Giving NDIS a direction

Self-managing and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, understanding what self-directed support is and how to set and maintain clear boundaries is my topic for the week. Regular readers of my blog know I am a girl who knows what I want.  I have clear personal, professional and ndis goals.  A logical person would know that life would be better managed if all these goals sat together.

My personal goals are:-

• To maximised my health and fitness
• To live independently in my own home
• Enjoy time with family and friends
• Maintain high levels of independence

My business goals are:-

• To build my visual arts practise through exploring new markets and art galleries to house and sell my art work.
• To be an advocate for people with disabilities using visual arts as a platform to create discussion on diversity.
• Build the communities knowledge and awareness of the 'face of disability.
• Build a visual arts network that is inclusive of diversity.  

Gifted 2017 at Drawing Point Art Gallery

Ipswich Arttime Supplies 203 Brisbane St Ipswich

Opens Dec 2 and runs to 23rd Dec

Presented by local artists in Ipswich

A great place to do your Christmas Shopping.

Current NDIS Goals:

• To purchase mobility and assisted technology equipment to maximised my independence. 
• To use allied services such as physio and ot to keep independence.
• To access daily living support services to enable me to live independently and grow my visual art practise.
• To be supported one-on-one in the community to maintain community links and build business networks.

The ndis provides support to individuals and families to allow them to participate independently in the community.  To foster this the ndia looks at the participants goals.  That is the things they want to do and achieve as individuals and/or as a family unit.  The ndia talks about giving participants choices around their lifestyle (Education, training, employment, family life and hobbies and interests); how the want their support needs to be meet; (individual supports, group activities; center bases activities; respite services; mobility and assisted technologies, therapies to improve daily living and management of the packages).

On a daily living level this should mean individuals can now choose the services they wish to access, the times they would like to have their in-home and community support; their allied health services and he group supports they access.  Many participants also want a greater say in the personalities that support them.

Under the ndis participants can also choose how and who the want their funding packages to be managed.  These choices include: having the ndis managed your supports for you; choosing a host fund provider to manage your funding for you or self-management options.

As you know I have chosen to partially self-manage my ndis package through a Plan Manager. My plan manager does my bookings (in accordance to my service agreements) and pays my invoices.  This means my planner the enter all the information into the ndis portal for me.  

When I started 5 months ago, I chose to use a support service provider to provide my direct support needs and a service provider to provide my allied health needs, each of these send invoices to my planner for payment. Recently I have been using a small family business to support me with some of my personal and business goals. 

Into The Melting Pot

Drawing Point Gallery

203 Brisbane St Ipswich

Opening Night 9th February @ 6 pm 

Last week I booked my next solo art exhibition. One of the ways the family will be supporting me is to get my work finish for this exhibition.  I have been working on this exhibition for the last 14 months and now have 10 weeks to put it all together and market the exhibition.  I also have sort to extend my audience this year.  I have been involved in 3 pop-up exhibition in Brisbane and Springfield which support various charities.  I have become an active member of Aspire Gallery; as well as continuing to take part in collaborative art exhibitions with members of the Ipswich Arts Community.

In terms of coordinating my support I wanted to keep things pretty simple. I had been juggling supports from five different supports services for the last 4 years and I longed for one weekly roster and less support workers in my home and life.  This can be very invasive. This very much influenced my self-management model.

  

Now I sit hear frustrate as things have not gone as I have anticipated, communication with each provider has been difficult as each service struggles with new intakes and changes to payments and reporting system (ndis portals).  My direct service provider had not been able to filled my request support shifts and I have given them notice and I am now planning to engaged my own team,  I am waiting for a quote on recruitment costs and pay roll management fees after 2 weeks.  

My allied health services agreement ends Today and I feel I not achieved anything with them,  well hopefully the wheelchair assessment has been lodged.  So I booked a physio assessment with another provider to see what they recommend. I also exploring how to use some of my funding to build my management skills through access a mentor. 

My frustrations accumulate when I experience excellent customer service form the business sector, who aren't as equipped in dealing with those with disabilities. If these services an offer an understanding of my needs and provide a prompt service then why current a service provider who provides essential services. I feel both my bank and Telstra out performed my all my disability support providers this week.

The dis Ipswich Office didn't just open on June 1, 2017.  Many providers we engaged in the Everybody Counts Campaign. I personally was involve in the sharing of information on the ndis roll out with Peter and Linda Tully through Community Disability Awareness.

Many groups including Ipswich Disability Inter-agency; Queensland Disability Network (QDN); Commonwealth Resource Unit (CUR) and Able Australia have been involve in pre-planning NDIS workshops 2 years prior to its commencement. The Federal Government also invested in free information and ndis readiness workshops.  Many service providers were caught out by the announcement of  the early commencement of the ndis in Ipswich. 

While many potential participants didn't want to know about the ndis, support organisation should of been prepared to open their doors for business on the commencement date.  Services have still not changed from a NGO where income was guaranteed to a business that needed to excel in customer service.    

In the beginning I felt a sense of pressure and  urgency to get my act together and sign my service agreements, although organisations weren't real sure how the payment system worked and I experienced delays on my end. 

People with disabilities or their families had never had direct buying power for their support services before, so my experience is the sector has been sluggish to adjust to the changing environment. December 1 marks six months of operation under the ndis, I cannot help feeling cheat as I wait for providers to get their act together so I can receive the services I want.  

No wonder participants are feeling that nothing has change under the ndis. Service providers are certainly acting like the are calling the shots and participants are still experiencing delays in service provision. My only response is participants need to advocate for better service delivery.  Anything else is no longer acceptable.    

Year in Review

2017

January  Provided a great start to 2017.  In 2013 I founded ArtISability.  This was a professional development program for artists living with disabilities.  In the early years I was successful in writing grant applications. About 20 artists with and without disabilities have either further their art knowledge or art skills.  Selling the concept the artists with disability can work at professional level is a hard sell and 'what is a professional artists anyway?

A professional artists is any artists selling artwork. I like to say to artist it doesn't matter what my opinion of your work is . . . If you find a buyer than that means you are now a professional artists.  The difficulty remains convincing the disability sector and the arts sector that disability does not affect the quality of an artists artwork.  The Australian Artbank is working closely with those who support artists with disability to change this perception.  So in late 2016 we changed our name to Ignite Artists.  We became a local network of artists who sort to share our skills with others. We endeavoured to build our presents in the community by working at local markets and offering activities.   My vision is to build a local enterprise that could support the grow of artists with disabilities. 

After trying a few different markets we decided the that was not our market place. At the time we were running a Friday night art group and we enjoyed working with them until July.  The ndis has brought many new challenges to the disability sector.  So its been a time of reflection.  

My own art group Ipswich Arts Connect is looking at partnership with others to host an art exhibition during FUSED Festival in September 2018,  January saw me recognised for my work with artists with disability and the arts community in general by Catyist Church and Ipswich City Council.  

February

Sail away. . .  2017 saw me stealing a few trips here and there. The first was a cruise up Hamilton Island before my name sake nearly flatten the island.  After four has at sea seeing few trees, I decided cruises were not my holiday of choice.   

Feb was also spent preparing for my Purple Day Fundraiser.

March

Purple Day is an International Day to build awareness of epilepsy and seizures disorders. This year I combined my fundraiser with the rental of the coffee shop wall.  This display was called planting purple seeds.  In hope to grow a understanding of epilepsy and I guess disability in general. You may know my heart for an inclusive society drives my advocacy work including using art as a community connection point.  Any public education program is difficult especially on your own.

April

As usual was the annual Ipswich Festival which showcases Ipswich.  I again participated in ArtBeat with is sponsored by the Ipswich City Council. 

This year I have been blessed to work with a team of very talented artists as we shared skills with each others and the joy of art in the wider community. Thank you to Nancy Brown, Kate Den Otter, Mieke Den Otter, Helen Simmons and Dorothy Welsh who have supported me with various adventures and misadventures.

May

By may I was well aware of my decrease in energy levels and just feeling exhausted and overwhelm most of the time.  Having 20 different support workers in

my home wasn't helping and I just wanted a break.  The Support Studio Network had been planning a 

think tank on the supported arts and the introduction of the ndis.

The question being, How do we as Supported Studios stay relevant in the ndis environment?  A support studio supports professional artists with disabilities to produce, promote and sell their art work.  So my plan was to going down to the Sydney office do some forum planning and have a bit of a break in Manley.

My arrival at my 'accessible' accommodation was meet with a rough step and an in passable pathway to my room and alternative accommodation was sort. Let's just say the owner was just as clueless on accessibility as she was about how to win customers in the hospitality industry. In the end I decided to write my money off.

My health continued to deteriorate and a visit to Sydney hospital saw me diagnosed with  Todd's Syndrome, otherwise know as Alice and Wonderland Syndrome which I obviously lived with for a very long time. This is the cause of my epilepsy.  I was stress because I medical exhausted.  It was time to up my feet up until my meds could give me a better quality of life.  My energy has not returned to what it was last year. 

I have not done any major activity for Ignite Artists during the second half of the year.

June/July

Of course the major change to my life this years has been the introduction to the ndis.  My plan was approved the week before I flew to Sydney.  The National Disability Insurance Scheme in the new way people with disabilities are supported in Australia.

I was invited to speak at the opening of the Ipswich Area ndis offices.  Our area manager was determine to mark the opening by celebrating the participants not service providers.  Ultimately the ndis is about giving participants a greater say in the way they want to be supported. 

Support is now provided around the activities and aspirations of participants and family members. A large amount of activities I engage in involve art.  The opening of the ndis office occurred sounded by the artwork of artists living with disability, I couldn't help feeling proud that there was work by former ArtISability students dotted around the room. 

The roll out in Ipswich and other areas has been full of adjustments for everyone, including myself.  With such a major change in policy things were not going to be smooth sailing. I like everyone else feel overwhelmed.  Services were under prepared and the early introduction to Ipswich caught everyone off guard.

The smooth transitioning we were all assured of was seem to happen at lighting spreed.  One day we were being supported by Disability Services and the next the ndia were paying the bills. There seemed to be a lot of pressure to make decisions.  So being very unwell at the time all I wanted was to simply things.  

Having elected to partially mange my own funding.  All I wanted at the time was to simplify my supports.  Basically I wanted an end to my 4 rosters and the endless juggling act.  My first choice of providers has not gone to plan, so I am now exploring a model to engage my own workers in 2018.  Both fearful and exciting at the same time. 

However the ndis provides much more than my day to day support needs.  I now have access to therapy like physio and equipment to assist with my independence.

August 

One of my personal professional goals for 2017, was to extend my art audience and exhibit outside the Ipswich Area. With ill health and the roll out of the ndis I not been successful to securing a solo exhibition outside Ipswich.  However I was involve it the Spring Hill Art Festival and I have been regularly exhibiting at Aspire Gallery in their themed exhibitions.  The first of these was 'Black n White' Exhibition.  

September   .  

Saw the introduction of the FUSED Festival to the Ipswich calendar. This is an arts Festival and one of the visual arts contribution was Art in Action this gave local art groups a chance to demonstrate their artistic skills.

The festival celebrated the performing arts, writing,  poetry and visual arts.

Another venture that kicked off was during FUSED was Ipswich Rocks.  

CREATE IT! HIDE IT! FIND IT! SNAP IT! POST IT! SHARE IT! And then if you want you can chose to re-hide it. Check out @IPSWICH ROCKS and @QLD ROCKS on Facebook. I now discover that the 'The hide and seek rock crazy' is occurring all over Australia.
Many Ipswich business used Ipswich rocks as a creative way to market their businesses and in some cases finding rocks brought rewards. During October QLD rocks ran a competition on facebook for the best decorated Halloween rock.  
We are also starting to see Ipswich Rocks travel beyond our city.  As the rock designers carry them on holidays. From memory one landed in Hong Kong. I took my own rocks over to Redland Bay on a short break in November.  

October

My major art project for 2017 has been the development of my art dolls.  I began experimenting with art dolls in 2015 under Mia Clark due to me fascination with eyes. I wanted to paint faces.  Mia is more abstract in her thing and thought abstract or free flowing styles were more suited to my hand coordination difficulty. 

During my Introduction to Watercolour class (not that I needed an introduction to watercolour) I was again drawing faces.  Much of the work from this class formed into a digital art exhibition called Freedom From Expressions, which was shown in Sydney, Newtown, through Off The Wall Gallery and I HEART.  The theme of this exhibition, was to challenge the perceptions we all form of others, I have decided to take this theme into my doll collection.

We often make assumptions of others based on what we see and the information and the knowledge we have of that group of people. We judge others based on what they wear, eat, their weight, religion, sexuality, culture and perceived disability.  

The biggest obstacle to multiculturalism and the inclusion of others who are different to ourselves if fear,  We fear what we do not know. We leave things unsaid because we are frighten we might offend others and we put up walls because of our own values, beliefs and sometimes myths truths we gain through the media.

The beauty in the eyes of a Muslim lady, has become a powerful symbol of our collective fear an ignorance. As the topic of illegal immigrants, boat people and terrorism are being widely discussed, of fears of the unknown can taint our beliefs of other cultures. 

As a group refugees and boat people are not Muslims. In general Muslims are not terrorists nor have they declare war on the world. However that is what our politicians and media who have us believe.  Opinions of others are formed from stereotypes and overgeneralise.

Of course my own agenda in my advocacy work and building inclusion is the preconceptions of disability and beliefs that has lead to the social isolation of disability.  Disability is not a result of a person's impairment or their perceived inabilities.  Disability is a result of the physical and attitudinal barriers we have created by the way we have structured our society.  This is very much the same as the way we treat older Australians and those from other cultures.

Many of us would prefer not to be reminded of our humanity or see the pain and scars of others.  I realise how connected my art dolls have become to the social challenges and current debates of our society.  Our understanding of others is based on our knowledge and for most of us that is derived from the some of experience.  

If our knowledge is based on seeing a group of people with disabilities on outings in the community, then our knowledge in limited to that experience.  If our knowledge is based on a sibling or friend with disabilities then our knowledge will be more extensive. When it comes to understanding those who are different then inviting experiences is the best way to gain knowledge of what it is to live with disability.

Well that is what my friends tell me anyway.  This journey in 2017 has lead to my 2018 Doll Exhibition - Into The Melting Pot - opening night is the 9th February, at The Drawing Point Gallery.  Sometimes in the heat of life is the only way we learn and expand of experience.  

This year I have decided good art makes us think and challenges reality and that is I hope to give visitors to my next exhibition. 

November

With the impending arrival of my new flat mate and the last art exhibition dash for 2017,  I stole a few precious days break at Redland bay.  Long rolls, sea air and a visit to the art gallery.

Exhibits in November included Art 4 Connect to support Able Australia and Ipswich Arts Connect Inc annual Off The Wall Exhibition.  

This year I have experimented with new styles, mediums and surfaces. I have particularly enjoyed working with inktense pencils by Derangement using them to hand design fabric to make dolls dresses and larger artworks to stretch over canvases. 

  
Some of my worked will be available at Gifted and Art Smiths gift shop in Arttime.  Gifted - Artists, Artisan and Art Smiths Christmas art market is being housed in the Drawing Point Gallery, all work by this collective of artists is priced under $50.  So come in for morning tea on 2 nd Dec @ 10 am, who knows you may find that unusual Christmas gift your looking for.

Oh . . . that new house mate has move in and taken over . . .

My name is Ashes!

Wishing you joy & peace

as we celebrate the

Christmas Season. 

May you reach the

stars in 2018.

The Right To Life (ndis)

The rights of all Australians

Did you know the a human rights movement gave birth to the ndis?  Australians living with disabilities and their families fought to give every Australian a voice - Every Australia Counts and thus Australians with disabilities have the same rights as all Australians.

Discrimination exists when any member of a community is treated different under common law. Australians living with disabilities have the same freedoms as others.

To experience this freedom they need to be given a voice, representation and offered opportunities. These are the key areas or reform for the National Disability Insurance Scheme otherwise known as the ndis. Traditionally those living with disabilities, including family members have been sidelined. while others have decided what is in their best interest.  Under this model of 'care' and 'support' individuals have experience; neglect, abuse, poverty, lack of justice and overall a lack of voice.

Anyone who disagrees the medical model of care and support failed Australians with a disability by the hundreds and thousands has not experienced disability as part of their daily life. The move to support under the ndis should empower families and individuals is to experience greater freedoms and give them more choices. 

Not just choices around who supports them with daily living, education, activities or accommodation, but the choices that every other Australian makes. These are lifestyle choices:

• Where to live within Australia?
• What school to attend?
• What musical instrument to play?
• What profession you chose?
• Who you live with and where?
• Friendships and relationships?
• Sports for fitness, competition and enjoyment?

The ndis should support you to live your best life!

Lifestyle Choices

So as an artists I am not likely to earn enough money to build a waterfront property on the Sunshine Coast. All of us will have boundaries or limits to the choices we can make, based on things like our education, experiences, training, employment, family support, our natural support systems and the some of life's experience. 

However at birth we are all born equal, thus as equals we as Australians have a duty to ensure every individual regardless of disability has the same opportunities.  Placement in care and restricting education opportunities dwindles the choices an individual or their family can make.  It excludes them from the community rather than embraces their individualism and gifts.  It sends a clear message of dis-empowerment.

Even those with the most profound disabilities have a right to grow up in a family environment, and thus family members have the right to be provided with support and respite to function as a family unit.  Parents should not experience lost of income due to a child's disability, nor incur costs to ensure the child with disability to access the community as their other children. 

At base level  the ndis is about addressing access issues so we all are given the same opportunities under Australian law,  Somewhere between the Every Australian Counts marches and the design of the ndis it became all about the daily supported needed, equipment, therapy needs, and improving lifestyle options. Together with the potential services they would purchase.

What happen to the right to live a lifestyle of our choice?  Why have those conversations ceased? The lifestyle choices we make will very much determine our ndis goals and the daily activities we engage in.

Your lifestyle and aspirations are where your ndis goals will emerge from. As an artists I am not going to ask the ndia for support to training to play basket ball at the Paralympics.    Ok! So we don't get to chose where we are born, what our disability is; its impact on our daily life; our parents, our abilities.  However these factors  not determine our ndis goals. 

We don't get to chose the cards we are dealt 

only how we play them.

My friends and natural support group

My parents chose to give me the same opportunities as my siblings. In terms of education and employment I had the same start in life and I supported by my family embraced them with both hands.  As a family growing up in the 70's we chose the road less travelled.  There is no reason why families with children born with cerebral palsy shouldn't be offered the same opportunities my parents gave me.

A child can achieve anything until proven otherwise

I am not saying every child should attend mainstream schooling, rather that parents have the right to be supported to make choices around the child's future.  That is there education,  early intervention programs, therapies and equipment that will maximised the independence and opportunities in the years ahead. 

The more a child is able to do independently; the more opportunities they will have to chose from in the future.  By limiting access to support at birth we are effectually limiting future opportunities. While we argue about the ability of people with disabilities to make informed decisions, our attention should be on ' how to ensure their rights in order to give them the best opportunities in life.'

What if someone decided not to let me draw?

What right as a society do we have to limit others, simply because they have an impairment at some level?  What if someone said you're never be as good as Darcy Doyle try something else?  Guess what? I don't want to paint like Darcy Doyle, nor is it the choice I made.

So my individualism and my talents help determine what choices I can make.  My biology marks meant I was never going to allow me to be a biology teacher. There are natural boundaries to the choices we can make about education, training, employment, sports and recreation so why do we need to create more?  Are these really for the protection of those living with disabilities? Or about the social norms of society?

NDIS: A CHANGE TO CHOICE

The time for change is now. That change is to empower individuals living with disability to make the own choices and support them to live a life without limits.  This is the change that should be occurring under the ndis.  People with disabilities living real life.

My ndis Planner asked what support I needed for my life to reflect my peers? My peers are not carpenters or lawyers, so my life will not be that of a talent lawyer nor Darcy Doyle. m>y peers are local artists in Ipswich, scrapping up the money to put our next art show on the wall.  So the supports I asked for is around achieving that goal. 

I think  now the roll out of the ndis is happening and participants are sharing their stories we are grasping the new era of support and how to empowering choices of individual and families.

Choices created by ndis should involve the different aspects of you lifestyle.  This will include:-

• Your family life
• Friendships and relationships
• Where and with whom you live
• Hobbies and interests
• Health and fitness 

These are the things that should be determining the daily activities you will ask the ndis to support.  Your ndis plan is not about your disability and what you can't do! Rather your plan will focus on the things you chose to do and the setting in which those activities will occur.  What support you or your family needs to do you choice of activities will determine the items in your ndis plan.

Once you have your plan approved, you can there chose who will provide your supports and services to enable you to live your best life. 

Making Choices

Under the ndis the purchasing process of your supports has changed. Previously you may not had any say in who your service provide was and what services they provided you with. In Queensland over time the purchasing of services has change.  You might recall signing a service agreement with a provider or individual supports, in home support, center based supports or other services for X no. of hours per week. These agreements were generally reviewed every 12 months.

Under the ndis you can now chose you provider(s) and what services you will purchase from them.  You might choose to purchase all your services from one provider or you might like different providers to provide different services.  This is your choice one provider or many providers.  You will establish an agreement with each provider for a period of time you decided. 

Service provider can no longer make all the terms of your agreements as a purchaser of a service you have the right to say I want to see how this agreements goes for 3 months. The reality is most people will chose to stay with current services. Remember not everyone asked for change. 

Clients or participants as the are now called have the right to change their minds and definitely have the right to say this is not good enough.  Most providers require you to give notice if you want to break your agreement, otherwise there may be fees involved. 

Under the ndis their are several ways you can conduct you transactions to pay for the services you want to purchase.  This choice may affect some of the providers you can purchase form.  If you have elected the ndis to pay for you services directly then you will need to chose an ndis approved provider.  

You can find an up to date list of providers on the website, as well as an ndis price guide. This is the maximum about a provider can charge.  You might chose to shop round to make better use of your funding.

The second way to make your transactions is through a broker. In the disability sector these are known as Host Fund Providers. These providers with hold you funds in an account and assist you to make your purchases from different service providers. A host provider should let you make an independent choice about what services you purchase.

You will find that providers might specialised in the services the provider. i.e they might only provide financial and administration supports. Or there are many larger service providers that will offer you a one stop short for all your ndis needs.  You will need to think about what is right for you and/or your families needs. 

The ndis generally recommends that you select a different host provider to your other service provider(s).  You might want to think about if the host provider will have your best interest in mind.  However if you decide that a larger ndis service provider for all your ndis needs, then using that provider as your host provider may cut down on red tape.

This choice has been offered because many people have a healthy distrust of governments,  so they may elect to use a host for their payment transactions.

The last option will give you the most choices.  This known as self-management. This options puts you in direct control of your services purchases.  There are many management options for you to chose from.  From the basic Plan Manager who will do everything after you service agreements are signed through to you applying for an ABN and setting up a business to employ your own support team. 

As you can imagine the are many different variables in between.  Some people have been mistaken that this will reduce the costs of supports, to enable them to have more supports.  However with self-management comes more responsibly and costs.  The rate per hour that your provider charges you is not the rate per hour support staffed are paid.  Services have to cover the staffing or management,  computers, offices expenses. rates or rent, electricity, cars and busses, insurances including public liability, worker cover, safety checks, accountancy fees, audit fees and recruitment and training costs.

If you chose to completely self manage then some of these costs will be incurred by your business.  Regardless of how you want you funding to be administrated the ndia must provide you with the funding of those costs.

Readers of my blog will know initially I chose to partial self-manage through a Plan Manager and engage my direct support needs through a support service provider I can also elect the supplier of my equipment and assisted technology.  The other option that self management gives you is to engage generic services.  These services do not need to be a ndis registered provider,  It could be a private physio or you might elect to pay a cleaner or someone to mow the grass instead of a support worker. 

Other care/support workers work under their own ABN and you can chose to engage these as needed or in the event your support workers call in sick.

Hopefully by the time your ready to purchase your supports you will have thought through what it is your looking for in a support provider, service or support worker.  When I received my ndis plan it was a bunch of figures which someone in some office punched up.  Having survived for many years with only 12 hours support the adjustment in self managing has been overwhelming. 

The Transition 

In the beginning I had a sense of urgency to transfer my services and make purchases.  I was keen to activate my power of choice.  Once you transfer to the ndis then all your supports received after the date your plan was approved will be charge to your package. This does not mean you suddenly need to make changes to your supports. 

I now know it means you need to inform your current providers your plan has started and what you think for future transactions with that provider might be.  Most service providers will supply you with an interim agreement, this could be two weeks o two months depending on the types of changes you package will allow you to make.

Just having a huge jump in the no of support hours I could access was overwhelming suddenly I needed to guess how much direct support I wanted and when.  I admit I was so excited by the idea that my support was now all together and created me with flexibility.  All I wanted was a weekly routine one service provider and a end to 20 different people supporting me one way or another each week, There is no rush and it you changed your mind that is OK too.

The ndis should be ensuring protection to the right to live your and your families life, in a manner you chose not the way others think you should. Under the ndis you have choice and the purchasing power to purchase the service that will enable to live the way you chose.  

Where you feel those choices are not being respected or herd, you should lodge a complaint with your service provider or the ndia.  If your choices aren't working the way you hoped you can change provides or request a review of your plan.  If you feel like nothing has changed or no one is listening then you can seek support from a advocacy services.

The ndis should be about those living with disabilities, individually and collectively finding their own voice.

     

Towards 2018

This year I been exploring new mediums.  I have been using inktense pencils and fabric paints to create patterns and images on fabric.  I see the role of all artists as being the conscience voice of society.

In February 2018 Drawing Point Gallery will house my "Into the melting pot" exhibition.  I have created art dolls to represent various groups that make up our community.  I believe each member of the community has something to contribute to the fabric of life. 

Based on the assumption we fear what we do not know, or where don't engage with others for fear of saying the wrong thing. Our knowledge and understanding of other cultures, religious and personal beliefs,customers and celebrations; as well as those who experience disability are what will enable us to tear down the barriers between us.

The road towards inclusion is not just about addressing physical and attitudinal barriers, but looking at ways to embrace our individually and share in humanity.

'None of us is right nor wrong.

Rather each of us offers lessons

to humanity in order to 

understand our community as a collective."     

Friends in the Garden of Life

Mixed Media "20 x "20

$280

Created for Aspire Gallery

Fabrics on each doll and garden bed were created during 2017

and transferred into clothing for me art dolls

My Towards 2018 is obviously my exhibition on the 'Horizons'

Horizons

Mixed Meds

20" x 20"

$280

Created for Aspire Gallery 

 .

My Path Through the NDIS maze

Welcome to the new world of disability support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.  The ndis support system moves from a medical care system of support, to an environment where individuals and  families are empowered to actively design their support networks. 

This is achieved by nominating your goals to your ndis planner. This simply means telling your planner about the things and the activities you or your family member wants to engage in. This could be:-

1. Finishing high school .
2. Entering  rehabilitation program.
3. Writing a behaviour management plan or
4. Speech therapy to help your child learn to talk.

Goals may or may not relate to your disability.  One of my goals is to build my visual arts practise.

  

I am an artists who seeks to mentor other artists living with disabilities through my Ignite Artists Network. 

Some of your goals might relate to your disability, like my goal to purchase a new power chair to enable me to work in tight art spaces. So your ndis plan is not about your disability or the things you can do. Your plan is about what you want to do and how you what to do these things!

Support to do the things you want to do!

These goals will help your planner work with you to tease out the supports you will need.  It is important that you understand your plan is about you and your families needs.

Your plan is not about:-

• Service providers
• Support staff you want
• Day or social programs you or your family wants to attend
• Or what other people think you should do.

The services and supports you decide to purchase can be determined once you receive your ndis plan from the ndia.  However that doesn't mean you shouldn't be thinking about, your support providers now and the types of supports you and/or your family want to access and what you want your day to day routine to look like.   For many individuals and families day to day life might look much like it does today. 

In essence my life looks no different to the outsider than it did before I transferred to the ndis.  My ndis goals pretty much match my life goals, to work in the arts sector. However I was determined  under the ndis to create a weekly schedule that worked around my art practise. 

I dearly wanted an end to squeezing in developing my art skills and knowledge. To do this I decided to move from four direct service providers to one provider who provider my in home supports and my community access supports. The jury is still out as to whether this was a wise choice.

Ndis is about making choices for your life

Before the ndis I felt my life was dominate by my support services and the times their workers were available to work. Not only could I only access the services Disabilities Services assigned to me, but many support workers thought they knew what I needed, better than I did and even better than my coordinator.

Moving all my direct supports to one service and having o fixed roster has worked really well for me. Sadly other parts of the services delivery aren't working.  Many providers, including my current direct service provider are struggling to attract suitable staff for an industry under going significant change. 

The other issue for me has been transport and the cost of that transport. Previously staff of the provider I chose were not required to transport for clients. Thus so driving their own cars to transport for their community access was not a condition of their employment. I was reassured by the provider that under the ndis this would change. However, this shift in policy has resulted in a major change in thinking for my support staff. Many staff do want to transport clients in their own cars. 

So in terms of your own goals and what services you are wanting to purchase, you may have goals around education and learning new things, skills building and/or independent living skills, some participants are learn to drive or access transport independently. Assistance with transport and associate costs are available as part of your ndis package. 

An another area or goal to consider under the ndis is living arrangements and accommodation. Some participants will choose to continue living in supported accommodation or family members. For those with high complex needs supported accommodation will remain their only options. Other participants currently living with parents or family members may consider moving into their own home or living with a group of friends.  

In terms of own goals around accommodation, my independence and safety are very important.  So I have life goals around my safety and maintaining an ability to be safe on my own. While I currently I on my own, this may change in the future.  Who knows I might finally meet Mr Right. 

Your goals may centre around friendships and social gatherings.  If so group based activities may be just what your looking for.  Some participants will have partners and may be looking to marry and start a family.  I guess your goals with center on where you  and/or for family members are on the lifespan journey called life. 

Many parents will desire their children to develop to a level that enables them to be independence in their participatiom in the community at level suitable for their level of disability.  Your fsmilies ndis plan could include funds to maximise your child's independence. For me that's about accessing physio and a new wheelchair.  

Step Two - Purchasing Your Services

So step one is about the planning process.  Step two is about purchasing your supports. Once your ndis plan has been approved there you are able to start purchasing your supports. This is where you should start to notice the change in the way you will be supported under the ndis. 

Unlike the previous system in Queensland your planner or Local Area Coorindator is not going to tell you what services you must use. You don't need only service .com or services you are currently using.  That is not giving you choice of purchase. However you and your family might be happy with your current provider and not make any changes and that is your choice under the the ndis and this is what many participants are opting for.

Your ndis Local Area Coordinator assist you with finding services that suit your needs and assist you in the dialogue process. For each provider you will need to establish a service agreement. The process by how this happen.

Remember you do have choices and that includes 

the right to change your mine

Just as each participants goals and aspirations are different, so to are the type of  services  and the way the purchase services vary.  The essential thing to remember in stage two is you do have choices and you also have the right to change your mind.  Under the ndis you don't need to justify your choices, although providers will always value your feedback.

Contracts or service agreements prior to the ndis you would of had  with your provider(s), would outline the services you would access and responsibilities of your service provider and your rights and responsibility as a client.  In general these were reviewed every 12 months, unless things changed for you or your family. 

Now under the ndis as a purchaser of services you can determine the period you want to purchase a particular service for.  It can be 3 months, 69 days of 12 months. Agreements under the ndis must have a cost and payment agreement attached, so you are aware you are able to afford the services you are purchasing. 

Once you receive you plan and you budget your local area coordinator will explain the types of services you can purchase and the amount of money you have to spend on each type of service. 
You will find a service price guide on the ndis, this lists all the different types of services that may be purchased on the ndis website and your planner with highlight which service you can purchase with your package. 

So your service provider coordinator is no longer able to determine which services you will receive. Rather you tell them which of their services you want them to provide. This is where some earlier planning and research into services you hoped to purchased with your package will be very helpful.  Even though I felt confident in the choices I was making at the time, I still poked around and talked to new providers that were popping up. 

The ndis requires a transition period for all of us, not just participants. Service providers too are struggling with the change in purchasing power of the participants.  In Queensland it is fair to say we underestimate the increase in supporters needed under the scheme.  Many providers have struggled with staff availability and even current support workers struggle with their changing roles. 

In terms of the purchasing process and managing their funding participants can choose from a number of options, depending on the level of control or involvement they are seeking in directing their own supports. 

1) Is too had the ndia (National Disability Insurance Agency) to make your purchases on your behalf. 

2) Select a provider who will make your purchases for you.  Be aware that if the provider is offering other services as well, their advice many not be completely independent.  All providers are now after you ndis dollar. 

However their are things you can have written into your service agreements for your protection. Or you can stipulate your with only be purchasing plan management from them. 

3) There a number of ways you can self manage you funding. I am have chosen to self-manage my own package through a Planner, but be aware you do have a choice to go it alone.  

At times I found these choices are overwhelming and for the first time in my life being single leaves me feeling overwhelmed, make no mistake, its very easy to get lost in the maze of services. 

At times it feels like I walking in a shopping center doing my Christmas Shopping on Christmas Eve. Every service provider has endeavoured to display the best Christmas Tree in their window to attract you to into their shop front display. These  multi-coloured lights demand your attention and distract you from you mission to purchase the service that you have predetermined.  They will also offer you the usual optional extras, such as support coordination. Make sure you stick to your shopping list and budget.  

The golden rule of a major purchase is still don't buy anything on the spot.  Go home and think about your purchase, they will need time to provide a quote and write the agreement anyway. Use this time well, double check the service is covered by your ndis plan.  If you are unsure you can ask for a shorter agreement period. Your purchase is only finalised once you sign the agreement,

As I am self-managing I am still getting my head around what I can purchase from who, under which item number. Meeting with my plan today resulted in being made aware of services I could be purchasing to make self-managing easier and increase my confidence. So now I have new questions for my local area coordinator.   

We all know all that glitters is not gold and there are trap out there, as with any purchase it is case of 'buyer beware'.  I thought I had thought through my purchases very well.  I now know my hopes for the service I desired, wasn't delivered by current provider.

In the current environment  services are tripping over each other to get you through thier front door to show you their nice shiny brochures and their product service guide, without know if they have the right staff to meet your needs.  Rested assured it won't take us long to recruit the staff your after.  We recruiting more staff rang through my ears.  

A statement I her many times, until I didn't believe they could find what I asked for.  For months there was a gap in my service provision the same statement was repeated We recruiting more staff.  At the same time I heard they were continuing to sign more clients despite being unable to provided current demand. 

Now I am looking for something else to suit my needs and other customers are running out the door to drag you in to listen to the hype the sales assistance has to offer. Most of the sale staff all want to sell you the same thing, FEAR!

Fear that other services are unknown to you and thus come with unknown faults, Sometimes its better the devil you know than the devil you don't. However you still need to keep the devil accountable. 

Many providers want to sell me, 'The Fear' that to set up your own shop and employ your own labours will leave you unprotected.  In the mist of the bright flashing lights I realised, I brought fear dressed up as a service provider that promised to deliver my needs. That purchase has left me in the lurch too many times and I now once again become hunted pray for other service hungry for guaranteed income. 

The new market environment of the nids, has service providers scrambling to secure their own future.  My decision to open my own low key shop the only offers hot chocolate on its menu,  means loss of potential income for services.  In a sense have brought the same product as myself - FEAR. Their shelves are now stocked with FEAR and the magic words are not protection and insurances. 

Don't buy this smoke screen, just like any other business or employer you can use your core funding to purchase insurance and an accountant. Just like providers write policies to protect themselves, similar protections can be written into service agreements with the workers you employ.  These are the types of things my Plan Manager will assist me with. 

What others forget is I already run a business, I already take risks and do risk management assessments.  I already have a business insurance policy. Dangling those fears as Christmas lights is not going to work  I am engage the support of others who self manage, support staff who have previously worked for me assist in the recruitment process.   

Like any other major purchases you ndis service providers and agreements can contain lose screws at times. 

Keep clam its only the ndis not the end of the world

Whatever the challenge keep moving forward!