Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012
From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Sunday, 20 January 2013 7:42:38 PM
Please consider this email a formal submission by me to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012.
The current disability system has many problems that need to be addressed.
WE have 21years old twin children, both of whom are disabled. Over the years, when we have applied/asked for access to locals programs we have been allocated minimal and essentailly a useless ammount of support, because we both work and so are means tested out of any level of suppoprt for services such as in home respite, that would meet our needs. We both work fulltime.
Our daughter has a Post School package that allows her to attend a program 3 x 6 hours per week, however the program takes 9.5 weeks off every year around the holidays that schools take, even though she is an adult and several years out of school. The program treats attendees like school children and disregard what carers and parents might do should they need to work during any of those 9.5 weeks.
Our son has no funding at all and is able to work 2 days per week in a supported job that we found for him because the disability employment support officer allocated to him had no idea of disability let alone how to transition him into the workplace and support both him and the employer. In fact the support officer never attended the workpllace so neither us nor the employer knew what the officer’s role was in the workplace. The employer asked us to “get rid of them” as the officer was next to useless. The employer and his staff do all of the accomodating and working out how to best keep our son employed. This has been a godsend.
We currently pay about $200-300 per week to private carers, to enable my husband and I to hold down our jobs and that does not include any social, espite time or any time as 2 adults who may have their own interets they wish to pursue. That just does not happen. At present we know of no other option to enable a quality of life for our family and it seems this situation for us will continue on until we are too old and then what?? This leaves a feeling of parents of young adults needng to abandon thier own life in order to be carers until they can no longer stand up. There is no information, no help and no hope of this changing.
In Queensland where we live, a State Disability Services Officer was assigned to my daughter to arrange the transfer of the post school funding to the provider at the time she was leaving school. When asked what we should do about the other 2 days of the week, as we both work and the funding does not cover it. The officer replied “you will need to be at home with her, and do things like take her shopping, buy ingredients to make a casserole, and stay at home and make a casserole with her.” Needless to say we started to understand why Queensland Disability Services (QDS) is in such a mess. This is an example of the response you can get from QDS if you present your family as one in crisis and why should families need to degrade the worth of their family unit like that just to get a response and the support they need.
The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:
Support Services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
People with a disability can choose the types of support to use, People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams, The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person
The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:
- Support for families and carers
- In-home care and domestic assistance
- Flexible in-home/outside home respite
I support the introduction of the NDIS.
We envision we will be able to access the efficient and effective disability services that operate based on meeting the needs of families.
There will be more control and choices of services available to the person and their family.
Our family desperately requires a service that provides flexible in and outside home respite.
I agree for my submission to be made public
Regards, Mr Darcy Tyrrell