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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3680 ..

Mr Speaker, 13 months ago, I made a Ministerial Statement to this Assembly which outlined the Government's plans to implement reforms within our disability services.

Today, I would like to report on the significant progress that has been achieved during the past year and detail further reforms that will be undertaken by ACT Community Care Disability Program.

In making this Statement, I am mindful of the criticism that has been levelled in recent weeks at both the staff and the management of the Disability Program, particularly residential services.

This criticism, Mr Speaker, has undermined confidence and morale among the many staff who provide the very highest level of care and support to their clients.

It has also resulted in a great deal of unnecessary stress for the families and the guardians of people with disabilities.

Mr Speaker, no-one has ever described the ACT's services and care for people with disabilities as perfect. We do have a long way to go.

But it is about time that all Members of this Assembly recognise that we have come a hell of a long way since self-government, in providing better quality services and better levels of care, and promoting the inclusion of these people as valued members of our community.

There are significant issues that remain to be addressed but I can assure you THAT THEY ARE BEING ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW.

But these changes can only happen with the co-operation of everyone involved, from parent, to guardian, to staff member, to the individual himself or herself, and, just as importantly, with the support of all of us here today.

They take time. They must be taken carefully. And above all else, they can only occur against a background where we stop treating people with disabilities as somehow different from other individuals in our community.

Because disability services is without doubt, THE most difficult and THE most sensitive area of service provision within the community today.

But if you scratch the surface, you'll find there are enormous changes taking place, both here and overseas.

It is worth remembering that the Community Care Disability Program provides more than just group homes for people with disabilities.

In fact, the Program offers integrated support services, including centre based respite, professional services, advice and referral, recreation services and of course, accommodation support.

Mr Speaker, the reform agenda underway in the ACT is based on several recent reviews of disability services, input from the Canberra community and in particular, the recommendations of the 1994 Dell Report on Intellectual Disability Services.

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