CALL for URGENT SUPPORT - 20,000 JOBS for PEOPLE with DISABILITY at Risk

20,000 people with a disability are employed by Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) across Australia. At Sunnyfield we employ 292 supported employees, who are proud to work and contribute meaningful value for many business customers.

Sunnyfield supported staff love their jobs, and those who are familiar with Enterprises will readily understand the passion that goes into running the business by staff and families.

We urge you to join us in supporting the campaign to save people with disability supported employee jobs.

Some Background
An Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) is a not-for-profit organisation, usually with charitable status, which provides products and services to business customers, with a mission to provide meaningful employment for people with significant disability (who would otherwise be unlikely to work).

ADEs are mostly run by a not-for-profit organisation, that try to break-even or make a surplus after paying all its costs, including wages. So, an ADE operates in a similar same way as other businesses, but there is one major difference, an ADE employs mostly people with disability and these employees are supported to undertake their work.

What happened – High Court Case?
In the Nojin v Commonwealth of Australia High Court decision, the court looked at the wages of two people with an intellectual disability working in an ADE. It was decided that the use of the Commonwealth governments Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) to determine their wages wasn’t fair. The findings then went to the Human Rights Commission which administers the Disability Discrimination Act.

What did the Human Rights Commission decide?
The Human Rights Commission found that the BSWAT wage assessment tool was not fair and it would be too complicated for ADEs to immediately change to another wage assessment tool, so it gave ADEs one year to move to a different tool, that will pay supported employees much higher wages . ADEs don't think a year is enough time – three years at least is needed. But where does the money for the extra wages come from?

What will this decision mean for ADEs?
This decision directly threatens the long term viability of ADEs because ADEs will have to pay significantly higher wages to supported employees. ADEs would be most pleased to pay higher wages to supported employees, if they could afford too!

However most ADEs struggle to avoid a loss each year. In fact without additional government funding many ADEs may be forced to either downsize or close altogether. It is

worth noting that to be a supported employee you must be eligible for a disability support pension, and the higher the wages earned means the lessor pension entitlement (thus the government could reduce pensions with substantial wage increases).

What will supported employees do if they lose their jobs?
If ADEs have to close or downsize because there is no extra government funding to pay higher wages, supported workers will, unfortunately, very likely lose their jobs.

A small number maybe be able to get an open employment job, however these people with disability will need to be high functioning and be able to secure a job in the current highly competitive job marketplace, with its increasing unemployment rates.

Very few people might be able to get into a state-funded day program. Others who lose their jobs may eventually get some form of support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), but depending on where they live, that might not be until 2016 to 2018 or beyond.

Most will be unemployed, with no meaningful activity and ability to work, with a loss of their social work connections. Many will be thrown back into the family home and will probably require family support.

How you can help Supported Employees keep their jobs?
Please go to http://www.ade.org.au/ to automatically send an email to the Federal Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator The Honourable Mitch Fifield. A preformed letter is available on the website and only needs your name and address inserted to send a very important message to the Minister urging action to find a solution to this untenable situation. 

This process only takes a few seconds and if many people register their support then the Minister will get a very strong message.

All supported employees (people with disability) need your urgent support to ensure the ongoing viability of their jobs! 

Threat to Employment of Disabled People

I should like to acknowledge the wise words of Allan Holswitch, a Central Coast Sunnyfield Family Member, as follows:

Yesterday [25th November] was something of a landmark in that a bill was passed in the Senate which appears to have a profound effect on the future viability of supported employment operations ( known as Australian Disability enterprises or ADE’s).

This is a complex situation, but really seems to demonstrate how one noble quest for equality can conflict with an equally noble quest to provide support in meaningful  disabled employment. No middle ground appears to have been considered and there is every possibility that hardship and exploitation will accompany the otherwise laudable but perhaps narrow objective of workplace equality.

I am attaching two documents.

One is a copy of a newsletter from the organisation "People with a Disability (PWD)"  which announces and applauds the bill, which they initially proposed and promoted. Click here...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8rZ09ZXFyX7QS1HU0x0Tkd0dGs/view?usp=sharing

The other is below... which outlines the position as it now affects the Sunnyfield's supported employment service, and other ADE’s. This contains an explanation of the situation [from a Family/Member point of view], 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8rZ09ZXFyX7RExGQndhMDdkNDA/view?usp=sharing

...and a link to a web page which has a petition in the form of an email. 

Please go to http://www.ade.org.au/ to automatically send an email to the Federal Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator The Honourable Mitch Fifield. 

The petition is asking the Minister to take urgent action to allow ADE’s to continue in operation and remain financially viable. You will appreciate that almost all ADE’s are ‘not for profit organisations’ and have limited resources.

This is a crisis.

Will you please read both the case for and against then form your opinion. Sunnyfield families believe there is a compelling case to at least support the petition and we urge you to add your name.

Sunnyfield's November 2014 Info Sessions

For those who cannot easily access a PDF on their PCs at home here is a web version you can review.

Click on the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8rZ09ZXFyX7R3lyRDJzMFFRcGM/view?usp=sharing

Living the Good Life - DVD & Podcast launch

Mark Clayton has asked that this event be publicised to Aux. members.

2.00 - 4.00 pm 16th August

There is a PDF with details here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8rZ09ZXFyX7d09xcDVkSGVDZEk/edit?usp=sharing

Communications Forum - NDIS update; review Strategic Plan 2014-5

Here is a link to the PowerPoint documents used by Caroline Cuddihy and Mark Clayton to present NDIS status and Sunyfield's 2014-5 Strategic Plan.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8rZ09ZXFyX7MGdoSnRjMi14NlE/edit?usp=sharing

You can look at them here or download a copy.

COMPOSE - A clinical study to improve cognitive capabilities in people with Down syndrome

Dear Mark

I would be grateful if you could advise families of people with DS known to Sunnyfield about this study. I am responsible for the Univ of Sydney site.

Best wishes

Stewart Einfeld

Professor, Centre for Disability Research and Policy

Senior Scientist, Brain & Mind Research Institute

THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
T +61 2 9351 9213  
E stewart.einfeld@sydney.edu.au  | W http://sydney.edu.au/health_sciences/staff/stewart_einfeld.shtml

Subject: COMPOSE - A clinical study to improve cognitive capabilities in people with Down syndrome

We would like to ask for your assistance in letting colleagues and patients who may be interested know about a new nationwide clinical trial to determine whether a medication called BTD-001 can improve memory, language, attention and learning in people with Down syndrome.

Two sites in Sydney are involved in this study –at Neuroscience Research Australia and the University of NSW the research is being led by Professor Rhoshel Lenroot, Dr Robert Leitner and Dr Bruce Chenoweth, while at the University of Sydney the research is being led by Professor Stewart Einfeld.

Trials in an animal model of Down syndrome found that the medication helped learning and memory, and that effects lasted even after the medication was stopped.  Although there is a long history of using this same medication in people, particularly in dementia, this trial will also help to establish safety for use in people with Down syndrome.  Participants in the study take the medication or a placebo for twelve weeks, with several visits to measure its effects on cognition and monitor health.  A family member or carer would also need to attend appointments to provide information about function

As an organization working with people with intellectual disabilities, we would like to ask for your assistance in letting people know about this study through circulating information in newsletters, e-news, email updates, posting a link on your organisation’s website or facebook page, or through displaying our brochure and/or poster promoting the study (both attached; we can send hard copies of the brochure and poster upon request).

We have ethics approval from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), the University of NSW and the University of Sydney to conduct this research. If further ethics approval would be required for you to assist in advertising this study, please do contact us.

Further information is available on the study website www.compose21.com. People who are interested can also call a central number, 1300 659 729 to confirm their eligibility.

If you would like brochures or posters or to discuss this further, please contact Karen Burton, NeuRA/UNSW site coordinator on 02 9399 1882 (k.burton@neura.edu.au) or Lauren Rice, University of Sydney site coordinator on 02 9114 4106 (lauren.rice@sydney.edu.au).

Thank you for your assistance in promoting this study.

Sunnyfield Central Coast Auxiliary Minutes of March meeting

Minutes of Meeting 25 March 2014 at CLUB TUGGERAH,

Attending  9

Apologies  5 

The meeting opened 11.15 am.. 

Minutes of the previous meeting 

The minutes of the 25 February meeting had been previously circulated and were accepted as being read.

Business arising from previous minutes

Nil

Treasurers Report

John was absent and no report tabled.

Correspondence

As usual, our correspondence consisted of emails. All have been filed and dealt with 

General Business

The proposal from our last meeting that we should arrange for a representative of the NDIS to speak with us was discussed. There has been a delay caused by the absence of Jill Hall at her electoral office. She has been present at parliament  (she is the opposition whip) and has therefore been difficult to contact. Her electoral officer, Mr Chris Hall has been helpful and has organised a contact at NDIS for us. No arrangements were in place at the time of this meeting.

Bob Devetak advised that he is still in contact with Louise Dibbs who will be well remembered by our members for her assistance when we were establishing the Auxiliary. She is now working with the House With No Steps in  Newcastle, and has therefore some experience with the NDIS launch in the Hunter. Bob suggested she would be a good speaker for us. The meeting agreed and we will plan some suitable time for her if she is agreeable to the suggestion.

Paul reported that he had read a newsletter from an organisation called I D E A S which he had found interesting. Allan is to follow up.

Despite the lack of numbers, this was an interesting meeting and we covered quite a bit of ground. We expect to have some news and developments at our April meeting.

The meeting closed at 12.45

NOTICE of MEETING Sunnyfield Central Coast Auxiliary

DATE 22 April 2014

Note Day   TUESDAY

Note commencement time     11.00am

Note Venue CLUB TUGGERAH, Bryant Drive, TUGGERAH   (opposite Bunnings)

Plenty to discuss this month, including details of our May plans

Hope to see you there.

Allan Holswich

Sunnyfield Auxiliary Central Coast; Minutes of Meeting 25 February 2014 at CLUB TUGGERAH,

Attending  14; Apologies  1  

The meeting was opened by the Vice-Chairman, Dee Ellem at 11.15 am.. She welcomed all and advised that Bob Jones was progressing well after surgery.We look forward to seeing him at our next meeting. 

We noted with sadness the news of the passing of Paul’s son Logan.

Minutes of the previous meeting 

The minutes of the 28 January meeting had been previously circulated.

It was moved and seconded that they were correct as read.    Anita/ Moira.

Business arising from previous minutes

During the previous meeting, we agreed to submit comments to ADHC on the proposed State Disability Inclusion Bill. Two comments were emailed to the instrumentality. These covered the following

1      "The role of the Community Visitor should be strengthened to protect individual people with intellectual disability from the possibility of receiving inadequate service. This is particularly necessary where there is no family member to protect the interests of an individual whose intelligence has been assessed as below normal and who would be regarded as having diminished responsibility for decisions."  

The proposed Act is appropriate for a person whose only disability is physical. It seems to downplay the needs of people with intellectual disability.

2     "A specific item of the Bill should make reference to the National Standards for Disability Services - December 2013. (www.dss.gov.au)"

The proposed Act makes strong reference to Employment Screening, but little mention of the need for suitable qualifications. The National Standards has strong reference to this aspect. 

Further, the Standards impact fundamentally on most of the broader material in the Draft, and its inclusion as a basic tenet of the Bill would seem of critical importance.

We should not expect a reply.

Treasurers Report

John tabled an up to date report on our financial situation. We have a current credit balance of $432.13.

Report approved and accepted John/Ros

Correspondence

As usual, our correspondence consisted of emails. All have been filed and dealt with 

General Business

We had no guest speaker for this meeting. Instead, we had a useful group discussion in which we were able to explore the impact and difficulties we expect in the near future as the NDIS and Person Centred funding is applied to our families.

It is quite apparent that we have little reliable information on the effects we, as elderly parents of people with high support requirements, can expect from the new system.

It would seem that we should be able to gain some knowledge from the experiences of similarly placed family members who have already been subject to the changes which are occurring in the Hunter district.

It was therefore agreed that we should move to obtain specific details for ourselves. We believe that the information we require must be on file as recent experiences inside the NDIS hierarchy, and we should organise ourselves to have these experiences outlined to us from a high ranking NDIS  official.

In achieving this information, we agreed that we should combine to clearly voice our concerns. As an initial step, we will be contacting Jill Hall MP, the member for Shortland, and who has previously been helpful to us, to see if she can facilitate a meeting for us. We are hopeful  for this, but otherwise we will make direct representation to NDIS. All our effort will be to arrange a suitable meeting for the occasion of our next  monthly meeting on 25 March. We are allowing for the possibility of having the meeting in Belmont or Charlestown if necessary. 

Bruce Conn moved that we should allow for the cost of a bus hire if necessary for this exercise. Seconded Allan

The progress on this will be distributed as soon as available.

The meeting closed at 12.45

NEXT MEETING    25 March 2014

Social meeting of Allambie Auxiliary 25 Jan 2014

Hello Everybody

some very brief notes as to what was discussed/agreed. 

Please feel free to email any errors or omissions. 

1. Start earlier, say 1230 and BBQ/socialise first, 2 x p.a. (All)

2. Ask Caroline Cuddihy if she would like to promote the Auxiliary parent/family mutual support group on Sunnyfield's web page and to new families. (CH)

3. Ask Caroline Cuddihy if we can get a guest speaker 1x p.a. + maybe Centrelink & ADHC? (CH & All)

4. Document & circulate depersonalised summary of funding currently being received by present Auxiliary Members and broader Sunnyfield. (CH) This to assist families making sure they are obtaining all support funding generally available.

5. Approach & get updates from Family Advocacy & Della Bosca("Every Australian Counts") re NDIS and ADHC & circulate. (CH)

6. Review with Caroline Cuddihy Holiday/Respite red-tape; develop/improve relationships with ?Caroline Bruce's Life'n'Leisure and ?CareAway etc. (CH)

7. Next Meeting: perhaps August, date TBA. (All & CH)

8. Auxiliary funding for factory pathways - CC to review options & timing? (CC & B. Mendham)

9. Please email J&B Mendham re availability for Bunnings Sausage BBQ. (0730-1600 Fridays 21mar, 23may, 6jun, 20jun, 15aug, 19sep, 17oct, 14nov, 12dec). (All) Help is needed to keep this fundraising event bringing  donations into the Auxiliary

Proposed Agenda for social meeting 25 Jan 2014

Apologies

Topics for discussion

Auxiliary meetings, office bearers, frequency/schedule of meetings 

NDIS - status and discussion re likely progress

NSW NEW BILL FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE SOCIETY - discussion

Auxiliary website - comments?

ADHC

http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about_us/strategies/life_my_way/getting_prepared

Treasurer’s Report