Useful information and resources
On this page:
- DHS Disability Services September 2023 forums announcement
- DHS Disability Services Webinar - Thursday 17 August 2023
- Information for families update - Tuesday 11 July 2023
- DHS Disability Services Webinar - Monday 19 June 2023
- Information for families update - Tuesday 13 June 2023
- Information for families update - Friday 28 April 2023
- Information for families update - Thursday 6 April 2023
- DHS Disability Services - Family Forum - 30 March 2023
- COVID-19 information and contacts
DHS Disability Services September forums announcement
During September we are hosting DHS Disability Services forums in Adelaide North and Adelaide South.
Unfortunately, the Adelaide North forum that was being held on Thursday, September 7 has been rescheduled. The new time is Wednesday, 20 September 6:00pm to 7:30pm.
We have invited a representative from an SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) provider we work with to attend these forums to speak about SDA and answer any questions you may have.
Please RSVP your attendance details below.
Date and time | Location | |
---|---|---|
September | ||
Thursday 14/09/23 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Adelaide South Marion Hotel 849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park |
Wednesday 20/09/23 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Adelaide North Gepps Cross Hotel 560 Main North Road, Blair Athol |
Save the Date for May Forums
DHS Disability Services Webinar - 17 August 2023 (22 minutes)
DHS Disability Services News - 11 July 2023
Update as at 11 July 2023
Welcome to our July newsletter, it is hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2023! It has been another busy month as we finalise service summaries for clients under the NDIS.
Importantly, transitioning to deliver services under the NDIS does not stop us from continuing to work with clients who receive disability support funding through arrangements outside of the NDIS – like My Aged Care, Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) and Lifetime Support Scheme (LSS). The transition process means that the service continues to work with the clients we have previously supported, and we look forward to working with clients from a range of funding arrangements in the future.
For clients who receive funding through the NDIS, we have been in contact with many of you to confirm the services you would like DHS Disability Services to provide into the future. Thank you all for your efforts and support during this process.
Our process to finalise service delivery with you under the NDIS
We will contact you
To confirm your interest in DHS Disability Services providing:
- Supported Independent Living (SIL)
- Support Coordination, or Specialist Support Coordination
Information Pack
You will recieve a pack with a proposed service summary and information about the services you want us to deliver.
Meet in-person
We will invite you to meet in-person or via phone to discuss the services you would like us to deliver and answer any questions.
Service Summary
After you confirm the services you would like, either at your in-person meeting or via a telephone call, we will provide you with an updated service summary, for you to review and confirm.
Service Agreement
Based on your confirmation of the service summary, a service agreement will be developed, and shared with you soon.
We understand this process can mean you are provided with a lot of information and we will continue to be in regular contact with you to support you through this process. We invite you to attend one of the in-person forums we are hosting through July where we will be speaking in detail about service summaries and can answer any question you may have. You can find more information and RSVP to a location below in this newsletter. If you’re not able to make a Forum session, you can continue to keep up-to-date with information on the Family Update page of the DHS website, Family Update | DHS and if you have specific questions, you can speak directly to the Service Coordinator or by contacting the service using the contact information in this newsletter.
Although we have been experiencing some chilly weather lately, our clients continue to keep busy and get out and about in the community. Last week during NAIDOC Week, we joined staff and clients at Woodville Gardens for a smoking ceremony and lunch to celebrate the occasion, which was a lot of fun. Read more about this and other activities our clients have been up to, further down in this newsletter.
We hope to see you at one of our up-coming in-person forums in July.
Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services
Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services
Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services
Access to allied health supports
We look forward to sharing more details about the different allied health services DHS Disability Services is now delivering, at our up-coming July forums.
Services that we now deliver include:
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Dietetics
We can currently access more services on behalf of clients and additional allied health professionals are being hired over coming months to meet client needs in our service.
Individual Support Package for clients funded through DSOA
We support a number of clients funded through the Australian Government’s DSOA funding arrangement, which specifically supports older Australians living with disability.
Funded through the Australian Government’s Department of Health, as a DSOA service provider, each year we need to update the Individual Support Package (ISP) with clients and/or a decision-maker. The ISP is based on individual support needs and outlines the funding amount a DSOA client receives.
If you are a client funded by DSOA, or a decision-maker on their behalf, you will be contacted by a DHS Disability Services team member in July, to discuss the ISP.
If you have any questions in the meantime, you can speak with the Service Coordinator or call 1800 952 962 (and then press option 3).
Virtual Care Service
We can now help you get better access to medical professionals and specialists in your own home. We successfully trialled this service in a few houses earlier in the year and it is now available to all DHS Disability Services clients.
The South Australian Virtual Care Service brings emergency care to our clients that would normally only be available in a hospital emergency department. The service provides an individualised assessment service via video link for urgent patient care, in the comfort of your home.
This might mean avoiding being admitted to hospital. If hospital admission does happen, some of the admission paperwork is already completed for faster treatment.
To learn more about SA Virtual Care Service you can watch this clip.
DHS Disability Services forums
July in-person forums
Please RSVP for our upcoming in-person Forums to be held in Mount Gambier, Adelaide North and Adelaide South.
Date and time | Location | |
---|---|---|
July | ||
Thursday 27/07/23 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Adelaide North Gepps Cross Hotel 560 Main North Road, Blair Athol |
Upcoming forums - save the date
Please save the date for our upcoming forums we are hosting in August and September.
Date and time | Location | |
---|---|---|
August | ||
Thursday 10/08/23 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Mount Gambier Link to forum will be shared soon |
Thursday 17/08/23 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm | Webinar Link to forum will be shared soon |
September | ||
Thursday 7/09/23 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Adelaide North Link to forum will be shared soon |
Thursday 14/09/23 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Adelaide South Link to forum will be shared soon |
Thursday 21/09/23 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Mount Gambier Link to forum will be shared soon |
Updating your contact details with us
With many changes happening this year – we have lots of reasons to be in regular contact with you.
We regularly update the DHS Disability Services Family Update page on the DHS website and we are also sending newsletters by email. If it has been a while since you updated your contact details with the service, you can do this by speaking with your Service Coordinator or calling 1800 952 962 (and then press 3).
How to contact us
If you have any queries you can:
- Contact your Service Coordinator or Team Leader
- Email us at AccomFeedback@sa.gov.au
- Phone us on 1800 952 962 (and then press 3)
If you know another family member or friend who would like to receive this e-newsletter, please encourage them to sign up via the DHS website or phone 1800 952 962.
DHS Disability Services Webinar - 19 June 2023 (19 minutes)
DHS Disability Services News - 13 June 2023
It is hard to believe that we are nearly halfway through the year. Our pace certainly has not slowed as we support you to receive quality services under the NDIS. We are pleased to advise that all of our clients have now participated in a Functional Capacity Assessment, and we are on track to share our Service Agreements with you shortly. If you have not yet provided us with a copy of your NDIS plan and your Home and Living outcome, it is important you do this as soon as possible so we know what supports you would like DHS Disability Services to deliver in the future.
Many of our clients have been keeping busy this month getting out and about. We had a Reconciliation Week celebration at Woodville Gardens, clients were invited to a Tutti Arts Choir performance at the Festival Centre and some die-hard footy fans watched their favourite team play. See further down in the newsletter to read more about what our clients have been up to.
Last week Sarah was happy to attend the Strathmont Family and Friends group where she heard from families, spoke about DHS Disability Services transition to service delivery under the NDIS and answer any questions. The group represents family and friends of clients that formerly lived in Strathmont, many of whom are now living in DHS Disability Services homes in the community. They welcome new families and friends to join who are not family and friends of people who formerly lived in Strathmont. If you would like to get in contact with the group you can call 0451 807 168, or email strathmontpf@gmail.com
Our DHS Disability Services monthly forum series continues and if you have any questions, you are welcome to ask them during the June webinar – further information in this newsletter. We hope to see you on-line and there are more opportunities to participate in in-person forums, as the year progresses.
Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services
Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services
Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services
Establishing a service summary and service agreement
You may have already, or will shortly, receive a phone call and an information pack from us about the services that you would like DHS Disability Services to deliver under the NDIS. Before we provide a service agreement for you to consider and approve, we will first set-up a service summary, which forms part of a final service agreement.
The service summary outlines what services you would like DHS Disability Services to deliver, including the cost of this delivery. You will have an opportunity to consider this and confirm you are happy to proceed. Based on your confirmation of the service summary, a service agreement will be developed, and you will receive this document, later.
If you have any questions about this, you can call 1800 952 962 (and then press 3) or email DHSDisabilityServices@sa.gov.au.
Behaviour support and restrictive practices update
All DHS Disability Services Clients that require a behaviour support plan have now been allocated a behaviour support practitioner. Practitioners will consult with the client, their guardian and their support workers throughout the process of plan development.
If a client’s behaviour support plan recommends restrictive practices, DHS will seek authorisation to use that practice through the Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme. We will provide a notice of authorisation to you, advising of the outcome. You will also receive a report every three months, outlining the restrictive practices that have been used in that time.
It is important to note that the use of restrictive practices in our homes is not new. The change is in the way that DHS Disability Services is required to seek authorisation, record and report restrictive practices. These new requirements are about supporting the rights of our clients, adding in accountability, and reducing the need for restrictive practices all together.
If you have any questions, please call 1800 952 962 (and then press 3). You can also read more about the South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme on the sa.gov.au website.
June DHS Disability Services webinar
Our monthly forum series continues, in June we are hosting a webinar. We hope you can join us using the following links. A recording will be available after, on the DHS Disability Services Family Update page of the DHS website. You will also be able to find questions and answers about the NDIS transition process that have been asked at forums this year.
Date and time
Monday, 19 June
11:00am – 12:00pm
Location
Online webinar
Join DHS Disability Services Webinar
Meeting ID: 878 4607 9505
Passcode: 782824
July in-person DHS Disability Services forums
RSVP your attendance for our upcoming in-person forums that are being held in Adelaide South and Adelaide North.
Date and timeLocation
July
Thursday, 13 July1:00pm – 2:30pm
Adelaide South
Marion Hotel
849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park
RSVP your attendance for Adelaide South forum
Thursday, 27 July1:00pm – 2:30pm
Adelaide North
Gepps Cross Hotel
560 Main North Road, Blair Athol
RSVP your attendance for Adelaide North forum
TBC Kadina
Upcoming DHS Disability Services forums - save the date
Please save the date for our upcoming forums we are hosting in August and September.
Date and time - Location
August
Thursday 10 August - 5:00pm – 6:30pm Mount Gambier
Monday 17 August - 12:00pm – 1:30pm Webinar
September
Thursday 7 September - 1:00pm – 2:30pm Adelaide North
Thursday 14 September - 1:00pm – 2:30pm Adelaide South
Thursday 21 September - 5:00pm – 6:30pm Mount Gambier
Updating your contact details with us
With many changes happening this year – we have lots of reasons to be in regular contact with you.
We regularly update the DHS Disability Services Family Update page on the DHS website and we are also sending newsletters by email. If it has been a while since you updated your contact details with the service, you can do this by speaking with your Service Coordinator or calling 1800 952 962 (and then press 3).
How to contact us
If you have any queries you can:
- Contact your Service Coordinator or Team Leader
- Email us at AccomFeedback@sa.gov.au
- Phone us on 1800 952 962 (and then press 3)
If you know another family member or friend who would like to receive this e-newsletter, please encourage them to sign up via the DHS website or phone 1800 952 962.
DHS Disability Services News - 28 April 2023
Update as at 28 April 2023
Thank you to those of you who were able to join us at our recent forums that were held in Adelaide South and Adelaide North. It was great to see so many of you in person, discuss the transition process to receive services under the NDIS and answer your questions about the process. We are hosting another series of forums in a few weeks’ time which will be focused on DHS Disability Services Service Agreements and the services that you can receive from us under the NDIS.
NDIS Plans
Many of you have advised us you have taken part in a planning session with the NDIA and from this received a finalised NDIS plan. The plan will also contain Home and Living information, defining the support ratios, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) levels and intensity of supports necessary for each client. We only receive a copy of the new NDIS Plan and the Home and Living Support letter if it is provided by you. Once you receive the Home and Living Support letter or the new plan, we ask you to please share these documents with us so we can work with you to define what support and services we can deliver to your family member or friend.
The below graphic is an indication of the process that clients and decision makers are currently or will go through, transitioning to receiving services under the NDIS. This graphic is a general guide and these steps may be in a different sequence for some clients.
Services DHS Disability Services is registered to deliver
Over 2023 we have been speaking to you about the different service areas we can now deliver because we are NDIS registered. In an NDIS Plan, funding has been separated into three separate categories – core supports, capacity building supports and capital supports. We want to explain how the services we deliver, can be funded through the NDIS Plan.
Core Supports
Core Supports help you with everyday activities, your current disability related needs and to work towards your goals.
Where you have appropriate funding you can access the following core supports delivered by DHS Disability Services.
- Supported Independent Living
- Community Participation
- Transportation
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building Supports help build your independence and skills to help you pursue your goals.
Where you have appropriate funding you can access the following capacity building supports, delivered by DHS Disability Services.
- Specialist Support Coordination and Support Coordination
- Positive Behaviour Supports
- Access to nursing supports and allied health professionals
Capital Supports
Capital Supports include higher-cost pieces of assistive technology and equipment and funding for one-off purchases you may need.
Where you have appropriate funding you can access the following capital supports, delivered by DHS Disability Services.
- Assistive technology and equipment
We have been delivering many of these services to our clients under our current “in-kind” funding arrangements for many years. To continue delivering these services under the NDIS, we have had to undertake an accreditation process through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissions. This process in now complete and we are fully registered to deliver these services.
Service Agreements
For NDIS Participants we support, who have a new NDIS Plan and there is agreement that it includes appropriate supports and funding – you will soon receive a proposed DHS Disability Services, Service Agreement. Your service agreement with DHS Disability Services will explain the services that will be provided by us and how they will be delivered. It includes details such as the start and end dates of the service, the frequency of the services, cost, payment arrangements, and responsibilities of the participant and us, as the service provider. Service Agreements help to ensure that participants receive high-quality, safe, and effective support services and there is a clear understanding about the support that will be delivered, by both parties.
Once we have shared the Service Agreement with you, you will have time to consider it and we will organise a time to meet with you to discuss it in greater detail. During this conversation you can discuss the services you would like DHS Disability Services to deliver. This meeting is an opportunity for you to ask questions, seek clarification and make changes. If you are happy with the proposed Service Agreement, it is also an opportunity to provide consent to the agreement.
We will be speaking about service agreements in more detail at our upcoming May forums, you can RSVP your attendance to your preferred location further down in this newsletter.
Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services
Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services
Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services
The next in-person DHS Disability Services Forums
Please RSVP for our upcoming in-person Forums to be held in Mount Gambier, Adelaide North and Adelaide South.
Date and time | Location | |
---|---|---|
May | ||
Thursday 4/05/23 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Mount Gambier DHS Disability Services 9 Elizabeth Street, Mount Gambier |
Thursday 11/05/23 | 12:30pm - 2:00pm | Adelaide South Marion Hotel 849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park |
Thursday 25/05/23 | 12:30pm – 2:00pm | Adelaide North Gepps Cross Hotel 560 Main North Road, Blair Athol |
Save the Date for June webinar
Monday 19 June - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Link to forum will be shared soon
New Behaviour Support Plans and changes to management of restrictive practices
In our March newsletter, we outlined some changes to the reporting of Restrictive Practices, aligned with the new South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme and our requirements under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
A restrictive practice is any practice that limits the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. People we support sometimes need restrictive practices to keep them or the community safe.
Clients in our service with a history of behaviours of concern or restrictive practices will have a new Positive Behaviour Support Plan developed by a registered behaviour support practitioner.
We have a number of practitioners within DHS Disability Services and we are also engaging with external providers to make sure that all clients in need of a plan receive one in a timely manner.
A behaviour support practitioner will consult with the client, their family and guardians, and their support staff to create a Behaviour Support Plan and discuss relevant restrictive practices.
The graphic below shows the new steps for reporting Restrictice Practices.
If a client’s Behaviour Support Plan includes restrictive practices, DHS will seek authorisation to use that practice through the Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme. Under the new scheme, families and decision-makers cannot authorise the use of a restrictive practice. However, your views will be taken into consideration during this process, and you will be provided with an authorisations statement of the restrictive practices that have been authorised
A DHS Disability Services team member will be in contact with you directly, to inform you about the process and invite you to participate.
Once a new plan is in place, decision-makers will receive a written notice report every three months, outlining the restrictive practices that have been used in that time.
It is important to note that the use of restrictive practices in our homes is not new. The change is in the way that DHS Disability Services is required to seek authorisation, record and report restrictive practices. These new requirements are about supporting the rights of our clients, adding in accountability, and reducing the need for restrictive practices all together.
If you have any questions before you are contacted by a DHS Disability Services team member, please call 1800 952 962 (and then press 3). You can also read more about the South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme on the sa.gov.au website.
NDIS Mid-term Registration Audit – Opt-out process
We are currently undertaking an assessment under the NDIS Practice Standards & Quality Indicators to meet our NDIS registration requirements.
The audit is undertaken in two stages. The first is a desktop process, the second part are interviews with clients, their supporters, like families and decision-makers, and staff.
If you have any question, or you would like to opt-out of this interview process, please contact us by emailing DHSDisabilityServices@sa.gov.au or calling 1800 952 962 by 1 August 2023.
Updating your contact details with us
With many changes happening this year – we have lots of reasons to be in regular contact with you.
We regularly update the DHS Disability Services Family Update page on the DHS website and we are also sending newsletters by email. If it has been a while since you updated your contact details with the service, you can do this by speaking with your Service Coordinator or calling 1800 952 962 (and then press 3).
How to contact us
If you have any queries you can:
- Contact your Service Coordinator or Team Leader
- Email us at AccomFeedback@sa.gov.au
- Phone us on 1800 952 962 (and then press 3)
If you know another family member or friend who would like to receive this e-newsletter, please encourage them to sign up via the DHS website or phone 1800 952 962.
DHS Disability Services - Family Forum - 6 April 2023
Update as at 6 April 2023
Thank you to everyone who joined our online Family Forum last week. It was great to have so many of you join in and hear about the next steps to support your loved one or friend to receive services delivered under the NDIS. We acknowledge this is a very busy time and thank you for taking the time to attend these forums.
We understand that a number of you have now had a planning meeting with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), as many of you informed us of this and we have now received some new NDIS Plans from you. We are not provided with the new NDIS Plan unless it is provided by you. These are important for us to continue to provide services to your friend or family member in line with their goals. So if you have not yet shared these NDIA documents with us, please email a copy to DHSDisabilityServices@sa.gov.au. If you have any questions, please call 1800 952 962 (and press 3).
Importantly, if you feel your friend or family member‘s NDIS Plan or Home and Living Support letter does not represent their support needs, please speak with your DHS Disability Services Service Coordinator, so that we can support further discussions with the NDIA.
Developing a Service Agreement
After an NDIS Plan is prepared by the NDIA, DHS Disability Services will develop a new Service Agreement for your consideration. This will define the supports funded by your new NDIS Plan, and who will deliver these services.
As an NDIS provider, we now have a number of services that NDIS Participants can access through DHS Disability Services: These include:
- Home and living supports – referred to as Supported Independent Living or SIL – provided by qualified disability support workers
- Community participation – personalised regular outings and activities in the community
- Positive behaviour supports – addressing behaviours of concern
- Access to nursing supports and allied health professionals – including nurses, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists and dieticians
- Specialist Support Coordination and Support Coordination – ensuring access and coordination of supports
- Transportation – access to vehicles for client appointments and activities
- Assistive technology and equipment - we have previously provided in the past and will offer maintenance and new assistive technology and equipment.
In our upcoming forums we will be speaking in more detail about client’s Service Agreements and the services DHS Disability Services are registered to deliver to clients under the NDIS. You can register your attendance to a suitable forum location further down in this newsletter. We look forward to seeing you at one of these events.
Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services
Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services
Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services
The next in-person DHS Disability Services Forums
Please RSVP for our upcoming in-person Forums to be held in Adelaide North and Adelaide South. Please note the location change from the pervious, save the date information.
Date and time | Location | |
---|---|---|
April | ||
Thursday 13/04/23 | 11:00am – 12:30pm | Adelaide North Coopers Alehouse Gepps Cross 560 Main North Road, Blair Athol |
Monday 17/04/23 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm | Adelaide South Marion Hotel 849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park |
Save the Date for May Forums
Mount Gambier - Thursday 4 May
Adelaide South - Thursday 11 May
Adelaide North - Thursday, 25 May
How to contact us
If you have any queries you can:
- Contact your Service Coordinator or Team Leader
- Email us at AccomFeedback@sa.gov.au
- Phone us on 1800 952 962 (and then press 3)
If you know another family member or friend who would like to receive this e-newsletter, please encourage them to sign up via the DHS website or phone 1800 952 962.
DHS Disability Services - Family Forum - 30 March 2023
Update as at 30 March 2023
On Thursday, 30 March, a DHS Disability Services Family Forum was held, about the process that clients and decision-makers will experience when tranisitioning to recieving services under the NDIS (see . Information will be shared mainly on the first 3 steps of this process - Functional Capacity Assessment, NDIA making a decision for a Home and Living Outcome and NDIA planning meeting.
Future forums held in April and May will look at the final steps of this process, Service Agreement and Funding based on NDIS Plan.
DHS Disability Services Family Forum video (22 minutes)
Steps to be ready for services under the NDIS
The below graphic is an indication of the process that clients and decision makers are currently or will go through, transitioning to receiving services under the NDIS.
*This graphic is a general guide and these steps may be in a different sequence for some clients.
Functional Capacity Assessment
A Functional Capacity Assessment (or FCA) have or will be soon undertaken for those NDIS Participants we work with, who needed one – ready for their planning sessions with the NDIA.
When all relevant client information is shared with the NDIA, they will then request a planning session meeting with clients and decision-makers.
NDIA Planning meeting
During this meeting, client’s goals will be discussed, along with any recent assessment or plans, and any clients’ history that is relevant to their NDIS plan. All this information will be used to finalise their NDIS plan where client’s goals, supports and funding will be identified.
DHS Disability Services are happy to support clients and decision-makers and attend these planning session meetings with you and the NDIA. Please contact us to organise this via DHSDisabilityServices@sa.gov.au or call 1800 952 962 (and then press 3).
If you receive a Home and Living Outcome and/or a new NDIS Plan from the NDIA, that you do not feel represents the support needs of your loved one or friend, please speak with your DHS Disability Services Service Coordinator, so that we can support further discussions with the NDIA.
Please note that participant’s NDIS Plan and their Home and Living Outcome is not shared with DHS Disability Services. We do need this information and welcome you sharing it with us.
DHS Disability Services, Service Agreements – more to come included in future forums
After all relevant information for an NDIS Participant is received and a plan is prepared by the NDIA, a participant’s Service Agreement will be created by DHS Disability Services. The Service Agreement allows DHS Disability Services (and other providers) to deliver services in line with participant’s plans - community participation is an example of this.
Clients and decision-makers can choose to use DHS Disability Services for services that we are registered to deliver - please see the full list below.
Services DHS Disability Services is registered to deliver
- Home and living supports – referred to as Supported Independent Living or SIL – provided by qualified disability support workers
- Community participation – personalised regular outings and activities in the community
- Positive behaviour supports – addressing behaviours of concern
- Access to nursing supports and allied health professionals – including nurses, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists and dieticians
- Specialist Support Coordination and Support Coordination – ensuring access and coordination of supports
- Transportation – access to vehicles for client appointments and activities
- Assistive technology and equipment – this is a new area of NDIS registration that we are currently being audited for.
Restrictive practices
As a disability services provider, DHS Disability Services is responsible for being open and transparent about any time we use a Restrictive Practice with our clients. In 2022 new legislation came into effect in South Australia which established the Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme and outlines:
- how Restrictive Practices are used, if required
- how they are authorised or approved to be used, and
- how they are recorded.
This new legislation means for clients with a Positive Behaviour Support Plan which includes a recommendation of Restrictive Practice(s), we will be providing regular updates about the use of those practices.
If you have any questions about the Restrictive Practices Authorisation Scheme you can visit www.sa.gov.au/topics/care-and-support/disability/restrictive-practices.
If you have a specific question about a Positive Behaviour Support Plan, please email dhs.sbssadmin@sa.gov.au or call 1800 952 962 (and then press 3).
Upcoming DHS Disability Services in-person Forums – we will be inviting NIDA representative to come along to.
Please note change of venue from previous save-the-date information:
- Thursday, 13 April – Adelaide North, Coopers Alehouse Gepps Cross
- Monday, 17 April – Adelaide South, Marion Hotel
- Thursday, 4 May – Mt Gambier
- Thursday, 11 May – Adelaide South
- Thursday, 25 May – Adelaide North
How to contact us
If you have any queries you can:
- Contact your Service Coordinator or Team Leader
- Email us at AccomFeedback@sa.gov.au
- Phone us on 1800 952 962 (and then press 3)
If you know another family member or friend who would like to receive this e-newsletter, please encourage them to sign up via the DHS website or phone 1800 952 962.
COVID-19 information
Australian Government Social Distancing Guidance during COVID-19 (PDF 180.6 KB)
Australian Government Department of Social Services COVID-19 Disability Information and Referrals
SA Health Coronavirus information and updates
NDIS COVID-19 information and easy read resources
COVID-19 phone numbers
Australian Government Coronavirus Health Information Line: Phone 1800 020 080
Disability Information Helpline: Phone 1800 643 787
South Australia COVID-19 Information Line: Phone 1800 253 787 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily)