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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-14 Daily Xml
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DISABILITY SERVICES

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Disabilities questions regarding disability services in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: On 1 March the front page of The Advertiser carried the banner headline, 'Cheap talk: Cappo says disabled fobbed off with nice words.' It quoted comments I had previously provided to The Advertiser on the ever-swelling unmet needs list and the particular concern I have regarding the burgeoning Category 1 housing needs list. That day I spoke, along with the Minister for Disabilities, on FIVEaa regarding Monsignor Cappo's Strong Voices report and that particular Advertiser article.

In reply to my comments on the disability community needing actions, not words, minister Hunter said, and I quote from the transcript:

I can understand why people want this stuff delivered yesterday, but that's not how the real world works...let's face it, these problems have been a long time coming.

The Minister for Disabilities is quite correct: these issues have been a long time coming, and his government has had 10 years to solve them. His predecessor, minister Rankine, had many years to solve them and our current Premier, Mr Weatherill, had many years to address these issues while he was minister for disability. The fact that these issues have been so long coming just makes the currently deplorable situation of more than 1,000 people on the Category 1 accommodation needs list all the more ridiculous. There has been time to solve it but it has not happened.

The minister said that fixing things now is not how the real world works. I can assure him that my office understands exactly how the real world works, given that we are continually besieged with calls every day from constituents with disability-specific problems. They do not have housing; their wheelchairs are broken; they are waiting at the bus stop for an accessible bus; their service coordinator does not seem to care; their child has been abused; when they go to hospital they cannot get support hours to shower; or they cannot go to TAFE because they do not get education support. The list of problems is endless and complex and I hear about them each and every day in painful detail.

Later in his comments a fortnight ago, the minister said that he did not want to put any money into broken systems, and I completely agree, but he needs to provide urgent leadership, training and resourcing to a broken government department. Whilst I congratulate the minister on last Friday's announcement regarding the rollout of individualised and self-managed funding and dearly hope the introduction of a national disability insurance scheme is imminent, I remain very concerned about the ability of Community and Home Support SA, within his department, to cope with the administrative and cultural change that this will bring about. Without a significant attitudinal and cultural shift within all government disability service offices, it will be difficult to convince clients that a move towards self-management will be of benefit, such is their fear that they will lose—

The PRESIDENT: The honourable member should get to her question.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: —services and funding. I am doing that right now. My questions to the minister are:

1. What training and resources has the minister dedicated to educating the staff within Community and Home Support SA on the continuation of individualised funding?

2. What training and resources has the minister committed to ensuring disability services providers will cope with the implementation of the NDIS?

3. What cultural change is the minister cultivating within his department to maximise the performance of his public servants to service South Australians with disabilities?

4. Does the minister agree with former Thinker in Residence John McTernan that more innovation and innovative initiative are needed from our public servants within Community and Home Support SA?

5. Is the minister aware that Community and Home Support SA is mired in a culture of bureaucracy and fear against change to a system that actually empowers clients?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for her epic question. While I am on my feet and before I answer—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: We had an epic answer from your leader before.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I can give you an epic answer, if you like. While I am on my feet I need to correct the record in relation to an answer I gave the Hon. Mr Wade on his most important question. I think I said that, from memory, I am expecting the final report on 29 March. On checking my notes, I need to advise that I am actually expecting the final report on 23 March. Coming back to the thrust of the question asked by the Hon. Kelly Vincent, can I say that—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Did you just get a text from your office?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: It is just a tip on a race actually, David, if you want in on that.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: So you're more interested in horseracing than answering the question. We can see where your priorities are.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Mr Ridgway should know I have no interest whatsoever in horseracing other than attending the wonderful festivities.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Ridgway should show some interest in what is happening here.

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr President, the Hon. Mr Stephens will tell you that I would not know one end of a horse from the other, but I think he is probably ill-advised in that remark. In relation—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Just answer the question.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Well, I would answer the question, Mr Ridgway, if you allowed me the opportunity, but, in the usual manner of the Liberal opposition, you are shouting and screaming at the government when we are trying to give information to other members of the chamber when answering very important questions. I ask that you show some respect to the Hon. Ms Vincent and her question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister should not excite the opposition.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I take your guidance on this, Mr President. I will calm down considerably now.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Hear, hear! Take a Bex and have a lie down.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I do not think you can buy Bex anymore, Hon. Ms Lensink, but if you find a provider, let me know.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Just lie down; that would be the easiest thing for you.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Vincent might want to hear the answer to the question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Since 2002, the South Australian government has more than doubled its spending on disability funding, from $135.4 million in 2002-03 to $286.4 million in 2010-11. In 2011-12, disability support services were provided with $56 million in additional funding for services to people with disability over the next four years. This $56 million is to go directly to address unmet needs. We have more than doubled funding in this area since forming government, yet the unmet need still remains unacceptably high.

The question is: as a government, do we keep pouring money into a system that is broken or do we overhaul the system so that future funding is much more targeted and efficient? It is important to note that the need for disability services is increasing as our population ages. Certain disabilities are increasing in prevalence and people with disability are living longer. These trends are being experienced across Australia.

The move away from institution-style accommodation for people with intellectual disabilities and complex behaviour issues has also had a major impact on the unmet need list for accommodation. We need to provide clients with high needs smaller supported accommodation houses within the community. Typically, these houses are shared by four residents, and they often require 24-hour care. These houses are expensive to build and to operate. This is not an excuse: this is just the reality.

While we are focused on major systemic reform and the introduction of self-managed funding, the South Australian government has already committed funding to a number of supported accommodation projects that will boost the availability of supported accommodation for people with disability. These include a disability housing project, where $30.4 million of state government funding will deliver 61 new disability accessible homes, providing 132 accommodation places. To date, 20 properties have been completed in Salisbury, Woodville Gardens and Port Augusta. Four homes in Mount Gambier and another 20 properties in metropolitan Adelaide, Loxton and Minlaton will be completed in the coming year.

The Bedford Homes for 100 Project, along with the state government, has committed $5 million, as did the Bedford Foundation, to fund 32 new developments to provide accommodation for 70 people with disability. A total of 28 have been completed, providing 61 additional places to date. The final four properties, providing nine places, will be completed in 2012.

The state government has committed $15.7 million to Minda 105 and, to date, 47 accommodation places have been created, with a further 41 places available in the coming year. Early intervention responses, including the provision of equipment that can assist people to remain in their own homes rather than require supported accommodation, also remains a priority for the government.

There is always more work that we can do in these areas of disability support, but I believe the reforms we are undertaking will provide people living with disability better opportunities and greater control, increased dignity and flexible support in areas where they really need it. The introduction of a self-managed fund, as mentioned by the Hon. Kelly Vincent, will have a flow-on effect to the whole system, and I anticipate that the levels of unmet needs for accommodation, respite and even equipment will dramatically reduce over the next few years.

In regard to how we are supporting NGOs, I can say that we are working very closely with the NDIS and Purple Orange, who are working with the NGO sector, to provide them with support and training as they need it. There are multiple taskforces already formed with the community sector to address some of these issues and to find out exactly where they need support from government. The department has met with the leaders of major NGOs and organisations already to map out the way forward in the coming 18 months.

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