NDIS Facts or Fiction

 

 

As the National Disability Insurance Scheme, known as the NDIS rolls out, many people set to benefit from the scheme are frustrated and confused. Like any new operational system their are hitches in the system and technology is not keeping up as more participates come online.

 

My advice eat some chocolate

and read on . . .

 

I have always been concerned about some of the preamble leading up to the roll out of the NDIS . . .and it would lead to disappointment for many. Sorting fact from fiction is proving difficult as the NDIA staff and its website struggles to unite all Australians living with disability into one commonwealth system.

 

Disappoint # 1

 

So people through if they were currently supported under state systems they would automatically switch over to the NDIS. This was never going to be the case.  As we move towards a system that takes a more individual approach and is based on the things people with disabilities want their lives to look like.

 

This is what the NDIS refers to when they are discussing participant goals. Initially, some of the discussion around setting goals use examples we know now are not being covered by NDIS like overseas holidays.  It appears the NDIA is not covering the expenses of a support worker traveling with participants.

 

The NDIA talks about funding supports that are 'reasonable' and 'necessary' to allowing those living with disability to achieve their goals.

 

  

Disappointment # 2

Here lies the conflict of what I see as 'reasonable' is different too the terms stated on the NDIS website.  I thought travel expense for a support person interstate while working was 'reasonable'.  Turns out the NDIA see travel as a 'luxury'. That it assumes people with disability can't afford.

 

Here lies an assumption of what our lives look like and propels the welfare model of disability, something we fought hard to stamp out.

 

Disappointment # 3

 

The NDIS was to hand people with disability and their families choice and control of their futures.  This is proving not to be the case and some people needing to hire support coordinators due to the NDIA planners perception' of the families ability.

 

I have always question whether we as a society were ready to allow people with disabilities to self-direct the own supports and where duty of care starts and finishes.

 

Disappointment # 4

 

The definition of 'support' has changed.  The NDIS covers a border range of 'supports'. It now include therapies, transport, supported accommodation, equipment and modifications.  As well as a whole range of costs that was previously unseen but still paid for under the states care.

 

Costs like administration, coordination of supports, staff recruitment and staff training. Now that the funding is given directly to participants in the NDIS and not service providers, organisations still need to charge these costs to your package.  Until now many people did not know the dollar value of their package. Largely in Queensland we were told the hours or no of days in day respite we could access.  We had no idea of what that looked like in terms of dollar amounts.

 

We seem upset about paying for things that our funding has always paid for.   What a support worker is paid per hour is not the costs of actual service delivery.  Those using providers for services are going to pay more per hour than those who directly employ their support staff, because they are doing their own administration, need to pay for police checks, superannuation, work cover, public liability and equipment insurance.

 

 

 

 

Many people I talk to think support workers are over paid and services over change.  Having worked in the industry I know services need to fundraise and apply for additional funding to cover services delivery costs.  The fact is the packages of individuals combined never paid for all service delivery costs. 

 

This is easily proven by requesting a copy of the organisations annual report.  It is easy to judge what we do not understand. Unless you are self-managing your supports cost more than what the worker is paid, all costs are calculated into your package amount.

 

I have no doubt that some providers may be over price by in the main given the level of accountability in the sector overprice is very difficult to maintain when a service is audited.

Disappointment # 5

 

Is cause by our own interpuration of what is fair and what we think we are entitled too. Sometimes our own judgements are tainted.

 

I think some people thought privation meat we as participants would not be bound by awards and employee obligations.  People would be happy with 30 p/h ..., This is not the case if you are self-managing you are trading as a business and bound by industry, small business and taxation laws.

 

With choice and flexibility come responsibility and an investment of time.  Even for those who allow the NDIA to administration their package need to work out the goals and write a plan to receive funding.

 

 

Are you ready?

 

The NDIA Ipswich office are already calling clients and requesting plans and documentation.  July 1 is not a flick of a switch.  You need to get up to speed or risk a gap in service. You need to know what you want; how you want your life to look like; how you intend to achieve your goals and the support you have now.  These are the determines in what you package will include.

 

To avoid major disappointment ask someone like a current provider to ensure you not left anything out. If you not got something call My First Plan you are now behind the game.  You need to pull that finger out and start asking for help to get up to speed.

 

Time to leave La La Land and head to the website download the documents or contact you current provider for a template and start writing.

 

You can message me for a free information booklet.

 



For Facts the website is your first port of call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

25th March 2017

 

 

 

 

Twilight Markets

Ipswich City Mall

4 pm to 8 pm

 

 

 

 

Some of my current cards on sale!

 

$4 each

 

 

Profession Practise

The Art of Selling Yourself Short

As artists you need to think in terms of yourself as running a small business. Business seek to make a profit.  For many artists that is very small. However their is every chance you are paying people to take your work home.

I often see works with prices less than the price it costs to put on the wall, for the sake of making a sale.  Even if you don't value your efforts, you don't need customers to follow suit. We have enough friends trying to get their hands on our work for next to nothing.

As professionals its time to stop selling yourselves short. How do you know you can't get more for your work if you don't ask?

Here's something based on an article I read recentlyL


Pricing artwork is difficult for all artists, for most of us it’s a blind guess and none of us knows for sure if we’re meeting our costs letting alone making any money. Here is a formula I found online.  Step one is knowing — what it cost you to put it on a gallery wall, online or market stall.

Costs include: Art supplies, framing, gallery hire or market fees, galleries commissions; advertising and marketing costs, packaging and postage, online fees and admin costs like phone calls.

Labour: Something for your time and effort for first times or emerging artists this will not be an hourly rate, but you want something for your time and effort. I increase this cost with each exhibition I host or take part in.  It work is unsold I may reduce the price at the end of each year.

In other words you should be charging something for your experience and skills even if for now that’s five dollars so if you’re happy with $10 in your pocket. The price is:-

Costs plus $5 = sale price

This is your bottom line – the minim amount you’re willing to bank.

I should never see $10 to $15 on an original piece hanging in a commercial gallery or even a market. (Even if you are sharing the gallery with others).  It’s time to start valuing ourselves as artists even if others do not. Carolyn Edlund recommends you bottom line is actually twice the costs plus profit amount. You can read her article online.

Canvas and frames often start at $10 so I know local artists are currently selling their work to low.

Ignite calling for expression of interest

The Road Ahead

 

As you know we have changed our name to better reflect our goals for 2017. Our goal is to build a inclusive artist network in the Ipswich region, through mentorships for emerging artists.  As manger I am currently working on two submissions for funding for our new look program. A number of informal mentorships are already taking place, as we join FOCAL Community Living and Ipswich Square in there Friday Night Markets give the community  a contact point to come and chat about the development of our network.

 

Going forward we see the development of a social enterprise and user pays services as possible solutions to create a funding base.  In 2017 we will be researching possible models to apply for seed funding to kick off in 2018 with a more stable future. We are using the markets to form part of our research base.  The question is What type of revenue could markets provide. These markets are to raise funds for Focal Community Living and we extend a warm thanks for allowing us to participate free of charge.

 

 

Stage one is being supported by local artists Kate Den Otter. She and I am currently being support by Nancy Brown through my arts business development mentorship.  I deeply value each partnership and their generosity to support my vision.

 

The Network is for emerging artists: Emerging artists be begun their professional life as visual artists and have been selling their work for less than five years. If this is you than we are now seeking expression of interest for mentorships to commence in 2017. Feedback from previous applications was they were to complex and off putting to even well qualified art practioners. Thus we are encouraging all artists to attempt to complete our expressions of interest form, with no pressure to answer all questions, just do your best.  Or video tape your current art practise, as this is evidence to include in our funding submissions. Expression of interest forms give more info on this format of applications.  Simply email us for a form.

 

There is one form to use regardless of how you hope to become involved.  If you are seeking paid employment are simply ask to attach additional information.  There are no closing dates as we many need to make several submissions before we are successful.  We have a submission to loge be 5 February and our two candidates for 2016 will form part of this submission.

 

We are also applying for RADF funding to run one off workshops, you can also email us for these EOI forms.

 

 

So what is a mentorship and why should you apply?

 

Firstly I think anyone wanting to grow in their artistic and professional practise such apply.  A mentor can assist you:-

 

• To develop your artistic skills
• To develop your artistic practise
• To promote your wrote and write a business plan
• To develop and plan an exhibition

 

We will develop the format of your mentorship if you are successful.  If you are able to pay for your own mentorship than we can immediately begin to set this up for you.

 

Artists who are socially disadvantage

 

Artists Living with disability can use the same for to apply for a 8 week professional development mentorship being offered in partnership with Access Arts (there is only one place) and this application closes Feb 28th @ 5pm.

 

If you are eligible for the NDIS you might want to visit us at the Twilight Markets for info on writing your ndis are goals.

 

Hope to receive your expression of interest form soon.

 

Deb Chilton

Manager

Welcome to 2017

2017 Let's Go!

 

 

2016 was an amazing year for me as I surrounded myself with amazing talented artists in the Ipswich community.  I enjoyed putting my hand to traditional water colour at BIA; took part in the Ipswich Festival parade, sold my first piece of artwork through Brisbane Rotary Art Exhibition, flew to Sydney to se my artwork display on a graffiti wall.  Attended conferences and workshops on the NDIS; had my first solo exhibition at Drawing Point Gallery,  my art began selling alongside others artists, began designing my own fabric, made my own patchwork quilt, took part in five collaborative art exhibitions and made new friends along the way . . .

 

 

Arts Connect in the Ipswich Festival Parade

 

 

 

Fresh Futures Market 2016

 



The buzz in the disability sector is the arrival of the NDIS and the roll out that commences in July this year. It is a time of anticipation for some and a nervous wait for others. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is not the latest funding reform in disability care.  It is a revolutarily way to empower people living with disability and their families to participate in the life of their communities. Offering them choice and control over the way they are supported to life their best lives. 

 

 

Accessing and participating in the community

 

 

Choices can be made about the types of activities people want to participate in (known as goals); the way the wish to be assisted to participate (know as pathway steps); the types of support, equipment and services the want to be able to reach their goals (known as resources) and who will be responsible for ensuring funding is spent correctly. (known as administration of funding).

 

 

Pathways to choice

 

 

The key agenda in this reform is participation.  The government no longer wants to see people  with disability sitting at home.  The National Disability Insurance Agency wants to see people with disabilities out and about in the community.  This could include employment, self-employment, community work, study, training, life skills development, sports and leisure, art and craft and so much more.

 

 

Part of my NDIS plan is to grow my small business and mentor other artists through Ignite Artists. I am currently writing a number of submissions to enable me to get my venues off the ground, hopefully including some market research to lay a firm foundation for 2018.  Hey!  Rome wasn't built in a day.

In the mean time you can find me or one of the Ignite Artist Team in the Ipswich Mall at the Twilight Markets on Friday's between 4 pm and 8 pm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Blair Disability Links 2016

Supported by Shayne Neunnam MP

Great to catch up with my colleagues at Blair Disability Links yesterday.  The launch of the 2016 Disability and Seniors Links booklets brings a list of service providers together for those needing support in the Blair Electorate. These should a real asset for those planning to live their best lives under the National Disability Scheme in Blair.  I more than happy to come have a chat with you about where art fits in with your NDIS goals.

Personally I like to thank Shayne for his acknowledgement in parliament of the work I do in Ipswich and highlighting the access issues artists with disability encounter in their daily lives. Today being International Day for People with Disabilities, we don't want to focus on our inabilities but continue to work together to build an inclusive community for us all to work, live and play.

I am committee to continuing to highlight the access issues for all people with disabilities to ensure into the future we are fully participating in the lives of our community. You can support my work through purchasing our Artisability Christmas cards here or email us your order.

All Cards are $2 this year

and designed by our talented artists.

View Shayne Neumann's Disability Links Video to see how your money is being used to enable our artists to access the community.

Accessing the Arts Community

Artists with disability have the skills, talent and ambition to compete in the arts industry both here and overseas, but few of us meet this reality.  Why?

All of us knows the long unpaid work hours it takes to get our work from the studio to the gallery wall or floor, in the hope to achieve sales. Yes, there are days . . . . many days we think arrh too hard. Add to this a layer of communication disorder or needing to depend on an advocate to negotiate with a gallery.  Then you needed to nargivate a team of supports and bring them onto the same page.  Your advocate and legal guardian, chances these two people know little about art and even less about working with galleries.

These are the artists I seek to work with . . . But that's not where the access issues begin.  #1 access issue is to have these artists valued as artists and their contribution to the arts community recognised by others.  This begins with pricing work right?  Very wrong. . . This begins with convincing people that artist with disabilities can produce artwork worthy of hanging in public galleries.

. . . Convincing parents, guardians and advocates that these artists should be training at a professional level.  The means the artists I work with are selling or intending to sell their artwork.  Art for well being and warm fussy is great and truly worthwhile. However that is not what I am on about.  Nor do I want to be a tool or participate in tokenism.  I do not like selling other people's art at less than the cost it cost me to hang on a gallery wall.  As if their time and my time is of no value.  This being the case the buyer might as well create the work themselves.

Personally, my support workers are not happy with my own prices. However, I am the one smiling . . . as many of my works do sell.  People usually can recognise my work.  I value my work, my time and my skills and this is what every artists needs to accomplish in order to be working as a professional artists.  How do you ensure this happens when you can speak?

To add insult many of the artists I attempt to work with have to justify the investment in the training, even when its their own money, because they have a guardian.

The # 2 issue is not cost of workshops and classes it is the cost of transport to attend workshop, which is often more than the cost of attending a class. A cry when a parents admits defeat.  Its not work the costs.  No wonder why their self esteem is low. Their begging for the right to go across town in a cab or a few $100 to travel to Toowoomba buy cab. 

Opportunities for the artists I work with will always be limited by the access costs.

# 3 issues is physical access . . . arriving at a building with no wheelchair access, poor lighting and noise.

These are the issues we can easily address with funding. Once we convince people the costs are justify.  The world shouldn't be like this.

You can assist me in addressing access issues for these artist by purchasing you Christmas cards through Artisability.  All cards cost $2 and were designed by those involve in out programs.

can be purchased online