disability Framework for Action 2013-17
Department of Health and Human Services and Tasmanian Health Service
Annual Report to the
Premier’s Disability Advisory Council
August 2015
NOTE: Reporting period is from September 2014-August 2015.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Brief message from the Secretary
Consultation with people with disability
Action Area 1:Access to Services and Programs
Action Area 2:Access to Employment Opportunities, Career Development, Retention and Recruitment
Action Area 3:Access to Buildings, Facilities, Venues and Off-Premises Events
Action Area 4:Access to Information (printed materials, websites, audio and video)
New Website data
Message from the Secretary
On 1 July 2015 the three regional Tasmanian Health Organisations were amalgamated into one statewide health care service; the Tasmanian Health Service. The Tasmanian Health Service will improve patient outcomes by delivering better health services to Tasmanians. The establishment of a single statewide service delivery structure will improve the coordination of services and reduce duplication in both administrative overheads and clinical support services. Concurrently, the Department of Health and Human Services has undertaken its own Review to clarify and reinforce its role as system manager to make it a leaner, more efficient service with an emphasis to alsoeliminate duplication.
This annual report (September 2014 to August 2015) outlines the commitment and dedication of both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Tasmanian Health Service, andI am pleased that whilst both Agencies hasundergone significant organisational change, the Disability Action Plan 2013-2017 has not been comprised; a majority of actions are completed, or progressing towards completion for 2017.
Key achievements over the last 12 months has resulted in reaching over the agreed target rate of participants entering the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), building accessibility issues has been addressed by prioritising committed funds to improve access to buildings and spaces, a DVD was developed as an employee training resource for healthcare professionals to improve the quality care people living with disability receive and is used across the Tasmanian Health Service.
The Department of Health and Human Service and the Tasmanian Health Service will continue to work together over the next 12 months to ensure the Premier’s Disability Advisory Council Report on Agency implementation of the Disability Framework for Action, December 2014 recommendations are implemented as well as continuing to complete Actions set out in the Disability Action Plan 2013-2017.
Michael Pervan
Acting Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
August 2015
Consultation with people with disability
For the reporting period of September 2014 to August 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services sought out and consulted with disability community groups, organisations representing people with disability and industry experts to gain insight and advice to how the Department of Health and Human Services can improve the lives of people living with disability as a healthcare service provider and employer.
The Actions in this report outline where consultation was obtained to identify gaps and reach outcomes such as engaging a consultant to provide training to employees on conducting Disability Access Assessments for building accommodation, community forums in conjunction with the Minister’s Disability Advisory Committee (MDAC), and facilitating workshops with people affected by disability to identify and implement solutions to ensure the Department of Health and Human can provide a better service to those living with disability.
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Action Area 1:Access to Services and Programs
Progress with Disability Action Plan
Action / Performance Indicator / 2014- 2015 Status / Comments1 / Support the safety and security of people living with disability by proposing that changes be made to the Annulled Convictions Act 2003 so that all convictions are visible when undertaking Conviction Checks / Letter written and sent to the Department of Justice (DoJ) outlining what the proposed changes are (and why) by July 2014 / Completed – June 2014 / Action completed and reported on in the 2013-2014 reporting period.
Changes to Annulled Convictions Act 2003 secured by DoJ, by December 2014 / Completed – June 2014
2 / Review Community Sector Organisation (CSO) Funding Agreements to ensure they embody the actions of the Disability Action Plan / Review one third of CSO Funding Agreements annually / Underway / Current funding agreements reflect the Disability Services Act (2011) and the Strategic Objectives set out in the Disability Services Strategic Plan.
As part of normal funding agreement management processes all CSO’s are monitored through service delivery reporting, site visits, regular communication and complaint and incident reports.
3 / Continue to fund the CSOs' recreational and skills development programs for people living with disability / Organisations funded on an annual basis to provide recreational and skills development programs / Completed – to 2016 / Disability Community Services has funded skills, development and recreation programs over a long period of time through the Community Access Program. Funding agreements are currently in place and will expire in 2016.
4 / Undertake a review of Block Funded Community Access Services / Review completed by December 2014 / Completed – December 2014 / Action completed.
Recommendations have been incorporated into current funding and quality and safety processes.
5 / Implement new Disability Standards for funded community sector organisations (through new Regulations to be passed in Tasmanian Parliament. These are based on the new Disability Services National Standards.) / Standards are in place by December 2014 / Completed – April 2015 / Action completed.
Disability Community Services are working to integrate the regulations into routine funding agreement processes. The regulations are also being used in framing planning, policy and procedural reviews.
6 / Ensure that funded CSOs comply with the Tasmanian Quality and Safety Framework / Ensure that a minimum of one third of CSO’s are compliant with the Tasmanian Quality and Safety Framework by the scheduled review date / Completed – Ongoing / Disability Community Services Community Partnership Teams monitor compliance with the Quality and Safety Framework through site visits, complaints and incidents during the term of the funding agreement.
An overall review is undertaken by the Quality and Safety Team within the Community Sector Relations Unit. This review generally occurs once during the funding agreement period.
7 / Work with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Tasmania through the trial site for young people aged 15 to 24 and then through the transition period to full scheme under the signed Bilateral arrangements / Meet timeframes and phase in targets as specified in the Bilateral Agreement for the NDIS Launch between Tasmania and the Australian Government / Completed - Ongoing / Timeframes met.
The NDIS Trial in Tasmanian is currently entering its third year. As at 30 March 2015, 924 participants had transitioned into the Scheme with funded and approved plans. This result means that Tasmanian has achieved 105% of the bilaterally agreed target.
From July 2016 other eligible people will begin to receive support through the NDIS. Phasing for full scheme is yet to be determined and DCS is currently considering potential phasing models for the transition to full scheme.
8 / Complete an evaluation of the Self-Directed Funding Project in order to support the extension of Tasmanian Model for Self-Managed Funding / Evaluation of the Self-Directed Funding Project completed
Recommendations in relation to the Evaluation made to the Secretary by August 2014 / Completed – August 2014 / Action Completed.
The Project evaluation is complete and the findings support a proposal to present a model for self-directed funding and progressively introduce Self-directed Funding opportunity in Tasmania.
The evaluation highlighted that participants reported on a range of benefits resulting from their involvement in the project. The benefits included:
- increased control flexibility
- increased choice
- enhanced dignity
- empowerment and well-being
A model for ongoing implementation of Self Directed funding has been implemented. The program now has nine participants and is offered as an option as part of individual planning processes undertaken through the Disability Gateway.
9 / Conduct a review of the funding for Peak Consumer Organisations in Tasmania to ensure that strategic plans are in line with current State and National Reform Agendas / Review completed by August 2014
Appropriate action to be taken in relation to the review results are determined by September 2014 / Completed – September 2015 / Action Completed.
Outcomes from the review will be built into operational planning.
10 / Work with UTAS to produce a training DVD for healthcare professionals on caring for people living with disability to improve the appropriateness and quality of care that people living with disability receive / DVD developed by December 2014 / Completed – December 2014 / Action Completed.
The DVD was developed in consultation with the Ministers Disability Advisory Council. The DVD is being used as a training resource with Tasmanian Health Service.
11 / Create greater individualised support for people living with psychiatric disability / Provide a minimum of thirty individualised, tailored support packages of care to people with severe and persistent mental illness and resultant psychiatric disability per annum / Underway / Being achieved for December 2014 -2017 (Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug).
12 / Provide children in Child Protection (and specifically OOHC) and Youth Justice with access to services and support funded through the NDIA / Facilitate three forums per annum between NDIS, Child Protection Services (CPS), and Youth Justice Staff / No action / This item will be placed as an Agenda item for the Executive Leadership Team to action in September 2015.
13 / Develop and implement a shared agreement on the use of Voluntary Care Agreements for children living with disability / Shared Agreement on the use of the Voluntary Care Agreement provisions for children living with disability implemented through:
a targeted time limited working group to develop shared protocols, and to clarify provisions and service parameters
implementation and Communications Strategy developed by October 2014
final agreement completed by December 2015 / No action / This item will be placed as an Agenda item for the Executive Leadership Team to action in September 2015.
14 / Implement internal processes which break down barriers and allow people living with disability to access opportunities within the DHHS / Write a Flexible Work Arrangements Procedure for internal implementation by July 2014 / Completed - June 2014 / This action was completed and reported on in the 2013-2014 annual report.
The Flexible Work Arrangements Procedure and its supporting materials and resources will be reviewed annually each December, and revised where necessary.
15 / Provide better service to current and prospective NDIS clients / Undertake an analysis of housing for NDIS clients to identify needs and gaps
Develop an implementation plan based on the analysis to better use available funds in response to findings, by June 2015 / Completed – June 2015 / Action completed.
This action has been subsumed by the development of the Affordable Housing Strategy.
The Affordable Housing Strategy is nearing completion and incorporates strategies specific to individuals with disability.
Peak organisations representing people with disability and the disability support sector participated in the consultation workshops.
Most Significant Change
As at 30 March 2015, 924 participants had transitioned into the National Disability Insurance Scheme with funded and approved plans. This result means that Tasmania has achieved 105% of the bilaterally agreed target. The trial is progressing well with collaborative working relationships between the State government, National Disability Insurance Agency and the disability sector is a major element to this success.
The model for ongoing the implementation of the Self-Directed Funding Project has been implemented with all recommendations from the evaluation being accepted. The program now has nine participants and is offered as an option as part of individual planning processes undertaken through the Disability Gateway.
Key Challenges/Emerging Issues
There is some question over what impact the transition from National Disability Insurance Agencyto the National Disability Insurance Scheme will have on funding and delivery of Community Sector Organisations recreational and skills development programs for people living with disability.
Other information
The Recent State Budget included a number of announcements in support of Tasmanians with disability. Announcements included:
- Additional funding of $2 million over four years for disability services to assist those on waiting lists, who are outside the NDIS trial cohort. This funding will provide approximately 12 000 additional hours of support.
- Over the next four years, $92.8 million of funding will be provided to assist with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Tasmania.
- The 2014 election commitment provided:
- funding of $1 million over four years to kick-start a longer-term strategy to provide best practice to autism care to Tasmanians
- funding of $250 000 over two years for National Disability Services (Tasmania) for the development of a job-ready workforce to meet the new jobs in Tasmania for the NDIS.
- funding of $9 million to the community sector over four years. This additional funding will be used to support increasing costs and sector capacity building.
Action Area 2:Access to Employment Opportunities, Career Development, Retention and Recruitment
Progress with Disability Action Plan
Action / Performance Indicator / 2014-2015 Status / Comments1 / Increase employment opportunities for people living with disability by promoting DHHS job vacancies to recruitment agencies who manage candidates with disability / One hundred per cent of notification of vacancies (which are open to applications from members of the public), will be emailed to the recruitment agencies listed under ‘People with Disability Fixed-Term Employment Register’ / Ongoing / Continue to monitor newvacancies featured on forward to recruitment agencies listed under the ‘People with Disability Fixed-Term Employment Register’.
2 / Develop Conviction Checks Procedure for implementation across the DHHS – checking conviction history as a mandatory pre-employment requirement to support the safety and security of people living with disability / Conviction Checks Procedure developed and approved by December 2013 / Completed – November 2013 / This action was completed and reported on in the 2013-2014 annual report.
Procedure and supporting resources and materials will be reviewed by December 2015 and amended where appropriate.
3 / Promote Conviction Checks Procedure across DHHS – ensuring that those undertaking conviction checks are informed of their importance in supporting the safety and security of people living with disability / At least six information sessions conducted for DHHS managers statewide to promote the Conviction Checks Procedure by December 2014 / Completed – January 2015 / Action completed
Six information sessions were held in various units of DHHS. Further education and training is provided on request.
4 / Break down barriers and improve employment opportunities for people living with disability, through education and facilitation of attitudinal change amongst Hiring Managers / A minimum of eight training sessions conducted statewide, across the DHHS business units, to promote workforce diversity-focussed employment practices / No action / Human Resources Management and Strategy will implement training sessions as a high priority action item for 2015-2016.
5 / Increase job security for people living with disability / In the context of the ability to change an individual's employment status from fixed-term to permanent, contact DPAC to enquire about whether or not the Disability Employment Program is a State Service recruitment program in accordance with Section 15 (1) (h) of the State Service Act 2000. Target Response received from DPAC / Completed – August 2014 / Action Completed.
Details were provided in 2013-2014 Annual report
6 / Inspire cultural change amongst hiring managers, allowing people living with disability greater accessibility to job opportunities through raising the profile of the ‘People with Disability Fixed-Term Employment Register’ and communicating this information to hiring managers / Link to DPAC disability employment information to be included on the employment page of DHHS and THO North intranet sites.
Communicated via email to DHHS and THO North hiring managers by December 2014 / Completed -November 2014 / Action Completed.
DHHS and THS-Northern Region have both provided Information on employing people with disabilities and the DPAC link is available on the Human Resources recruitment Intranet pages. When THS-Northern Region’s Recruitment Procedure was finalised in October 2014 an email was sent to hiring managers drawing their attention to the new employment Intranet page (which included information of disability).
7 / Assist hiring managers to broaden their search for suitable candidates to include people living with disability / The ‘People with Disability Fixed-Term Employment Register’ is promoted to hiring managers within the Recruitment and Employment of Employees Procedure by August 2014 / Completed – July 2014 / Procedure and supporting resources and materials will be reviewed by December 2015 and amended where appropriate.
8 / Improve opportunities for people living with disability to become volunteers within the DHHS and THOs / Volunteer Programs Procedure developed, implemented and circulated internally via a memo to managers by August 2014 / Completed – July 2014 / Procedure and supporting resources and materials will be reviewed by December 2015 and amended where appropriate.
Tasmanian disability organisations engaged to promote DHHS volunteer programs by February 2015 / No action / This action item will be addressed as a priority in 2015-2016 by DHHS and THS.
9 / Improve opportunities for people living with disability to gain work experience within the DHHS and THOs / Work Experience and Students Procedure developed, implemented and circulated internally via a memo to managers by June 2015 / Completed – July 2014 / Procedure and supporting resources and materials will be reviewed by December 2015 and amended where appropriate.
Tasmanian disability training and development organisations engaged to promote work experience opportunities for people living with disability by July 2015 / No action / This action item will be addressed as a priority in 2015-2016 by DHHS and THS.
10 / Increase access to employment opportunities for people living with psychiatric disability / Demonstrated continuation of the Integrated Employment Program for people living with severe and persistent mental illness and resultant psychiatric disability, through reporting the number of uptakes per annum / Completed – February 2015 / The Integrated Employment Program delivered some excellent outcomes for clients in Tasmania.
Since commencement jobs found include; Enrolled Nurse, Laboratory Technician, Child Carer, Disability Carer, Night Fill Assistant, Aged Carer, Retail Assistant, Food and Beverage Assistant, Owner of a cleaning business, Teacher, Cleaner Security Guard, and Small Engine Repairer
Training undertaken has included; Enrolled Nurse, Certificate 3 in Child Care, Disability Care and Aged Care, Bachelor of Business, Basic Computing, Medical Terminology, Microsoft Help Desk, Horticulture, Security, Masters v, apprenticeship pathway courses.
Most Significant Change
In July 2015 the DHHS Human Resources unit restructure was implemented as part of the DHHS Review. The new Human Resources and Management Strategy teams priority involves stronger service-delivery functions to Business Units, managers and employees of the DHHS. Part of this is the new Workforce Development and HR Policy team which will focus on identifying Human Resource related knowledge, training and education gaps. Through the education and training that will be provided, gaps will be reduced or eliminated and will ensure that employment boundaries for people living with disability are addressed.