Liz’s poem tells how she embraces life with her support workers.
Dance of Dependence
Access to appropriate housing for people with disability can be challenging. This challenge is more so in thin markets, including rural and remote areas, where there are often fewer housing options generally.
Welcome to our winter update. It comes at a time of greater public focus on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), particularly around new independent assessments, personalised budgets and challenges within the specialist disability accommodation (SDA) sector.
The Summer Foundation recently launched a new-look website. We invite you to head to the site and take a look around.
Under the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022, all new housing will be required to meet minimum accessibility standards.
The Summer Foundation Board renewal program continues and we are delighted to welcome new director Cain Beckett.
The Housing Hub has begun publishing data from housing seekers in a summarised way to inform the market.
General Manager Alecia Rathbone said the Housing Hub is working to make sure the needs and wants of housing seekers are driving the market for accessible housing.
The Summer Foundation’s Welcome Home education package for SDA providers was launched in May.
The free, self-paced learning package contains resources designed to help Board and executive team members and tenancy managers understand their obligations under the SDA Practice Standards and explore a rights-based approach to service delivery.
Our partners in research, La Trobe University, are conducting a study to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people with acquired brain injury (ABI) e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumour, hypoxic brain injury. They are looking for adults withABI who live in Australia, or carers/family members of adults with ABI to participate. Find out more here.
The Summer Foundation is pleased with the recent Australian Government decision to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination to all NDIS participants and carers.
The Summer Foundation encourages all NDIS participants and carers to get vaccinated, if possible. For COVID-19 updates, click here.
My name is Pam, I have been involved with the Summer Foundation for about a year now.
I was diagnosed with MS in 2009. I was living independently in a private rental but after I had a serious relapse and ended up in rehab for 7 months they told me to consider moving into a supported home. I moved into a group home in 2018. There were pros and cons – it was nice to be surrounded by people, but I didn’t have agency any more.
The Summer Foundation Research team is currently involved in an extensive range of projects.
These include:
- Looking at the hospital to home journey for people with disability and complex needs with a focus on health and NDIS timeframes
- Looking at ways to support young people stuck in hospital to find housing that aligns with their needs and preferences
- Finding out what makes an effective support coordinator
- Looking at the impact of the NDIS on young people in aged care or those at risk of admission
- Exploring factors that influence the quality of paid disability support
- Investigating needs and preferences regarding housing, disability supports and assistive technology
- Evaluating the outcomes and impact of tenants living in new specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
to create an evidence base for the SDA market, and - Exploring the experience of partnering with people with disability in a co-design project
Have your say
Our partners in research, La Trobe University, are conducting a study to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people with acquired brain injury (ABI) e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumour, hypoxic brain injury. They are looking for adults with ABI who live in Australia, or carers/family members of adults with ABI to participate. Find out more here.
To access the Summer Foundation’s wide range of research reports, head to our new research library here.
Dates have been set for the first webinars accompanying the Welcome Home education package for SDA providers.
The Summer Foundation has welcomed Cain Beckett as an Independent Non-Executive Director to the Summer Foundation Board.
Source: The Urban Developer | Author: Di Winkler
Australia’s building ministers at their meeting on April 30 decided to include minimum accessibility standards in the 2022 National Construction Code (NCC).
This is a significant decision that will shape our housing for generations to come.
The new standards will come into effect in September 2022 and reflect the fact that our housing needs are changing as our population ages.
Source: Probono Australia | Author: Di Winkler & Peter Mulherin
Australia’s building ministers have decided to include accessible design features in the National Construction Code. Di Winkler and Peter Mulherin look at what that means.
From September 2022, new homes in Australia will include accessible design features, after a meeting on 30 April saw building ministers decide to include minimum accessibility standards in the National Construction Code (NCC).
Source: Probono Australia | Author: Di Winkler & Peter Mulherin
This Friday, Australia’s Building Ministers will choose whether accessibility standards will be voluntary or mandatory in the 2022 National Construction Code. Di Winkler and Peter Mulherin explain why mandatory standards will future-proof Australia’s housing for coming generations.
The recently released findings of the Aged Care Royal Commission represent an opportunity to achieve generational reform for older Australians, as the provision of aged care services shift from institutionalised care, to care at home.
A new Summer Foundation resource is the first step in finding housing and moving patients with disability along the hospital discharge pathway more efficiently.
The Housing Needs and Preferences to Support Discharge Guide and Template are for health professionals to support a person with disability to describe the housing and support they want and need so that they can be discharged to suitable housing.
The Summer Foundation believes that the proposed midyear rollout of independent assessments should be postponed and an evidence based pilot, co-designed with people with disability, disability organisations and other experts in the field implemented.
Despite the unprecedented challenges of the past year I am delighted about the strong progress that is being made on several fronts towards our goal of keeping younger people out of aged care.
The long-awaited final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission provides great reason for optimism (see here).
The Summer Foundation has welcomed the key recommendations relating to younger people with disability outlined in the final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission.
The Summer Foundation has developed The Housing Needs and Preferences to Support Discharge Guide and Template for health professionals to support a person with disability to be discharged from hospital to suitable housing.
The Housing Hub’s extensive range of workshops and events has kicked off for 2021.