remains a fundamental barrier to the consistent achievement of desirable outcomes for social service users.