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Residential and Support Services for People with Disability (Inquiry)

This inquiry is a completed Legislative Council inquiry conducted by the Social Issues Committee.

These terms of reference were referred to the Committee by the Legislative Council on the motion of the Hon John Ryan MLC, on 16 September 1999 (Minutes of Proceedings No 6 page 63).

Timeline

Referred: 16 Sep 99
        » Final Report Published: 14 Nov 2002

Reports and Government Responses

Date	Name of Document
02/12/1999	The Group Homes Proposal
18/12/2000	A Matter of Priority Report on Disability Services Second Report
01/11/2002	Making It Happen. Final Report on Disability Services (Final Report)

Hearings and Transcripts

Date	Name of Document
10/09/2001	Public Hearing
24/09/2001	Public Hearing
19/10/2001	Public Hearing
12/12/2001	Public Hearing
17/04/2002	Public Hearing
09/05/2002	Public Hearing

Contact Us

This is a completed inquiry. The contacts below are historical only.

• Primary contact: Mr Tony Davies, phone (02) 9230-3435, tonydavies@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Committee Officer: Ms Phillipa Gately, phone (02) 9230-3078, phillipagately@parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Address for written correspondence:

  The Director
  Standing Committee on Social Issues
  Parliament House
  Macquarie St
  Sydney NSW 2000
  Fax: (02) 9230 2981
  

Inquiry Terms of Reference

Resolved by House—16 September 1999, 2nd Session, Minutes No. 6, pp 63-5.

That the Standing Committee on Social Issues inquire into and report on the provision of residential care and other services which support people with disability, including the following.

1. The tendering out of group homes currently operated by DOCS, including:
   1. how the decision was made, by whom and for what reason,
   2. the criteria for choosing which homes would be tendered out, how they were arrived at,
   3. the service planning and development that preceded the decision to tender out group homes, and in particular the following:
   4. arrangements for the provision of case work, clinical and allied health services for people with disability in accommodation provided by the non-government sector,
   5. arrangements for the training and accreditation of staff working in non-government accommodation services,
   6. arrangements for non-government infrastructure support and development generally.
   7. how the processes involved in tendering out group homes were arrived at,
   8. the level of consultation with people with disability, their families and carers prior to and during the process of tendering out the group homes, and organisations representing people with disability, especially including People with Disabilities (Inc), the NSW Council on Intellectual Disability, the NSW Safeguard Coalition and the Public Service Association,
   9. the appropriateness of the means by which people with disability and their families were informed of the decision to tender out group homes,
   10. whether during this process the government has breached the Disability Services Act in any way,
   11. the need for certainty of future accommodation for people currently residing in DOCS Group Homes, and future clients of what are now DOCS Group Homes,
   12. the particular impact on rural and remote families.
2. The provision of residential care and other services for people with disabilities, having regard but not limited to:
   1. current unmet need,
   2. the adequacy of the Government’s response to unmet need to date, including:
   3. the provision of funding to address unmet need,
   4. service planning
   5. the need and level of provision for respite care,
   6. the availability and distribution of supported accommodation, respite care and other disability services for people in rural and remote communities, needs of people with disabilities and their families in rural and remote areas, and the need for government to make particular provision for their needs,
   7. the security of ongoing funding arrangements for the non-government sector,
   8. the desirability or otherwise of a continuing role for Government in the direct provision of services for people with disability,
   9. the adequacy of administrative arrangements between the Ageing and Disability Department and the Department of Community Services in relation to the disability services provided by the Department of Community Services,
   10. the status of the implementation of the Disability Services Act (1993) in particular in respect to:
   11. the provision of funding to assist services to reach conformity to legislative requirements, and
   12. the implementation of those provisions dealing with individualised funding arrangements.
3. That the Inquiry make specific and general recommendations about the matters inquired into,
4. That in conducting the Inquiry specific steps be taken to consult as widely as possible with people with disability, their families and carers, and organisations representing people with disability, especially including People with Disabilities (Inc), the NSW Council on Intellectual Disability, the NSW Safeguard Coalition and the Public Service Association, having particular regard to the need to ensure people with disability are fully involved in decisions affecting their lives,
5. That, in relation to the matters raised in paragraph 2 the Inquiry report to the Parliament no later than 30 November 1999,
6. That until recommendations are made by this Inquiry, this House calls on the Government in the strongest terms to agree to a moratorium on the proposed changes to DOCS group homes, in order that it may respond positively to the Inquiry’s outcomes.
7. That the Government be required to provide to the House all Government papers in written or electronic form including the complete range of documents relating to the decision to tender out DOCS group homes, including papers from the Departments of the Premier, Treasury, Ageing and Disability and Community Services.
   
   
   

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