The Summer Foundation welcomes immediate changes to Specialist Disability Accommodation that have been announced by the Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher, and Sarah Henderson, Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services.
SDA Reforms
On 8 February, we launched UpSkill, our Support Coordination Flagship Program.
CONSUMER & FAMILY CARER NETWORK UPDATE – AUTUMN 2019
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Preparations for the first Get Building SDA National Conference in late March are well underway.
Early last month the Hon Paul Fletcher, Minister for Families and Social Services, and Sarah Henderson, Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, announced important reforms to Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
Have you seen The Housing Hub? It is a website where people with disability, family members, support workers and health professionals can search for a home that is suitable for people with disability to live independently.
A lack of accessible housing available at the right time and in the right area can leave people with a newly acquired disability stuck in hospital, rehabilitation settings or being admitted to aged care.’
New NDIA guidelines will streamline the appeals process on decisions.
Jo Stewart started working at the Summer Foundation in 2014 assisting young people living in aged care to connect to the NDIS. This work was done knowing that in the future connection to the NDIS would increase opportunities for younger people in aged care and that these opportunities would be beneficial.
With the Aged Care Royal Commission now under way, we are encouraging anyone with a story to tell around being a young person in aged care, or at risk of going into aged care, to make a submission.
The Summer Foundation has a tenancy matching service to support SDA providers who are developing new properties across the country, as well as housing seekers who believe they may qualify for the SDA funding.
The Summer Foundation welcomes Parliament’s commitment to a Royal Commission into the Abuse of People with Disabilities
The Summer Foundation is pleased that a motion for a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability in institutional and residential settings has been passed with bi-partisan support. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said he will work with the states and territories to establish the Royal Commission.
Having choice and control over where you live and who you live with is critical to addressing the high levels of violence and abuse that people with disabilities are subjected to.
Very few alternatives exist for people with high support needs and too many are stuck in hospital wards or are forced into residential aged care – an unacceptable option where abuse and neglect is commonly reported. We want to see continued action to promote more independent living options for people with disabilities to live where and with whom they choose, free from violence and with access to high quality housing and support options.
New and contemporary models of housing and support are creating alternatives for people with high support needs, including through the NDIS’ Specialist Disability Accommodation initiative. These point to the future of safe and inclusive housing options for people with disability.
The Royal Commission is an opportunity to learn from victims about the true cost of segregation and institutionalisation. We hope the Royal Commission will help to foster high quality housing alternatives for Australians with disability who are stuck in hospital wards or are forced into residential aged care.
Source: Bendigo Advertiser | Author: Emma D’Agostino
STRONG interest has prompted the Summer Foundation to return to Bendigo to help central Victorians make the issues affecting young people with disability entering aged care known.
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The NDIS is life-changing for many people with disability – especially if you are eligible for specialist disability accommodation (SDA) funding. If you have very high physical support needs, having SDA funding may give you a chance to think about moving out of your parents’ home – or out of a nursing home – for the very first time.
Source: Bendigo Advertiser | Reporter: Emma D’Agostino
Young central Victorians with disability and their carers are being urged to share their experiences of aged care as a living arrangement of last resort.
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Source: The Urban Developer | Reporter: Ana Narvaez
The federal government has announced reforms that they hope will improve investor confidence in the fledgling specialist disability accommodation market.
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For NDIS Support Coordinators who are working with participants who have complex support needs.
Find out more here
Joint Statement from the Summer Foundation and Youngcare
Announcements today about reforms to the Specialist Disability Accommodation Framework for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) have been welcomed by the Summer Foundation and Youngcare.
Source: The Australian Financial Review | Reporter: Michael Bleby
The federal government is announcing reforms to the Speciality Disability Accommodation market. The changes are designed to create more certainty in the sector and cut red tape for SDA participants.
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Source: Latrobe Valley Express | Reporter: Anne Simmons
An advocacy group for young people in nursing homes is hosting a workshop in Traralgon to ensure those voices are heard in the aged care royal commission.
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Source: ABC Radio National | Producer: Cathy Pryor
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Source: The Australian Financial Review | Reporter: Lucas Baird | Photos: Kelly Barnes
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Source: Australian Ageing Agenda | Reporter: Judy Skatssoon
Aged care providers have been asked what changes could be made to improve the relationship between the aged care system and disability services as part of the royal commission’s exploration of young people in residential care.
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Source: SBS News Radio | Author: Evan Young
Many Australians living with a disability find it difficult to find housing that meets their needs, which has prompted calls for a national register of accessible and affordable existing housing.
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Source: Monash Life | Reporter: Melissa Marino
When it comes to people’s homes, neither Dr Di Winkler nor Dan McKenna are prepared to accept the status quo. The occupational therapist and architect are challenging traditional housing models for a greater social good.
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