Page 1032 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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pathways and supported skills learning. In some cases, early planning and targeted support may have eased the pressure and created better pathways. However, many families have expressed frustration to me regarding a general lack of strategic planning support earlier in the life of their children.
The Greens believe that anyone should have access to an education that meets their needs and aspirations and gives them the skills and capacity to participate in society. We want to see an education system that encourages and supports the efforts of all students to reach their potential and a high school and college system that engages with, and provides opportunities for, all young people to extend their knowledge and capabilities in ways that enrich their lives. For many young people with a disability, school provides a vital link to peers and supportive social connections as well as providing structure and stimulation through the week. We also want to see all young people supported to transition to adult life successfully and to have a range of options appropriate to their needs.
For some families, therefore, this key transition point can be a time of some concern. Parents, carers and young people may be faced with uncertainty, increased financial concerns, accommodation issues and the need for greater day-to-day support.
While the Community Services Directorate, Disability ACT, reported in recent annual report hearings that, in relation to information sessions for transitions, “in reality interest tends to be from about year 11 upwards”, many of the parents and carers consulted by the ACT Greens have expressed frustration that they have not been properly supported to begin post-school planning at a much earlier time. In fact, the most commonly stated desire of parents and carers who contact my office is that support should be provided to begin planning at year 9 as a minimum.
I am calling for the government to recognise that for many young people and their families, more support is needed to begin dedicated and structured planning for post-school options—definitely before year 11. I am also calling on the government to recognise that for many young people with a disability, and their families and carers, navigating the complex system of post-school options, support programs and funding can be difficult and stressful.
The various sources, types, assessment requirements and combinations of funding for support services can be an extremely complex and confusing system to navigate, and finding out about the full range of services available can often require a series of trial-and-error learning experiences.
Many caregivers report feeling both overwhelmed and disempowered by the processes of identifying and acquiring support funding after their young people have left school. This includes working with agencies such as Centrelink, Disability ACT, housing services and many others. One parent I spoke to about this process said:
… we feel like we had to do a lot of hard yards to find out about services, only to find they are full and had long waiting lists, or were inappropriate for our child … it was so frustrating.
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