Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, $1,090,488,000

Administered Items for the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, $195,310,000

Membership:

Mr Treloar substituted for Ms Redmond.

Minister:

Hon. L.A. Vlahos, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Departmental Advisers:

Mr T. Harrison, Chief Executive, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr A. Thompson, Executive Director, Financial and Business Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Dr D. Caudrey, Executive Director, Disability SA, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms L. Young, Executive Director, Disability and Domiciliary Care Services, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms N. Rogers, Director, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr J. Young, Director, Service Reform, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Ms Z. Nowak, Director, NDIS Reform, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr D. Green, Director, Finance, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr G. Myers, Principal Coordinator, Strategic Projects, Business Affairs, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion.

Mr S. Runnel, Chief of Staff.

The CHAIR: The estimates committees are a relatively informal procedure and, as such, there is no need to stand to ask or answer questions. I understand the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition have agreed an approximate time for the consideration of proposed payments, which will facilitate a change of departmental advisers at one point. Would the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition confirm that they have agreed on the timetable that I have before me today?

Dr McFETRIDGE: We have.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Yes, we have.

The CHAIR: Changes to the committee membership will be notified as they occur. Members should ensure that the Chair is provided with a completed request to be discharged form. If a minister undertakes to supply information at a later date, it must be submitted to the committee secretary by no later than Friday 28 October 2016. This year, estimates committee responses will be published during the 15 November sitting week in corrected daily Hansard over a three-day period.

I propose to allow both the minister and the lead speaker for the opposition to make an opening statement of around 10 minutes, should they wish to do so. There will be a flexible approach to giving the call for asking questions based on about three questions per member, alternating each side. Supplementary questions will be the exception rather than the rule. A member who is not part of the committee may ask a question at the discretion of the Chair.

Questions must be based on lines of expenditure in the budget papers and must be identifiable or referenced at the beginning of the question, and we do ask members for their cooperation in this for both Hansard and everyone in the room. Members unable to complete their questions during the proceedings may submit them as questions on notice for inclusion in the assembly Notice Paper.

There is no formal facility for the tabling of documents before the committee; however, documents can be supplied to the Chair for distribution to the committee. The incorporation of material in Hansard is permitted on the same basis as applies in the house, that is, that it is purely statistical and limited to one page in length. All questions are to be directed to the minister and not the minister's advisers. The minister, however, may refer questions to her advisers for a response.

During the committee's examination, television cameras will be permitted to film from both the northern and southern galleries, and we do ask for noise to be kept to a limit in those galleries at that time. The portfolio is the communities and social inclusion. The minister appearing is the Minister for Disabilities. I declare the proposed payments open for examination and refer members to the portfolio statements in Budget Paper 4, Volume 1. I call on the minister to make her statement if she wishes and to introduce her advisers.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: It is a pleasure to be here before you today in my first estimates. I will ask my advisers to introduce themselves, and I make it clear that I do not have an opening statement and am happy to move straight to questions.

Mr HARRISON: Tony Harrison, Chief Executive.

Mr THOMPSON: Andrew Thompson, Executive Director, Financial and Business Services.

Dr CAUDREY: David Caudrey, Executive Director, Disability SA.

The CHAIR: No opening statement, member for Morphett?

Dr McFETRIDGE: Thank you, Chair—only to say congratulations to the minister on her appointment to this very important portfolio during a very important time for people with disabilities around the nation, never mind around South Australia. It is good to see Dr Caudrey back again. He is an old hand at this.

The CHAIR: A hand of longstanding or experienced hand. We do not use the word 'old' here.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: A rock, in fact.

Dr McFETRIDGE: With that, we will proceed to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 110, the net cost of providing services. The total cost for 2016-17 is a little over $514 million. How will this reduce as we transition to the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: As we signed the bilateral in December last year, we know that we will be handing over just over $700 million to the commonwealth for the full implementation of the scheme in July 2018. As we do that, we will be cashing out client by client as they progressively integrate into the system and ensuring that everyone is looked after as they migrate into the new system fully in July 2018.

We know that we are behind in some of the processing at the moment—not from DCSI's perspective—but the NDIA is behind in its delivery of some of those things. It is a complex piece of work that involves 32,000 consumers and Disability SA clients, families and their carers, and we are working through this on a client-by-client basis to make sure they have the right care around them as they move into this exciting space.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Just to be clear, it will increase to $750 million, did you say?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I said that we would be contributing over $700 million.

Dr McFETRIDGE: That will be ongoing. Are we still locked into the scheme where anything above that, if there is a greater need, the commonwealth will pick up the tab?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: The commonwealth will pick up 75 per cent of the cost of the scheme and the state is committed to commit 25 per cent of the scheme ongoing as the overrun.

Dr McFETRIDGE: That is all subject to the Productivity Commission's review in 2017-18; is that right?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: That is correct.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Let's just hope that it does not change too much. I refer to Budget Paper 3, page 48, commonwealth grants, special purpose payments. In 2015-16, it was $79.6 million and it has increased to $108.4 million in 2017-18, and then it cuts out. Is that because that is again taken over by the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Yes.

Dr McFETRIDGE: The National Partnerships increases to $243 million in 2018-19 and then drops to $76.3 million in 2019-20. That is obviously an ongoing partnership in that case. What is the reason for that sudden drop?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We are just going to crosscheck a couple of facts and come back to you at the end of the session with that information to make sure we are correct.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I refer to Budget Paper 3, page 70, competitive neutrality policy. Will Disability SA still be a service provider and so compete with the NGOs? Can you assure the NGOs that there will be competitive neutrality?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We know that a number of other jurisdictions have made a decision to change the way they deliver services in a variety of different ways. Our government in South Australia is yet to make a final decision about whether we will be a service provider or not. I note from my recent regional trip to Port Lincoln, where I visited Cara with the member for Flinders, that they are increasing their footprint in this state and delivering into regional and remote. I know that there is a great enthusiasm in this sector for people at looking at different service deliveries and the growth in this sector that consumer-based NDIS funding will provide to them.

At this point of time, we are supporting people as they transition both in their governance and changing the way they move from block funding to consumer-based funding in the not-for-profit sector, in the non-government, and the full profit sector, but the state government has not made a decision about where we will go in that space yet.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Was a cost-benefit analysis done on Disability SA? I understand the former minister undertook a cost-benefit analysis of continuing DSA as a service provider.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We continue to look at a variety of information sources. As I said, Victoria is migrating at the moment. I believe Queensland might have made some decisions this week. We need to, as a government, look at all the information that is most recent to hand. The information that the previous minister may have had modelled may not be accurate at this point of time and I am looking at all the information before myself.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Are there predicted falls in the FTE numbers with the move to the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We know, and I have done media on this, that there will be around 6,000 extra jobs in a variety of different styles of work in the disability sector that will be available to South Australia, on top of the people who are already working in the sector. Disability SA and Disability Services has around 2,500 staff, I believe, and we have about 40 per cent of the services in the sector, but the not-for-profit sector is growing rapidly.

I know that in the case of Port Lincoln, recently, Cara has plans to bring up to 90 extra staff on in that space alone in that part of South Australia. So, the sector is gearing up. It is an exciting sector to be in. We know that people who work in the sector have a high degree of job satisfaction through value alignment for caring for people. Often you meet people who have disabilities in their own families who become carers for someone else because in a small community that is the way they share their community. But it is a really exciting space in the employment space as we move forward.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Perhaps I should be clearer: is there a predicted decrease in FTEs in Disability SA?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We have not made any decisions about what we are going to do with staffing in Disability SA at this point, as I reiterated before.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Talking about transitions to the NDIS, on Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 114, activity indicators, I was intrigued to read that some children have transitioned to the NDIS and subsequently returned to Disability SA. Can you give the committee an idea of how many children and why that has happened, and are they funded by the NDIS or DSA?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Sorry, could you repeat that?

Dr McFETRIDGE: Under activity indicators on page 114, it says there that some children have 'transitioned to the NDIS and subsequently returned to Disability SA'.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: It is a complex piece of work and for many families who have been in a long-term relationship with the department to provide services, they choose to stay with us in this transition period. There are a number of pieces of work that involve empowering families about how to spend their packages. Once they have been granted a package we know that some families are actually underspending their package in the first year because they are not used to making a choice as consumers. We need to support them in that space and Disability SA does that. They have an existing relationship and faith in the organisation and gradually they will transition across to the NDIS when they choose to.

Dr McFETRIDGE: On a similar topic, on page 117, why was there a doubling of numbers of children still with child and youth disability services in 2015-16? Was this because there was an underestimation of the initial numbers? How many participants will eventually qualify for the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Bear with me, I will talk to my colleagues. We know the NDIS had a slower than expected transition, and in fact I have done media on that this week, but we also know some of the people we are talking about can choose to continue to receive support by child and youth disability services in the metro area.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 113, the disability support program: $32.9 million was paid to the commonwealth for younger people in residential aged-care facilities. How many young people are there in aged-care facilities in South Australia?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: As you would be aware, the aged-care sector is obviously a commonwealth area, but we do have young consumers who are living in aged-care facilities. We will take on notice to get you the precise number, but the information that we have is that there are around 350 in South Australia who were living in those spaces.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Will those people be able to transition to what I would say is—and I think you would agree, minister—more appropriate accommodation under the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: As they become consumers, they will decide where they live and how they receive care packages. If they choose to leave the residences they are currently in and find other accommodation options, that will be their choice as they receive packages.

Dr McFETRIDGE: On the same page, activity indicators, how many people with exceptional needs will transfer to mainstream services by 2018?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: People are moving in and out of the Exceptional Needs Unit at a differing rate at any given time and at this point in time we cannot actually predict that figure as we migrate across to the NDIS. As we know, the NDIS is a hugely complex piece of work and we have not had a Disability Reform Council meeting for almost six months. We are due to have a meeting in September because of the caretaker period with the current federal election cycle that we have just been through. There are a number of matters that are unknown at this point in time and some of these figures are not easy to predict because the system is still being built and designed as we migrate across to it.

Dr McFETRIDGE: The budget figures show a projection of 40 people in 2016-17. Can you give the committee an idea of the cost per individual? I am hearing costs of over a million dollars per individual for some people with exceptionally complex needs.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: It is fair to say that people in this space have incredibly complex lives and complex needs and they vary from case to case. While someone might be travelling quite well, they might have an episode in their life that causes their needs level to go up considerably, but things might settle down in their life, they might become more stabilised and they might move out of this space. At any one time the packages are adjusted to the needs of the client, the consumer, to reflect how the state should look after that person to the best quality framework that we deliver in South Australia.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Do you have a dollar figure or perhaps some examples for the committee to realise how complex it is dealing with some of these people?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: In this space I do not think it is fair to typify one particular style of consumer or a client of Disability SA services with a mean or average. These are people and they are to be treated as individuals. You do not work out individualised packages; you provide the packages that that person needs to have the quality of life, the home environment and the support that they need.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I do not think anybody is going to disagree with that, but I think it is fair for everybody—in fact, I think it is probably very good for everybody—to have an understanding of the costs involved, because they are extraordinary, but that is not to say that we should not be doing what we are doing.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: In extreme cases, $1 million would not be unexpected for one person. There are incredibly complex needs that need to be put around those persons. The services need to be wrapped around them. That is a step-up, step-down approach in the quality of care framework, that we help that person with the challenges they are facing in their life, as well as that of their families, and their health and mental wellbeing.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I think the only thing that exceeds the way these people handle their own challenges is the way their carers look after them.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: They are exceptional care workers.

Dr McFETRIDGE: They are exceptional carers as well.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: They are very, very special people. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of those people.

Dr McFETRIDGE: They are very special people.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Yes.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Moving on to page 119, NDIS and service reform, what is the cause for the dramatic increase in NDIS participants in the nought to 14-year-old age group? In 2015-16, the estimated result was $8,500 and in 2016-17 the projected result is $11,190—a significant increase.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: There has been widespread media about the fact that there has been a huge number of children with autism and autism spectrum disorder coming into the NDIS trial. We also know that there is a number of people who have not previously directly engaged with Disability SA services who are entering the system. There are also people who are applying to the system who are being deemed ineligible because of the criteria.

Dr McFETRIDGE: On the same page, I have a couple of questions about service providers. What safeguards are in place to regulate and oversee the fees paid to service providers? Are there brokers who are offering to find services for NDIS participants; if so, is there any regulation on the commission they might charge?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: People have to be registered, and there is a schedule with fees to stop merciless behaviour.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Is there a fee for brokerage as well if you are not actually providing the service?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: That is stipulated on the schedule.

Dr McFETRIDGE: That is good to hear because we want all the money to go to front-line services. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 119, NDIS and service reform. I think you did mention the figure of 32,000, but I have heard higher figures. How many participants are expected by 2018 in the full rollout of the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: It is still 32,000, but, as we know, we have people who are intersecting with the system who have never come forward to the government system who have disabilities that will fit into the system. At this point in time, I would say that the anticipated number is 32,000, but we know from our children's trial that there are people who will come forward who have not sought services before.

Mr DULUK: Minister I refer to page 116. The description at the top refers to specialist allied health services. Can you confirm that sub-program 5.1 is the program under which carer support organisations are funded through the Home and Community Care program?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I believe that you are looking at minister Bettison's portfolio.

Mr DULUK: So that is a no.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: That falls under the scope of minister Bettison's portfolio. It is Program 2.2: Community Care.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Getting back to page 119 and the 32,000 participants by 2018, how many are registered now but yet to have plans approved?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Bear with me, and I will just get some information on that. I do know the numbers, but I just want to confirm them. The access requests made to the NDIS in South Australia from 1 July 2013 to 31March 2016 was a total of 8,758. The requests determined to be eligible were 7,747 (88 per cent), and the number of eligible children with approved plans is 5,825 (75 per cent). Requests in progress is 6 per cent, with 489; requests deemed ineligible is 4 per cent, and that is about 382; and requests withdrawn, closed or revoked is 140 people, 2 per cent of the total.

Dr McFETRIDGE: With the unmet need figures showing in May 2016 the unmet need has not reduced significantly with the rollout of the NDIS—in fact, it appears to have increased slightly from the year before—we are participating in the NDIS, people are going onto the plans, over 5,000 people are on the plans, yet the unmet need does not seem to be changing. Why is that so?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I will consult with my colleagues but, to start with, the unmet need is something that all states grapple with and, whilst it is predicted that unmet need will decrease over time as we transition across to the NDIS, the unmet need goes up from time to time. I believe that we are the only state in the country that publishes our unmet need data on a website. I will give you some further information now. It is a national challenge, and we know that there has been a small decline in the overall unmet need that has been reported in the period. Over this period, the total number of people with unmet need has decreased by 3 per cent from 2,553 to 2,480 people. These people are registered with a variety of different needs and different categories of needs.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Minister, how much state money has been transferred through the bilateral agreement with apparently not a lot of change in unmet need? You have not seen a big reduction in demand on state resources.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Could you clarify the question?

Dr McFETRIDGE: How much money has been transferred to the NDIA from the state so far?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: As I said before, this is a complex piece of work. We are cashing out of this space on a client-by-client, person-by-person approach, so I cannot actually put a figure on unmet need at this point in time. We know that we will endeavour to support all those people who are requesting support until they make the migration across. Often, when I talk to people in the disability sector and people living with disability, we talk about a bridge that we are all walking across together and that at any one time you cannot quantify the figure. We know that we are going in the right direction, we are moving across into the space, but that is not something I can put a figure on for you today.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Perhaps to clarify, minister, obviously we are putting money into the system already. How much money has the state paid across to the NDIA?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: At the moment, the state is putting in the bulk of the money, but we are happy to come back to you with a precise figure as we move forward.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Thank you, minister. I refer to Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 117, Equipment services. How will the transition to the NDIS affect work done by equipment services, particularly the artificial limb scheme and home modification services?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: The number of children under 15 receiving equipment services now funded by the NDIS, who were previously known to Domiciliary Equipment Services (DES), is 439; that is 35 per cent. The number of children under 15 receiving equipment services funded under DCSI is 809. The total number of children under 15, who were previously known to DES, is 1,248.

Dr McFETRIDGE: The equipment they are getting, will that still be coming through equipment services, or will it be coming through separate private providers through the NDIA?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: As you would be aware, the NDIS is a consumer-led consumer choice. It is up to the consumer, once they have received their package, how they expend it.

Dr McFETRIDGE: What then is the future for equipment owned by equipment services? If clients choose to go to a private provider, will they first have the opportunity to buy any equipment they have from equipment services, or will they have to return that to equipment services?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: That is one of the pieces of work that the project management in the reform space is currently working through.

Dr McFETRIDGE: How long are clients now waiting for such items as wheelchairs, and is there a quick turnaround for repairs?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I am prepared to take that on notice.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I think you have answered the next question. On Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 113, highlights, when will the 18 purpose-built flexible respite serviced apartments be completed, and where are they going to be built? It says in the CBD, but it does not really say where.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Just bear with me, as I am going to refer to my notes for a few moments. The 18 disability respite apartments will be built in the CBD, and we know that these will be delivered at a cost of $7.4 million in partnership with the private sector. A tender for this project was released in early 2015, as you would be aware, and Uniting Communities subsequently was selected as the successful proponent. Uniting Communities is constructing a 20-storey multiuse building on the current Maughan Church site, bringing together Uniting Communities services and incorporating a specialist disability long-term rental and disability respite accommodation facility.

The development is also going to include city retirement living, with additional offices and hospitality and community spaces. It will be an important community hub in the city for people living with disabilities and other age groups. The development will also reduce the waiting time for centre-based respite, and relieve pressures on existing respite facilities, and provide flexible accommodation for a variety of people living with disabilities and their families that can be tailored to their individual requirements.

The apartments will include accommodation respite programs, holiday accommodation and short-term accommodation—for example, for a medical appointment to save someone coming in from a rural and regional space, or transitioning from a hospital setting. The development can also provide a viable short-term transition to community-living options for people otherwise unable to be discharged from hospitals, thus relieving pressure on acute beds. I am advised that the Development Assessment Commission recently approved the plans for the redevelopment, including the disability respite facility, and its construction is due to commence in the final quarter of this year.

Dr McFETRIDGE: That is the old Maughan Church site?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Yes, that is correct.

Dr McFETRIDGE: On the same budget reference, can we have some details on the proposed disability hub for the north, and is there a southern hub planned; if not, why not?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: At this point of time, there is not a southern hub, but I am happy to get my notes up and talk to you about the northern hub, which was announced in late January, just after I became a minister. I know we have committed—

Dr McFETRIDGE: What are you doing? We need a southern one.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: There is a great need in the north, we know, with the GMH closure. This is about job creation. There are also southern jobs that are just as important and regional jobs in the disability space. We know that it is hugely important. It is the biggest job creation space this state has in the next couple of years, with 6,000 jobs. We know that we have committed over $4 million over the next couple of years to investigate this facility and establish the disability hub in the north. It was part of the Northern Economic Plan. It was released in late January, as I said.

The hub will actually help develop the disability workforce and support people wanting to enter or transition into the disability sector for the first time. It aims to upskill existing workers who are in the space who might need additional certification, and to encourage allied health graduates into the disability sector. DSD is actually leading this piece of work and has commenced detailed workforce profiling. The hub will facilitate activities to build a sufficient and diverse supply of workers to the disability sector.

We know the jobs that need to be created are not just personal care workers. They are coordinators, they are back-of-house technical people, and they are a variety of other different roles. That is the exciting thing about this, because the local workforce will have the opportunity to partner with this training hub to develop the capacity and capability to grow the northern suburbs disability sector. We are hoping that the hub will be located near the Northern Futures Career Workforce Development Centre in the Elizabeth Shopping Centre, and that this will also be accessible through the DCSI Northern Futures Salisbury site.

We are very excited about this. For example, the University of South Australia will use the hub for its allied health student placement programs. National Disability Services will use it as an enterprise support base in the northern Adelaide area. DSD will also use the hub for the delivery of Jobs First Employment Project connected to jobs.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Budget Paper 4, Volume 1, page 116, highlights. How many residents are left at the Strathmont Centre?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: The Strathmont Centre is actually an amazing place. So many people have lived there for so long. In fact, when I went to visit in May, I met a man who had been there since he was two years old. He was a remarkable gentleman. It is his home and it is his place. The transitioning of people on a one-by-one basis has been a slow, complex but hugely important process for the dignity of the people who are living in those homes. It has been their home and their workers have been their family.

We equally know that the pool facility at Strathmont is a community resource and many people have learned to swim there. I believe that as of today there are 10 people still in residence, and we have been transitioning them over a number of years. In recent stages, I think the devolution was around 27 in the final stage, but there are 10 people there as of today.

Dr McFETRIDGE: When do you expect to have them in other accommodation that is fit for purpose?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: All bar one are expected to be out by the end of the month, and the other person is due to be in the first quarter of next year.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Will the site then be sold or will it be used for other disability purposes?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We are working and developing a business case in conjunction with Renewal SA for the relocation of the remaining staff and administration at Strathmont and for the future of use of the site. We know that in May 2016 the plant equipment was identified as surplus and was sold at a public auction. The grounds maintenance areas have been closed and staff have been assigned to other areas of the department. The groundwork is now being contracted to Bedford Industries as an active employment space for people living with a disability. The Strathmont laundry services are now closed as well.

During 2016-17, the vacated buildings will be decommissioned as residents, staff and the services are finally moved off site. All remaining on-site services will gradually be shut down unless required in order to comply with safety and security procedures.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Just on the similar topic of facilities—specifically, ageing facilities—have the lifts in Highgate House been fixed?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: We have invested quite a bit of money in Highgate. When I visited in May to talk to consumers, carers and the wonderful team of workers, the lifts were working really well. In fact, it was a bit like being in a Skinner box because lifts were moving so fast, the doors were opening and shutting, and people would zoom in on their wheelchairs. You had to be careful that people did not knock you over. It was a really interesting day. The lifts are working. We have done the boiler rooms, and there have been some repairs from some flooding that occurred as well in the kitchen area. So, we are maintaining the assets at Highgate to a high standard.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I am moving on to page 112, disability support. How many people with disabilities are occupying beds in our hospitals?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: The decision for someone to be in hospital is a clinical decision. There are comorbidities, especially for people with disabilities. They have complex needs, whether they be mental health or a variety of different medical needs. That information is something that I would have to come back to you with. It is not easily separated from health data, and remember that hospital data belongs to the Minister for Health not to the Minister for Disabilities.

Dr McFETRIDGE: I understand that it is about 200 on any day. How often does the panel meet that considers the cases of whether people should be in hospital or have the opportunity to move on to a better facility?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I am advised that the decision to transition people out of a hospital environment and back to an intermediate care environment, or a home setting or a group home setting, is expedited according to the needs on any day. That is a changeable arrangement, depending on how many people are in the system at any one time. The needs of people living with a disability are always placed as a high priority in that mix.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Does Disability SA or SA Health help offset charges by charging disability clients a rent for their bed which comes out of their Disability Support Pension?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Disability SA does not charge them anything whilst they are in hospital.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Do you know whether the health department charge anything? Are you aware?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I cannot comment on that. I am not the Minister for Health.

Dr McFETRIDGE: But surely you would be aware of it, though?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: It is not a question I have been asked before.

Dr McFETRIDGE: We will move on to another area where people with disabilities are perhaps in inappropriate conditions, that is, in prisons. How many prisoners have disabilities?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: People who are fit to plead have a variety of complex needs and social backgrounds if they end up in Correctional Services which, again, is a question for minister Malinauskas, but we know that there have been academic studies that show that up to a third of people who are in our prison system have some form of known or diagnosed disability: they could be sensory or there could be a physical disability. There is a variety of ways that that could be assessed, and that is a definitional academic piece of work that each university undertakes.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Will prisoners be able to apply for funding under the NDIS?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Only when they leave the prison system.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Does Corrections charge Disability SA for services delivered in prison?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: Not to our knowledge, I am advised.

Dr McFETRIDGE: How many disability beds are there in James Nash House, the forensic mental health facility?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: My colleague Andrew will give you an answer from previously while I look this up.

Mr THOMPSON: In relation to your question on page 48 of Budget Paper 3 that you asked in relation to National Partnerships in terms of the funding, to the extent that National Partnerships relate to Disability, I can refer you to the second last paragraph on page 49. It states:

The large increase in NP funding in 2018-19 reflects an increased transfer of funds from the DCAF.

DCAF is the DisabilityCare Australia Fund. It continues:

The timing of payments from DCAF for NDIS related expenses is still being negotiated and it is currently estimated South Australia will only receive a proportional share of its annual allocation in the lead-up to full scheme...in 2018-19. In 2018-19, South Australia is expected to receive its full annual DCAF allocation, as well as a once-off payment equivalent to the balance of withheld annual allocations from previous years.

That would reflect the increase in there.

Dr McFETRIDGE: So that is the $230 million.

Mr THOMPSON: If I can just confirm, in terms of an earlier answer in relation to the bulk of the funding that references, the state is currently providing the bulk of the funding for disability services within South Australia.

The CHAIR: The minister is going to provide you with a last answer, I believe.

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS: I am actually happy to take that in the next section of estimates, which is about mental health and substance abuse, because it relates to that section as well.

The CHAIR: While there is a changeover, do you want to do the omnibus questions now?

Mr DULUK: The omnibus questions are:

1. Will the minister provide a detailed breakdown of expenditure on consultants and contractors above $10,000 in 2015-16 for all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, listing the name of the consultant, contractor or service supplier, cost, work undertaken and method of appointment?

2. In financial year 2015-16 for all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, what underspending on projects and programs (1) was and (2) was not approved by cabinet for carryover expenditure in 2016-17?

3. For each department and agency reporting to the minister, please provide a breakdown of attraction, retention and performance allowances, as well as non-salary benefits, paid to public servants and contractors in the years 2014-15 and 2015-16.

4. For each year of the forward estimates, please provide the name and budget of all grant programs administered by all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, and for 2015-16 provide a breakdown of expenditure on all grants administered by all departments and agencies reporting to the minister, listing the name of the grant recipient, the amount of the grant, the purpose of the grant and whether the grant was subject to a grant agreement as required by Treasurer's Instruction 15.

5. For each year of the forward estimates, please provide the corporate overhead costs allocated to each individual program and subprogram administered by or on behalf of all departments and agencies reporting to the minister.

6. For each department and agency reporting to the minister, could you detail:

(a) How much was spent on targeted voluntary separation packages in 2015-16?

(b) Which department funded these TVSPs?

(c) What number of TVSPs was funded?

(d) What is the budget for targeted voluntary separation packages for financial years included in the forward estimates (by year), and how these packages are to be funded?

7. What is the title and total employment cost of each individual staff member in the minister's office as at 30 June 2016, including all departmental employees seconded to ministerial offices and ministerial liaison officers?

The CHAIR: The time for this examination has expired. I declare the proposed payments complete.