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Source: Disability Support Guide – Alex Jacobs
Younger people with disability are still living in residential aged care facilities as updates reveal key targets to move them into community settings with National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support have not been met.
Source: LinkedIn – Di Winkler
We are pleased to announce the new chair of Summer Foundation, Chris Leptos AM as Chairman Elect for the Summer Foundation. Chris is an experienced Director with a wealth of international corporate roles. His experience in the housing sector combined with his work advising state and federal governments provides him with unique qualifications to take up the role of Summer Foundation Chairman. Chris has a strong interest in social impact and systems change, and shares the fundamental belief of Summer Foundation that young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) is a solvable issue.
The Summer Foundation is pleased to support the Australian Disability Strategy 2021-2031. The Strategy, launched today on the Disability Gateway, prioritises the commitment to improve the lives of people with disability by all governments – Australian, state, territory and local.
Today is United Nations International Day of People with Disabilities. Today promotes understanding of disability issues and supports the dignity, rights and wellbeing of people with disability now and in the future. The theme of today is, “leadership and participation of persons with disabilities towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid-19-world”.
Minister for Families and Social Services, Anne Ruston said ‘People with disability deserve to have the same as any other person and this ten year framework sets out our priorities as a nation for the 4.4 million Australians who live with disability’. The Australian Government is supporting the Australian Disability Strategy with an investment of $250 million.
The Strategy aims to improve the lives of people with disability across 6 priority outcome areas.
The Summer Foundation focuses on supporting people with disability with complex support needs and works to ensure no younger person under the age of 65 is forced to live in aged care. The Australian Disability Strategy aims to increase the availability of affordable housing, ensure housing is accessible and that people with disability have choice and control about where they live, who they live with and how they live. Additionally, that people with disability can access the supports they need to live well, delivered in a way which best meets their individual needs.
The rights of people with disability must be promoted upheld and protected. We are pleased to see this as a central principal of the Australian Disability Strategy.
The Strategy re-establishes Australia’s commitment to people with disability and provides the vision for an inclusive Australian society that ensures people with disability can fulfil their potential, as equal members of the community.
The Summer Foundation would like to see the implementation of the Strategy drive opportunities for people with disability, to lead and direct the achievement of outcomes, and play a significant role in shaping the success of the Strategy. The Strategy endeavours to facilitate greater community participation for people with disability and provide the opportunity to ensure they can decide how they live their lives. It is important that adequate funding continues to be provided to support the achievement of the Strategy over the next 10 years.
The Summer Foundation’s board renewal process continued with new appointments and planned resignations at the AGM and Board meeting.
After many years’ service, both Professor Jacinta Douglas and Jason Chequer have stepped down from the board. Jacinta and Jason have both made enormous contributions to the work of the Summer Foundation.
Not-for-profit organisation, the Summer Foundation, has today launched the UpSkill Provider Directory, a searchable online directory of support coordinators and allied health professionals with the skills and experience to assist people with complex support needs to live well in the community.
The platform, made possible by funding partner Gandel Philanthropy, also provides eligible professionals with a way of showcasing their services to potential clients free of charge.
People with disability, families and others who assist them will be able to search the directory for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support coordinators and allied health professionals in their area.
Summer Foundation Head of Government Relations and Policy, Amelia Condi, said the UpSkill Provider Directory will enable NDIS participants with complex support needs to connect with a network of experienced support coordinators with the right skills to support participants to navigate the NDIS service system.
“Our focus for the UpSkill Provider Directory over the coming months is to build listings – it will continue to grow and evolve as more support coordinators and health professionals come on board,” Ms Condi said.
The directory is the newest tool in the Summer Foundation’s UpSkill program, which delivers training, capacity building and professional development to support coordinators and NDIS allied health professionals across the country. These professionals are integral in supporting people with complex support needs to achieve good outcomes and live well in the community.
Support coordinators and NDIS allied health professionals who have completed UpSkill training are eligible to create a profile on the directory. They are also eligible to join the UpSkill Community of Practice, a networking platform for members to troubleshoot barriers and inspire each other to think innovatively and share information, ideas and practices.
Gandel Philanthropy Chief Executive Officer, Vedran Drakulic OAM said: “From alternative housing demonstration projects to building workforce capability through UpSkill, the Summer Foundation has been at the forefront of innovative strategies to prevent younger people with disability from languishing in aged care.
“The UpSkill Provider Directory will offer vital online connections and supports so that every young person with disability can choose where they live and who they live with.”
Click here to access the UpSkill Provider Directory.
The Summer Foundation welcomes the announcements made by Minister Reynolds on Friday 9 July 2021 advising the outcomes of the Disability Ministers’ Meeting.
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) CEO Martin Hoffman has opened up about where the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is heading in an exclusive interview with Summer Foundation Policy Manager and disability advocate, Dr George Taleporos.
Summer Foundation is pleased with the recent announcement from the Minister for NDIS, Senator the Hon Minister Reynolds CSC and National Cabinet to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination to all NDIS participants and carers.
The key recommendations relating to younger people with disability, outlined in the newly released final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission, have been warmly welcomed by the Summer Foundation, Youngcare and Synapse.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is well placed to meet a rising demand for impact investment products in Australia, according to the Summer Foundation’s newly released SDA Explainer for Investors.
In recent years, impact investing – investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and/or environmental impact alongside a financial return – has started to attract the attention of investment banks, super funds and private sector investors.
Summer Foundation CEO, Dr Di Winkler, said there has been a significant progression from impact investment being primarily for philanthropists with an interest in a particular area or sector, to it being seen as a viable option for mainstream investment banks, super funds and private sector investors.
“One of the limiting factors for the growth of impact investment in Australia is the lack of products that have the capacity for investment at scale – the SDA market is well positioned to leverage this private capital,” Dr Winkler said.
“SDA is still somewhat of an unknown quantity for some investors.”
“The SDA Explainer provides a succinct analysis of the SDA demand and supply outlook and investment principles to support investors considering SDA investment opportunities.
“These principles relate to the properties, the quality of the new dwellings, the tenant selection process, disability support and ensuring that the investment is set up for a long term positive social impact.”
What impact investors need to know about SDA
Dr Winkler said that SDA, as an emerging market, has enormous potential to provide both long-term stable returns to investors, while also meeting the housing needs of people with disability.
The Summer Foundation SDA Explainer for Investors has been published on the Summer Foundation website.
The Summer Foundation is pleased to welcome 2 new Board members, as part of an active Board renewal process designed to strengthen the diversity, strategic capacity and breadth of expertise on the Summer Foundation Board of Directors.
Recommendations presented today by the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Senior Counsel Assisting, Peter Rozen QC, relating to younger people in aged care, have been warmly welcomed by Youngcare, the Summer Foundation and Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance.
The Summer Foundation has welcomed the Federal Government’s new funding and strategy to reduce the number of younger people living in aged care.
The release of the Young People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) Strategy and funding boost is another positive step towards achieving the government’s targets supporting young people to find appropriate housing that suits their needs, said the Summer Foundation’s Head of Government Relations and Policy, Amelia Condi.
State Trustees Australia Foundation has allocated $25,000 to the Summer Foundation as part of the 2020 Community Inclusion grant round.
The Summer Foundation has joined forces with 2 of Australia’s largest providers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – RSEA Safety and Blackwoods – to launch 2 online stores offering PPE for people with disability.
The online stores will supply reasonably priced gloves, gowns, surgical masks, face shields, hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes, and will be accessible to NDIS participants from today.
Close to 3,000 Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) places have been built or are now in the pipeline, according to a new report from Social Ventures Australia (SVA) and the Summer Foundation.
[lead]The Summer Foundation, the Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance, Youngcare, Synapse, the Specialist Disability Accommodation Alliance and Aged & Community Services Australia have released a joint statement:[/lead]
Organisations supporting young people living in nursing homes have welcomed the Morrison Government’s commitment to work to the targets endorsed by the Aged Care Royal Commission that will see no younger person enter residential aged care by 2022 and no one under 65 years in aged care by 2025.
“This is an important step forward and we applaud the government for its commitment to these new targets,” said YPINH Alliance head, Dr Bronwyn Morkham. “The targets reflect the urgency of this problem – and they are certainly achievable – but it’s essential that we start now.
“We’re ready to work with the government to develop and implement its new strategy. We look forward to seeing more detail about these new initiatives, to make sure the strategy delivers on its promise.”
“We’re pleased to see that improved data gathering and detailed analyses of this cohort will form a central part of this work,” said Summer Foundation CEO Dr Di Winkler.
“We also welcome the government’s decision to implement a joint agency approach. Too many younger people end up in aged care because they fall through cracks between the health and disability systems. Bringing all the relevant agencies together is the only way we can stop this from continuing to happen. State health systems are key to this work and we look forward to being partners in this new strategy.”
Youngcare CEO Anthony Ryan said that developing a database of new and existing housing options will support investment in accessible housing.
“Helping investors better understand the needs of these younger people is critical to developing the housing and care options they need,” he said.
“The rapid availability of interim housing solutions is also a priority to stop younger people going into aged care.”
ACSA CEO Pat Sparrow also welcomed the announcement but called on the Morrison Government to ensure that those younger people also receive the level of support they require while they continue to live in an aged care home. “There is often a funding disparity that disadvantages those people in aged care. ACSA believes that regardless of your age or where you reside you should get the level of support required to meet needs and to have a good quality of life.”
All organisations agree that funding is needed for individual advocacy to prevent young people going into aged care as well as help them make the transition back to life in the community.
“These are people needing multiple supports from different services and we need new roles that can work closely with each younger person and the service systems they need to make their transition to life in the community a success,” said Dr Morkham.
The Summer Foundation, the Young People In Nursing Homes National Alliance and Youngcare welcome the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Interim Report, which was released by the government today. In its report, the Commission has accepted two important targets relating to younger people living in aged care: allowing only for exceptional circumstances, an end to young Australians entering residential aged care by 2022, and no young Australian living in aged care by 2025. These targets should be adopted by governments immediately.
Alliance Director, Dr Bronwyn Morkham, said that the Commission’s acceptance of these targets was critical.
“We cannot risk another policy failure for these younger people. These targets give us a measurable objective by which we can solve this longstanding problem,” Dr Morkham said.
“No single government agency can fix this issue by itself. Health, disability and aged care systems must work together to achieve these targets and end the flow of young people into aged care,” Dr Morkham said.
“We must make sure that the Royal Commission’s work leads to solutions where human rights are upheld and where young people can choose where they live, who they live with, and how they are supported,” said Dr Di Winkler, Summer Foundation CEO.
“The funding is there in the NDIS, the will is there in the community, and with a good plan and dedicated focus, the issue can be resolved.”
Youngcare CEO Anthony Ryan said the report’s recommendations were a positive step towards ensuring young Australians with disability choose how they live their lives.
“Our passion is to give young people the choice that everyone deserves. In coming out so strongly, the Royal Commission gives a guide to what we all need to do to bring this about.”
The Interim Report was informed by young people living in aged care giving harrowing evidence to the Royal Commission.
Describing his nursing home room as “Cell 14”, Neale Radley spoke of the loneliness and isolation that is his life in aged care, while James Nutt referred to his time in a nursing home as a prison sentence.
[lead]The Summer Foundation has lodged its submission to the Aged Care Royal Commission.[/lead]
The submission identifies the key policy and systemic changes needed to stop young people being forced into aged care. It covers what needs to change and how it can happen.
Our 12 recommendations are based on our extensive work with young people in aged care and with providers in the health and aged care sectors.
The people whose stories we used to illustrate the realities of living in aged care were selected from 95 young people who participated in one-on-one conversations with us.
Download here
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[lead]People with disability in hospital and aged care now able to move home with support from the NDIS.[/lead]
The Summer Foundation welcomes the decisions made on Friday by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Disability Reform Council for the NDIS to fund a range of disability-related health supports.
An initiative announced today will help Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) providers understand their obligations in delivering high quality services to National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants.
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.
The Australian Government has announced a review of the NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) framework.
This is an important opportunity to tell the government what parts of the SDA system are working well and what needs to be fixed. You can read the Summer Foundation’s statement on the SDA framework review here.
Alternative format (Microsoft Word) available here.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) presented its latest policy position for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in a statement to the provider and investor market on 24 April.
People with disabilities and developers of innovative housing for people with disabilities are pleased the NDIA has reiterated the government’s commitment to SDA in its SDA Provider and Investor Brief. The NDIA has confirmed that the SDA funding model is here to stay.
However, the NDIA’s SDA Brief expresses a vision for SDA housing with a clear bias toward shared models of housing for people with disability, presumably to reduce support costs. This is unacceptable. You can read our joint statement here (A Rich text format is available here).
You can read the Summer Foundation’s summary of the SDA Brief here.
Feeling socially isolated or excluded is a frequent and enduring problem for many people who survive severe brain injury.
