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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3681 ..

The Dell Report was released shortly before this Government came into office. It emphasised the need to move to more accessible, equitable, consumer focused disability services.

We accepted its findings and in early 1995 we put in place a team to implement many of its recommendations.

And we made sure that the Disability Services Development Project, as it became known, was adequately resourced and positioned to drive these reforms.

With support from the Project team the Disability Program has made significant progress in the areas of housing, staff development and training, respite care and behaviour management, service standards, and case management

And within the Program, a range of structural improvements have been made. The real purpose of these changes of course, is to have a commitment to working to achieve better outcomes for clients.

. We now have regional, inter-disciplinary disability support teams in place so as to provide more accessible and flexible support services.

. We have introduced vastly improved work practices including electronic rostering, streamlined reporting arrangements and more efficient and accountable financial management procedures.

. Sweeping changes have been made to improve efficiency in the management of staff recruitment, workplace consultation, rehabilitation and compensation.

. New, improved policies and procedures have now been developed for the day-to-day operation of group houses and hostels.

. Better information systems are in place for service delivery, staffing and planning.

. We have now implemented staff development programs to support our people to provide the highest quality service to clients.

This has occurred through initiatives like the Traineeship in Developmental and Disability Support which is the first of its type in Australia and has recently had its curriculum nationally accredited.

Other initiatives include access to recognition of prior learning for staff who wish to gain qualifications and a range of new training programs covering such areas as service values, the Disability Service Standards, Information Technology and Budget Management.

. And, the reform of centre based respite care services has begun.

In the ACT we should and we do have a clear focus on supporting people with disabilities to live in the community and not in institutional settings.

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