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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (19 November) . . Page.. 3701 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

It is not only in the area of government service provision that we have made significant impact. This Government is also committed to increasing the role that the community sector plays in service provision in this area. The major objective has been the expansion of the range of service options in the community sector. This has been achieved through directing growth and transition funds made available to the ACT under the Commonwealth-Territory Disability Agreement to expand the accommodation support, daytime activity, community access and respite care services provided by the non-government sector. We have also directed growth funding under the home and community care program, which we all know has been significant over the last two years, to develop a range of innovative respite care options such as the new leisure links service, volunteer activity-based services and a pilot host family respite service.

Mr Speaker, a major initiative of the Government has been the expansion and development of individual support packages that aim to allow individuals to purchase tailored support packages in a way that maximises their choice and control in accessing the service system. In the 1995-96 budget this Government provided an additional $600,000 to purchase more support packages. This funding resulted in a further 34 people accessing individual support packages, which brought the total number to 71. These packages represent a significant reform, and I am pleased to inform members that the ACT is a leader in this type of funding arrangement in Australia. In fact, our approach has been identified in the final report of the review of the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement as a possible national funding model.

We have also been successful in negotiating with the Commonwealth Government to pilot the inclusion in our individual funding packages of funding to support people accessing employment services. This has also been a national first and a significant step in breaking down the program barriers to a fully integrated funding system. To further improve individual support packages we commissioned a review - a review is when you look at what people think, consult and all those sorts of things, things that Ms Tucker does not think we do - earlier this year, and that report has recently been presented to the ACT Disability Services Advisory Committee. That committee advises on these sorts of areas and talks to carers and all of those sorts of people. It will conduct consultations on the report and its recommendations and provide advice back to the Government on further reforms.

Mr Speaker, no one model or sector can claim to be perfect or solve all the problems facing people with disabilities. All service providers have difficulties in balancing the competing needs of their clients, parents, families, staff and community; and that is unlikely to change. This is a very difficult area. However, it is a fact that this Government has made a significant commitment to improve the range and quality of services provided to people with disabilities. Our record is one of achievement, innovation and reform and is a record that has been unmatched by previous governments.

I think it is very important here to also speak about mental health because that is the other area Ms Tucker seemed to dwell upon. The area of mental health has been an ongoing dilemma since self-government, and probably before, in the ACT and, for that matter, elsewhere in Australia. With that in mind, when we came to government last year we put in place a number of reviews. There was the Purdon accommodation services review.

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