Page 382 - Week 01 - Thursday, 17 February 2011
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(3) What support is provided if there is a two parent household in comparison to a one parent household and is the same level of support provided in both cases.
(4) Why doesn’t the ACT Government provide the same level of support as the NSW Government, for example, at least 24 hours support per week for young people with moderate disabilities who are school leavers and 30 hours per week of support for young people with severe disabilities that are school leavers.
(5) How many students are expected will leave Black Mountain School in each of the next five years.
(6) What provisions does the ACT Government make to offer tertiary education options for students who leave Black Mountain School and what is the current uptake of these options.
(7) Will the Government report on the uptake of the options referred to in part (6) by these specific students in future.
Ms Burch: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) Completing secondary schooling is a major transition point for all young people and their family. For most families this is a time where adjustments are made to the families routines.
The ACT Government believes that each young person should be free to pursue their own individual and unique vocational pathway after they leave school, regardless of the complexity of their disabilities.
There have been a number of instances where people with high and complex disabilities have nonetheless gone on to find paid employment, to establish small businesses, or to pursue creative or artistic vocations.
The purpose of the ACT Governments funding for school leavers is to assist these young people to pursue their individual vocational goals. It is not intended to be a replacement for school, or to merely offer supervision while their parents are at work.
In 2010, the minimum committed funding was $17,280 per annum per person, which is the equivalent of 12 hours of support per week with a community access service. Where needed, some individuals are also allocated additional funding for life skills training services of up to $10, 560 per annum (the equivalent of 5 hours per week).
However, Disability ACT works with each individual and their family in determining their support needs. In this process staff consider the full circumstances of the family as well as that of the young person.
Where the young person requires additional support during the day while their family are at work, Disability ACT staff assist the family to link to other activities during the day, including community sporting, social, and recreation activities, volunteering, or where required to funded services such as respite, or Home and Community Care (HACC) services.
In circumstances where these supports have been insufficient, and the gap in supervised support has represented a significant hardship for the family, Disability
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