Hello to all our Newsletter Followers! As usual, the year continues to fly by and with it has continued to cause a great deal of uncertainty for people with disabilities, their families and carers in relation to many things, but in particular the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Please remember that RIAC is here to assist you with relevant and accurate information and to advocate for you when necessary. Please like our facebook page and visit our website to stay informed.
May marks Men's Health Week - communities and organisations are being encouraged to put on events to promote the health of men and boys. This year’s theme “MEN AND FAMILIES – MAKING HEALTHY CONNECTIONS” explores the different ways families support the health and wellbeing of men and boys, and the positive contributions men and boys make to their families (of origin and choice).The focus is on healthy connections and families – exploring what these can look like, and how men and boys can make and sustain positive family connections. Throughout May we will certainly take the time to 'take extra care of our male staff' and and do our best to make a positive difference in the lives of men and boys.
I am excited to advise that our Geelong office has been relocated. Our new address is at Focus Five Building, U11 23-31 Gheringhap Street, Geelong. Its a much bigger space and is in the centre of town which is wonderful. We are co-located with another like minded agency; Elders Rights Advocacy which will be a great partnership.
I would like to welcome two new Employees to RIAC. Amanda has been here for quite awhile working in the NDIS/ Advocacy Role in Bendigo and doing some amazing work. Also a wonderful cartoonist which we hope to be able to present to you some of her work in our newsletters . I would also like to welcome Adam Veitch to our team who is also doing NDIS Appeals/ Advocacy in the Bendigo Office.
Congratulations to Pam Bibby from our Mildura office in the Access and Support Program who has been nominated for the for Cultural Diversity Excellence Award. RIAC is very proud of you. We all hope that your nomination is successful.
Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter, your feedback is always welcome as outlined further below.
Kind regards, Leah Kateiva CEO
Artwork drawn and supplied by our wonderful staff member Amanda Robinson
Advocacy and NDIS Appeals Update
Some people feel extremely overwhelmed dealing with services providers and supports to help them function to the best of their abilities. Being heard is a constant complaint that we have. Everything feels so negative when all you are trying to do is work towards the positives.
So how do you keep going?............
The RIAC Advocacy program assists people who feel like this everyday, we can provide assistance and help you build on your own self advocacy skills to achieve positive outcomes.
We have started in the Bendigo region working with Lisa Chesters MP in Bendigo in relation to the issues that have been coming out of the NDIS. Issues were also raised with Bill Shorten MP at an NDIS Stakeholder Forum in March. Systemic Advocacy is a very important part of what we do at RIAC. Working in this area can help lead to change within policies and guidelines and give a voice to the many people that are facing significant challenges with the NDIS at this time.
We would like to welcome 3 new staff this year to the Advocacy and NDIS Apeals team. In January we welcomed Amanda Robinson to our team, she comes to us from Towoomba in Queensland where she worked in advocacy and NDIS appeals specialiasing in psycosocial disabilities. At the same time we welcomed Rachael Thompson to our Gellong office. Rachael comes to us with a background in social justice law. We also this month welcomed Adam Veitch to our Bendigo office.
At the end of this month we will also be saying goodbye to Daniel Bakewell from our Geelong office, he is moving on to work full-time with Victoria Legal Aid. We wish him well and thank Daniel for his work he has done in his time with RIAC.
Reviews are unfortunately common place at the moment once a person receives their NDIS plan. We are working with participants to become informed about the NDIS review process. Issues in what type of review that should be submitted are becoming a major problem with the NDIS at the moment. The following information can assist participants to know which review should be submitted when a plan does not meet their needs.
Within three months of receiving a new plan a review of a reviewable decision ( s100 internal review) should be submitted. This will ensure that the funded supports in the plan will be looked at.
Outside of this three months you will need to submit a change of circumstances/plan review form (s48) This review is about getting the plan reviewed not specifically about the supports within the plan.
Our advocacy and NDIS appeals team can assist you with understanding this process and provide you with information on how to do this either independantly or with advocacy support.
Some people feel extremely overwhelmed dealing with services providers and supports to help them function to the best of their abilities. Being heard is a constant complaint that we have. Everything feels so negative when all you are trying to do is work towards the positives
To know more about RIAC's NDIS Appeals Program please see here
The Home Care Common Standards
The Home Care Common Standards are a number of standards set out which underpin the way hone care should be provided. These standards are listed briefly below. If you would like to know more please see here
Standard 1: Effective management - Principle: The service provider demonstrates effective management processes based on a continuous improvement approach to service management, planning and delivery.
1.1 Corporate governance
1.2 Regulatory compliance
1.3 Information management systems
1.4 Community understanding and engagement
1.5 Continuous improvement
1.6 Risk management
1.7 Human resource management
1.8 Physical resources
Standard 2: Appropriate access and service delivery - Principle: Each service user (and prospective service user) has access to services and service users receive appropriate services that are planned, delivered and evaluated in partnership with themselves and/or their representative.
2.1 Service access
2.2 Assessment
2.3 Care plan development and delivery
2.4 Service user reassessment
2.5 Service user referral
Standard 3: Service user rights and responsibilities Principle: Each service user (and/or their representative) is provided with information to assist them to make service choices and has the right (and responsibility) to be consulted and respected. Service users (and/ or their representative) have access to complaints and advocacy information and processes and their privacy and confidentiality and right to independence is respected.
3.1 Information provision
3.2 Privacy and confidentiality
3.3 Complaints and service user feedback
3.4 Advocacy
3.5 Independence
The National Standards for Disability Services
There are also National Standards for Disability Services. These Standards underwent extensive consultation, validation and user testing, culminating in a set of six standards that are able to be applied across a broad range of circumstances.
They are:
Rights
Participation and Inclusion
Individual Outcomes
Feedback and Complaints
Service Access
Service Management.
Human Services Standards
The standards represents a single set of service quality standards for organisations delivering services to clients, summarised as:
Empowerment: People's rights are promoted and upheld
Access and Engagement: People’s right to access transparent, equitable and integrated services is promoted and upheld
Wellbeing: People’s right to wellbeing and safety is promoted and upheld
Participation: People’s right to choice, decision making and to actively participate as a valued member of their chosen community is promoted and upheld.
There are also Child Safe Standards (the Standards) that are compulsory minimum standards for all organisations that provide services to children including Victorian schools. The aim of the Standards is to ensure organisations are well prepared to protect children from abuse and neglect
These standards are outlined as follows:
Standard 1: Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements
Standard 2: A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
Standard 3: A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel
Standard 5: Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
Standard 7: Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
The Standards apply to all organisations that provide services to children.
To learn more about RIAC's Code of Conduct in relation to the Child Safety Standards please see here
William Cooper Memorial Statue - at the Queens Gardens Shepparton
William Cooper Memorial Statue
On the 27 March 2018, many of the RIAC staff from our Shepparton Office were fortunate enough to attend the official unveiling of the William Cooper Memorial Statue at the Queens Gardens. It was an event attended by so many - a true indication of what an incredible man William Cooper really was.
The statue honours Williams influential work for Aboriginal rights as well as his march to the German Consulate as a result of the infamous Kristallnacht in December 1938, to present a petition against the persecution of Jewish people.
This Memorial is dedicated to the memory of William who fought tirelessly for the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of race,creed or status
Congratulations to William Coopers family and friends who are ensuring his legacy lives on
Disability Advocacy Innovation Fund Update
The collaborative Disability Innovation Fund Project with the Aboriginal Co-ops; Njernda/BDAC and Wathaurong continues with a variety of different ongoing engagement approaches.
Lance is sharing his knowledge of the NDIS at meetings with Co-op staff in Bendigo, Echuca and Geelong. Lance represented RIAC at Njernda’s ‘Yarnin-Circle ‘ in Echuca, along with Amanda from the Bendigo office. Other working groups have been initiated to guide the process of how the Co-ops communicate with the NDIA. Lance is representing RIAC at a number of reference groups in these regions established to discuss issues pertaining to Health/Disability and the Aboriginal Community.
Lance has been attending a range of community network meetings, as well as meeting with the NDIA and the LAC partners, to continue RIAC’s broad advocacy in the area of engagement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In Bendigo with BDAC, and Geelong with Wathaurong, staff have continue to co-locate at each organisations respective work place’s to develop collaborative approaches to support participants in the NDIS.
This project will continue for the next few months, with a number of community events also in the planning stages. RIAC will also be taking part in events during National Reconciliation Week from 27 May to 3 June 2018. Hope to see you there
Group shot of participants of LGBTI Community of Practice 2 Day Conference.
Access and Support Program Update
Our Access and Support workers have been quite involved in recent months working with the LGBTI community in both the Bendigo and Mildura regions. Pamela Bibby Mildura Access and Support Worker attended the LGBTI Equity Roadshow Community of Practice.
This gathering of 75 people is the first of its kind, and aims to connect and empower rural and regional communities to share lessons, successes and challenges through a practical hands-on approach. Participants were selected to represent different experiences and backgrounds across our diverse communities. I am very privileged and proud to represent RIAC at this gathering, with the Commissioner for Gender and Sexuality, Ro Allen and the Minister for Equality, Martin Foley showing their support during the networking event with rural and regional leaders who are building LGBTI capacity and inclusion across Victoria.
Bendigo Access and Support Workers Terri-ann and Mark also have been involved with the LGBTI Roadshow across the Loddon Mallee and have been invited to be a part of the first LGBTI Bendigo Bussiness Network.
Self Advocates at the recent MusoMusic Workshop after writing their own song
Self Advocacy Roadshow
Thanks to the Disability Advocacy Innovation Fund, throughout May 2018 members of our Self Advocacy Groups will be presenting a series of information sessions in the Shepparton and surrounding areas. This will be a great opportunity to show case what the groups have been learning about while preparing for the roll out of the NDIS.
We have held a session at Wanganui Park Secondary College on Tuesday 1 May 2018 and at Partners in Training on 8 May 2018. It was wonderful to show the staff and students all that we have been learning about and show our song for the first time to others. The Self Advocates were extremely proud to share their stories.
Further sessions will be held at the following locations:
Mooroopna Secondary College 22 May 2018
Connect GV 24 May 2018
Shepparton Access 5 June 2018
We have also held a number of 'Being Prepared for the NDIS' Workshop sessions for people with a disability, their families and carers in the Moira Shire. These sessions have been very well attended. We are holding a session in Cobram on Wednesday 23 May 2018 between 10:30am - 12.00pm at the Cobram Community House; 43 Punt Rd, Cobram VIC 3644
If you are interested in learning more about our Self Advocacy Program or in attending one of these sessions, please call Tanya or Bron on 58221944 to register for the session
Photo of the NDIS Peer Support Group in Geelong
NDIS Peer Support Group
Three meet ups in and the NDIS Peer Support Group in Geelong is going well.
The group is a chance to support each other on our journey with the NDIS.
We are enjoying the chance to share knowledge from our individual experiences, provide moral support and even brainstorm situations that have risen.
The group is meeting once a month but between meetings we share information through our closed Facebook group. Looking forward we are planning to invite guest speakers to share their knowledge.
Overall the group is a great place to network and support each other, making the role of a carer less isolating.
Our next meeting will be at the RIAC’s new office, 23-31 Gheringhap St, Geelong on Thursday 24th May, 10.30am – 12.00pm.
I’m also looking at an expression of interest for people interested in an evening group as I am aware that morning sessions are not convenient for all.
Update from the Strengthening Parents Support Program Coordinator
It has been a very busy few months for the support groups with a lot of discussion being around the group members children starting their new year at kinder, starting and returning to school or going to a new school. Some of the comments have been that their children have settled in and doing well, to the children are just not coping at all and the parents are being called to the school almost every day to pick them up and take them home. A few parents have commented that they are considering home schooling their children and are asking for strategies from the other home schooling mums to assist with their decision.
I am excited to confirm that Carers Vic now have a hub in Mildura. This has enabled the group members in the Mildura region to have access to the activities that are being offered in the area and in some cases access to a more crowd friendly venue if required.
Seeking expressions of interest to determine the need in Bendigo for a support group for carers of someone under 65 with memory loss / younger onset dementia. For further information please contact Christine directly on the details outlined below
If you are interested in joining an existing group or establishing a new group please see RIAC's website for more information. Alternatively please contact Christine Slattery 0491203 955 or email christines@riac.org.au
Complaints, Compliments and Feedback
RIAC encourages individuals and organisations to provide feedback, including complaints or compliments about our services. Information on this process and a copy of the form which can be submitted on-line or downloaded can be accessed here. Your feedback helps us improve our services.
