A social work agency in Hawke's Bay has been turning away applicants because it can't afford to pay them enough.
Other non-government agencies report serious problems with retaining and recruiting social workers since Oranga Tamariki raised pay rates.
The differential is about $30,000 dollars since government rates went up a year ago.
Andy Pilbrow heads up Birthright Hawke's Bay and told reporter Phil Pennington they've been struggling to deliver.
