DHS Disability Services News - 28 April 2023
Update as at 28 April 2023
Thank you to those of you who were able to join us at our recent forums that were held in Adelaide South and Adelaide North. It was great to see so many of you in person, discuss the transition process to receive services under the NDIS and answer your questions about the process. We are hosting another series of forums in a few weeks’ time which will be focused on DHS Disability Services Service Agreements and the services that you can receive from us under the NDIS.
NDIS Plans
Many of you have advised us you have taken part in a planning session with the NDIA and from this received a finalised NDIS plan. The plan will also contain Home and Living information, defining the support ratios, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) levels and intensity of supports necessary for each client. We only receive a copy of the new NDIS Plan and the Home and Living Support letter if it is provided by you. Once you receive the Home and Living Support letter or the new plan, we ask you to please share these documents with us so we can work with you to define what support and services we can deliver to your family member or friend.
The below graphic is an indication of the process that clients and decision makers are currently or will go through, transitioning to receiving services under the NDIS. This graphic is a general guide and these steps may be in a different sequence for some clients.
Services DHS Disability Services is registered to deliver
Over 2023 we have been speaking to you about the different service areas we can now deliver because we are NDIS registered. In an NDIS Plan, funding has been separated into three separate categories – core supports, capacity building supports and capital supports. We want to explain how the services we deliver, can be funded through the NDIS Plan.
Core Supports
Core Supports help you with everyday activities, your current disability related needs and to work towards your goals.
Where you have appropriate funding you can access the following core supports delivered by DHS Disability Services.
- Supported Independent Living
- Community Participation
- Transportation
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building Supports help build your independence and skills to help you pursue your goals.
Where you have appropriate funding you can access the following capacity building supports, delivered by DHS Disability Services.
- Specialist Support Coordination and Support Coordination
- Positive Behaviour Supports
- Access to nursing supports and allied health professionals
Capital Supports
Capital Supports include higher-cost pieces of assistive technology and equipment and funding for one-off purchases you may need.
Where you have appropriate funding you can access the following capital supports, delivered by DHS Disability Services.
- Assistive technology and equipment
We have been delivering many of these services to our clients under our current “in-kind” funding arrangements for many years. To continue delivering these services under the NDIS, we have had to undertake an accreditation process through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissions. This process in now complete and we are fully registered to deliver these services.
Service Agreements
For NDIS Participants we support, who have a new NDIS Plan and there is agreement that it includes appropriate supports and funding – you will soon receive a proposed DHS Disability Services, Service Agreement. Your service agreement with DHS Disability Services will explain the services that will be provided by us and how they will be delivered. It includes details such as the start and end dates of the service, the frequency of the services, cost, payment arrangements, and responsibilities of the participant and us, as the service provider. Service Agreements help to ensure that participants receive high-quality, safe, and effective support services and there is a clear understanding about the support that will be delivered, by both parties.
Once we have shared the Service Agreement with you, you will have time to consider it and we will organise a time to meet with you to discuss it in greater detail. During this conversation you can discuss the services you would like DHS Disability Services to deliver. This meeting is an opportunity for you to ask questions, seek clarification and make changes. If you are happy with the proposed Service Agreement, it is also an opportunity to provide consent to the agreement.
We will be speaking about service agreements in more detail at our upcoming May forums, you can RSVP your attendance to your preferred location further down in this newsletter.
Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services
Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services
Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services
The next in-person DHS Disability Services Forums
Please RSVP for our upcoming in-person Forums to be held in Mount Gambier, Adelaide North and Adelaide South.
Date and time | Location | |
|---|---|---|
May | ||
Thursday 4/05/23 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Mount Gambier DHS Disability Services 9 Elizabeth Street, Mount Gambier |
Thursday 11/05/23 | 12:30pm - 2:00pm | Adelaide South Marion Hotel 849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park |
Thursday 25/05/23 | 12:30pm – 2:00pm | Adelaide North Gepps Cross Hotel 560 Main North Road, Blair Athol |
Save the Date for June webinar
Monday 19 June - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Link to forum will be shared soon
New Behaviour Support Plans and changes to management of restrictive practices
In our March newsletter, we outlined some changes to the reporting of Restrictive Practices, aligned with the new South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme and our requirements under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
A restrictive practice is any practice that limits the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. People we support sometimes need restrictive practices to keep them or the community safe.
Clients in our service with a history of behaviours of concern or restrictive practices will have a new Positive Behaviour Support Plan developed by a registered behaviour support practitioner.
We have a number of practitioners within DHS Disability Services and we are also engaging with external providers to make sure that all clients in need of a plan receive one in a timely manner.
A behaviour support practitioner will consult with the client, their family and guardians, and their support staff to create a Behaviour Support Plan and discuss relevant restrictive practices.
The graphic below shows the new steps for reporting Restrictice Practices.
If a client’s Behaviour Support Plan includes restrictive practices, DHS will seek authorisation to use that practice through the Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme. Under the new scheme, families and decision-makers cannot authorise the use of a restrictive practice. However, your views will be taken into consideration during this process, and you will be provided with an authorisations statement of the restrictive practices that have been authorised
A DHS Disability Services team member will be in contact with you directly, to inform you about the process and invite you to participate.
Once a new plan is in place, decision-makers will receive a written notice report every three months, outlining the restrictive practices that have been used in that time.
It is important to note that the use of restrictive practices in our homes is not new. The change is in the way that DHS Disability Services is required to seek authorisation, record and report restrictive practices. These new requirements are about supporting the rights of our clients, adding in accountability, and reducing the need for restrictive practices all together.
If you have any questions before you are contacted by a DHS Disability Services team member, please call 1800 952 962 (and then press 3). You can also read more about the South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme on the sa.gov.au website.
NDIS Mid-term Registration Audit – Opt-out process
We are currently undertaking an assessment under the NDIS Practice Standards & Quality Indicators to meet our NDIS registration requirements.
The audit is undertaken in two stages. The first is a desktop process, the second part are interviews with clients, their supporters, like families and decision-makers, and staff.
If you have any question, or you would like to opt-out of this interview process, please contact us by emailing DHSDisabilityServices@sa.gov.au or calling 1800 952 962 by 1 August 2023.
Updating your contact details with us
With many changes happening this year – we have lots of reasons to be in regular contact with you.
We regularly update the DHS Disability Services Family Update page on the DHS website and we are also sending newsletters by email. If it has been a while since you updated your contact details with the service, you can do this by speaking with your Service Coordinator or calling 1800 952 962 (and then press 3).
How to contact us
If you have any queries you can:
- Contact your Service Coordinator or Team Leader
- Email us at AccomFeedback@sa.gov.au
- Phone us on 1800 952 962 (and then press 3)
If you know another family member or friend who would like to receive this e-newsletter, please encourage them to sign up via the DHS website or phone 1800 952 962.