Ready for NDIS roll-out

At CareSouth we focus on the person, not the disability and promote a culture of empathy and open-mindedness and social inclusion for all. We are driven by what our clients need and we have the flexibility and creativity to identify and meet existing needs in the community. For the past 12 months an NDIS working group, led by our frontline staff working in the disabilities sector, has been preparing for the roll-out of the new scheme.

Our NDIS team work collaboratively to tailor services to best meet clients’ needs, through individual NDIS plans that are created in collaboration with families and clinicians. In the lead-up to the NDIS roll-out CareSouth has employed a skilled team of clinicians to help with assessments while our NDIS team work directly with families to design the best package available to meet their needs.

Jodie Heasman, Team Leader of Drop-In Support Illawarra and Lisa Chorlton, Team Leader of Drop-In Support Nowra, have been instrumental in determining the best way forward for our clients to access the NDIS. Under the NDIS our clients will have an individual plan that allocates them funding to spend on the services they need with the people they want to receive them from.

“For the past 12 months we have been setting up plans to support our clients’ needs,” said Jodie. “There are a lot of families out there who don’t know how to access services under the NDIS. We have been working collaboratively with those families to find out what their children need and putting together evidence-based material to get the best possible package and outcomes for that young person.”

Jodie has worked in the Community Services sector for the past seven years and is passionate about supporting those with whom she works. Spending time getting to know her clients and families is an essential part of Jodie’s role, and one that she loves.

“We not only spend time with families to give them the information they need about navigating the NDIS, but we also spend time building relationships with them so we can get to know the young person and their family and build a trusting, supportive relationship,” said Jodie.

“The hardest aspect of the NDIS scheme is support coordination and that is what we do on behalf of the young people we work with. Relationship building is so important in determining where their support needs lie and advocating for our clients to ensure they get them. And if we can’t provide those services directly we will link them to external providers who can.”

Lisa has worked in the Disabilities Support sector for more than a decade and has a wealth of experience in the field. She says the roll-out of the NDIS has been the biggest sector reform experienced by Disability Support providers. But Lisa has embraced the change and is dedicated to helping her staff and clients navigate the system to get the best outcomes.

“The NDIS has certainly presented a number of challenges in its lead up, such as budget planning, policy review and recruitment strategies,” said Lisa. “Although the NDIS is a positive social shift for our clients, change of this proportion is a difficult process for many of the people we support.

“Our priority has been giving our clients the pre-planning support they need to alleviate any anxiety. We have also worked hard to ensure our support workers have the information and resources they need to support clients for the full roll-out.”

In June CareSouth employed NDIS Project Officer Kim Sneddon to support the work of our frontline staff by developing NDIS service agreements for our clients.

Kim has a wealth of experience in the Community Services sector and has worked in Disabilities and Mental Health for over 20 years, both on the frontline and as a manager. Kim’s focus has always been on person-centred planning and this has been a key component of her work practice as CareSouth transitions to the NDIS.

“Change is inevitable but it is an opportunity to build dynamic, innovative services and systems,” said Kim. “This role is about listening to people to shape their services, to create impact and to transform and enhance their everyday life and dreams.”

Our Disability Services

CareSouth currently provides Disability Services Support to children, young people and adults through our Residential and Drop-In Support programs so they can live full and meaningful lives. These programs include Supported Accommodation Programs, Disabilities Out-of-Home Care Residential, Leaving Care Alternative Family Placement and Leaving Care/Drop-In Support.

CareSouth also offers a Family Choices program in our southern and western regions. The program supports families who have a child living with a disability by matching them with a respite carer willing to open their hearts and home. Children in the program come from loving, caring homes but are in need of an extra support network; someone who can provide some individual attention to a child with complex needs, while also giving their family a break.

Carers are recruited, well-trained and supported by CareSouth to nurture children and young people living with disability. They work in co-operation with families and build rewarding long-term relationships with children. Birth families make all of the normal parental decisions during any process and are involved in choosing options that fit their child’s needs or assisting their children make the best choices.

This program also helps families access ongoing specialist, respite or in-home support services and works collaboratively with a wide range of support networks such as psychologists, educators, speech pathologists and occupational therapists.

“The Family Choices program has provided some wonderful links between families and carers which have been rewarding not only for the child with a disability but for the carer and birth family,” said CareSouth’s Family Choices Southern Region Project officer Rhonda Miller. “Finding the perfect match isn’t easy, but when you get that match and it works it’s a beautiful thing.”

Marg Davies and Cherin Laver run our Western Region Family Choices Program and are inspired by the children and families they work with.

“Family Choices allows families who are raising children with disabilities to link with carers who provide support, accommodation and help build stronger relationships,” said Cherin.

“This allows the family to maintain the social and well-being aspects of their lives,” said Marg.