News, commentary and resources related to the NDIS (DisabilityCare Australia) (5)

Booklet: One big difference to lot of lives — An introduction to DisabilityCare Australia

DisabilityCare Australia's  first National Conference 

Videos and transcripts from the conference in Melbourne in June 2013

Launch of DisabilityCare Australia in Western Australia
Prime Minister and Minister for Disability Reform, Media release, 4th August 2013
DisabilityCare Australia, the national disability insurance scheme, will become a truly national scheme with the historic agreement today between the Commonwealth and Western Australian Governments to a two year launch, commencing from July 2014.

DisabilityCare Australia e-news
Issue 1, 30 July 2013
In this issue:  Message from the Chair; Open for business!; Why are we gradually rolling out DisabilityCare Australia, and what does it mean for you?; Regional reflections from Tassie and the Hunter; Meet DisabilityCare Australia’s staff; Results of the Practical Design Fund projects; What’s interesting on the website?; Sign up for updates.

The Promise
New web pages set up by the Every Australian Counts campaign for the NDIS, in preparation for the federal election - includes information about the NDIS, and links to candidates and policies from all parties, related to the NDIS.

First impressions of a brand new scheme

Dr George Taleporos, Ramp Up, 29th July 2013
Three weeks after the launch, Dr George Taleporos reviews DisabilityCare Australia's glossy brochures and sexy website. He also speaks to one of its first participants and asks the Minister for Disability Reform, Jenny Macklin, for her first impressions about the implementation of Australia's most significant reform to disability services in our history.

NDIS Engagement Project Roundtable Reports now availableCarers Australia, 30th July 2013

The National Disability and Carer Alliance (has) completed the final phase of the NDIS Engagement Project ... Between August 2012 and July 2013 the Alliance (has) been speaking to people with disability, their families, carers and service providers about what matters to them in the design and implementation of DisabilityCare Australia, ... The final phase of this project involved a series of roundtable meetings to investigate how DisabilityCare Australia should meet the needs of certain groups within the community. These Roundtable Reports are now available for download, here.

Gaps in disability housing the next challenge

ABC News, 2nd July 2013
As the excitement of yesterday's Hunter launch of DisabilityCare turns to action, there are calls to address immediately the gaps in adequate housing for young people with disabilities.

$34 an hour won't cover expenses, provider warns
Daniela Ongaro, The Daily Telegraph, 5th August 2013
Disability services provider Andrew Richardson was "bemused" by the $34.05 hourly rate to provide disability services, which he said was not even enough to cover running costs ... "Everyone is working in good faith so we are confident (DCA) will work as fast as they can and come back with the revised pricing quickly."

• DisabilityCare Australia website 

Young businessman and his family have big dreams

Big dreams, big future - no stopping them

Jessica Willard, The Cessnock Advertiser,  24th July, 2013:

Meet Jordan Threlfo – a happy, caring and respectful young man with an infectious smile and personality.  

He is also one of Cessnock’s most savvy business men, with his ‘Jordy Can Do Errands for You’ enterprise going from strength to strength in the past 12 months.  

Last week Jordy celebrated his 20th birthday surrounded by friends and family and fellow members of the Cessnock business community obviously grateful for all of his hard work. 

Jordy’s business has been designed as a time saver service for clients in the Cessnock CBD, with everything from paper shredding to picking up lunch orders on the jobs list. And he is not only the only go-getter in the family. 

Jordy’s 16-year-old sister Jessika is currently attending Mount View High school and also has big dreams for her future ... read the full article here, on The Advertiser's website.

News, commentary and resources related to the NDIS (DisabilityCare Australia) (4)

DisabilityCare Australia on Facebook
There is now an official DisabilityCare Australia Facebook page, that you can subscribe to by 'liking' it.  You can ask questions and leave comments.

• Please note that there is another Facebook 'personal' page, established by an unidentified individual, confusingly called Disabilitycare Australia, - it is NOT the official page and cannot speak on behalf of DisabilityCare Australia.

ADVOKIT-NDIS

This website has been developed by Disability Advocacy Network Australia Limited (DANA) to support advocacy for people with disabilities in connection with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). DANA is committed to the vision of an Australia that includes and values people with disabilities and respects human rights for all. Thoughtful use of NDIS funded services and supports can make a strong contribution to achieving this vision.


Early Intervention transition to NDIS - Frequently Asked Questions

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs has published a helpful FAQ about Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start) and Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) transition to DisabilityCare Australia.

Time to get serious about service

Dr George Taleporos, Ramp Up, 15th July 2013

DisabilityCare Australia shifts the power out of the hands of disability service providers and into the hands of people with disabilities. Dr George Taleporos looks forward to the time when people with disabilities are transformed from victims of a captive market into savvy consumers who can shop around. 

Different approach needed to develop disability care in Indigenous communities
Anthony Stewart, ABC News, 15th July 2013
Damian Griffis from the First Peoples Disability Network discusses the difficulties of developing disability care in Indigenous communities.

Physiotherapy leader welcomes DisabilityCare roll out

Karen Keast, Nursing Careers Allied Health, 9th July 2013
... “It will be business as usual in most cases (with the roll out), however better funding for participants of DCA may mean that some physios will see an increased number of clients with a disability, or an increase in inquiries on treating conditions associated with a disability,”...

NDIS launch delayed in ACT

Business Spectator, 16th July, 2013
The launch of the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS) in the ACT has been delayed by a year due to fears providers may be unable to cope with the new model, according to The Australian.

Disability Care
Kate Strohm, Siblings Australia (blog), 30th June 2013
...who is likely to have the longest relationship with the person with a disability? And who is likely to play a significant role in the social and emotional wellbeing of the person with a disability over a lifetime? Siblings, of course, but they don't rate anywhere in policy. The nature of the sibling relationship, not as 'carers' but as brothers and sisters, is a huge factor in both siblings being able to have a 'good life'. We need to ensure that early intervention or other services do all they can to nurture and strengthen the relationship between siblings.

Response to 'Living Life My Way' Framework, from Family Advocacy

For some time, Family Advocacy has made individualised funding a priority for for its statewide systemic advocacy efforts, and released this response to further information about NSW policy on 5th July:

On 3 July 2013 Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) released their Living Life My Way Framework: Transitioning NSW to the NDIS.

In response to this Family Advocacy has identified the key points and responded to (them).

• Click here to visit the Family Advocacy website for links to the Framework, and Family Advocacy's response to it

NSW ADHC funded services, the NDIS and individualised funding

Statements recently posted by NSW Ageing, Disability and Home Care:

NSW ahead of schedule for its transition to NDIS

On 3 July 2013, Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, Andrew Constance released the Living Life My Way Framework which will guide the expansion of opportunities for people to exercise choice and control over their supports as NSW transitions to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

While the NDIS is being launched in the Hunter, the NSW Government will continue to implement its Stronger Together 2 reforms to ensure people with disability and service providers are positioned to move seamlessly to the NDIS.

People with disability currently receiving disability services who are interested in moving into an individualised funding arrangement can register their interest by contacting Ageing, Disability and Home Care on 1800 605 489 or emailing livinglifemyway@facs.nsw.gov.au

The framework is based on the findings from the extensive Living Life My Way consultations held across NSW during 2011 and 2012.

• View the Living Life My Way Framework (PDF)
• View the Living Life My Way Framework (RTF)

Register for regular updates by emailing livinglifemyway@facs.nsw.gov.au

• See more at the ADHC website, here. 

Statement from the Minister for Disability Services, on his previous commitment to make individual funding packages available to all ADHC funding recipients from 1st July 2014
The NSW Government is committed to a service system that increases choice and control for people with disability. For this reason, NSW became the first Australian state to agree to a fully funded NDIS in which we'll contribute $3.1 billion a year from 2018/19, with the Commonwealth to invest $3.3 billion.

Disability services and supports in NSW will grow from a system that is funded $2.5 billion a year now, to one that is funded $6.4 billion a year in 2018/19, delivering care and support to around 140,000 people with disability.

You should be in no doubt that Stronger Together 2, and the individualised funding reforms we've embarked on in NSW were the foundations to this historic agreement with the Federal Government.

Without our $2 billion growth monies and the associated reforms in NSW, the NDIS would still be a thought bubble. By embarking on the Living Life My Way consultations in July 2011, NSW is now in a prime position to be 'NDIS ready.'

While the NDIS is being launched in the Hunter, the NSW Government will continue to implement its Stronger Together 2 reforms, including self-directed supports and individualised budgets, to ensure the whole NSW system is positioned to move seamlessly to a NDIS.

We are recasting the growth under Stronger Together 2 to direct even more funding to ensure that people who want the option of a more flexible and portable funding arrangement can have that option. We will do this responsibly, within the existing limited resources available, and in a way that does not require people to change again when the NDIS comes to NSW.

The date of 1 July 2014 is now redundant with the NDIS agreement. We will advance people to individualised support packages where we can and in many cases earlier, while ensuring we're not duplicating systems.

Initiatives under Stronger Together 2 such as the Supported Living Fund have been hugely successful and instrumental in providing that choice and control to over 300 people. The next round of places have just been announced, to deliver individualised arrangements to a further 100 people with disability. This adds to the 7,800 people in NSW who already receive individualised supports.

If you are interested in moving your current services into an individual package you can register your interest by contacting Ageing, Disability and Home Care on 1800 605 489 or emailing livinglifemyway@facs.nsw.gov.au

• See more at: the ADHC website, here 

Media: Day 1 DisabilityCare Australia

Some mainstream media on the launch of DisabilityCare Australia, yesterday:

• Brighter light for disability (Sydney Morning Herald)
• DisabilityCare launches in Newcastle (ABC News online)
• DisabilityCare extends the boundaries for families (The Age - National Times)
• Delivering DisabilityCare - a day of joy (Ramp Up)

Ryan Pope and his mum Stella are part of DisabilityCare's TV, radio and print 

campaign. Their stories are also being featured in DisabilityCare offices 

which are opening today in our launch sites around the country.

Credit: FAHCSIA... (from the Ramp Up article)