Disability Service Plan Year 2 Progress Report

QUEENSLAND TREASURY
Disability Service Plan Year 2 Progress Report
1 November 2014 to 30 November 2015
Disability Service Plan Year 2 Progress Report

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The State of Queensland (Queensland Treasury) Disability Service Plan Year 2 Progress Report.

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13 / Version 1 last updated 10/11/2015
Disability Service Plan Year 2 Progress Report
Priority 5 / Prepare Queensland Government departments to transition disability funding and services to the National Disability Insurance Agency.
Strategy 5.1 / Develop a clear understanding of disability funding and services currently provided across the Queensland Government to inform transition planning for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Actions / Year 2 Products/
Activities / Progress/Achievements / Stakeholder Engagement / Responsible Area
5.1.1
Queensland Treasury (Treasury) is leading the NDIS modelling project for Queensland to:
· capture detailed information on clients accessing Queensland Government disability related services, the services they are accessing and the cost of these services
· collate detailed information on the composition of current and planned spending on NDIS eligible clients
· model a range of scenarios for the rollout of NDIS in Queensland that could be accommodated within committed funding.
The information from the NDIS modelling project will provide the evidence base to develop a bilateral agreement with the Australian Government for transitioning eligible participants to the NDIS and forming the basis for a Queensland Government implementation plan. / Prepare to transition funding from across Government to the National Disability Insurance Agency based on the agreed NDIS Implementation Plan. / Treasury has modelled options for the rollout of the NDIS in Queensland. Results have informed negotiations with the Australian Government on a bilateral agreement for the transition to the full scheme NDIS. Planning has commenced on transitioning of funding from across Government to the NDIS. / Treasury continues to work closely with the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet on all modelling and related activities / Budget Portfolios Division –Communities Group
5.1.1 – Other
In relation to Queensland arrangements for lifetime care and support for eligible NDIS participants, Treasury provides advice to shape policy to ensure eligible NDIS clients in Queensland receive timely and value for money services through the National Disability Insurance Agency / Ongoing analysis and advice provided on the NDIS. / Treasury continues to engage with the Australian Government and the states and territories on NDIS policy issues. This includes advice on funding and governance arrangements. / Treasury is working closely with the following agencies on NDIS policy matters: Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services; Department of the Premier and Cabinet; Queensland Health; Department of Housing and Public Works; Department of Transport and Main Roads; and Department of Education, Training and Employment. / Budget Portfolios Division – Communities Group
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Priority 6 / Enhance mainstream services and facilities to enable genuine choice and participation in areas including education, employments, health, justice services and housing.
Strategy 6.3 / Promote employment of people with disability in all industries and sectors.
Actions / Year 2 Products/
Activities / Progress/Achievements / Stakeholder Engagement / Responsible Area
6.3.1
Provide disability employment organisations with relevant information to support employers to establish work-life balance arrangements which may help men and women with disability to participate in the labour force.
· Telecommuting to minimise requirements for travel which may be difficult for some people with a disability
· Part-time work to help those with limited capacity to work
· Flexible work hours to allow attendance at medical and therapy appointments and services if required. / Maintain information on the Industrial Relations Policy and Regulation’s (formerly Private Sector Industrial Relations) website and address issues where required. / The information on flexible working arrangements such as part-time work, job sharing and telecommuting on
http://www.qld.gov.au/jobs/balance/arrangements/ is up to date as at December 2015. / The information and advice on flexible working arrangements has been developed through consultation with employers and workers in the Queensland’s private and public sectors. / Office of Industrial Relations*

*Note: this action was previously reported in the Disability Service Plan for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. In February 2015, the administrative responsibility for ‘Industrial Relations’ was transferred to Queensland Treasury.

Priority 6 / Enhance mainstream services and facilities to enable genuine choice and participation in areas including education, employments, health, justice services and housing.
Strategy 6.4 / Improve the capacity and accessibility of health services, including preventative services and health promotion to people with disability.
Actions / Year 2 Products/
Activities / Progress/Achievements / Stakeholder Engagement / Responsible Area
6.4.1
Invest in targeted research to improve health and participation outcomes for people injured in motor vehicle crashes. / Continue to engage in a range of projects that align to the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) scheme’s research priorities with a focus on brain, psychological and whiplash injuries. / $2.4 million invested (2014-15) in research by the Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine (CONROD). Some highlights include:
· Development of a decision support tool (app and website) for housing and home modification needs for people post catastrophic injury including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury
· Research activity to support MVA NIIS and CTP scheme policy development around catastrophic injury
· CONROD have the lead researcher and significant involvement in establishing a NHMRC funded Centre of Research Excellence in Recovery Following Road Traffic Injury which includes a focus on whiplash injury
· Established a Professorial Fellow in Traumatic Brain Injury Research at the Queensland Brain Institute ($1.5million committed over 2013-18) / Presentation to licensed CTP insurers on identification of high risk CTP claimants suffering physical and psychological injury. Includes exploration of feasibility to develop a stress modulation app
Supported ‘Research into Action ‘presentation to medical, rehabilitation and Insurance Industry representatives relating to catastrophic injury / Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC)
Priority 7 / Promote genuine participation in the community.
Strategy 7.2 / Improve accessibility of public places and spaces.
Actions / Year 2 Products/
Activities / Progress/Achievements / Stakeholder Engagement / Responsible Area
7.2.1
Monitor planning for new Government accommodation or new structures, ensuring appropriate building standards are applied so structures such as doorways and stairs do not act as a barrier to employees and customers with mobility issues. / Provide ongoing input into the design and fit-out of 1 William Street (1WS). / The design of 1WS has been developed in accordance with the relevant legislation and building codes and is compliant with best practice standards.
The building design includes fire rated safe havens on each level to allow people with a disability safe access to lifts in the case of an emergency. The lifts cater for a range of disabilities. The building fit-out has been designed to provide end of trip and kitchen facilities ease of use by employees with a disability. / None / Facilities Unit, Corporate Group
7.2.2
Managing the delivery of the 1WS office tower project to ensure disability needs are meet / Compliance with all relevant legislation, regulation and building codes that ensure the workplace built environment is appropriate for people with a disability.
Ensuring that the ground plane (landscaped areas and access to the office tower) is appropriate.
Contemporary design to ensure that learnings from several recent major commercial office projects across Australia are incorporated into 1WS. / Ongoing delivery compliance in accordance with the Project Deed for 1WS.
The delivery of 1WS is on time, on budget and consistent with quality requirements. / Extensive engagement is being undertaken with key representatives from occupant State agencies as part of the transition from current workplaces to 1WS. / Commercial Group
7.2.2
Maintain a register of adjustments implemented, including:
• assistive technologies
• work area adjustments
• medical car parks
• occupational/ergonomic assessments
• strategies and changes to process/practice. / Ongoing / A register is maintained and monitored. / Engagement with relevant business areas including Health and Safety Representatives and Queensland Treasury’s Facilities Unit. / Facilities Unit, Corporate Group
Human Resources, Corporate Group
7.2.3
Undertake workplace health and safety audits to identify potential hazards that may be obstructive or inadequate for employees or customers with a disability. / At least annually and ongoing / Treasury Health and Safety Representatives network and Work Health Safety Strategic Committee consults with all groups across Treasury. / Annual hazard audit completed in August 2015. / Health and Safety Consultative Networks
Human Resources, Corporate Group
Priority 7 / Promote genuine participation in the community.
Strategy 7.3 / Provide government and public information in diverse languages and accessible formats, including formats that best meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Actions / Year 2 Products/
Activities / Progress/Achievements / Stakeholder Engagement / Responsible Area
7.3.1 Continue to ensure that information is available and provided to clients in diverse languages and accessible formats / Ongoing / Treasury provides content on external websites that comply with the CUE guidelines (soon to be re-named GLUE) as part of Information Standard 36. Our major reports such as the budget and Annual Report are presented in HTML rather than PDF to ensure that people using screen readers can engage with the material.
Treasury does not provide information in languages other than English but does offer alternative language pages in the footer of the website which provides information on how visitors who do not read English can get help. / Engagement with relevant business areas as required / All business groups
7.3.2 Ensure that Treasury’s websites are designed and developed to make the content available to as many users as possible, including:
· people with disabilities,
· rural and regional users,
· those with non-PC internet devices including hand-held devices and mobile phones,
· and those with slower internet connections or less than state-of-the-art equipment. / Ongoing / People with disabilities who may use assistive technologies - As per above, all websites comply with the IS 36
Rural and regional users – The websites employ minimal "heavy code” meaning that only code that is necessary to render the page is used. Caching of web pages is used to reduce download requirements and speed up page rendition. Caching is where the browser saves the styles and images in temporary memoryrather than downloading them from the internetevery time a page is accessed.
In relation to access using non-PC internet devices including hand-held devices and mobile phones, the Treasury website is mobile responsive meaning that the site works equally well on desktop, tablet and mobile by rendering stylesheets appropriately. The other websites in the portfolio are older and do not have this technology due to their age.
In relation to people with slower internet connections or equipment, Treasury websites are built to render on the last supported version of Internet Explorer (currently IE8) that Microsoft supports. The caching explained above helps with users on slower download speeds. / Engagement with relevant business areas as required / All business groups
7.3.3 Where appropriate, ensure that interpreter services are engaged to assist in communicating with people who have limited proficiency in English, or who are deaf or hard of hearing. / Ongoing / In the 2014-2015 financial year, interpreters were engaged on 145 occasions, with a total amount of $6,530 spent on interpreter services / Engagement with relevant business areas as required / All business areas
7.3.4 Where appropriate, ensure that interpreter services are engaged to assist in communicating with people who have limited proficiency in English, or who are deaf or hard of hearing. / Ongoing / Queensland Government Service Centres manage enquiries on behalf of Treasury, therefore, those procedures around signage is the responsibility of Smart Service Queensland. / None / All business areas
7.3.6*
Incorporate disability information and advice into corporate events where possible.
Examples of events include but are not limited to the RNA show and Safe Work Week, as well as regular information sessions and forums coordinated by departmental divisions. / Ongoing / Practices to support the inclusion and participation of people with a disability will be considered during planning of all OIR events. / Engagement with relevant business areas as required / All business areas

Priority 7 / Promote genuine participation in the community.
Strategy 7.5.1 / Promote and provide access to communication and assistive technologies that are appropriate and affordable.
Actions / Year 2 Products/
Activities / Progress/Achievements / Stakeholder Engagement / Responsible Area
7.5.1
Continue to ensure that Treasury employees with a disability receive appropriate support and technology to perform their job, including:
• engaging specialists/organisations to identify the adjustments, technologies and workplace modifications required for the employee
• providing contemporary assistive technologies as identified
• regularly reviewing reasonable adjustments and assistive technologies to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the employee. / Ongoing / Regularly scoped and monitored via work health and safety consultative networks. / Work Health and Safety Program (Human Resources), consult across all Groups to ensure appropriate support is provided. / All business areas in conjunction with Human Resources
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