Issue 28-Newsletters-News and Resources-Disability

Disability in New Zealand
News and Publications

e-newsletter - Issue 28 - April 2009

In this issue:
Introducing the new Disability Support Services Group
DDG update
Training and Leadership Fund
Service Standards 2008
IHC Telecom Art Awards
NZASID Conference
Talking up Disability
Māori Provider Development Scheme
NZ Federation of Disability Information Centres Conference

Introducing the new Disability Support Services Group
Welcome to the new DisabilitySupport Services Group

Introducing Anne O’Connell, Group Manager, Disability Support Services
Anne O’Connell has recently been appointed the new Group Manger for Disability Support Services.

Anne has extensive experience in the health and disability sector managing, developing and purchasing health and disability services. This includes supporting and implementing legislative, government and policy changes. She has a particular interest in service innovation and new service models and is well versed in policy development, monitoring and evaluation of services, stakeholder management and project
management.

Anne has worked with ACC for the past 10 years in a variety of roles including the National Manager Rehabilitation Service Development, Interim Manager Health Purchasing, Acting National Policy Manager and manager Primary Care Services. Prior to that Anne held positions with Ko Te Poumanawa Oranga as a Health Services Advisor, the Health Funding Authority as a Health Service Analyst, Capital Coast Health as the Team Leader Services for the Elderly and at Wellington Polytechnic as a Nursing Tutor.

Originally trained as a Registered General and Obstetric Nurse, Anne has an Advanced Diploma in Nursing, a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master of Nursing Studies. Anne is an Associate Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Health Management and outside of work enjoys travelling, reading, going to the theatre, walking and golf.

The Team
The Senior Advisor Complex Support provides advice and support to the group around complex packages of care and is part of the Senior Management Team.

The Manager Special Projects Disability (interim) assists with significant projects such allocating funding for for long-term support services for people with chronic health conditions and is a member of the Senior Management Team.

Team Managers
As most of you will be aware from our last newsletter the new organisational structure for Disability Support Services came in to effect on Dec 1 2008. Over the past few months DSS has been in a transition phase with handover completed on March 2 this year. As part of this new structure we would like to introduce you to the new Team Managers. These positions took effect on 14th April.

Family & Community team

Marsha Marshall
Marsha is an import from the Canadian Rockies, and now, with 11 years of experience in New Zealand, proudly sports a Kiwi passport. With a passion for community based care and training as a paediatric nurse, Marsha started her NZ experience at Starship Hospital. She set up the Family Options programme offering respite care to families with medically fragile children. From there, Marsha moved to Waitemata District Health Board where she held a variety of roles over 8 years, from launching the Home Care for Kids Programme, to most recently the Service Manager of Community Services for Older Adults and Home Health. Marsha has been at the Ministry of Health for the past year, responsible for the implementation of the new joint ACC/MOH Home and Community Support Services Specification, and various other community oriented projects in Disability Support Services. Marsha is passionate about the design and delivery of services that continue to improve outcomes for disabled people.

Group & Contracting Support team

Strategy & Sector Support team (interim)
Alison Hearn
Alison has been the Manager of the Planning and Development team in Disability Services for the past two years. Alison has a rich experience in the health, disability and education sectors. As an ex nursing tutor, auditor of residential care facilities and provider of residential and home based support services, Alison is passionate about quality and standards of service. In 2003/04 Alison managed the Quality and Safety project at the Ministry of Health before moving to ACC where she was the Manager of the Monitoring team. Outside work Alison is an avid supporter of the hurricanes and can be found dressed in yellow and black frequently throughout the Super 14 season. She has three adult children and loves music and walking on the beach at Whangamata.

Service Access team

Mark Powell
Mark has worked in the Ministry of Health and its predecessors, the Regional Health Authority and the Health Funding Authority, over the past twelve years. During this time Mark has worked primarily in the area of contracting and project management of disability support services. Mark’s previous role was the Manager of the Southern Operations team. In this role he was responsible for the management of disability support service contracts for the lower North Island and all of the South Island as well as national oversight of the Equipment & Modification and IDEA contracts. Mark is excited about the opportunity to manage new areas.

kangaroo on a scooter

Community Living team

Jon Gaupset
Jon has worked in the intellectual disability field over the past twenty years, starting in direct care and moving through a variety of management, project
and policy roles. Jon left his position as a senior operational manager in supported accommodation services with the NSW Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care, Australia to move to New Zealand with his family. Jon first joined the Ministry of Health in November 2007 as a Contract Relationship Manager and is looking forward to his new role.

DDG update
Geraldine Woods
Deputy Director-General
Health & Disability National Services

As I write this the temperatures have taken a sharp dip and it feels like winter has arrived. Disability Support Services plus other groups in the wider Directorate have recently moved desks and in some cases offices in line with the new organisational structure.

The transition of Disability Support Services (DSS) to its new structure is nearing completion. A new Group Manager, Anne O’Connell, has been appointed and started work last week. Anne has extensive knowledge and experience of the health and disability arena and I am very pleased that she has joined DSS and the Directorate. Managers for the five teams have been appointed and also started work last week. You will see some new as well as familiar faces in these roles.

Now that these appointments are in place we can steam ahead with our plans to ensure we are working as effectively as possible in planning for and funding disability support services from a national perspective of service delivery.

The last couple of months have seen consumer forum, hui and fono held throughout the country. It is always really useful for DSS staff to meet face to face with people who use the services we fund. Input from these meetings helps us to prioritise our work and refine our action plans. Feedback from attendees shows strong support for these meetings and has also highlighted the benefit of having other government agencies present, particularly the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Education - Group Special Education.

As we move out the other side of an organisational re-structure and towards the end of the financial year there is much to keep us all busy. At this time, and with winter approaching, we need to ensure we take the time to relax and look after ourselves. I have recently had my flu vaccination and hope this will ward off any bugs over the next few months.

Supporting the Disability Support Services Group

A number of roles from within the wider Directorate support the Disability Support Services Group and are part of the Senior Management team. These are:
Chief Advisor Disability - Lester Mundell
Group Manager Quality - Rhondda King
Strategic Advisor Māori and Equity - Roger Jolley

DSS organisation chart

Training and Leadership Fund
People First - Self-advocacy for people with learning disabilityLearning about self-advocacy - Speaking Up Course

The Speaking Up Course will assist people with learning disability to strengthen their confidence, develop their personal skills and understanding of relationships, and explore their lives within their families, and residential and vocational services. The course will place a strong emphasis on experiential learning.

The intention is to give workshop experiences to the students where they can discuss, roleplay and also express themselves through artwork and mediums other than speaking and writing. The courses will teach the students how speaking-up can be maintained in their daily lives. The course can also help them to appreciate and value their own abilities.

The Speaking Up Course is suitable for most people with learning disability. The only proviso is that each person can participate respectfully in a group setting.

There will be 16-20 students in the group.

2009 -PART 1 – SPEAKING-UP is foundation learning and an opportunity to participate in ‘speaking-up’ group exercises, to meet new friends and to help one another grow as human beings. We have had two Part 1 courses so far. They have been very popular and there is a strong demand for Part 2.

2010 - PART 2 – SELF-ADVOCACY – YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. In 2010, we would like to offer Part 2. This course will build on the Part 1 learning and will explore in a simple way, the fundamental laws, rights and responsibilities we all have as New Zealanders. A variety of visual aids, videos, teaching tools and creative, experiential processes will be used to present this learning.

The courses will be facilitated by members of the People First Mid-South Group and will be supported by a People First assistant.

People First Christchurch.
For more information contact:
Mid South Region:
Graeme Parish: (03) 366 4210
Email: south@peoplefirst.org.nz

Pam Shanks(Assistant): (03) 981 6067
Email: pam@peoplefirst.org.nz

Speaking Up, self-advocacy courses

DATES: Fortnightly - 10 sessions
12th May
26th May
9th June
23rd June
14th July
28th July
11th August
25th August
8th September
22th September

Service Standards 2008
Certification of Healthcare Services - Introduction of the Health and Disability Services Standards 2008

The Health and Disability Services Standards 2008 come into effect on 1 June 2009. They replace the Health and Disability Standards 2001. These are largely revised Standards rather than new Standards and are
focused on outcomes for consumers.

In the main, changes involve updates or amendments designed to reduce duplication in the Standards and provide greater clarity and consistency. Therefore providers who are compliant with the current Standards can anticipate they will have few issues becoming compliant with the revised Standards.

The revised sector-agreed Standards are the result of three years extensive collaboration with many groups including consumers, providers, government and non-government agencies and the Ministry of Health. They
have been structured in a new way that will make it easier to review and update parts of them in the future, in order to keep pace with new trends and developments. For more information go to:
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/certification-standards

IHC Telecom Art Awards
The IHC Telecom Art Awards call for entries

The IHC Telecom Art Awards were established in 2004 to encourage and recognise creativity from New Zealanders with an intellectual disability. Over the years it has become an important event, with over 650 people entering in 2008.

Art works and completed entry forms are to be submitted between 5 June and 3 July 2009. More information can be found at http://www.ihc.org.nz/Default.aspx?tabid=1540

NZASID Conference
The New Zealand Association for the Study of Intellectual Disability 6th Annual Conference, August 2009

NZASID is pleased to announce it will be holding its 6th Annual Conference on 26th and 27th August 2009 in Hamilton at the Novotel Hamilton Tainui. The theme this year is: From Theory to Practice – Knowledge
and Practices.

The keynote speakers will be:

Professor Gwynnyth Llewellyn – Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney.
Professor Ian Evans – Professor of Psychology at Massey University.
Martin Sullivan – Senior Lecturer at Massey University.

The association invites you to add to the wealth of ideas and work going on within NZ, and to share your knowledge and good practices. Similar to last year’s conference, there will be a stream on Mental Health and Forensics. Presenters should ensure that their presentation addresses the conference theme.

Proposals for presentations should be submitted by 1st July 2009 by email to adrian@cct.org.nz (Please include ‘NZASID Conference’ in Subject header).

Proposals must be on the “Call for papers” form which can be found at: http://www.assid.org.au/Portals/0/Branches/2009NZASID_6thAnnConf_CallForPapers&Form.pdf

Talking up Disability
Radio Show by Edith Morris from the Post Polio Support Society of NZ
Tuesdays from 11:00am repeated Saturdays from 4:00pm, AM1206

Edith brings you a show about those in the community who have a disability. The focus is on living out of ability, not disability. She interviews a wide range of people with disabilities, their families, and those in the role of offering services and care. Life philosophies, motivations, selfdevelopment, ideas for emotional and spiritual wellbeing are discussed.

Each week there is a notice-board to keep listeners informed about the many seminars, courses, events, sports, training and projects available. Edith has a background in volunteer work with various city projects, and involvement in organisations run by disabled for disabled. With a disability herself, she is outspoken on behalf of her community.

Edith is passionate about seeing those with disabilities recognised as having a vital input into our communities. Talents, abilities and huge diversity are found in this sector of our community, and this show, Talking Up Disability, encourages even greater participation. Contact: edith@catchword.co.nz , http://www.catchword.co.nz/radio.html

The radio stations website for listening on line (streaming) or downloads:
http://www.communityradio.co.nz/
http://www.communityradio.co.nz/index.asp?pageID=2145827055

Māori Provider Development Scheme for 2008/09
Applications Close 4pm, Friday 22 May

The Ministry of Health has released the Māori Provider Development Scheme for 2008/09, and is inviting funding applications from regional Māori Health and Disability providers and National Māori Organisations.

Application forms can be downloaded from the web address below. It is important that applicants complete the form in full and attach all supporting documentation that is required (e.g. quotes) in the hard copy application form. Applicants should submit one electronic copy of their application via email, and one hard copy with the necessary attachments.

For more information please go to:
http://www.maorihealth.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexma/maori-provider-development-scheme

For any further information please email
MPDSadministrator@moh.govt.nz

Application forms:
http://www.maorihealth.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesma/434/$File/mpds-regional-applicationform-09.doc
http://www.maorihealth.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesma/434/$File/mpds-national-applicationform-09.doc

NZ Federation of Disability Information Centres Training Conference – 18-19 May Conference
Registrations are now open for the disability information event of the year. The NZFDIC Annual Training
Conference 09 - "Movers and Shakers" - will be held in Napier on the 18th and 19th May. With a host of challenging, vibrant speakers this is not a conference for the faint-hearted! Download the Registration Brochure today and ensure your place at this exciting event.
http://www.nzfdic.org.nz/TCbrochure09.pdf

Information for the NGO Sector go to
www.ngo.health.govt.nz

Important notice:
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Health.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this newsletter, the Ministry of Health is not responsible for any ommissions, inaccuracies or changes that may have taken place after publication.