Disability Services

377 The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO ().28 August 2024). Can the Minister for Human Services advise:

1. How are the sales of disability goods and services advertised?

2. If the minister plans to continue the growth of the sales of goods and services?

3. Which stakeholders were consulted at the roundtable event for the review of regulatory framework for supported residential facilities?

4. What matters were raised by the stakeholders?

5. What community consultation will be undertaken for the development of a new Supported Residential Facilities Act?

6. What the minister hopes to achieve with the best practice model for supported residential facilities?

7. Will the best practice model be co-designed?

8. What is the timeline for the consultation and implementation of a new best practice model?

9. What funding and timeline has been allocated to the state autism strategy?

10. Can a copy of the initial response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability be produced?

11. When will the government provide a comprehensive response to the royal commission?

12. Which stakeholders have been consulted thus far to develop the initial response and the comprehensive response to the royal commission?

13. Did the stakeholders endorse the government's initial response?

14. Does the minister acknowledge that her government has failed to provide a comprehensive response to the royal commission by the recommended response completion of March 30 2024?

15. How many changing place facilities will result from the partnering with the commonwealth and local government?

16. What process will be used to identify locations for the changing places?

17. What budget and FTEs have been allocated in FY2024-25 to support local government develop new Disability Access and Inclusion Plans (DAIPs)?

18. Does the minister still hold a Disability Minister's Advisory Council?

19. How many meetings have the council had and how many have been attended by the minister?

20. The list of the members of the advisory council?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries): I am advised by the Minister for Human Services:

1. The Department of Human Services (DHS) Disability Services provides information about its services at www.dhsdisabilityservices.sa.gov.au and at industry expos.

2. DHS will continue to provide services for those who choose its services.

3. 39 stakeholders across commonwealth, state and local government.

4. Stakeholders expressed support for the following:

safeguarding of residents;

new or amended legislation;

a more centralised approach to improve consistency, jurisdictional certainty and safeguarding in the context of the skillsets and capabilities of regulators;

a more coordinated approach to address the needs, welfare and rights of children and young people;

stronger tenancy rights for residents; and

protections for vulnerable cohorts

5. DHS will engage with regulators, proprietors, residents and other jurisdictions.

6. New SRF legislation will support a more centralised approach to provide greater consistency for facilities and residents while better meeting the needs and expectations of the community and improving safeguarding.

7. DHS is committed to ongoing engagement with relevant stakeholder groups including government authorities, SRFs and residents. to ensure improved outcomes.

8. DHS is seeking to complete initial stakeholder consultation in early 2025 after which it is expected draft legislation will be prepared and subject to further consultation before being considered for introduction to parliament.

9. The SA Autism Strategy 2024-29 (the strategy) covers a five-year period. Approximately $100 million of additional state investment has been committed to autism-related initiatives since 2022 and further investment will be considered in response to action plans developed under the strategy along with ongoing responses to the disability royal commission and NDIS review—including the proposed development of foundational supports.

10. Yes.

11. An initial and comprehensive response—totalling 208 pages—was released on 31 July 2024, the same day as all jurisdictions except the Northern Territory, and has subsequently been tabled in parliament. In addition to this document, DHS released easy read documents focused on: a summary of the recommendations; the royal commission response consultation; human rights and governance; autonomy and access; education; employment; housing; criminal justice; First Nations people with disability; disability services; oversight and complaints; and a final document 'Next Steps and Conclusion'.

12. DHS consulted with a range of stakeholders to inform its initial response, including people with disability, their families, carers, service providers, peak bodies and lived experience advisory councils/committees. JFA Purple Orange ran six workshops on key themes of the disability royal commission so people with lived experience could provide their input into the response. The Minster for Human Services hosted a workshop with the disability sector to seek their views.

13. The royal commissioners themselves did not agree on all recommendations so the government expects and welcomes a range of views on both the royal commission and our response to it. Consultation with key stakeholders informed the government's initial response and DHS will continue to engage with key stakeholders to inform implementation and ongoing consideration of recommendations that are subject to further work.

14. Through the Disability Reform Ministerial Council, disability ministers released a joint statement on 5 March 2024 noting that all governments would formally respond to the disability royal commission after 31 March 2024. This was to ensure governments could work together in a coordinated way and consult widely with key stakeholders.

The South Australian response was released on 31 July 2024 in line with the commonwealth government and other states and territories.

15. The Changing Places initiative is funded over four tranches with the final number of facilities dependent on the number of local councils who express an interest, and are able to meet commonwealth criteria including different financial contributions linked to whether an area already has one or more Changing Places.

16. Additional Changing Places facilities are dependent on local government authorities choosing to participate in the initiative, identifying a suitable location, being able to meet the criteria for the initiative (including funding requirements, minimum building specifications and timeframes), and accepting the ongoing operational and maintenance costs for facilities.

17. There is no specific budget associated with the development of disability access and inclusion plans (DAIPs) although DHS offers support to councils in developing DAIPs and the Act provides councils – but not state government departments—the ability to develop joint DAIPs.

The state reform team within the DHS strategic policy and reform directorate works flexibly to deliver a broad state disability reform agenda. This includes the coordination and implementation of the state disability inclusion plan and DAIPs across all state authorities, and the provision of associated guidelines and resources to support all State authorities in developing new DAIPs in line with the state disability inclusion plan.

18. Yes.

19. Six. The Minister for Human Services attended five and was an apology for one.

20. These have been, and continue to be, publicly available on the DHS website.