What do we need to do to be ready? Some reflections. Professor Lesley Chenoweth Centre for Community Science Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University

Preparing – Service sector – People with disabilities – Families and allies – The “mainstream” Some Reflections Outline

New service models – private, public, community businesses Funding models – shift from block funding, need for other revenue streams Workforce issues – staff recruitment, training National Disability Services projects – workforce, national training, boards, leadership, change management etc Service sector

Optimists We are just great as we are No need to change anything much Wait & see Not doing anything for the moment Commenced plans Deniers Seen all this before World will stay the same Disability Service Organisations Goers Have developed transition plans and implementing them Starters Commenced plans No implementation yet Ponderers Still gathering information on new paradigm No plan yet

Whole spectrum of experience, readiness and knowledge In Qld hundreds of people and families have been self directing and/or self managing for years But others have little or no experience Need to prepare before the planning assessment process under NDIS. People with disabilities and families

People with disability and families Eligibility Preparing for planning Plan development Plan implementation Plan review

UK Experience The idea that a service user could become a rational, calculating ‘consumer’, able to ‘shop around’ and express preferences through ‘exit’, did not match the complex reality of quasi- markets operating within tight resource limits. (Scourfield, 2007) People with disabilities and families

Provided by other government agencies and funding organisations - Health, Education, Employment, Transport NDIS supports coordinate with, but are not meant to replace or duplicate, mainstream (or informal) supports Participants plans will include what the Scheme will fund for participants and those supports which are the responsibility of the other mainstream systems. Mainstream services & supports

Education NDIS will “fund supports that enable participants to attend education, where these supports are required by the participant to engage in a range of community activities” BUT will not cover uniforms, fees, excursions etc Mainstream services & supports

Health NDIS will “fund supports that assist a participant to undertake activities of daily living required due to the person’s disability – includes aids and equipment, home modifications and allied health and other therapy required as a result of the participant’s impairment, including physiotherapy, speech therapy or occupational therapy.” BUT health system - diagnosis, assessment and treatment of health conditions. Includes: – clinical services, such as general practitioners, care while admitted in hospital, surgery, the cost of medical specialists, dental care, medications and pharmaceuticals. – sub-acute care such as palliative care, and post-acute care, including nursing care for treating health conditions and wound management. Mainstream services & supports

AND Employment Housing Transport Child care Recreation Private practitioners – providers of therapy etc ? Mainstream services & supports

Where are disability service organisations at currently? What is happening for people with disability and families to develop capacity and readiness? How ready are mainstream services to welcome and include people with disabilities? What services haven’t been considered? Aboriginal & Torres St Islanders, CALD peoples, those in rural remote areas Reflections /Questions

Lot of uncertainty – e.g. there are many changes mooted at the Federal level – what will any changes for example in funding, time lines, Medicare mean and how can we prepare? Vast amount of information – can everyone access it and make sense of it? For Queensland – being last in the roll out may be a good thing! Reflections /Questions