Page 1034 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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In December last year, the ACT Greens held a forum for parents and carers to discuss these and other related issues. This was a valuable opportunity for me to hear firsthand of the many struggles parents and carers are experiencing right now, as they work to support their young people in the last years of their schooling and as they begin to plan for sometimes an uncertain future.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who attended, and applaud them for offering me not only personal stories of their lives, but also clear and articulate ideas for what needs to be done to improve the current system. The ACT Greens will continue to communicate with all stakeholders to develop policies based on best practice that will better support people with a disability, their families and carers.
Forum participants felt that for many people with a disability, and their families and carers, this funding does not provide enough support to ensure that carers can engage with full-time employment themselves. Many family carers are unpaid, and many want to be able to work. The lost productivity for the nation and the impact on the workforce and relationships is immense. It was also noted that the New South Wales model of individual support funding could provide up to 30 hours of similar support, which was felt to be much more realistic in supporting workforce participation for parents and carers, and in offering people with a disability increased social, recreational and educational opportunities.
For some young people with a disability, the end of school can signal a drastic reduction in social inclusion and engagement in the community. It can be a time when important social and life skills can be lost if positive and meaningful programs and opportunities are not provided in an ongoing and timely way.
In addition, for some of these young people, learning new skills can take considerable time; however, those skills can become eroded quite quickly if they are not maintained. The same can be said of more vocational skills as well. Therefore, it is vital to have as clear and seamless transition as possible for those young people who are able and seeking to engage in supported employment, employment, and education. There is also a need to provide opportunities for genuine social inclusion and potential life skills learning for young people who may have a more moderate to severe or complex disability.
There are numerous examples of how other jurisdictions in Australia and overseas have sought to provide ongoing opportunities for people with a disability to maintain social connectedness, engage with skills development, and support continuing transition points. Most of these initiatives rely on a community hub, day service, or community college model.
While some of these models differ in approach, there are many common themes. Importantly, these programs and services can, while offering meaningful opportunities for people with a disability, allow carers to engage with work and their social networks as well.
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