Issue 14-Newsletters-News and Publications-Disability

Disability in New Zealand
News and Publications

Disability Services Newsletter - Issue 14 - March 2006

In this issue:
Consumer Forums
Geraldine’s Update
Kimberley De-institutionalisation Project
Introducing New Staff
Communicating using new Zealand Relay
One regional NASC for Auckland

Consumer Forums

The Disability Services Directorate (DSD) is planning a series of consumer forums, hui and fono in towns and cities throughout the country.

These forums provide us with an excellent opportunity to meet with the people who use the services we fund. It will also give us a chance to share with consumers what we have been doing to improve these services, and our future plans. The forums offer an opportunity for consumers to discuss any concerns or suggestions they may have.

The Deputy Director-General of DSD, Geraldine Woods, will be attending many of the forums, so this is a great opportunity to meet with her. The Office of Disability Issues (ODI) will also be present at many of the forums. We have invited the local Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) organisation to attend part of each forum to answer questions specific to them. While providers are welcome to attend, the forums are primarily for consumers of DSD-funded services and their family/whanau. The hui and fono will take place during May, however, we are still working on dates and locations and will circulate this information as soon as we have it available. We would prefer people to register prior to the day so we can ensure adequate resources and any special needs can be accommodated, however, you are also welcome to turn up on the day.

For further information or to register prior to the event, please contact :
Janette Searle
Ph: (09) 810 9488
Email: seastarrmanagement@paradise.net.nz

The forums will be held in:

Wellington – Wednesday 12 April, evening
Christchurch – Wednesday 19 April, afternoon
Invercargill – Thursday 20 April, afternoon
Dunedin – Friday 21 April, afternoon
Auckland Pacific Fono (part of Pacific Disabilities expo) – Saturday 22 April, all day
Hamilton – Wednesday 26 April, afternoon
Auckland North – Thursday 27 April, evening
Auckland South – Friday 28 April, morning
Nelson – Monday 1 May, afternoon
Napier – Wednesday 3 May, afternoon
Wanganui – Friday 5 May, evening

Geraldine’s update

Geraldine Woods
Deputy Director-General, Disability Services Directorate

We are coming to the end of summer and entering our third month of the year. Work in the Directorate is well under way.
We spent some time recently at our national meeting discussing our vision and strategic direction. We looked at what the indicators of an ordinary home life might be and how we might go about supporting this with the services we purchase. We will be developing this theme further over the coming weeks.

As most of you will be aware, there has been a reasonable amount of media interest around homebased support services (HBSS) and Focus 2000 in particular over the past month. It has highlighted a number of issues that we are already trying to address. HBSS is a valuable part of disability support services and enables people with disabilities to have options about where they live and how they participate in their community. The recent attention has underlined the importance for service providers of having good governance and processes in place, especially around complaints and communication with disabled people and their families/wha¯nau. It has also emphasised how important workforce development is for capability and capacity within the sector.

We need to work together to ensure that the disability support services we provide for disabled people are effective and of a high standard.

Kimberley De-institutionalisation Project

The Kimberley Centre is the last institution for adults with intellectual disability in the country.

A decision to close it was made by the Minister of Health and Minister for Disability Issues in 2001, after a lengthy planning process spanning several years which involved wide consultation and assessment of each resident’s support needs. The move is also in keeping with the UN’s 1975 Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons.

By the end of 2005, 146 people had left Kimberley. This included 94 people who had moved to new homes established as part of the de-institutionalisation project and 52 people who moved into vacancies with existing providers. We are on target to complete the movement of residents and closure of Kimberley, as planned, by the end of June 2006.

A significant challenge facing the project over the next few months, to achieve closure of Kimberley by end of June, is the residential providers being able to recruit staff, particularly in the Levin area. Workforce has been identified as a risk for some time. A number of steps have been undertaken to assist in recruiting staff, such as:

funding MidCentral District Health Board for workforce development
working collaboratively with residential and day service providers on a workforce development proposal
providing funding for workforce development training for at least 40 people.

The Ministry of Health has also contracted the Donald Beasley Institute to carry out independent research on the move of Kimberley residents to community living. A first phase research report has been provided by the Institute. The remaining two years of the research, which will be completed by June 2007, is being funded by the Health Research Council.

Introducing New Staff

Julz Britnell
Communications Advisor

Although my role as communications advisor is Directorate wide, I am working out of the Planning and Development Team in the Wellington office.

Originally a registered nurse, I have worked throughout New Zealand and the world mostly in the mental health arena. I have a BCA in Management, certificates in public relations and writing and editing for print media, and am currently completing my Masters in Communications through Victoria University. Although this is my first appointment with the Ministry of Health, I have previously worked in the communications field in health, NGO and government sectors. I have recently returned from London where I worked as a communications advisor for a borough council and the Government. Prior to that I worked as the Communications Manager for a health charity and as the Projects/Communications Manager at an IPA.

Outside of work I am a keen scuba diver and enjoy going to the theatre and festival events.

Regan Smith
Business Analyst Planner
Planning and Development Team

Regan Smith (Maniapoto, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Toa, Ngati Koata, Ngati Kuia, Rangitane ki o Wairau, Ngai Tahu) joined DSD in December 2001 as a Manatu Hauora scholarship recipient. She then went to work in the Maori Health Directorate and returned to DSD in January 2006 as a Business Analyst Planner.

She is passionate about disability issues and has had hands-on experience as a care support worker. Regan has worked at Workbridge, IHC and the Prada Willi Syndrome Foundation, and was also co-president of CANDO (Campus Abilities and Disability Organisation) providing advocacy and support for students with disabilities at Victoria University. She has a BCA in Public Policy, Diploma in Writing Studies and is currently completing an accounting degree.

Outside of work she likes to spend time with her family and also has an interest in creative art.

Papara Caroline Carroll
Project Manager Maori
Planning and Development Team

My whakapapa extends from the north through my mother’s people in the Hokianga, to the South where, through my father’s people, I have tribal and hapu connections to Rongomaiwahine, Kahungunu, Ngati Raukawa, Tuwharetoa and Te Atiawa. I have a Diploma in Nursing, a Degree in Business and am currently completing my Masters in Business Studies. I joined the public service in 1986 and, since then, have worked in a number of government departments, predominantly in community development. I have returned to the Ministry of Health to work in the Disability Services Directorate, having worked closely with a number of Maori providers of disability services in Auckland. I am the mother of five children, and the grandmother of six mokopuna, with one more on the way. I am committed to ensuring that Maori gain traction in the DSS sector through development projects that lead to the enhancement and sustainability of disability support services to whanau, hapu and iwi.

Communicating using New Zealand Relay

New Zealand Relay, a nationwide telecommunications relay service, was launched in New Zealand in November 2004 to meet the communication needs of deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired people (relay users).

Relay users can successfully communicate with individuals and organisations through a relay assistant who provides a service similar to a traditional translation service. Relay calls are made through dial-up using a telephone or TTY (teletypewriter or textphone).

In your job, you may get calls through New Zealand Relay from clients, the general public or people you are working with. You may also use it to call relay users. The relay assistant relays a telephone call between the relay user and a hearing person. The relay assistant is an intermediary but will give you instructions on how to use the service (eg, speaking directly to the relay user, not to the relay assistant, speaking clearly and concisely). Relay assistants are required to sign strict confidentiality agreements to ensure relay users’ privacy is protected.

Look at the New Zealand Relay website www.nzrelay.co.nz or phone 0800 4 711 711 for useful information on the relay service.

One regional NASC for Auckland

Trish Davis, National Operations Manager, Disability Services Directorate, Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health is completing the planned integration of its Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) service for people with disabilities under one regional NASC service in Auckland. From 1 March 2006, all people will have a single point of entry to disability support services in Auckland.

Announced in 2002, this integration process will see the developmental service for people over 16 years of age with intellectual disability, presently held by Access Ability (Auckland), reintegrated with the general service contracted to Taikura Trust.

This will complete integration of general services for all ages and disabilities in Auckland and brings it into alignment with service delivery across the rest of New Zealand.

The Ministry has been working closely with Access Ability and Taikura Trust since November 2005 to ensure that the transition happens as smoothly as possible. The transition process involves weekly meetings of a transition project team. Both Access Ability and the Ministry have sought to keep clients, their families and providers advised of the transition process.

At present, the Ministry plans to continue to contract with Access Ability to be the Regional Intellectual Disability Care Agency (RIDCA) for Auckland and Northland. This is a separately contracted disability service that is responsible for administering the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003 and is also a specialist point of access for people with an intellectual disability and high and complex needs.

The Ministry would like to thank Access Ability for the work they have completed under the general NASC contract and looks forward to continuing to work with them in regard to the RIDCA contract.

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Ministry of Health publications

Unless otherwise specified, you can obtain copies of all Ministry of Health publications from:

Ministry of Health
C/o Wickliffe Limited
PO Box 932
DUNEDIN
Tel: (04) 496 2277 (Wellington)
Fax: (03) 479 0979 (Dunedin)
Email: moh@wickliffe.co.nz

Ministry of Health publications are also available on our website: www.moh.govt.nz

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