Ready, Set, Let’s Go Together Early Childhood Intervention Australia (NSW Chapter) – 2015 Conference “NDIS – Scheme Design for Early Childhood Intervention” Peter DeNatris Practice Design Full Scheme Division National Disability Insurance Agency 29 May 2015

Envisioning under the fully funded and well designed NDIS” (transitive) to conceive of as a possibility, especially in the future; foresee Envisioning a New Future: for children. If you could picture a different world for children with disability or developmental delay in the future, what would it look like? 2

Envisioning a Scheme Design How do we look at the early childhood years as a whole ? How do we improve the links between EC intervention and mainstream? How do we deal with issues that cannot wait for a perfect solution ? How do we empower families and providers to move forward? How do we use the intelligence/learning from current best practice and design to ensure we can provide a sensible design? How do we support agents/partners in a more effective way to ensure a more consistent message and service response? 3

So where are we ? A national survey conducted by Children with Disability Australia (CDA) confirms that children with disability face considerable barriers to a quality education. The survey assesses the direct education experiences of students with disability. 68% of parents surveyed believe that their children are not receiving adequate support at school. One in four children with disability has been refused enrolment at some point, and a further 17% are only offered part-time enrolment. 4

So where are we ? Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent will tomorrow host a public forum in Parliament House to discuss access to the education system for students with disabilities. This follows reports from parents that students with disabilities are regularly being suspended, or excluded, from the education system. “Time and time again my office is told stories of exclusion, suspension, isolation and bullying occurring in our schools. “South Australia has a high rate of home schooling and this is at least in part due to the lack of supports and workable options being offered to children with disabilities in the education system,” said Ms Vincent. 5

1 Voyage: Exploring Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care – WA. 1 Voyage’ acknowledges that the journey continues and that we are all on the same voyage of discovering what excellence via continuous improvement looks like. The voyage’s destination is ensuring positive outcomes for all children. The word voyage also acknowledges that this may mean we need to sail in new waters and to be brave enough to reflect critically and change our practice when necessary. Our voyage is one of ongoing discovery as the evidence about children’s development and learning and the role of families and services continues to build. 6

Other Themes The Qld Early Education & Care Conference 2015 – Connect, Collaborate Create. Tasmanian Early Years Foundation Coming together for Australia’s children. Victoria ECEC 2015, Together we grow – investing in our future. 7

Vision and when will we know we have arrived ? An Australian society where children with disability are expected and welcomed in all settings. Early childhood intervention is well integrated in children's lives and the process of providing specialised support and services for infants and young children who have developmental delay or disability is embedded in their community. All Early Childhood Intervention supports are provided using a family-centred approach, recognising the importance of working in partnership with the family. Services are tailored to meet the individual needs of the child and focus on supporting the child in their natural environments and in their everyday experiences and activities. 8

Non programmatic (personalised). Supported by outcomes and practise frameworks. Accords with National strategy and policy directions. (NP on early childhood education). A NDIS approach with state level specificity and partnership. NDIS supports are children and family focused, evolving and flexible. Plans and investment are outcomes driven, informed by data and evidence-based practice. Co-Design with participants/mainstream/practice leaders. Principles guiding the NDIS Early Childhood direction 9

Practical design in NDIS early launch information and support for families to find out about their child’s disability and needs and build a positive support for children with disability’s inclusion in their everyday environments by working with early childhood services and other community organisations, formal and informal family support, including emotional support, therapy, such as speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and/or psychology, education, (pre-school and early primary), and information and support for: transition into school settings connecting with other parents, service providers and the local community. 10

A Nationally consistent approach (structural elements in practice) Development of an Outcomes Framework consistent with the Vision, the National Policy direction and NDIS principles. Practice Frameworks and Continuous Improvement. Appropriate design of the access model for infants, toddlers, preschool and early primary school children. Partnership and Commissioning framework. Data collection and reporting. Benefits Map for all stakeholders 11

Nationally consistent approach supporting strategies A national conversation on early childhood intervention to get agreed, shared commitment by all key stakeholders to the outcomes. National and local partnership approaches in practice with focus on inclusion and mainstream support and development. National partnership to provide leadership and continuous improvement in ECI practice, evidence and strategy. 12

6 areas of focus going forward developing and advocating policies on early childhood intervention - education and care contributing to the development and evaluation of government policies and programs through submissions, committee membership, delegations, and discussion with politicians and departments promoting increased awareness and understanding of the needs of children with disabilities and their families supporting informed debate and good practice in early childhood settings through your own specialist early childhood publications supporting the development of an early childhood intervention profession through building connections between people, and developing practice standards and leadership capabilities maintaining a strong early childhood intervention research base. 13