Issue 18-Newsletters-News and Publications-Disability

Disability in New Zealand
News and Publications

Disability Services Newsletter

Issue 18 - December 2006
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In this issue:

Celebration of community living
A celebration to mark the end of large government-funded institutional care was held at Parliament on Tuesday 14 November.

Minister of Disability Issues, Ruth Dyson and Minister of Health, Pete Hodgson spoke briefly at the celebration which was attended by around 300 people.

Many disabled New Zealanders who have been moved into the community from the 13 large government-funded institutions closed over the past four decades were among those celebrating.

Speakers from the Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) and People First addressed those gathered.

End of an era
October 20 saw the Kimberley Centre, the last institution for intellectually disabled adults in New Zealand, closing its doors more than 60 years after it had opened.

Originally an Air Force station, the site and barracks were converted into accommodation for children deemed at the time to be ‘backward’. On Friday 27 July 1945, a bus carrying 42 young men and three escorts from Templeton arrived at the new ‘Levin Farm and Mental Deficiency Colony’.

Charlie Guy, the head attendant started a campaign to encourage community groups to become involved with recreational activities and trial work placements. By 1953, the waiting list had escalated to 400 and Cabinet approved a major expansion plan, incorporating 11 purpose-built villas.

A name change in 1959 affirmed its new role as the Levin Hospital and Training School.

A range of innovative programmes, designed to maximise the potential of patients, were initiated and soon attracted international attention as they were considered unique at the time. During 1959 an on-site School of Nursing was built and, following the introduction of a new psychopaedic curriculum, New Zealand’s first psychopaedic nurses graduated from it in 1964.

In 1977, the name was changed again to Kimberley Hospital and Training School, to distinguish it from the new general hospital in the region. The population exceeded 700. At this time, Kimberley was the largest intellectually disabled hospital in the southern hemisphere and looked after 15 percent of all identified intellectually disabled people in New Zealand.

The superintendent, sensing that the era of large psychopaedic hospitals was drawing to a close, identified 200 people who could be considered for discharge into the community. The feeling was that it was no longer appropriate for residents who could benefit from placement in the community to be in Kimberley.

In 1987, when the new superintendent, Dr Paul Taylor, took over management of the facility, the population had already declined to 540 residents. Changing the name to Kimberley Centre, he said, ‘reflected a commitment to normalisation and the recognition that our major emphasis in the future will be on lifestyle and development services for which the old hospital model with its implication of illness is no longer appropriate’.

The workshops were closed down in 1988, and the school was also phased out. In 1989, the National Training School was disestablished, and two years later the final class graduated from the School of Nursing. By 1991, the hospital’s administrators acknowledged society’s expectations had changed and they no longer saw hospitalisation as the ideal.

In September 2001 Ruth Dyson, as Minister of Disability Issues, announced the closure of this country’s last major institution.

Five years later, the closure is complete. All former residents have been relocated into the community and a new era of support for people with an intellectual disability has begun.

References
Hunt, A. 2005. Kimberley Centre 60th Anniversary.
Scoop Independent News .

Geraldine’s update
Geraldine Woods, Deputy Director-General, Disability Services Directorate

November saw the end of institutional care for adults with an intellectual disability in New Zealand when the Kimberley Centre in Levin closed. It has taken a significant amount of time, work, energy and commitment from the community, families and wha¯nau of exresidents, the ex-residents themselves as well as the many people within DSD, other government departments, support services, NASCs and DHBs to see this achieved. It is the end of an era and the gathering at Parliament on 14 November was a fitting way to celebrate this.

I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who has made the achievement of this significant milestone possible. It is one more step on the way to ensuring that people with disabilities are able to participate and live in their homes and community in the same way other people do.

I am also excited that our revamped website is now live. This is an important part of our information network, and we will continue to update and add features as we go along. The website is the first phase in making information about DSD-funded services and other disability support services more readily available.

With Christmas fast approaching I hope you all have a healthy and happy holiday season.

First support workers complete the HBSS training initiative trial

Rangi Wiremu is participating in the HBSS Training Initiative and was the first worker to finish all her workbooks nationally. Rangi works for Christian Healthcare Trust (CHT), an organisation that has been providing homebased support services since the late 1980s.

Christian Healthcare Trust provides homebased support services (HBSS) to the Auckland District Health Board population, with particular client concentrations in the Eastern suburbs and the Panmure/Mt Wellington areas and is one of the largest providers in the area.

Rangi is an amazing woman who gets up at 4.30 am to prepare her great grandchildren’s school lunches, starts work at 6 am and works quite long hours at times. Despite all this she has remained focused. She genuinely cares for clients and consistently receives compliments on her work.

Rangi says she has loved every minute of the training and would do it again in a heartbeat!

All 19 carers who are doing the training as part of the HBSS training initiative trial at CHT had completed it by 20 November. CHT has a mix of newer and more experienced workers on the training, and overall the feedback has been positive. They had planned to have some group sessions but their workers were so motivated they have been working individually on the modules. Sarah Andrews, the Home Support Manager for CHT says, ‘We have been humbled by their commitment and hard work and are very proud of all of them – the journey has presented each and every one with challenges they have overcome.’

CHT found that using external training resources specifically for home-based support workers served to illustrate and value the skills required of workers and the complexities of their role.

Workforce development
The Disability Services Directorate has a goal for disabled people to be supported in a way that increases their control over their own lives by having a trained and vibrant disability workforce.

So, what are some of the things happening at the moment?

The Home Based Support Services Training Initiative and Evaluation:
- planning for a rollout in 2007 of a Level 2 and Level 3 Home Based Support Services Qualification
- evaluation of the Home Based Support Services Training Initiative.
The development of a workforce programme for support workers in intellectual disability residential services.
The development of a workforce programme for support workers in physical disability residential services.
Needs Assessments and Services Co-ordination workforce development, including:
- development of undergraduate training and qualification
- development of postgraduate training and qualification
- training for Competence, including induction training; Ma¯ ori, Pacific and Disability Cultural competencies
- training for NASC managers.
Working jointly with other agencies on an Autistic Spectrum Disorder workforce project.
Maori and Pacific Development workforce
- this is about supporting Maori and Pacific therapy students to work in the DHB environment.

For more information about any of these exciting workforce development projects go to http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/disability-keyprojects

The Directorate is also delighted to note that Intellectual Disability specific papers have been introduced into Year 1, 2 and 3 of the Bachelor of Human Services (University of Auckland) from 2007, and that there is ongoing work with the aim of having a Masters degree programme available from 2008. Thanks to Spectrum Care for their significant effort in helping to make this happen.

Website
We have recently finished revamping our website. You will now find a lot more information for providers, service users and the public, including the services we fund, who can get these services and how they can find information about disability support services. We have also provided generic service specifications and information about contracting with DSD, the audit process and invoicing. Contact details for NASCs, DIAS and DSD regional offices are also now available. We will continue to add information to the site as it becomes available, and all information will be regularly updated. If you have any comments about the website please send them to disability@moh.govt.nz. Please quote the page URL.

It’s not about age, it’s about ability
Presentation by Patricia Moore

Patricia Moore, a leading international expert on environmental and product design, universal design and creating inclusive solutions, visited New Zealand during October as the guest of Southern Cross Healthcare.

Patricia is probably best known for designing ‘OXO Good Grips’ products (such as the easyto- hold potato peeler) that are used by people around the world. She has won numerous awards for her design of ‘ordinary’ products.

For three years Patricia travelled through the United States and Canada disguised as an elderly woman to experience how older people manage within different environments. This experience helped to shape her work in creating environments, as well as products and services that cover the lifespan.

Patricia spoke about how good design crosses all boundaries of age and disability. She emphasised that successful universal design needs to focus on giving everyone the opportunity and ability to participate, rather than identifying their age or disability as a barrier. She highlighted the struggle there has been to get everyday products and equipment designed so that anyone could use them not just ‘disabled’ or ‘old’ people.

She also gave us a brief look at some overseas designs currently under development, such as mobile robotic nurses, floor sensors and computerised teddy bears. With good design, even the standard commode chair may one day revert to the ‘Victorian’ era and become a much-loved furniture item!

Draft Evidence-based Guideline for Autism Spectrum Disorder ready for consultation
To finalise the Evidence-based Guideline for Autism Spectrum Disorder (draft ASD Guideline) the Ministries of Health and Education are giving the sector the opportunity to contribute to the document.

A three-month written public consultation process is being undertaken to gain feedback across the health, disability, education and social service sectors (December 2006 to February 2007). The consultation process will involve a mail out, on request, of the draft ASD Guideline and submission booklet. Copies of the draft ASD Guideline and submission booklet will also be available on the Ministry of Health website with links from the Ministry of Education website.

If you have any further queries about the consultation process or would like to request copies of the draft ASD Guideline, you can email ASD_Submission@moh.govt.nz, leave your contact details on 0800 ASD 222 (0800 273 222) or go to the Ministry of Health website http://www.moh.govt.nz/autismpectrumdisorder

Introducing new staff
Colleen Shramka, Project Manager (Physical Disability)

As Project Manager (Physical Disability), I will be working on two projects for the Planning and Development Team of Disability Services Directorate, based in the Wellington office.

The projects involve scoping and developing a plan for work to be completed on Physical Disability Residential and Rehabilitation Services.

I have come to the Ministry of Health from ACC where I was a Programme Manager for rehabilitation services for three-and-a-half years. I have a Bachelor of Science degree and am hoping to begin a Masters in Public Management in 2007.

Outside of work, I play ultimate frisbee and enjoy strategy board games, movies and theatre.

Two new projects now getting under way
Two new projects on residential services for people with physical disabilities and rehabilitation services for adults under the age of 65, are now getting under way.

These projects were initiated to address service gaps and suggested changes that were identified during forums with consumers across the country.

The Planning and Development Team of the Disability Services Directorate has contracted a project manager to develop a plan to look at what each of these projects will entail, how they should be run, who should be involved and what should be included.

Once each project has an initial plan, DSD will approach organisations for ideas on how best to involve the people who use these services. More information on these two projects and the work programme as it progresses will be available online at http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/disability-keyprojects soon.