Page 352 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 17 February 2015
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In response to this decrease in referrals and the movement of current clients to new providers, services will be stepped down as clients continue to phase in to the NDIS. New clients are being prioritised for assessment of functional need to determine if they are eligible for the NDIS. If the client is eligible, they are referred to the NDIS according to the phasing schedule. If the client is ineligible or does not phase in in the near future, therapeutic services will continue to be provided by Therapy ACT. A dedicated transition team is working with families to facilitate referral to the NDIS and engage with the community sector to build robust services that give families choice for the future. The government has retained responsibility for mainstream services, including information provision, referral and assessment of children who are at risk of developmental delay.
The Community Services Directorate, ACT Health and the Education and Training Directorate commenced work on the new ACT Child Development Service in January this year. The Child Development Service will be established in the Community Services Directorate and will be supported by staff from the Health and Education and Training directorates. ACT Health community paediatricians and early intervention psychologists from the Education and Training Directorate are now located at Holder with Therapy ACT allied health professionals.
Stage 1 of the ACT Child Development Service includes speech pathology and physiotherapy drop-in clinics, intake and referral services, small group parent support and playgroups, diagnostic allied health, educational and medical paediatric assessments, and short-term interventions.
The ACT Child Development Service will be fully functional as an integrated whole-of-government service from January next year. This service will provide streamlined access to allied health and medical assessment for ACT children from birth to six years who are at risk of developmental delay. This service will provide referral to appropriate services, including the NDIS, or provide supports for those children who are not eligible.
Disability ACT is also gradually moving out of supported accommodation services, which will conclude by June 2017. To support this transition Disability ACT has established a dedicated team to support residents and their families to phase to the NDIS and transition to a community-based service provider.
Disability ACT staff are meeting with residents and families two months before they phase in to the NDIS to develop an individual plan that documents the person’s goals, dreams and aspirations. This helps residents to have a clear vision for their future and for their NDIS conversations. Residents are also being supported prior to the NDIS phasing to formalise their tenancy arrangements with Housing ACT.
Another issue related to the government’s decision to transition services to the community sector is the impact it will have on the government’s disability workforce. I am pleased to say that the memorandum of understanding for our industrial relations is being successfully implemented. We are working very hard to support staff to remain in the disability sector through workshops, training and professional advice.
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