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21 November 2008
Charter of Contract Management
The recently-released tender documents for Employment Services 2009-12 indicate that a Charter of Contract Management will be developed through consultation with the industry. A draft document is now available for consideration. It offers a principles-based approach for fostering positive working relations between DEEWR and employment providers and sets out what providers can expect from DEEWR. It is likely that the Charter will apply to DEN and VRS services. Click here to read more...
19 November 2008
National Business Services Developments, Initiatives and Opportunities
Rebranding of Business Services
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten will officially launch the rebranding of Business Services in Melbourne on 28 November 2008. A hard copy Business Services Guide detailing their commercial activities will also be released at the launch. The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) briefed the NDS National Committee on Business Services last week. Click here to read more...
17 November 2008
Ministers move forward with the National Disability Reform Agenda
The first stage of population-based benchmarking of disability services will commence by the end of 2009. The details of a National Population Benchmarking Framework are yet to be worked out and will require the collection of additional data; but Community and Disability Services Ministers want initial benchmarking to commence using existing information. The development of national benchmarking is one of eight priorities in the draft National Disability Agreement due to be signed by the end of this year. Click here to read more...
12 November 2008
Children, Young People & Their Families Update
Supporting Families and Schools to Work Together
In announcing the Family-School Partnerships Framework, Minister for Education Julia Gillard said that all Australian schools and parent associations will soon receive a copy. The Framework underpins the ideals of the recently established Family-School and Community Partnerships Bureau and will complement the work of the COAG Productivity Agenda Working Group. Click here to read more...
10 November 2008
Profile of CSTDA service user population is changing
The 2006-07 report on CSTDA services – just published - shows several interesting trends. The disability profile of the service user population is changing; the number of service users has grown significantly but mostly among ‘lower intensity’ services; and the service user and carer populations continue to age.
The report by AIHW shows that in the three years to 2006-07 the proportion of disability service users who identify ‘psychiatric’ as their primary disability almost doubled, from 9.1% to 17%; while those reporting intellectual disability declined from 42.1% of clients to 36.7%. Click here to read more...
6 November 2008
Children, Young People & Their Families Update
One-stop shop for parents
MyChild, a new portal-style website for parents at http://www.mychild.gov.au is aimed primarily at providing families with information about issues affecting young children. There’s a mixed content but it’s mostly links to various Federal Government departments, programs, announcements and future plans...click here to read more.
Prominent Australian elected to UN Committee
NDS congratulates Professor Ron McCallum AO on his election as one of the 12 independent experts to the UN Committee that will monitor implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The election took place in New York on Monday at the first meeting of countries that have ratified the Convention. Professor McCallum won his place from a large field of candidates from other countries and becomes the only Australian currently serving on a UN treaty body. Click here to read more...
31 October 2008
Be informed about the financial outlook and new national policy directions
NAB Chief Economist Rob Henderson will brief the CEO Meeting on the changed economic outlook. Disability service providers are concerned about the impact of the international financial crisis on their investments, the prospect of tighter Federal and State budgets as surpluses shrink, and diminishing markets for products and services. Rob Henderson will look at how organisations can best position themselves in this uncertain economic environment. Click here to read more...
Awards … tell us who’s received them
Although NDS does not sponsor its own national industry awards (some NDS State Offices sponsor State awards), at this year’s CEO Meeting we want to acknowledge all members who have received awards during the course of the year. Click here to read more...
30 October 2008
Notice of Annual General Meeting
28 October 2008
Discrimination Complaint Against BSWAT
A Federal Court action has been taken against three business services – all NDS members - for using the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT), developed to determine pro rata wages for supported employees. The Commonwealth is also named as a respondent due to FaHCSIA’s role in developing the BSWAT. Importantly, the action relates to the use of the BSWAT, not its misuse. If successful, the action would have sector-wide implications. Click here to read more...
23 October 2008
Calculation of income for Child Care Benefit
Contrary to recent advice from Centrelink, income, for the purposes of claiming a child care benefit, is calculated in the same manner as it is for family tax benefits. This method involves using the net or ‘adjusted fringe benefits total’ rather than the ‘reportable fringe benefits total’ which is shown on an employee’s annual Payment Summary (formerly known as a group certificate). Click here to read more...
Children, Young People & Their Families Update
Local Grants for Carers
This week celebrates the valuable role and contribution of Australia’s almost 2.6 million carers of people with disability, mental illness, chronic condition or those who are frail aged. At the launch of the week, the Australian Government announced funding of $12 million for local grants over two years as part of the National Respite for Carers Program, which is providing $194 million in 2008-09. Click here to read more...
Senate Committee recommends changes to Special Disability Trusts
Due to the small number of Special Disability Trusts (SDTs) which have been established, the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs has proposed a number of changes to their arrangements to encourage more families to make private provision for the accommodation and care of a family member with severe disability. Click here to read more...
20 October 2008
Input sought for National Disability Strategy
The Australian Government is now seeking input to the development of a National Disability Strategy. A consultation paper has been released, which includes details of the public meetings to be held in each State and Territory.
The stated aim of this Strategy “is to increase the social, economic and cultural participation of people with disability, to eliminate the discrimination experienced by them and to improve disability support services for them, their families and carers.” Click here to read more...
16 October 2008
Who is a Carer?
Around 2.5 million Australians aged 15 years and over care for someone at home because of disability or old age, according to the ABS report ‘A Profile of Carers in Australia, 2008’. Among all carers
Women were more likely than men to be carers (17% of women, 14% of men).
Of parents aged 35-54 years, 22% of mothers and 15% of fathers were carers.
15 October 2008
Revised Procurement Guidelines increase opportunities for Business Services
The Commonwealth Government has released its revised Procurement Guidelines, which will take effect from 1 December 2008.
The revised guidelines include a new exemption from the mandatory procurement procedures for “a business that primarily exists to provide the services of persons with a disability”. This exemption will allow Commonwealth Government agencies to purchase from Business Services without the need for an open tender process. Click here to read more...
14 October 2008
NDS Media Release: Additional Disability and Carer payments will help ease financial strain
National Disability Services welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement today of additional payments to recipients of Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment.
The payments of $1,400 to singles and $2,100 to couples will be made as lump sum payments from 8 December 2008. People in receipt of Carer Allowance will also receive $1,000 for each eligible person being cared for. Click here to read more...
9 October 2008
Tax review submission and consultation process
As indicated in an earlier News Update, the Australia’s Future Tax System Review is underway. The Review Panel, led by Treasury Secretary Ken Henry, issued a briefing paper and has now invited submissions from the public to inform the development of a consultation paper which will be released before the end of 2008. This consultation paper will outline the key issues to be considered and will provide the basis for further review processes to be conducted by the panel during 2009. Click here to read more...
8 October 2008
NDS Response to Review of Disability Employment Services
The NDS submission on the Review of Disability Employment Services recommends DEN and VRS programmes remain separate and that the ‘cap’ be removed from both programmes. In the interest of administrative simplicity NDS also recommends combining the capped and uncapped programmes within both DEN and VRS, making each a single stream programme. Click here to read more...
7 October 2008
Young people to have a say about the National Disability Strategy
The Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS) and the Australian Government are seeking expressions of interest from young people with disability for the National Disability Strategy Youth Roundtable. This event, to be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 19 November 2008, will bring together young people with disability from across Australia to meet with the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten to discuss what they want from the National Disability Strategy. Click here to read more...
COAG outlines reform principles
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has deferred a decision on the future of HACC funding and administration arrangements until it meets again on 17 November 2008, instead outlining reform principles. As discussed in a recent News Update, consideration is being given to transferring a portion of HACC funding to the States and Territories for the support of younger people with disability, with the remaining to be administered by the Federal Government to support frail older people to remain living at home. Click here to read more...
Business Services Support Project Enters Second Stage
The Business Services Support Project is set to enter its second stage following the expert panel’s development of recommended actions for those business services seeking assistance. NDS developed the Project, which FaHCSIA is funding, to assist business services to identify and respond to financial risks.
Mentors from the sector have now been engaged to work with nine business services seeking assistance. Click here to read more...
Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, has committed Australia to a leadership role in supporting people with disability in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr McMullan released a new draft Strategy for Australia’s International Aid Program (AusAID) on 29th September at the first international conference on “Disability, Disadvantage and Development in the Pacific and Asia”. Click here to read more...
3 October 2008
Consultation on a National Arts and Disability Strategy
Work is underway on the development of a National Arts and Disability Strategy, following a Federal Labor election commitment to improve the participation of people with disability in the arts. The Cultural Ministers Council (consisting of Federal, State and Territory Ministers) is now seeking comment on a discussion paper, with the aim of identifying the barriers to participation in, and access to, arts and cultural activity. Click here to read more...
30 September 2008
COAG considers splitting HACC
Future arrangements for the funding and administration of Home and Community Care (HACC) services will be discussed at Thursday’s meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). Under a proposal before COAG, the Federal Department of Health and Ageing would take responsibility for supporting frail older people, with the State and Territories assuming responsibility for all the support provided to younger people with disability. In 2006–07, just over 800,000 people were supported by HACC services, a quarter of whom were aged under 65 years. Click here to read more...
29 September 2008
National Compact connects with the Social Inclusion Agenda
The Australian Government sees improving and strengthening its relationship with the not-for-profit sector as crucial to the success of its social inclusion agenda and related reforms. This was a key message from the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion, Ursula Stephens, at last week’s NDS Home and Community: Overcoming Exclusion conference. Click here to read more...
24 September 2008
Report on children has some focus on disability for the first time
An AIHW report on the health, development and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people examines progress made over the last decade and surveys improvements and future challenges. It includes – for the first time - a focus on disability, although the focus is quite limited.
The publication reports on the estimated number of children who had selected health conditions: asthma, ADD/ADHD, intellectual disability and autism. Click here to read more...
23 September 2008
Digital Education to benefit students with disability
Schools that have students with disability in years 9 to 12 will have flexibility in using funding under Round Two of the National Secondary School Computer Fund. The Australian Government is providing grants of up to $1 million per secondary school depending on enrolment and the need for laptops, desktop computers and other technologies. Click here to read more...
NDS Media Release: Bill to increase pension rate should include disability and carer pensions
The Federal Opposition should extend its call for a $30 increase to the single Age Pension, single Service Pension and Widow B Pension to include the Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment.
As well as the usual living expenses, people with disability and their carers often incur significant additional costs as a result of disability. Click here to read more...
19 September 2008
Public consultations conclude
With the last of the public consultation sessions for the Disability Employment Services Review held in Perth yesterday, the most contentious issue to emerge is whether to maintain distinct DEN and VRS programs or to combine them. Views on this issue at the consultations differed, with many in favour of maintaining distinct programs, but others favouring program convergence. Click here to read more...
10 September 2008
Children, Young People & Their Families Update
Move to caption and audio describe DVDs welcomed
After considerable concern was expressed by NDS, the Australian Blindness Forum, Deafness Forum Australia and HREOC, FaHCSIA has advised that the first three DVDs already published in its ‘Keys to Living Together’ series have been captioned and are now available for order. Audio described versions are currently being prepared and will be available shortly. Click here to read more...
5 September 2008
Applications invited for Volunteer Grants
Applications for the Australian Government’s Volunteer Grants program are now open. The Program provides funding for eligible not-for-profit organisations to support their volunteers and encourage volunteering by...click here to read more.
Modernisation of social and community services awards postponed
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) will now deal with social and community services awards in Stage 4 of award modernisation, which commences in July 2009. This is a welcome development, which will allow time for the sector to consider and negotiate a preferred position in relation to relevant awards. Click here to read more...
4 September 2008
New Council will Advise on the National Disability Strategy
The newly-formed National People with Disabilities and Carer Council will have a central role in guiding the development of the National Disability Strategy.
The Council, chaired by Rhonda Galbally AO, met for the first time yesterday at Parliament House Canberra. FaHCSIA Minister Jenny Macklin and Parliamentary Secretary Bill Shorten both attended the meeting. Click here to read more...
3 September 2008
Discussion Paper Released
Employment Participation Minister Brendan O’Connor released the Disability Employment Services Review Discussion Paper today.
The discussion paper is now available and information on the public consultations will be available shortly. The closing date for written submissions is 1 October 2008. Public consultations are to be held in capital cities and several major regional centres from 8 to 19 September 2008. Click here to read more...
29 August 2008
National Disability Services Board Elections 2008
In accordance with Article 5 of the Constitution of National Disability Services Limited and By-law No 1 the 2008 election of the elected members of the Board will be held by secret postal ballot. Click here to read more...
28 August 2008
National policy developments: a snapshot
The national policy environment is abuzz with activity as the Australian Government and Parliament move ahead with numerous inquiries, reviews, consultations and the development of key national strategies – all of which is keeping NDS fully engaged on many fronts. Although other News Updates have covered most of the issues below, this News Update provides a summary. Most of the submissions referred to are available on NDS’s website. Click here to read more...
27 August 2008
JCA improvement plans announced
Federal Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig has announced plans to improve Job Capacity Assessments. The plans respond to the substantial public response to the JCA review which is summarised at http://www.humanservices.gov.au/jca/jca-review.html. Further changes to the JCA are likely to occur as a result of the Employment Services Review and National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy. Click here to read more...
25 August 2008
Award Modernisation poses demanding questions
Almost 300 ‘health and welfare’ awards are listed for the second stage of award modernisation, due to commence in October. They include various social and community services awards, disability services awards and numerous other awards that relate to segments of the disability sector or to specific organisations. Also included is the LHMU Supported Employment Award, which has particular relevance to Business Services. Click here to read more...
21 August 2008
Carers of young people to get respite boost
Around 2,000 carers of young people with a severe or profound disability will get increased access to emergency, unplanned respite care during 2008-09 with the injection of $2.1 million announced yesterday by Minister Jenny Macklin. Click here to read more...
20 August 2008
FaHCSIA extends the due date for Audited Financial Acquittal Reports
FaHCSIA has extended the due date for Business Services to submit their 2007-08 Financial Acquittals to 31 October 2008.
The previous due date as required by the FaHCSIA funding agreement was 30 September. Click here to read more...
Evaluation Report supports Case Based Funding but recommends improvements
DEEWR’s evaluation of DEN Case Based Funding (CBF) confirms that the model out-performs the previous block grant approach and CBF Trial models, but indicates scope for improving the performance of the CBF model.
NDS welcomes a number of the report’s recommendations which reflect recommendations contained within NDS’s October 2007 submission to the review. Click here to read more...
19 August 2008
Pension Review consultations underway
The Australia Government has announced an inquiry into measures to strengthen the financial security of seniors, carers and people with disability. This Pension Review is part of the Government’s wider inquiry into Australia’s Future Tax System, and is supported by the release of the Pension Review Background Paper. Click here to read more...
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Revised:
Friday, 21 November 2008