Page 1039 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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once”, local area coordination at the DISH, and the commencement of a direct funding pilot are all part of our evolution to a more person-centred and responsive approach.
The Community Services Directorate is committed to continuous improvement to understand its clients, to develop the best options and outcomes for contemporary situations, and to gain further knowledge of the underlying social issues.
Before I close, I will just read some basic dollar statistics about Disability ACT and the range of services that it provides to the community. Funding for disability services has risen from $41 million back in 2002-03 to now $83.6 million in 2011-12. This is an increase of 101 per cent in funding assigned to disability services. Over the same period from 2002-03 to 2011-12 accommodation places have risen by 64 per cent, community support places have risen by 158 per cent, community access hours have risen by 140 per cent, and flexible respite hours have risen by 117 per cent.
Last year the 2011-12 budget provided an additional $10.3 million over four years to ensure a sustained response is provided to individuals who require support as a result of breakdown of natural and/or formal support and who are transitioning from school to adult life. The initiative provides specialist after-school care and holiday support for young people, which has begun; certainly the after-school care program has begun in the first term and the upcoming school holidays will see the vocational programs begin. That is quite an additional benefit to families, and I will look at that over these 12 months to see how it is meeting needs and what the families’ thoughts are on those two new programs.
Back in 2010-11 there was money for a feasibility study into respite services. That report has been finalised and we will now go through how we review and renew our respite facilities for children and teens. Kese and Teen houses in my view need some enhancements. Also in 2010-11 there was a continuation of funding that provided respite of up to four weeks for carers aged 65 and older who were caring for a child with a disability. These children are naturally challenged in the transition from school to adult life, and from conversations with such families we know the concerns that the older carers have about caring for their children with a disability, because they remain their children whether they are 18 or 38.
The government is committed to delivering a sustained response to graduates with disability transitioning from school to adult life and believes that supports to those individuals should bring opportunities to increase independence, skills, participation and general quality of life. It is these values that will continue to drive our ongoing commitment to young people with a disability as they transition from school to their young adult lives.
MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (3.35): I welcome this opportunity to speak on this motion today and I commend Ms Hunter for raising this important matter. The question of opportunity for the disabled community has had some focus in this place recently, with the staging last week of the ACT carers summit, which was the brainchild of Dee McGrath from Carers ACT. And I take this opportunity to congratulate Ms McGrath and her team on a most professional and well-focused event.
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