Page 3218 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 17 September 2013
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It has been a big task for the panel of 36 assessors to sort through the applications and undertake the moderation process. However, we have now completed that task and the panel chairs are preparing to make recommendations on the allocations of the grants. Not everyone who applied will receive a grant or everything they have asked for. In total, more than $12,600,000 worth of equipment and services were requested.
The assessing panel members have worked hard to ensure they consistently considered each application on its merit and within the publicised selection criteria. Hundreds of Canberrans will now be able to receive a small grant which may make a significant difference to their quality of life whilst waiting for the transition to DisabilityCare Australia.
Through the assessment, a number of people have been recommended for follow-up by the enhanced service offer individual planning team. These included people the assessors thought might be able to be better linked to formal supports and services now.
There was significant diversity in the requests received—for example, support to take part in swimming, dancing and other sporting activities, funding for furniture, water tanks and dental work and support to purchase equipment such as computers, software, companion dogs and hearing aids.
I would like now to talk about one application from a young lady who has launched a jewellery-making business. The grant she applied for was to attend classes and undertake courses to develop unique handcrafted jewellery based on shapes and designs from nature. The photography course will help build her skills and, combined with her brand of imagination, expand her jewellery business to include special pieces supporting charities such as the Starlight Foundation or pink items for breast cancer awareness. Her mother describes this as a very exciting venture, which confirms her daughter’s own beliefs in what she herself can achieve.
Round 1 applicants will be advised of the outcome of their request from 23 September. Applications for the second round of grants will open on 30 September. The second round of grants will be slightly revised based on our learnings from round 1 and I encourage people to attend the information sessions that we will be holding, as we did for round 1.
Having described the outstanding success of these grants and the sorts of activities in the community that people are choosing when they have the money in their own hands, I want to refer to the recent announcement about access to more traditional support, centre-based respite. The ACT government recognises the importance of respite and respite-like services and supports. However, there has been a steady decrease in the demand for centre-based or out-of-home care for adults with disabilities, especially in government-operated services. I would expect that this trend will continue in the new DisabilityCare environment.
Building capacity within the non-government sector, developing new capabilities and skills in the workforce and investing in people with disability and families to support
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