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Victoria
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November 2008
19 November
Changes to Police Record Checks
On 1 November 2008, Victoria Police changed its police records check process.
The key changes are...click here to read more.
Completed price review surveys sought
NDS encourages service providers to email completed price review surveys to tim@sawarddawson.com.au or kerry.presser@nds.org.au. Tim Flowers from Saward Dawson Accountants has provided valuable support to service providers that have completed price surveys, and is being employed to undertake a “shadow analysis” of data to enable NDS to validate government decisions about new unit prices. Click here to read more...
18 November
Undue financial hardship
In June 2008, NDS distributed a guide to assist disability service providers to assess whether undue financial hardship exists in the event of clients not settling fees relating to services received.
NDS has now developed a revised application format which organisations may adapt for their own use. Click here to read more...
Inequity for people funded through the Commonwealth Targeted Support Program
Sixty five people currently attending day services with funding provided through the Commonwealth Targeted Support Program will have their funding transferred to DHS.
NDS Victoria has concerns about the level of funding being proposed for these people, which is understood to be well below the current funding levels for DHS clients attending day services. Click here to read more...
NDS meets for planning with Disability Services Executive
On 16 and 17 October 2008, Disability Services Division Executive Group and National Disability Services Victoria State Committee members and NDS staff met to reflect on the achievements for 2008, identify opportunities for improvement in 2009 and to develop key priorities and strategies for a shared approach to service planning and implementation for the next three years. Click here to read more...
14 November
13 November
OHS Champions Survey Reminder
It’s still not too late to participate!
Your organisation’s response to the survey will provide vital information and direction to the OHS Champions Project for 2009.
Thank you to those who have returned the completed survey documents. Click here to read more...
12 November
New staff member
NDS Victoria is pleased to welcome Helen Bryant who has joined us in a policy officer role. Many members will know Helen, who has extensive experience in the disability sector, having worked for Karingal, Multicare (now Australian Home Care) and Paraquad Victoria.
Helen’s portfolio areas with NDS Victoria include ageing and disability, social participation, open employment, aids and equipment, respite, quality and palliative care. Helen can be contacted on 03 8341 4300 or by email helen.bryant@nds.org.au.
7 November
Five minute survey will assist price indexation negotiations
Negotiations have commenced regarding indexation for the 2009-2012 Funding and Service Agreements between the Department of Human Services and health, housing and community services. NDS Victoria is part of this alliance.
Adequate indexation is essential to ensure that the value of government funding keeps pace with costs. The Price Indexation Working Group is working on behalf of the community sector to negotiate the best possible level of indexation for 2009-2012. Click here to read more...
October 2008
30 October
Project to identify barriers to ageing in place – Consultation Forum
NDS Victoria has engaged VERSO Consulting to identify impediments across aged care, disability services and HACC that hinder people with disability being able to ‘age in place’ within their community. The Interface Barriers project will examine the formal and informal barriers that arise from policy, practice, procedures, staff skills and attitudes (A project overview can be viewed at www.nds.org.au/members/news_updates/2008/oct/vic_9oct08c.htm). Click here to read more...
21 October
OHS Champions Project Survey out now
NDS is seeking your assistance to gather baseline data for NDS Victoria’s three-year WorkSafe-funded OHS Champions Project. Chief Executives of all organisations in Victoria that receive funding from DHS Disability Services Division will receive a survey in the mail over the next few days. Your organisation’s response to the survey will provide vital information to inform the OHS Champions Project. Click here to read more...
20 October
State Committee 2008
With the election of office bearers at last week’s NDS Victoria State Committee meeting, we are pleased to announce the State Committee for 2008-09, as follows...click here to read more.
16 October
NDS Submission to Supported Accommodation Parliamentary Inquiry
The current inquiry by the Victorian Parliament’s Family and Community Development Committee into the provision of supported accommodation for people with disability and/or mental illness has provided an opportunity for NDS to raise a number of issues of concern.
Drawing on contributions from recent Victorian Accommodation and Community Support Sub-committee and members’ meetings, NDS has made a submission highlighting the following issues...click here to read more.
10 October
9 October
Ageing in place project – Consultation Forum
NDS Victoria has received funding from the Helen McPherson Smith Trust to undertake a project to identify the barriers across aged care, disability services and HACC that hinder people with disability being able to ‘age in place’ within their community. VERSO Consulting has been engaged to undertake this research.
The project, due for completion by the end of 2008, will identify the formal and informal barriers that arise from policy, practice, skills and attitudes in aged care, HACC and disability services. Click here to read more...
Development of a policy framework for Victoria’s vulnerable young people welcomed
NDS Victoria has submitted a response to the Victorian Department of Human Services, Children Youth & Families’ Vulnerable Youth Framework discussion paper.
The Vulnerable Youth Framework is being developed to guide and strengthen action across state and local government and communities, including schools, to provide a coordinated response to the needs of young people from late primary school and into adulthood. Click here to read more...
NDS 2009 State Budget Submission
NDS Victoria’s submission for the 2009 State Budget identifies two major priorities for investment: sustaining service quality and choice and addressing unmet need. Click here to read more...
3 October
NDS Distinguished Service Awards 2008
Some of the impressive achievers in our sector were recognised at the second NDS Victoria Distinguished Service Awards dinner, which was held at The Windsor Hotel on Wednesday 1 October.
The awards were presented by Lisa Neville, Minister for Mental Health, Community Services and Senior Victorians, to people who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution and commitment to improving outcomes for people with disability in Victoria. Click here to read more...
September 2008
24 September
Practical tool to assist organisations participating in the DHS Price Review Survey
Saward Dawson Accountants and NDS have developed a tool to assist information gathering for the survey. The tool enables you to methodically allocate each expense into the relevant survey items and provides an audit trail for later reference.
Service providers are encouraged (but not obliged), to send their completed survey to Tim Flowers, in order to provide NDS with a complete set of data that will be de-identified and used later to validate government decisions about new unit prices. Click here to read more...
Individual Support Package Guidelines to be reviewed
The Interim Guidelines for Individual Support Packages will be reviewed at the end of September. The Guidelines were released in July this year, with the proviso that they would be reviewed after three months and after six months.
The Guidelines apply to all former HomeFirst, Community Options, Support & Choice, Futures for Young Adults Years 1-8 and My Future My Choice packages, as well as new Individual Support Packages. Click here to read more...
22 September
Price review survey sample now available
The Guidance Pack and worked examples presented by Saward Dawson Accountants at this week’s Price Review Survey Information Sessions are now available on the NDS Victoria website. This information is available to NDS members and other disability service providers and complements the survey which participating organisations will have received directly via email. Click here to read more...
16 September
Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development
Within Australia, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is leading a collaborative national approach to issues of learning and development. Consistent with this approach, the Victorian Government recently released its Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development (the Blueprint) that sets out Government’s five-year agenda for learning and development from birth to adulthood. The linking of early childhood services and schools – with the creation of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (August 2007) laid the platform for systemic reform. Click here to read more...
12 September
10 September
NDS Victoria poll on overstaying and effective homelessness in facility-based respite
NDS is seeking the views of disability service providers working in case management and in the operation of facility based respite. A number of NDS policy sub-committees have identified overstaying and effective homelessness in facility-based respite as persistent issues of concern for the disability sector, which lead to poor outcomes for children and adults with disabilities. Unfortunately, there is little current data available to support what is commonly known in the sector about the extent of effective homelessness and overstaying in respite. Click here to read more...
9 September
Policies should consider workforce implications
Consideration of the workforce implications should be an integral part of any policy or initiative developed by the Disability Services Division of DHS. This is one of the key points in NDS’s submission to DHS in response to the draft Planning and Development Strategy for the Disability Workforce 2008-2013. Click here to read more...
What are your priorities for the next State Budget?
NDS Victoria is seeking views from members on priorities for NDS’s State Budget submission.
While it is tempting to provide a ‘shopping list’ of funding proposals, restricting the bid to a few key items is more likely to be effective. Where possible, NDS will secure support from other peak bodies for these priorities. VCOSS, for example, has agreed to include a bid for improved prices for disability supports in its budget submission as a result of advice from NDS. Click here to read more...
8 September
Report on Price Indexation Meeting with Minister Neville
As a member of the Combined Peaks Price Index Working Group, NDS met with Minister Neville last week to discuss the price indexation process. The Minister has responsibility for leading government negotiations with the community sector for the 2009–12 funding and service agreements.
The Working Group is seeking support for a NGO Price Indexation rate, to be applied to all Victorian Government funded community organisations, of 4.2% (reflecting labour costs of 85% and non-labour costs of 15%). Click here to read more...
2 September
Invitation to the NDS Victoria Annual Meeting of Members
The NDS State Committee cordially invites you to attend the Annual Meeting to be held on 3.00pm Wednesday 1 October 2008 at the Treacy Conference Centre, 126 The Avenue (corner Walker Street), Parkville. Ms Lynne Wannan, Director of the Office for the Community Sector will address the meeting.
Please RSVP by Friday 19 September via email to suzanne.oneill@nds.org.au.
August 2008
29 August
Price Review Information Session Dates announced
DHS has engaged Price Waterhouse Coopers to undertake an independent review of cost drivers and prices for out-of-home disability services. Click here to read more...
27 August
A Statement of Principles to guide support for children with a disability and their families
KPMG has been engaged by the Department of Human Services develop a contemporary Statement of Principles to guide support for Victorian children with a disability and their families. The principles will inform program development and practice for working with children with a disability and their families, and will support collaboration between universal and specialist service programs. Click here to read more...
Parliamentary Inquiry into Supported Accommodation for Victorians with a Disability or Mental Illness
Consultations for the Parliamentary Inquiry into Supported Accommodation for Victorians with a Disability or Mental Illness are underway. To assist this process, the Family and Community Development Committee has released a discussion paper. Click here to read more...
22 August
On-line pricing survey “live” from 10 September
NDS has appointed Saward Dawson to be available to provide assistance to organisations invited to participate in the pricing review survey. This survey, currently under development, will gather financial data about the service delivery and administrative costs associated with supported accommodation, day programs, respite (community and facility based), therapy, training for independent living and, possibly, behaviour intervention support. Click here to read more...
19 August
First meeting with price review consultants
The first Price Review Reference Group meeting was held last week with the project consultants, who will be announced by DHS shortly. Discussion focused on the desired outcomes of the project, the detail of the price review process, the range of prices to be reviewed and the learnings from previous price review experiences.
A sample of disability service organisations (20% of providers) will be asked to participate in an on-line data collection survey. Click here to read more...
Last week for NDS Awards nominations
Nominations for the Distinguished Service Awards close at 5.00pm on Friday 29 August. Nominations may be made for the following categories:
Outstanding contribution in a voluntary role
Outstanding contribution in a staff role
Outstanding contribution to the disability sector...click here to read more.
18 August
Election of State Committee Members
National Disability Services Victoria invites nominations for the election of office bearers in preparation for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Members, to be held at 3.00pm on Wednesday 1 October at the Treacy Conference Centre, 126 The Avenue, Parkville.
Election of members to the State Committee takes place by postal ballot every year and NDS Victoria is seeking wide representation of the sector to fill five State Committee vacancies. Click here to read more...
16 August
14 August
NDS proposes reduction in HomeFirst targets
NDS Victoria has proposed to the Department of Human Services that it reduce HomeFirst targets in recognition that its costing of HomeFirst omitted or inaccurately estimated key elements. This follows correspondence to DHS in which NDS expressed great disappointment at the HomeFirst price review outcome. Click here to read more...
12 August
Consultation on Disability Workforce Strategy
The Department of Human Services has released for comment a draft Planning and Development Strategy for the Disability Workforce 2008-2013. An easy read version of the document is also available.
The Strategy forms part of the Disability Industry Development Plan which identified workforce planning and development as a key action area for priority attention. Click here to read more...
7 August
Submission on Supported Residential Services in Victoria
As noted previously, the Victorian Government is reviewing the laws that regulate Supported Residential Services (SRSs).
The submission from NDS articulates support for the continuation of the SRS residential option within the community, but alongside a broader range of high quality, supported accommodation options than those currently existing for people with disability. Click here to read more...
Maximising Advantage: Disability Workforce Forum
A one day forum will be held on Friday 29 August to provide information and opportunities for discussion of workforce issues including:
Industrial relations and planning for the next EBA;
Utilising salary packaging to maximise retention;
Minimising organisational risk in relation to Fringe Benefits Tax; and
The Industry Development Plan Workforce Strategy...click here to read more.
Nominations for Distinguished Service Awards 2008 now open
NDS members are invited to submit nominations for the NDS Victoria Distinguished Service Awards 2008.
Nominations may be made in the categories of:
Outstanding contribution in a voluntary role;
Outstanding contribution in a staff role; and
Outstanding contribution to the disability sector...click here to read more.
5 August
Social participation forum
Members are invited to attend a Social Participation Forum, to be held on Friday 22 August from 9.30am - 3.15pm. The forum will provide an opportunity for discussion of issues relating to individually attached funding, and includes a panel of service providers who will discuss challenges and opportunities they have encountered in introducing new approaches to disability support.
Registrations are due by 15 August to peter.schubert@nds.org.au.
Contact Peter Schubert for further information on 03 8341 4306.
4 August
Streamlined Police Checks for the Community Sector
Because not-for-profit -organisations take the safety of clients very seriously, Police Checks have become a key element of pre-employment and volunteer screening. Yet the process can take from ten days to eight weeks to get a reply. By then, some potentially good employees will have moved on and many volunteers will have lost interest. Click here to read more...
1 August
Price Review: Expressions of Interest invited for NDS Price Review Project Officer
NDS Victoria is seeking a short-term project officer with cost-accounting experience to assist the disability sector with the soon-to-commence DHS price review process. The DHS price review process seeks to establish unit prices (generally a price per hour) for a range of DHS-funded services. Click here to read more...
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Copyright © 2007 National Disability Services Limited. All rights reserved.
Revised:
Wednesday, 19 November 2008