Family Update

DHS Disability Services News - 9th November 2023

Update as at 9 November 2023

It is hard to believe we’re drawing towards the end of another year. We have really enjoyed speaking with many of you over the past months through our forums and other meetings. We hope you have found these engagements useful, particularly where we have discussed the services that your family member or friend will continue receiving from us into the future.

We are committed to continuing to improve our service as well as engaging with changes in the broader disability sector. We welcome your feedback and ideas at any stage through the channels listed at the end of this newsletter.

As a department, DHS is currently working through our response to the Disability Royal Commission. Alongside this, the NDIS Review process is coming to a close, while consultation is still open on the State Disability Inclusion Plan. Each of these looks from a different angle at life for people with disability in Australia and in our state. We are pleased to be involved with these initiatives to continue to see an improved quality of life for all people with disability.

We hope you can join us at one of our end of year celebrations or regional forums in November and December.

Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services

Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services

Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services

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You're invited to our end of year celebrations

As we approach the end of another big year, we invite families and supporters of Disability Services’ clients to come along and celebrate with us at our end of year events. Last year we hosted two celebrations across metropolitan Adelaide and this year we are excited to announce we will be combining for one large event at the iconic Adelaide Zoo.

Adelaide Zoo

Thursday 7th December
5:00pm – 7:00pm

Please RSVP your attendance by Wednesday, 29 November.

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Mount Gambier and Kadina end of year events and forums

While clients in the Kadina and Mount Gambier area are welcome to attend the Adelaide Zoo celebration, we will also be hosting end of year events a little closer to home. Immediately following each of these celebrations, we invite families and decision makers to stay for an in-person forum to stay up to date with what is happening across the service.

Mount Gambier

Wulanda Recreation Centre – Youth Room
7 Margaret Street, Mount Gambier
Thursday, 16 November
End of year celebration: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Disability Services Forum: 5:00pm – 6:00pm

For more information and to RSVP your attendance please contact Riana Emmerson via riana.emmerson@sa.gov.au

Kadina

Copper Coast Sport and Recreation Centre
1 Doswell Terrace, Kadina
Thursday 30 November
End of year celebration: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Disability Services Forum: 2:00pm – 3:00pm

For more information and to RSVP your attendance please contact Sabine Kellermann via sabine.kellermann@sa.gov.au

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New Disability Services website

We recently launched a new Disability Services website to help us reach more South Australians with disability, who may be interested in the range of services we provide. We encourage you to take a look – you may recognise some friendly faces of our clients and staff who were featured in the photoshoot.

www.dhsdisabilityservices.sa.gov.au

Within this website, we have a new client area where you can access the latest news and updates from our service. We’ve made this area a bit more user friendly. Since this content is just for clients and decision-makers, we’ve added a simple login screen.

You can access this page with the details below: 

www.dhsdisabilityservices.sa.gov.au/client-area/latest-news

Username: dsclient
Password: dsclient1

Utility bills and concessions

Utilities, medication and groceries are examples of everyday living expenses, and are not covered by disability support packages (like the NDIS and DSOA). It is the individual’s responsibility to pay for everyday living expenses.

For clients who are on the Individually Managed Client Fees Arrangement, it is important to have things like utility bills in the clients name. If this is relevant to you, someone from our Financial Reform Team will be in contact about this change.

It is likely that most people our service supports would have access to South Australian Government Cost of Living Concessions. These are concessions designed to help people on low or fixed incomes with household costs such as electricity or medical bills.

If you are not already registered for Concessions, you can apply through the SA.GOV.AU website. You can also contact Concessions SA on 1800 307 758 or email concessions@sa.gov.au.

Service Agreements

Thank you to those of you who have signed and returned your Service Agreement recently. If you are yet to do this, please respond as soon as you can. If you have questions about this process, please contact us via the details included in the agreement or the details at the end of this newsletter.

If you have had any changes to funding in your NDIS plan, a new plan issued or a Section 100, please forward the updated plans to us as we do not receive a copy of these from the NDIA.

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How to contact us

If you have any queries you can:

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.

How to provide service feedback or make a complaint

There are a number of ways you can provide feedback or make a complaint about the service received at DHS.

You can:

You can also contact authorities, independent of DHS. Please visit DHS – complaints and feedback.

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DHS Disability Services Webinar - 19 October 2023 (24.42 minutes)

DHS Disability Services News - 12th October 2023

Update as at 8 October 2023

Welcome to our October newsletter! Below you can find information on our upcoming Disability Services forum, save the dates for our end of year celebrations and other relevant information about our service.

Disability Royal Commission

As many of you would be aware, on Friday 29 September the findings of the Disability Royal Commission were handed down. Almost 10,000 people shared their experiences of violence, abuse, neglect and the exploitation of people with disability since the commission began in 2019.

Since the release of the findings, we have begun to digest the 222 recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission. There are many recommendations that will affect and improve the way we operate and support our clients over the long term. It will take some time to work through the report fully. We are developing a team within DHS that will drive this work across state government, alongside what the Commonwealth is doing.

If the findings have caused distress for you, Blue Knot can provide free specialist counselling and referrals for people affected by the Royal Commission. You can contact them on 1800 421 468 between 9am and 5pm.; Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14.

National Carers Week

Next week is National Carers Week, which is all about recognising and celebrating people who provide care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental health condition, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged. Many of you have and continue to care for your family member or friend who is a client of DHS. We understand that carers are a diverse group, who support and care for people in a multitude of different ways. Carers provide support for people that enables them to live more independently and have a more meaningful, fulfilling life.

For more information: National Carers Week National Carers Week | 15 – 21 October 2023

Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services

Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services

Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services

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October Disability Services Online Forum

*please note change of time
We are continuing to host our monthly DHS Disability Services forums. This month we are hosting an online forum. You can join the online forum via the link below. This forum is also a chance for you to ask any questions or voice any concerns you may have.

October Forum

Thursday 19 October
*1pm – 2pm

Hosted online

Contact 1800 952 962 for login details

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Save the date for our end of year celebrations

Please save the date for the end of year celebrations we are hosting in Adelaide, Kadina and Mount Gambier. We’ll release more details on the events in coming newsletters.

  • Mt Gambier - Thursday 16 November 3pm - 5pm
  • Kadina - Thursday 30 November 12pm - 2pm
  • Adelaide - Thursday 7 December 5pm - 7pm

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Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) lease renewal advice and support

At our recent Disability Services forums, some attendees expressed interest in seeking advice on SDA lease agreements and renewals. We do encourage those who are interested in having a conversation about these agreements to chat to your Support Coordinator. They can sit down with you to break down each section and make sure you’re comfortable with the terms.

Seeking third-party advice

RentRightSA

A free and independent housing advice and advocacy service. This is not a disability-specific service, but they are experienced with a wide variety of tenancy agreements and willing to provide advice about SDA agreements. Feel free to contact them via their website below or call 1800 060 462, 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. They offer over the phone advice and in-person appointments.

RentRight SA - Housing Advice and Advocacy — SYC

NDIS Housing Advice Line

This line was established to help people with disability and their supporters to understand NDIS home and living options.

NDIS Housing Advice Line (housinghub.org.au)

SA Renting webpage

This page provides information around private housing, rental options, support and tenant and landlord responsibilities.

SA.GOV.AU - Renting (www.sa.gov.au)

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The difference between community participation and supported independent living

Community participation (CP) and supported independent living (SIL) funding can be confusing to get your head around.

In the simplest terms, SIL is used for things that support a person with their everyday living. It includes help or supervision with daily tasks, like personal care or cooking meals. Further to this, it helps people with disability live as independently as possible, while building their skills.

More information is available on the NDIS Guidelines Website: Supported Independent Living | NDIS

While much of SIL does occur within the home, it also extends to things like supporting a person to go to the bank or the supermarket. This is where it can become a little confused with community participation.

Community participation consists of activities or experiences that A) require extra support for a client to participate in, and B) actively involves the client in the community in a recreational or social setting. For instance, a client participating in a social sporting team or attending a painting class would be considered community participation.

Social and community participation is about meeting people with similar interests and joining in social and community activities. It means going where others go, doing what others do, with other people and choosing activities you enjoy. Social and community participation also means different things to different people. It can include going to your local café, joining a netball team, bushwalking with a friend, doing a craft class, getting work experience, or volunteering.

More information is available on the NDIS Guidelines Website: Social and community participation | NDIS

If you would like clarification as to whether something is considered SIL or CP, please reach out to your Support Coordinator.

Consultation underway for State Disability Inclusion Plan

The State Government wants your input into how we can make SA more accessible and inclusive for people with disability.

A public consultation is underway to shape the new State Disability Inclusion Plan. It’s essential that the new plan draws on the expertise, experiences, and advice of people with disability and those with lived experience. As a supporter of a person living with disability we invite you to participate in the consultation.

You can contribute to the consultation by completing an online survey or making a submission via email.

Once the consultation process is finalised, a draft plan will be created. Further consultation will then take place to make sure it accurately reflects the feedback provided and will make a positive difference to the lives of South Australians with disability.

We want to hear from as many South Australians as possible throughout the consultation period. If you or your organisation would like to promote the opportunity to have your say, we encourage you to make use of the promotional resources on Inclusive SA.

For full details, visit Consultation on the State Disability Inclusion Plan | YourSAy

The people we support

Tim’s trip to New Zealand

Tim recently visited New Zealand to spend time with his family and be part of a special ceremony to celebrate the life of his mother, who passed away in 2022.

Tim began his journey by flying from Adelaide to Canberra where he stayed overnight with his sister and her family. From there they jetted off to Auckland. Upon arrival they were greeted by Tim’s father and his extended family.

The family spent quality time together visiting the sites of New Zealand and went on multiple hikes to take in some of the breathtaking scenery. Tim’s highlight during this time was spending time with his nephews and getting to know his sister’s partner, whom he hadn’t met before.

The family reached Plymouth where they held the ceremony to celebrate the life of Tim’s mum and scatter her ashes. Although this was a very sad time, Tim and his family were supported by each other.

There was a great deal of support provided to Tim by his team at DHS to attend this special occasion, and the team’s attention to every detail made sure it was a well-coordinated and successful trip.

“We were in regular contact with Tim’s sister, Honor, in the lead up to coordinate dates and bookings and make sure everything was well planned,” says Tim’s Service Coordinator, Jignesh Patel.

“Together with his team, Tim packed his bag with appropriate clothing and made sure he had everything that he wanted to take away with him.

“Tim’s Team Leader Vicki and I visited him the day before he departed to make sure he wasn’t too nervous about the trip and was ready to go.

“Honor kept in regular contact with our team throughout the trip to keep us informed about how Tim was going.

“We are so pleased that we were able to support Tim to visit New Zealand and spend time with his father and family to celebrate the life of his mum, it was very important to him.”

Clients at the 2023 City to Bay fun run

During September, a number of our clients put on their activewear to participate in the 2023 City to Bay. A particular shout-out to Darrell for completing the 3km race and Kevin for smashing the 12km! It was a fantastic day and great to see our clients participate in such a great South Aussie event.

Watch this short video (0.33m) to see all the best bits.

Contact DHS Disability Services

Updating your contact details with us

With many changes happening this year – we have lots of reasons to be in regular contact with you.

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:

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.

How to provide service feedback or make a complaint

There are a number of ways you can provide feedback or make a complaint about the service received at DHS.

You can:

You can also contact authorities, independent of DHS. Please visit DHS – complaints and feedback.

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DHS Disability Services News - 7th September 2023

Update as at 7 September 2023

Welcome to our September newsletter, Spring has arrived at last. It has been another busy month across the service as we continue to deliver quality services to the people we support.

We have now begun sharing the DHS Service Agreements with clients, families and decision-makers. This is being done where a conversation has occurred, confirming the services DHS will provide in line with NDIS Plan funding. The Service Agreement is separated into three parts:

  • Party Information
  • Service Summary (outlining the services that will be delivered)
  • Terms and Conditions

The Service Agreement is an important document so that both you and DHS are clear about the service delivery that has been agreed. You will have time to consider this information and ask any questions before you provide consent. If you have already had your conversation confirming services, this will soon occur.

We will be speaking in more detail about Service Agreements in our September forums, and I invite you to come along to a suitable location. Please find more information further down in this newsletter.

There have been a number of questions about SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) at forums we have held this year and we have invited a representative from an SDA provider we work with to attend our September forums to speak about SDA and answer any questions you may have.

We hope to see you there. 

Joe Young
Executive Director, DHS Disability Services 

Sarah White
Director, DHS Disability Services

Julie Rogers
Director, Quality and Clinical Services, DHS Disability Services

Mid-term certification audit: NDIS Practice Standards & Quality Indicators

In September we begin our mid-term certification audit for NDIS Practice Standards & Quality Indicators. This audit process allows us to continue to be a registered NDIS service provider, delivering supports to NDIS participants and people living with disability.

We successfully commenced our first audit process in November 2021 and will undertake the full audit process again in 2025. This mid-term audit process seeks to capture a snapshot of how we are currently delivering our services. The audit process will take place across sixteen houses from mid-November.

If the home of your friend or relative is involved in the scope of the audit, you will be contacted by the relevant Service Coordinator with further information about how to participate in the audit process. You will have the option to opt out of this process if you wish.

Access 2 Place Housing presentation on Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

At our Adelaide North forum on September 20, we welcomed guest speakers Trent Lines and Emma Calabro from Access 2 Place Housing who spoke about Specialist Disability Accommodation. For further information on what they spoke about, please view the presentation notes they shared on the night.

Access 2 Place DHS Forum presentation 2023 (PDF 218.9 KB)

October DHS Disability Services webinar

Please save the date for our upcoming webinar we are hosting in October.

October Online Webinar
Thursday, 19 October 
1:00pm – 2:00pm

Contact DHS Disability Services

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. If you're not sure who that is, please call the below phone number to find out.
  • Email us at DHSDisabilityServices@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.

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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

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide South forum

Wednesday 20/09/23

6:00pm - 7:30pm

Adelaide North

Gepps Cross Hotel

560 Main North Road, Blair Athol

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide North forum

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

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide North forum

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:

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.

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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:

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.

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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

RSVP your attendance for Mount Gambier forum

Thursday 11/05/23

12:30pm - 2:00pm

Adelaide South

Marion Hotel

849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide South forum

Thursday 25/05/23

12:30pm – 2:00pm

Adelaide North

Gepps Cross Hotel

560 Main North Road, Blair Athol

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide North forum

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:

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.

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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 dietitians
  • 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.

Adelaide North

Thursday 13 April 2023 from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm
Coopers Alehouse Gepps Cross
560 Main North Road, Blair Athol

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide North Forum

Adelaide South

Monday 17 April 2023 from 12 noon to 1.30 pm
Marion Hotel
849 Marion Road, Mitchell Park

RSVP your attendance for Adelaide South Forum

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:

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.

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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:

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.

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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)

Page last updated 10 November 2023