A message from our CEO's

Hello!

Life seems extremely busy for everyone as we all make the move across to the national NDIS, both with the transfers of people from WA NDIS to the national NDIS and the rest of WA progressively transitioning.

Our WAiS role continues to be to support people, families and providers understand, design, develop, and sustain individualised, self-directed supports and services, regardless of which system funding stems from.  More so, we continue to provide information and guidance to people, families and providers across Western Australia, to support them in transitioning to the national NDIS.
WAiS is extremely proud to have recently launched a refreshed website and new online resources and learning courses to support people, families and service providers with Planning for a Good Life, to Be a Boss(Self Management), and Shared Management.  Extensive work went into developing these hefty resources that include videos, audios, and downloadable written resources.  We have thanked heartily, and thank again, all of the WAiS team, including people and families and providers, who contributed their expertise and experiences.

WAiS consistently provides strategic advice to contribute to continuous improvements to whichever system of funding and support is in existence.  In recent times particular issues of concern in WA that WAiS is working to address, is how the NDIS will provide for and support individualised living arrangements, Shared Management arrangements, and self or share managers who hire their own workers under direct employment arrangements. NDIS has been proactively engaging and working with WAiS together with other individualised service providers in WA in seeking to address these issues.

We know that there will continue to be significant change ahead for everyone as Australia implements the NDIS.  We hope that the NDIS, continues to be developed in a way that reflects what people want and need to live their life.  Outside of the NDIS, we also hope that the WA State, in developing its State Disability Plan and implementing it, will continue to commit to ensuring all people in WA can live in an inclusive society and are adequately supported to do so.

Leanne Pearman and Su-Hsien Lee

What have we been up to?

Some of the WAiS team went to the ASID Conference in November 2018 on the Gold Coast. WAiS member Paul Jay and his support team, with WAiS team member Maggie, did a talk about communication, human rights and having a vision.

In December 2018, some of the WAiS team went to the National Indigenous NDIS Conference in Queensland. WAiS shared our new Aboriginal Planning book called ‘Shannon’s Story’. WAiS team members Evelyn and Susan did a talk about it, and Shannon shared his story. See Shannon's Story here.

Some of the WAiS team went to VALID’s Having a Say Conference in February 2019 in Geelong. WAiS team member Maggie did a talk about "Having a Say Forever". WAiS member Paul Jay and his support team also spoke about his own journey of "having a say". We also had a table to share our WAiS Resources. The team all volunteered to do hair and make-up to get everyone ready for the dinner dance.

A few members of the WAiS team went to Margaret River in April to go the Djeran Youth Week Festival. They celebrated our Shannon’s Story resource book.

Thanks to Undalup Association whose vision is to share the culture, traditions, knowledge and history of the Wadandi people and with an understanding of the importance of Boodja. https://www.undalup.com

We've had some updates to the WAiS team...

We said hello to 
Michelle Donaldson (Individualised Services Advisor)
Jordyn Piggott (Events and Communications Coordinator)

And sadly said goodbye to 
Eliza Rogers (Events and Communications Coordinator)

Policy and Strategy

Individualised Living Options (ILO)

The NDIS does not have a way to properly cost individualised living arrangements.  The Supported Independent Living (SIL) tool is a way to work out how to cost people living in grouped accommodation, or rostered 24/7 staff only. The Activities of Daily Living (ADL) tool is also not a good way to evaluate the reasonable and necessary support needs of people living in flexible individualised arrangements.

In 2018, WAiS (with other WA Service Providers and Self Managers) were involved in the WA Individual Living Options project, by NDIA in WA. This is a strategic NDIA project to provide a practical example of contemporary practice and innovation.

A series of workshops with experienced providers, participants and NDIA staff were held so that they could share ideas about an appropriate process and costing tool. WAiS has actively driven, participated and, contributed throughout the project from both a practical and legal perspective in terms of the design, delivery, managing and safeguarding of Individualised Living arrangements.

From the workshops the WA Individual Living Option template was created. This continues to be developed and trialled by providers and self-managers as a data collection process.  This is critical to analysing the effectiveness and sustainability of these options within the Scheme. The NDIA project team will then seek approval of this process and quote tool.  If this is approved, this would be used across Australia.  WAiS is keen to see this project succeed across Australia and we hope to hear something soon from the NDIA.

Partnership with KPMG

WAiS continues to appreciate being able to work with KPMG on a range of matters that relate to the Australian Taxation Office. This is in support of people, families and providers who self-manage, or share manage.  In recent months, KPMG have worked with WAiS to develop a resource for service providers to clarify tax considerations for payments to live-in supporters.  This resource is on the WAiS website for download.

 

We are sad to share that Matthew Popham, Partner at KPMG with whom we have worked for many years has just left KPMG.  We are extremely grateful for all his efforts and the total support he has provided to WAiS and to people, families and providers.

NDIA and Minister’s Transition Advisory Group

WAiS is a member of both the NDIA’s WA Transition Advisory Group, chaired by Nicole O’Keefe, and Minister Dawson’s Transition Advisory Group.  These are valuable opportunities for WAiS to feedback to the NDIA and the Minister on transition issues that have been shared with us by people, families and service providers we meet and provide support to.

Disability Coalition

WAiS values being a part of the Disability Coalition.  The Coalition is an informal gathering of advocacy, peak and representative organisations in WA who have committed to work together on common priorities in order to support better lives for people with disability, their families and carers.   Recently, several Coalition members succeeded in obtaining system advocacy funding with the implementation of these grants being steered and supported by the Coalition.

Information and Resources

The WAiS Team have been working on some resources that are free for you to see on the WAiS website. There are 3 sets of online resources. They are called "Be a Boss", "Planning for a Good Life" and "Shared Management". The resources have videos, workbooks and lots of extra information to make sure all your questions can be answered.

The Be a Boss Online Resource supports people to feel more confident and know more information when self or share managing and hiring their own workers and includes information about what you need to do legally, how to hire and then continue to manage your supports.

The Planning for a Good Life Online Resource supports people to think about who they are and what they want.  This online resource is based on WAiS Preparing to Plan card sets.

The Shared Management Online Resource will support providers to understand what Shared Management is and what they need to do, as an organisation, to provide Shared Management so that it works successfully.

WAiS have made a planning activity book with and by Aboriginal people, called Shannon's Story. Shannon tells his story on a video and in the book about his life. He talks about the things that were important to him, who helped him to get to where he wanted to go and how he wanted to live his life. It is an activity book, that young people can write, draw, and put stickers in.
It is for Aboriginal young people and their families to help get them ready to plan in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Click here for Shannon's Story video.

Here are some photos from the launch of our Online Resources