The Disability Action Plan 

This four-year cross government plan for New Zealand to advance implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was released in May 2014. Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), including DPA, worked alongside government to write the plan and will help oversee it's implementation. A section was included in the plan called Transform the Disability Support System, Read this section of the plan below. We will keep you informed as work progresses.  The Disability Action Plan will be formally reviewed in the second half of 2015.

Go here to read more about the Disability Action Plan

Priorities from the Disability Action Plan

Priority: Promote disabled people having choice and control over their supports/services, and make more efficient use of disability support funding.

a) Evaluate learning from the Enabling Good Lives Christchurch demonstration in 2014/15, and consider in 2015/16 improved assessment processes which are culturally responsive, strength based, holistic, involve whānau (whānau ora principles), and are integrated (for example in Enabling Good Lives). Lead: Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education

Update June 2015

You can find the 2014 evaluation of Enabling Good Lives in Christchurch on the Office for Disability Issues website

b) Enabling Good Lives demonstration in Christchurch with the involvement of DPOs
Lead: Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education

c) A good start in life: Develop policy options to improve government supports for parents, family and whānau of disabled children aged 0-6 years. Deferred until 2015/2016. Lead: Ministry of Education

Priority: Promote the involvement of Disabled People’s Organisations in the design and monitoring of the disability support system transformation.

a) DPOs and government working together - joint work programme on involving DPOs in decisions that affect disabled people agreed by the Chief Executives’ Group on Disability Issues and Independent Monitors on 21 August 2013. Lead: Office for Disability Issues, DPOs

Update June 2015

There is a constant evaluation process to ensure the process is working for all partners

Priority: Increase the capability of disability support service providers to be of service to disabled people.

a) Develop and implement effective ways for disabled people and DPOs to provide feedback (both qualitative and quantitative) safely about the quality of services and support and to monitor, evaluate, and scrutinise and make providers accountable to funders for achieving outcomes. Lead: Ministry of Health

b) Ensure providers are responsive to disabled people and provide choice and tailoring of services. Explore how provider performance should be assessed, including through accreditation, provider performance measurement, and contract monitoring systems. Deferred until 2015/2016. Lead: Ministry of Health

c) Explore how the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 relates to the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the CRPD. Deferred until 2015/2016. Lead: Ministry of Health

Background about disability support service transformation

Consumer Consortium and the Disability Sector Reference Group 

The consumer consortium involves people from national disability organisations who provide input and advice to Disability Support Services on its planning, policy and service development.

We are active in the Consumer Consortium and the Disability Sector Reference Group for the Ministry of Health’s Disability Support Services group.  

Go here for Consumer Consortium documentation.

More information about the Ministry of Health Disability Support Services group can be  found here 

The Enabling Good Lives Project 

We have strong representation on the Enabling Good Lives project at a local and national level.  Enabling Good Lives is a partnership between government agencies and the disability sector aimed at long-term transformation of how disabled people and families are supported to live everyday lives. 

Enabling Good Lives is running a demonstration in Christchurch. It started late in 2013 and will run for three years. A second Enabling Good Lives demonstration started in July 2015 in the Waikato.

A New Model for Disability Support Services

Through our representation on the Consumer Consortium and the Disability Sector Reference Group we have also had input into the New Model for Disability Support Services. This is an interim model (as Enabling Good Lives is worked on) presently being partly demonstrated in the Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Auckland.

The project incorporates the following aspects:

• Enhanced Individualised Funding gives disabled people more choice in how they pay for the residential services and care they receive. It is available as a funding option throughout New Zealand. For more information click here.
• Choices in Community Living is an alternative to residential services for people with significant disabilities. It offers more choice and control over where they live, who they live with and how they are supported. For more information click here.
• Local Area Coordinators walk alongside disabled people and their families/whānau to assist them to live good, everyday lives within welcoming communities, hapū and iwi. Local Area Coordinators are currently only available in the Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty. For more information visit here.
• A prioritisation tool has been developed to better decide who gets funding for equipment or house or vehicle modifications. It is a questionnaire called the Impact on Life that looks at the impact of disability on people’s lives and family.

A review of disability support in residential care

A report,  Putting People First, was released at the end of 2013 following a review of disability support services for disabled people in residential care. The report was commissioned by Minister of Health Tony Ryall. Work has now started on the recommendations.

The Ministry of Health is working with sector representatives, including disabled people (DPA has a representative) and some family members, to put those recommendations in place.

DPA Agenda for Change