Issue 23-Newsletters-News and Publications-Disability

Disability in New Zealand
News and Publications

Disability Services E-Newsletter

Issue 23 - November 2007
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In this issue:
Socrates goes live
DDG Update
Carer support funding increases
Staff movements
Specialised Operations
ACC help for the disabled
NASC Development Programme update

This newsletter is also available in PDF format:
Disability Services E-Newsletter: November 2007 (PDF, 687 KB)

Socrates goes live
National Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination (NASC) Information System

Throughout 2007 Disability Services has continued with developing a web based NationalNASC Information System, known as ‘Socrates’.

It is pleasing to announce that Socrates was rolled out as scheduled to the first group of NASCs on26 October. The first NASCs to ‘go live’ were: Support Links in Palmerston North, and LifeUnlimited (Hutt and Tairawhiti).

Roll out timetable. Please note: It is possible these dates could be subject to change.

Life Unlimited Hutt, Life Unlimited Tairawhiti, SupportLinks: 29 October
Bay Home Support, Focus, Access Ability Wanganui: 9 November
Disability Support Link (inc RIDCA), Access Ability Auckland, NorthABLE: 16 November
Access Ability Otago / Southland, Capital Support (inc RIDCA): 23 November
Access Ability Taranaki, Taikura Trust, Support Net: 30 November
Life Links (Inc RIDCA), Support Works: 7 December

The project is currently in a phase of significant activity. The group of NASCs that are now usingSocrates are still familiarising themselves fully with the software and the new nationallyconsistent workflow and tasks. The remainder of the NASCs are completing a number of tasks inpreparation for go live. These include the final steps of User Acceptance Testing, a small amountof manual data cleansing, and walking their staff through the new system using the trainingmaterial provided.

To support the implementation of Socrates, the Ministry was required to undertake and completea number of pieces of work.

HealthPACs Strategy and Development Group have madechanges to the functionality within the Ministry’s payment systems. This work has been completed in partnership withDisability Services and will improve the quality of thepayment related data held by the Ministry, plus alsoimprove the accuracy of payment. Disability Services choseto maximise the opportunity this project provided to makesome changes that have been desirable for some time. Theexpected result of these changes will include a reductionin rejected invoice lines, and quicker (and concurrent)information transfer between NASCs and HealthPAC.

Following the Disability Services Provider Forums held earlier this year, the Business Support Team hasworked with providers (mainly Home Based Support Services) regularly to encourage and support them tomake the necessary changes to the way they invoice the Ministry of Health. This work has focused onresolving any historical rejected invoice lines, separating Ministry and DHB funded clients when invoicingthe Ministry for services, and introducing a Disability Services specific set of service IDs. Many thanks foryour assistance with this work.

The Business Support Team has also completed a significant cleanse of Ministry contract data. Thisincluded making some changes that were required to the way contracts are set up so that contract datais consistent and complete across all contracts. This will ensure the contract related data is representedaccurately in Socrates.

The Business Support Team will continue to provide advice and support to providers about Socrates andwill release a further communication at the end of the roll out timetable. If you have any questionsabout the development and implementation of the National NASC Information System, please email disability@moh.govt.nz

DDG Update

Geraldine Woods, Deputy Director-General, Health and Disability National Services Directorate

Well as most of you will know we now have anew Minister of Health – David Cunliffe. Minister Cunliffe was previously Minister of Immigration, Information Technology andCommunications. Although we have a newMinister this will not affect the services wefund.

The first week of November saw the rollingout of Socrates, our new NASC informationmanagement system to the first three NASC.This system will be progressively rolled outover the next couple of months. There havebeen no significant problems or disruptions inthe first week - so far so good!

Disability Services has been busy providinginformation to the Social Services Select Committee on Disability Supports, preparinginformation for the new Minister and managingthe roll out of various projects such as the newHome Based Support Services Specifications (Homeand Community Support Service Specifications) andSocrates. We have been working hard on increasingour cross-agency work with ACC, Ministry of SocialDevelopment, Ministry of Education and Child Youthand Family in particular and ensuring that themoney we received in the budget is used where’s itsneeded. We have been able to put more moneyinto Carer Support meaning these payments haveincreased in most areas. It’s been a busy year andDisability Services staff are looking forward to sometime off over the Christmas and New Year period. Aquick reminder the Ministry of Health offices will beclosed from Tues 25 December till Thursday 3 Jan.

As this is the last newsletter of the year, I wouldlike to take this opportunity to wish everyone ahappy and healthy festive season and I look forwardto working with and for you in 2008.

Carer support funding increases

From 01 November 2007, the amount paid for Carer Support Subsidy will increase for Ministry ofHealth funded recipients. This change has been made to make the payment for Carer Support Subsidies around the country consistent. In some areas of the country this will mean a minimalchange. In others, it will be a more substantial increase.

In addition to this, for those living in Northern, Midland and Central regions, the old family rate will nowbe included in the Informal Carer rate. This will mean that eligible family members (as outlined below)will be reimbursed a rate that is equal to non-family members.

From 01 November 2007, the new rates will be:
Informal Carers - $76 per day (GST exclusive) for a 24 hour period
Formal Providers - $85.50 per day (GST inclusive) for a 24 hour period

Informal Carers

Informal carers are people who provide relief care in an informal setting such as a domestic dwelling.They are engaged to provide the relief support directly by the full-time carer. These carers are typicallyfriends, neighbours, other people or some family members (please see below for which family membersare able to claim carer support) who provide relief support outside the umbrella of a formal providerorganisation.

Which family members can claim carer support?
Carer Support can be paid to family members who are not the full-time carer of the disabled person andwho do not live at the same address as the disabled person. A family member, in this instance, isdefined as a grandparent, grandchild, daughter, son, sister, brother, aunt or uncle.The following family members cannot be paid carer support to provide relief support for their disabledfamily member:

Spouses, partners, parents and other full-time carers. Please note that spouses, even if they donot live at the same address as the disabled person, cannot claim carer support.
Other family members who live at the same address as the disabled person.

Formal Providers

Formal providers are relief carers who provide support in a formal/commercial setting and/or via anorganisation. These providers include organisations such as rest homes, private and public hospitals,professional home workers, voluntary organisations, day care centres etc.

If have any queries about the Carer Support Subsidy please do not hesitate to call HealthPAC on freephone number 0800 281 222.

Staff movements

Nancy Wright, Project Manager ESS
I joined the Ministry at theend of September for a sixmonth contract as a projectmanager in the Planning andDevelopment team of Disability Services. Myrole is to implement new funding criteria forequipment for people with long term disabilityand to review the existing system of assessoraccreditation. Prior to joining the Ministry Iwas a senior lecturer at AUT Universityteaching on the BHSc in Occupational Therapy.I have been a lecturer for nearly twenty years,the last nine of these in Aotearoa/New ealand.Before I joined the tertiary education sector Ipracticed as an occupational therapist in theUK.

I am a passionate advocate of my professionand have just finished a two year term as thePresident of the New Zealand Association ofOccupational Therapists. Although I still retaina portfolio as Past President for one moreyear – I am not sure what I shall do with all myextra time!

Some of the occupations I am looking forwardto are: reading a few more books ( especiallytrashy detective novels ); spending more timewith the family – I have a son who is sixteenand a daughter who is twelve ; and workingwith my husband to get the garden into somekind of order ! Interspersed with this will besome greater exploration of New Zealandwines!

Sheryl Hall, Senior Personal Assistant to the DDG
Sheryl Hall has been appointed the Senior PA to Geraldine Woods. Sheryl took up this position amonth ago after Lorelle Armitage returned to Australia. Sheryl was previously the PA for theChief Advisor Disability and to the Manager of thepolicy team. Sheryl also provided executiveassistance to the Policy Team. Sheryl has a longhistory of senior personal assistant roles in thewide variety of organisations both here and inAustralia.

Sheryl is an avid boatie and fisher woman andenjoys watching motor sports.

Karla Powell, Contract Analyst — Northern Operations
In September 2007 I returned home from Australia,to take up the position of Contract Analyst in theDisability Services, Northern Operations team. Ihad been living and working in the NorthernTerritory for the past seven years, most recently asa contract manager in the aged and communitycare area of the Australian GovernmentDepartment of Health and Ageing. This roleincluded a lot of travel and gave me the fantasticopportunity to visit and experience life in manyvery remote and challenging locations. During mytime up in the tropics, I also worked as a servicemanager delivering home based support services inthe remote Aboriginal community of Galiwin'ku,located on Elcho Island in the East Arnhem regionof the NT.

Aside from work I love fishing, cooking, holidaysand believe that it's only a matter of time before Iwin lotto!!

Specialised Operations

Disability Services has several operations team members who manage specialised portfolios. They work closely with disability service providers and the sector to ensure quality support services are available.They manage specific contracts within their specialities and are involved in developing projects withother teams to address the needs of their consumers.

In addition to managing contracts the IDDCR Team manages the administration of the Intellectual Disability(Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act, 2003 (IDCC&R Act). It manages the appointment of statutoryofficers and assesses their performance, guidelines and operational procedures. They liaise with otheragencies such as Justice, Corrections and the Police. The overall responsibility for the administration of the(IDCC&R Act) is the responsibility of the Chief Advisor – Disability Services.

Environmental Support Services are a range of services funded by the Ministry of Health
Equipment and Modifications Service (EMS) - Equipment, housing modifications, vehicle purchase andmodifications
Hearing Services - Children’s Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants, Hearing Aid Subsidy
Vision Services – Children’s Spectacle Subsidy, Contact Lens Subsidy
Specialised Assessment Services - Wheelchair and Seating, Assistive Technology / Specialist Communication
Specialised Assessor Training - Wheelchair and Seating
Other supports - Wigs and Breast Prostheses, Artificial Eyes

The team members involved in this area manage specific contracts and help service development/improvement through ongoing and new projects.

Trish Davis, National Operations Manager, National Operations, (07) 858 7029

IDCCR OperationalServices
Debbie Hughes, National Service Manager, Intellectual Disability Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation, (04) 496 2554
Rachel Daysh, Senior Advisor, Intellectual Disability Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation, (07) 858 7027 or (04) 496 2042
Evie Ross, Executive Assistant, Intellectual Disability Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation, (04) 496 2440

Environmental SupportServices (ESS)
Sarah Hamlin, Contract Relationship Manager, Manages ESS contracts including Hearing, Vision, Specialised Assessment services, Specialised Assessor Training and other supports: RNZFB, Deaf Association, Hearing Therapy Services, Southern Cochlear Implant Contract, (04) 496 2243
Sue Primrose, Programme Manager, Environmental Support Services plus manages the Accessable contract, (04) 496 2294
Mark Powell, Regional Portfolio Manager - Southern Ops, Enable New Zealand contract, (04) 496 2384

ACC help for the disabled

If you’re disabled and get injured, you can apply for help from ACC – whether or not you’re gettingMinistry of Health (MoH) funded support.

Many disabled people aren’t aware they’re covered by ACC. But like everyone else in New Zealand,those with a pre-existing disability are entitled to seek ACC’s help following an injury – no matter whereor how the injury happens.

If you receive MOH-funded support, this doesn’t affect your entitlement to ACC help either – you can getACC assistance on top of your MoH support.

The help ACC can provide ranges from payments towards medical and physiotherapy costs, to things likehome help, personal care and transport to and from treatment.

What help you can get depends on the nature of your injury and your particular circumstances.

Joe – a case study
Here’s an example that shows how ACC is able to help.

Joe is a wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy, who receives disability support services from MoH.One day, Joe falls out of his wheelchair and breaks his hip.

Joe’s doctor fills out an ACC claim form on his behalf, and Joe is able to get various types of help fromACC while he recovers from his injury – without it affecting his MoH support.

For example, ACC pays for the ambulance that takes Joe to hospital, helps pay for the treatmentrequired for his broken hip, and also contributes to Joe’s travel costs to and from treatment.

Once Joe has recovered from his injury, ACC’s assistance stops, but he continues to get uninterruptedMoH support before, during and after his ACC claim.

Get help promptly for injuries
If you get injured, it’s important to get treatment as soon as possible. When you do, the doctor or nursewill help you fill out an ACC claim form.

Once ACC receives this form, they’ll contact you by phone or letter to let you know if your claim isaccepted. If it is, ACC will work with you and your health professional to make sure you get the supportand medical care you need.

To find out more about ACC services and entitlements, visit: www.acc.govt.nz or call 0800 101 996

NASC Development Programme update

The two-year NASC Development Programme(2005-2007) is now complete. The programmewas for Ministry of Health-funded NASCs whowork with people who have a lifelongimpairment. It focused on their Capability andCapacity. Members of Disability Services'sConsumer Consortium, DPA, Carers NZ and theNASC Association (NASCA) were involved in theDevelopment Programme.

Capacity
Previously some NASCs in different parts of thecountry were funded differently. All NASCs arenow funded for their work in the same way,making it fairer.

Capability
The Capability workstream focused on buildingcompetence. This was in specific areas ofpractice, and around national qualificationsrelevant to the work of assessment, planning andcoordination.

Training and development
During the last two years all NASC

have undergone an induction training dayand been given nationally consistentmaterials to continue this for new staff
have been provided with training formanagers in methods of professionalsupport such as mentoring
have been offered cultural competencytraining with a "train the trainer”approach, in relation to Maori, andseparately, Pacific cultural competency
have attended training in "disabilityculture, awareness, competence andresponsiveness".

Each segment can be used by NASCs for ongoingtraining. A highlight of the training programmewas the two-day hui held at Turangawaewaemarae on "Toitu", a framework for Maori culturalcompetence in organisations.

So what happens now?
There are two major ongoing initiatives.

The first is Workforce development, with the focus on looking at the need for a graduate levelqualification. NASCs are completing a survey oftheir qualifications and future needs. Informationfrom the survey will determine how availablefunding is assigned for undergraduate or postgraduate training.

Careerforce has advised us that the NationalCertificate (Level 5) that has been createdspecifically for needs assessors and servicecoordinators is with the New Zealand QualificationAuthority (NZQA) for final approval. The approvalwill begin once the domain name (overarchingdescriptor) has been accepted by NZQA. Weexpect the qualification will be registered early inthe new year, if not before. Once registered, wewill start looking at how the Ministry can work withNASCs to encourage workers to sign up for thetraining.

Good progress in being made, with the ClinicalTraining Agency, to prepare service specificationsfor a graduate diploma that will be designedspecifically for needs assessors and servicecoordinators with existing qualifications. This iswork that has been expected since 2005 and wasinitiated in response to a 2004 NASC workforcesurvey.

The project team expects to announce, around lateNovember 2007, a Request for Proposals (RFP) todevelop and deliver the new postgraduatequalification. If you are aware of tertiary educationproviders who have expressed interested indeveloping and delivering postgraduate NASCtraining please tell Rob Gill who manages thedisability workforce programme.

The second involves a change in focus. Instead of looking at input to all NASCs nationally through a largescaleprogramme of work, we are now focusing on consolidating the outcomes of individual NASCs. In anew project, Consolidating the Development Programme, the Development Manager NASC will supportthe Ministry's Disability Services Contract Relationship Managers in their role with individual NASCs.

Other significant developments:

Implementation of Socrates, the national information system for Ministry funded NASCs (see article offront page).
Ministry funded NASCs are meeting with their relevant ACC colleagues and home based providersaround the country to receive training in the new MOH/ACC Home and Community Support Servicespecification. The new specifications focus on assessors working with the disabled person to identifygoals and outcomes, and then the disabled person and their providers working together to achievethem.

Contacts
Consolidating the Development Programme: Jenny Moor, Jenny_Moor@moh.govt.nz
Workforce Development: Rob Gill, Rob_Gill@moh.govt.nz

Wishing you a happyand healthy festiveseasonfrom everyone atDisability Services

Office hours over Christmas and New YearThe Ministry of Health will be closed fromTuesday 25 December till Monday 7 January.