Wednesday, April 21, 2010

WARRINGAH DISABILITY NEWSLETTER No 227 - 16/04/10

Hello!
The newsletter starts with a reminder about weekend soccer for kids, and the Kids Big Fun Day Out, a dance class, Special Olympics national games, wheelchair rugby and basketball, access to the 17th Biennale of Sydney, the Sydney Writers’ Festival and MCA art. The Rainbow Room has a special session, and carers are invited to events dealing with positive behaviour, violence, health, needs of children aged 0-5, realistic behaviour management. There are also sessions on borderline personality disorder, dementia and a brunch for working carers of someone aged 65+. Fundraising involves the Pink & Blue Ball for VCFS, Woolworth grants and special prices for computers.

You are invited to write your story on 1000voices.edu.au, walk to end prejudice, sign a petition, look at options for people ageing with a disability, and donate goods for Kaddy’s stall. Resources include vacancies at CALM (lawnmowing), an article on adult siblings of a person with a disability, the working carers website, accessible Melbourne maps, the NRS and the DEP programs, captioning on YouTube, and employment services at Pioneer Clubhouse.

Workshops and meetings involve falls prevention, anger management training, attachment theory relating to grief, compulsive hoarding, treatment for children and adolescents with intellectual and mental health issues, environment for someone with ASD, dementia behaviours, early childhood intervention, community living. Several sessions focus on person-centred practice: creating the life you want, living our visions, the I-CAN assessment tool. Conferences focus on employment for people with disabilities, the CJD and prion disease, and policies and politics regarding families.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome, as always!

Regards, Marjorie Janz, Disability Information Officer, Warringah Council.
Phone 9942 2686, fax 9942 2371. Also janzm@warringah.nsw.gov.au.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Workshops, Seminars & Enquiries

Margie Payne reports that "Mark Clayton provides some information which should be of much interest to our members" - and it certainly is.

22-23 April: A seminar at Stamford Grand North Ryde called "Conversations, Connections, Communities" which is a shorter version of one attended recently by Neale Parnaby for 4 days in Lismore.
"If you are interested in knowing more about Person Centred Practices, then join Sunnyfield for the Person Centred conversation of a lifetime. This Seminar will give you the opportunity to hear four international leaders speak on Person Centred Practices".
Click here to download a copy of the flyer and registration form.

4 May: family ADVOCACY have Jeff Strully presenting "Creating the life you want" from 9.30 to 2.30 pm at the Epping Club. "What happens to people with developmental disability once their parents are very elderly or have died? Who will be in their life? Will extended family step in and take over? Can families count on the NSW State government? Will a service provider organisation be the answer?"
Jeff will share the story of Jay Nolan Community Services—a service organisation that supports people with autism and other developmental disability to live full, rich lives in the community. Eighteen years ago, the organisation changed the way services were provided from very traditional group living to personalised and customised supports.
The presentation will assist families and workers to think through their own planning and priorities, the relationship between families, people with disability and services, the role of services, and how people with disability could be better supported. In Jeff’s experience, the financial side of planning for the future is much easier than the quality of life side, so more focus and energy must be directed to the quality question as it is this that creates a life worth living.
Click here for the registration form.

June 2010: The Australian Government has asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public enquiry into a long-term disability care and support scheme. There are many questions about how to improve current arrangements. The Commission welcomes the views of all people and organisations. There is an information paper here and you can see more here http://www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/disability-support/terms-of-reference.
Do you want to make a personal submission? should the Auxiliary? should Sunnyfield? What should we say??

Thanks to Margie.

Summary of 17 April 2010 meeting & minutes

THANK YOU ANDREW CONSTANCE
Andrew Constance, NSW Shadow Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, delivered a persuasive and very well informed set of views on why Self Managed Funding, as detailed in his paper "PERSONALISING SERVICE DELIVERY" (open the blog January Archive to read members' comments about this paper), will provide real choice, improve quality of care for disabled, their families and carers and save potentially very significant sums of money from the total NSW AHDC budget. Andrew recommends Members check the Caring4Carer's web site here www.caring4carers.com.au.

Clearly this will require election of a Liberal/National Government and support from that Government for adoption of Andrew's proposals.

Those present expressed sincere gratitude for the 4 interesting hours Andrew was able to dedicate to the Sunnyfield members present.
Andrew encouraged all Members to call on any matter they thought deserved his attention - his email is bega@parliament.nsw.gov.au and his office 'phone is 02 6492 2056 and mobile is 0439 311 073.

The minutes from the meeting are available here.

COMMUNITY BUILDING NATIONAL NETWORK

Expressions of Interest - Supported Living Networks National Steering Group

Neighbourhood Supported Living Networks are a successful model of social inclusion for people with disabilities, people with mental illnesses, vulnerable young people and others in need of supported living.

A Network consists of about ten houses or flats in the same neighbourhood, within walking distance of each other. The tenth home is a residence for a Network Volunteer or Worker who lives in the same neighbourhood and acts as an anchor for the group, providing support on a flexible basis. This arrangement enables the Network to build layers of support around the network members and with others in the neighbourhood. The demand for Supported Living Networks across Australia is huge. Thousands are needed, as a matter of urgency. Street by Street, Suburb by Suburb.

A National Steering Group to co-ordinate the development of Networks will be convened at the ANGLISS CONFERENCE CENTRE, Melbourne 21-22 APRIL 2010. The group's goal will be to facilitate the development of 50 Supported Living Networks around Australia by the end of 2010, and many more by the end of 2011.

Click Here for information on the Community Building National Network.
The Network connects community initiators and leaders, support practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and others who are interested in authentic community building work. Ideas and experiences, papers, project reports, case studies of local and overseas innovations, and progress reports in advocacy are posted online and shared. There is no cost.

Register Here to Participate in the Community Building National Network. Deadline: Monday 19th April.
This Conference is hosted by the Centre for Civil Society, a public policy and social innovation think tank for the empowerment of ordinary people. http://www.civilsociety.org.au
To register your interest in Supported Living Networks use this online form: http://www.civilsociety.org.au/SupportedLivingNetworks.htm
To register your Expression of Interest in joining the National Steering Group use this online form: http://www.civilsociety.org.au/SupportedLivingNetworksSteeringGroupEOI.htm

Thanks to Di Cook for this information

Thursday, April 15, 2010

From the Board

Welcome to the first edition of “From The Board”. I have introduced this initiative so that I can make sure our Sunnyfield families and members up to date with the work of your Directors.

In March 2010, the Board held a Strategy Meeting with the Leadership Team to assess and review our strategy and how well we all felt we had made progress with the strategy. It was so pleasing to see that all Directors and all members of the Leadership Team confirmed that the Sunnyfield strategy remains the right direction and the best way to provide outcomes for the people we support and their families.

The Board unanimously agreed that we need to place additional emphasis on our relationship and interaction with Government/political parties if we are to meet our goal of being a driver of social and legislative change.

The Board is very well aware there are major changes in the current environment within the disability sector. We have seen our sector starting to move towards the adoption of person centred approaches and individual funding. This we feel is as a result, in part, of Sunnyfield’s efforts and our commitment to these very principles in our strategy. The proposal for a National Disability Insurance Scheme has been referred to the Productivity Commission and Sunnyfield intends to take advantage of the election years to bring this and the many other issues in the disability sector before governments and politicians.

One of the Board’s main aims for Sunnyfield is to emphasise better communication with our families and members. The Directors view our relationship and dealings with our families and members as a crucial element in not only implementing the strategy for the people we support, but also allowing this most important stakeholder base to have a voice in future changes. We will also be considering how we can put more value into membership of Sunnyfield thereby encouraging all families to consider becoming a member rather than just receiving a service.

Some important points from the March Board meeting; the Board:
• approved two new members,
• reviewed the work of each division of the company against its business plans,
• considered the implications of the Modern Award which affects our staff rosters, and endorsed the decision of the Leadership Team not to reduce our staff payments in line with the award,
• congratulated the Enterprises Team on winning a new $1million contract to supply TAFE Hunter Valley,
• reviewed the feedback from the survey of families using Respite Care services at Sunnyfield, noting the very high level of satisfaction recorded, and discussed the upcoming Family and Membership Survey which will provide further information on the views of our families and members,
• considered and provided direction to the Leadership Team on several projects currently underway at Sunnyfield, and
• considered the financial and management reports, noting a better than budget performance year to date for the company.

The next meeting of the Board will be held in May 2010 and, as always, if members have any items they would like the Board to discuss and consider, they can be forwarded through the CEO’s Office.

Patricia McKenzie, Chair

VALE MARIE GRACE

http://www.onlinetributes.com.au/Marie_Grace/
06.03.1921 - 02.04.2010
Late of Dee Why and formerly of Fairlight and Balgowlah Heights. Dearly beloved wife of Phillip (deceased), dearly loved mother of Chris and Diane and much loved mother-in-law of Erica. Much loved grandmother of Andrew, Timothy and Jaqui, Phillip, Esther and Jonathan. Great-grandmother of Matari and Eloi. Dearly loved aunt of Ann, Jane, Timothy and Phillip.
Loved cousin of June. Aged 89 years

Sunnyfield Members will remember Marie's patient and warm support to Members and the outstanding service of her husband Phil Grace, Sunnyfield's second longest serving Chairman.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Living our visions

Rita Kolano says...
Hello all,
Please find attached a flyer inviting you to an inspiring and thought provoking session. Hope to see you there.

University of Sydney Centre for Disability Studies with Pathways to Leadership Limited invite you to learn about... "Living our visions"

Pathways to Leadership Limited links formal and informal networks of people with a disability, their families, and allies across Australia and Internationally via training and leadership opportunities.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

JULIA FARR ASSOCIATION - TELL US LIVING WITH DISABILITY SURVEY

The Julia Farr Association invites you to complete our tell us Living with Disability Survey as we really want to hear your views.

Without revealing people's personal details, we will use the survey information to help us in our policy work, so that your experiences and views can have an impact on the decisions that politicians make.

We have set a closing date for the survey because our first job is to prepare a submission to the Federal government's Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee Inquiry into planning options and services for people ageing with disability. The terms of reference of this inquiry is to investigate:
"Access to planning options and services for people with a disability to ensure their continued quality of life as they and their carers age; and to identify any inadequacies in the choice of, and funding of, planning options currently available to people ageing with a disability and their carers."

Your partici pation in the survey is voluntary - you don't have to be involved if you don't want to.

You have the option of completing the survey in one of three ways:
1. ON LINE SURVEY
Complete the survey online by clicking on the following link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JFA_Living_with_Disability_Survey; OR
Complete the survey online by accessing the Julia Farr Association - tell us Living with Disability Survey link on our webpage www.juliafarr.org.au;

2. HARD COPY VERSION OF SURVEY
If you require a hard copy of the survey please contact Alicia Fidock on 8373 8311 and she will send you the survey including a reply paid envelope.

3. ELECTRONIC VERSION OF SURVEY
The electronic version of the survey enables you to enter your responses using the computer and saving the completed survey on a CD. If you require an electronic version of the survey please contact Alicia Fidock on 8373 8311 and she will send you a CD versio n of the survey and a reply paid envelope.

Please feel free to forward this email to other members of the disability community who might like to be involved in telling us about what key issues are important to them.

Remember that we need the surveys to be returned by no later than 7 May 2010.

If you need assistance completing the survey or have any further questions please contact Alicia Fidock on 8373 8311 or aliciaf@juliafarr.org.au

Saturday, April 3, 2010

WARRINGAH DISABILITY NEWSLETTER No 226 - 31/03/10

Hello!
The newsletter starts with reminders about the Leisure Links and school holiday program, as well as an art group for young carers, basketball for deaf / hearing impaired teens, rugby, Fragile X picnic, open day at Cromehurst School and self-managed Community Participation. Carers can attend fathers’/grandfathers night and pampering for parents of children with autism, Chinese carers retreat, dementia sessions for Korean / Serbian / Japanese / Afghani carers, a seminar on positive behaviour, ARAFMI events. Fundraising involves a run for people with intellectual disabilities and the Pink & Blue Ball for VCFS. There are also grants available for organisations with community volunteers.

You are invited to write a story about caring for someone with mental illness, take a survey on out-of-hours care, and make the pledge for the Mad as Hell Campaign. Resources include a DVD on inclusive community, fact sheets on making changes, the new VCFS website, and a booklet and DVD using visual systems in communication. Workshops and meetings involve facilitating ABCD, a comprehensive day on autism, Social Role Valorisation, mediation, cognitive behaviour therapy, working with carers training package, support groups for depression and suicide bereavement, PECS training. Conferences focus on communities in control, and early childhood intervention. Various professional development courses are being run the Northside Community Forum and UnitingCare IFP.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome, as always!
Remember to change your home smoke alarm and clocks on Sunday 4 April.

Regards, Marjorie Janz, Disability Information Officer, Warringah Council.
Phone 9942 2686, fax 9942 237, email janzm@warringah.nsw.gov.au.