Social workers to ‘introduce alternatives’ to beggars
Social workers will be tasked with reducing the prevalence of begging in Palmerston North.
They will make sure their basic needs are being met, get to know them better, and encourage them to participate in the community in other ways.
The city council rejected an earlier plan to extend the Safecity hosts programme, which operates Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, to have a daytime presence to discourage people from giving to beggars and to manage any aggressive behaviour.
On Monday its community development committee endorsed an alternative plan for Mash Trust staff to work with the beggars.
The three-month trial, at a cost to the council of about $16,900, would pay for 30 hours of social work a week, with flexible working hours.
Progress would be reviewed after two months.
Mash community services manager Christina Hemmingsen said there was no single solution to begging, but through a therapeutic working relationship, supporting beggars one-on-one, people could be encouraged to make other choices.
She said Mash staff already knew the beggars, about 10 of them.
They could work from the Luck venue, where people could go for food, a shower, to do laundry and meet with other people.
Mash also had a network among other organisations that could be called on to help with individual needs and plans.
‘‘The first step is developing connections with the person, understanding their journeys, and introducing them to alternatives.’’
Committee chairman Lew Findlay said there was no way the city could hope to get rid of begging altogether.
‘‘It is probably older than the oldest profession in the world.’’
Mash chief executive Carol Searle agreed the programme would not get every beggar off the street, all of the time.
‘‘For some, begging is a lifestyle. People don’t know what else they can do.’’
The trial would help introduce them to other activities. It would also involve some ‘‘tough conversations’’.
Searle said the people who were begging had to be helped to understand the effects of their behaviour on other people, and that with rights came social responsibilities.
Findlay said the way to tackle the problem should come from the heart, not in the form of a big stick.
He said public reaction to the Safecity hosts proposal had been overwhelmingly opposed.
Cr Rachel Bowen said she continued to oppose the hosts proposal because of the perception they would ‘‘stand over’’ beggars.
Cr Aleisha Rutherford said the idea to use the hosts had backfired.
‘‘Some people went out of their way to give money to beggars, because they did not think that was an appropriate measure from the council.’’
The social work approach has been endorsed by the Safety Advisory Board.
Councillors were less enthusiastic about a proposed $6000 Give Wisely campaign to run alongside the trial.
Findlay said a previous trial, which encouraged people to give to community organisations rather than directly to beggars, had not produced any increase in donations to other groups.
So long as the Mash trial is endorsed by the full council, a contract could be drawn up and work could begin within two to three weeks.