Sector Development Plan Upper South West Quick Read

Map based on information provided by and with the permission of the Western Australian Land Information Authority (Landgate), and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

About the Upper South West profile West profile area

The Upper South West area profile covers about 6,147 square kilometres (ABS 2012a) and includes six local government authorities (LGAs): the City of Bunbury and the Shires of Capel, Collie, Dardanup, Donnybrook-Balingup, and Harvey.

There are an estimated 96,073 people living in the Upper South West areaWest area (ABS 2012a). This area represents about four per cent of the West Australian population.

Quick read profile—Upper South West area consultation document

Information about the Sector Development Plan and the area profile consultation documents

The Disability Services Commission’s (the Commission) vision is that all people live in welcoming communities that support citizenship, friendship, mutual support and a fair go for everyone. The Commission is working together with key stakeholders to create a Sector Development Plan (the Plan). The Plan will provide the disability sector with direction and will identify opportunities for development.

The Commission has written fifteen area profile consultation documents which cover all areas of WA as well as this summary document for each area—the quick read. Each area profile consultation document presents information about supports and services available in each profile area. We want to hear from people who live and work in each profile area to help us understand more about the disability supports and services people receive. The Commission will then use this information to develop local plans for each profile area along with an overall state-wide plan.

How to have your say

We are seeking feedback from interested stakeholders and have developed a list of questions covering a number of topics for your consideration. A feedback form template has also been provided which may assist you in consolidating your comments. Should you wish to use the template provided you can either complete it electronically or print it and hand write your comments.

Forms can be returned to the Commission by email or post.

 email the template to [email protected]  post the template to: Disability Services Commission Sector Development Plan Feedback PO Box 441 West Perth WA 6872 The template has been supplied as a helpful tool but it is not compulsory that you use it or answer every question to provide your feedback. Any general comments can be provided to the Commission via email or post using the details above, or they can be provided verbally or by attending a focus group.

To provide feedback another way you can:

 provide verbal feedback by phoning Sector Development on 9426 9309  attend a focus group that will be hosted in local areas (these will be advertised on the www.dsc.wa.gov.au web site).

If you have any questions or require further assistance, please email [email protected] or phone 9426 9309. Page 2 Quick read profile—Upper South West area consultation document

Contents

Population characteristics 4

Networks and support groups 5–6

People using Commission-funded supports and services  Local Area Coordination 6  Shared management 6  Supported living 7  Shared supported accommodation (group homes) 7  Individualised community living 7  Support to pursue meaningful occupation and lifestyle— 7–8 Alternatives to Employment (ATE), Post School Options (PSO) and recreation  Support to families—includes Intensive Family Support 8–9 and Family Living Initiative, and breaks for families and carers  Support to optimise independence and wellbeing— 9 disability professional services

Other community services  Employment support 9  Home and Community Care (HACC) 9

Demand for supports and services 10

Sector development issues 10–11

Tell us what you think—consultation questions 12–13

References 14

Appendix A 15–17  Information about organisations providing support in the area

Upper South West area

Population characteristics

 It is estimated that 3.7 per cent of the population in this area have a severe or profound core activity limitation—across the state it is estimated that 3.1 per cent of the population have a severe or profound core activity limitation (ABS 2012b).

 18.89 per cent of the population in this area was born overseas, which is below the WA average of 31 per cent (ABS 2012a).  5.90 per cent of the Upper South West population speaks a language other than English at home—this is significantly below the WA average of 21 per cent (ABS 2012a).  People who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the 2011 Census (ABS 2012a) represent 2.49 per cent of the population in the central north metropolitan area. This is consistent with the state-wide figure of three per cent.  For all LGAs in this profile area, nearly eight per cent of the population provided unpaid assistance to a person with disability (ABS 2012a). This is consistent with the percentage recorded for the State (ABS 2012a).

Other observations

 Median household weekly incomes across the area range from $990 to $1,628. The state figure is $1,415 (ABS 2012a).

 Weekly rental costs for a three-bedroom house in a sample of towns in the area isWeekly rental costs for a three-bedroom house in a sample of towns in the area are between $250 to $300. The Perth metropolitan median weekly rent for a three -bedroom house is $385 (REIWA 2012).

 Median house prices for a sample of towns in this area range from $250,000 to $532,750. The Perth metropolitan median house price is $470,000 (REIWA 2012).

Networks and support groups

People get practical and moral support from their wider family, friends, neighbours and other families, this support is important. Informal and structured community groups also play a valuable role in supporting and strengthening people and families. People might find support through local church groups, sports and recreation activities, community networks, mothers’ groups, playgroups, self-help and peer support programs, disability-specific support groups, cultural groups and education and counselling services.

You can also find information about local support groups through Local Area Coordinators (LACs), information services provided by Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres (CRCC), Carers WA or your LGA.

Some support groups in the Upper South West profile area include:

Bunbury Housing Association: Provides long-term housing for low income disadvantaged people. Phone: 9791 5438

Collie Family Centre: Provides support to individuals, families and support groups in the community to enhance their quality of life. A counselling service is also available. Open on weekdays from 9am–2.30pm. Phone: 9734 5343 Web: www.colliefamilycentre.org.au .

Family Support Programme—Harvey Health and Community Services: Provides crisis information, family support, referral, advocacy and general information to families within the Shire of Harvey excluding Australind. Open Monday to Wednesday 8.30am–4.30pm. Phone: 9782 4000

Milligan—Bunbury: Provides a family support service through adult education classes, referral centre, resources, playgroups and children's programs, social activities and community development. Phone: 9271 8944 Web: www.milligan.org.au .

Waroona Community Centre Inc and Waroona Telecentre: Links members of the community with appropriate support services, including crisis support, information and advocacy, referrals to other support networks, employment services, family and youth support services, activity programs and a toy library. Open Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm and Fridays 9am–3pm. Phone: 9733 2545 Web: www.waroonacommunitycentre.org.au .

WA Special Families: A state-wide Facebook support group than can be accessed by invitation-only. People able to access the group must be a parent of, or someone caring for, a person with disability. Access through Facebook only.

People using Commission-funded and provided services This section describes how people in this area used Commission-funded and provided supports and services in 2011−2012—it does not provide detail about how well services are working. Local information and support for individuals and families— Local Area Coordination (LAC) Many people with disability access Commission’s Local Area Coordination (LAC) support across the state. LACs support children and adults with physical, sensory, neurological, cognitive and/or intellectual disability who are under 65 at the time they first apply for support. LACs work with individuals and communities to provide direct and personalised support to people with disability, their families and carers to live a fulfilled life.

 604 people in this area were registered with LAC in 2011–2012 (Disability Services Commission (DSC) 2012).  More than 56 per cent of these people were aged between five and 24 years (this trend is common across WA).  Most people lived in Bunbury (324), followed by Harvey (101) and Collie (76).

Directing supports and services—shared management Most people with an individualised funding package from the Commission have their support managed and provided by a disability service organisation. Some people with Community Living or Family Living manage their funding through their LAC.

Organisations are encouraged to offer shared management. A shared management approach gives people greater control over their supports and funding. To make sure expectations and responsibilities are met by each party, an agreement is developed. (See Appendix A for a list of organisations that offer shared management).

Supported living

Supported living describes the support provided to people with disability so they can live in their home and community. Supported living relies on individual funding allocation—which people apply for through the Combined Application Process (CAP) or Community Living Program.

 123 people in this area were supported in shared supported accommodation or an individualised accommodation arrangement in 2011–2012 (DSC 2012). Shared supported accommodation (group homes) 61 people in this area lived in one of 15 shared support accommodation arrangements (group homes) in 2011–2012 (DSC 2012). Observations include:

 More than 54 per cent of these people were older than 60 years.  Most people were living in Bunbury (48), followed by Harvey (8).  Activ provided most of the shared supported accommodation in this profile area (see Appendix A for a full list of providers).  About four per cent of the State’s group homes are in the Upper South West profile area. Individualised community living 62 people in this area used individual community living support and services and were assisted to live independently in the community in 2011–2012 (DSC 2012).

 Most of these people live in Bunbury (45).  14 people in this area have a community living package.

Support to pursue meaningful occupation/lifestyle

Post School Options (PSO) and Alternatives to Employment (ATE) are Commission-funded programs that support people in meaningful activities during their week. These programs rely on individual funding allocation. People of school-leaving age can apply for PSO and is allocated based on eligibility and support needs. Adults with disability can apply for ATE funding through CAP, which is allocated based on eligibility, support needs and priority of need.

 121 people in this area received an ATE or PSO allocation in 2011−2012 (DSC 2012).  More than 69 per cent of these people were aged between 15 and 34 years.  Most people lived in Bunbury (70), followed by Harvey (16).  There are nine organisations providing ATE/PSO support (see Appendix A for a full list of providers).

Recreation Eligible people with disability may access support from Commission-funded organisations to pursue recreational activities. People may contact organisations directly to find out how to access services.

 90 people in this area used recreation support services in 2011–2012 (DSC 2012).  Most of these people live in Collie (39) and Bunbury (34).  Riding for the Disabled Association of WA provided support to the largest number of people (see Appendix A for a full list of providers).

Support to families

Some services and supports aim to improve family wellbeing—in some cases these services are individually funded through the Family Living Initiative (FLI) or Intensive Family Support (IFS).

FLI has a strong emphasis on planning. Families can apply for funding based on a plan that complements informal supports provided by families, carers, friends and the community.

When families are under stress or at risk of breakdown people can apply for IFS funding through CAP. Funding is allocated based on eligibility, support needs and priority of need.

 36 people and their families in this area received IFS funding in 2011–2012 (DSC 2012).  Most of these people lived in Bunbury (21).  Nine people have a plan and funding package through the FLI (DSC 2012). Breaks for families and carers

To give themselves a break, families and carers can sometimes access respite services from Commission-funded organisations or Commonwealth funded programs. Individuals and families apply for respite opportunities directly with organisations that provide services based on a person’s need and vacancies. These services can be flexible, for example they can be provided in the person’s home and/or community, provided out-of-home in respite houses, and during school holidays.

Commonwealth Respite and Care Link can provide information about organisations that provide respite, and can fund short-term or one-off respite. LACs can also help people to have a break or access supports.

In this profile area in 2011–2012:

 62 people received some form of family support funding from the Commission in which was managed through LAC.  113 people accessed Commission-funded respite support (DSC 2012).

Developing independence and wellbeing Disability professional services

Many people with disability access professional services, including therapy, to improve wellbeing, support their independence, and develop skills.

In regional Western Australia comprehensive disability professional services are provided through the WA Country Health Service (WACHS). Services can also be accessed privately, or in some cases using Commonwealth funding.

Comprehensive services are services that respond flexibly to the needs and goals of people with disability and their family. These services include speech and occupational therapy, physiotherapy and psychology support.

In this profile area comprehensive disability professional services areprovidedare provided by WACHS.

Other community services Employment supports and services for people with disability

Some people with disability access employment services to support them to find and keep a job. People choose (or are assessed and directed by Centrelink) to access Australian Disability Enterprises (ADE) or Disability Employment Services (DES), depending on their support needs. Information about ADEs and DESs operating in this area can be found at the following websites:

 ADE: www.australiandisabilityenterprises.com.au/About.aspx .  DES: www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/Programs/DES/Pages/About.aspx.

Home and Community Care Services (HACC)

The Home and Community Care (HACC) program provides assistance to people who are aged, frail or with disability to live independently. Services include nursing care, allied health care, meals, domestic assistance, personal care, home maintenance, transport, respite, counselling, information and advocacy, social supports and assistance with essential activities such as shopping and banking.

In the Perth metropolitan area, people can apply for HACC services and be assessed for eligibility via the Commonwealth Carelink and Respite Centre (CCRC). The HACC program has limited resources and services are allocated according to relative needs.

Demand for supports and services

Demand from people who need support and services is growing. As such, service provision is adapting to become more flexible and meet this demand. Service access

When population is taken into account the following observations about service use in the Upper South West were made:

 The number of people accessing services in the Upper South West area was similar to that in other areas of the State.  A higher proportion of people in the area are registered with Local Area Coordination compared to other areas in the state (DSC 2012). Future demand

There are two areas of potential future demand:

 There are many young people registered with LAC in this area—this may affect future demand for services that support young people to find and keep a job or find meaningful activities after they finish school. Local, targeted efforts may be required to support young people with disability to access further education or find opportunities for employment.

 There are more than 30 people in shared supported accommodation (group homes) in this area who are older than 60 years. This is likely to impact on demand for services that support people with disability maintain health and wellbeing astheyas they age.

Sector development issues

This section considers any existing sector development initiatives and describes what may be emerging needs for this profile area. Consultations will provide an opportunity to consider sector development in more detail. Potential areas for sector development

Healthy and active ageing A large number of people in shared supported accommodation services (group homes) in this area are over the age of 45. It is likely that people ageing in shared supported accommodation will need additional supports over time—as many people with disability age prematurely and experience complicating health issues as they age.

Creating employment opportunities Strategies may need to be developed to support people with disability to have adequate career/employment preparation, and planning and services to pursue further education, find employment or pursue meaningful lifestyles.

Tell us what you think—consultation questions

Below are questions that we would like to hear your responses to.

Community 1. What other information would you like to add about the Upper South West area that is not in the area profile consultation document? 2. What other disability or community support groups are active in this area? 3. What other informal community support groups would help people in the area? Disability supports and services 4. What difference are supports and services making? 5. How well are disability-specific supports and services complementing other community supports? 6. Can you provide details of any partnerships that are working well in this area? 7. Do they match the needs of people in this area? 8. What supports are working well in this area? 9. Are there services and supports in this area that are not achieving the best out- comes? What kind of fine-tuning is needed? 10. Are there barriers to accessing services and supports in this area? What are they?

Other community services 11. What needs to be done to support people with disability in the area to find and keep a job? 12. What are the main factors that help people with disability to achieve their employment goals? 13. What are the barriers to people with disability achieving their employment goals? 14. What examples can you provide of Home and Community Care (HACC) services that are working well for people with disability in this area?

Service demand and coverage 15. Are you aware of any emerging trends where the changing needs of people with disability in this area are not fulfilled by current services? If so, what are they? 16. What supports and services are likely to be in demand in this area into the future? 17. What types of supports and services needed by local people are not available now?

Service planning 18. Can you suggest any ways to improve the effectiveness of disability supports and services in WA? If so what are they? 19. Can you identify barriers to improving the effectiveness of disability supports and services in WA? 20. If so, what are the main barriers? 21. Can you suggest any ways to develop the disability sector in WA? If so, what are they? 22. Are there any emerging issues about the disability services sector, or issues facing people with disability, their families and carers? What do we need to think about when planning in this area? 23. Do service providers working in this area have the capacity to support people with disability, families and carers to share decision-making and management of their supports and services when they want to?

General comments 24. Do you have any other feedback?

References

For more a more detailed list of references refer to the more detailed Upper South West Area Profile Consultation Document (available at on the Sector Development Plan—Area Profile Consultation Documents page on the Commission website). Below are references that relate to data only.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2012a, Census of Population and Housing, Basic Community Profiles, accessed 25 July 2012, www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/communityprofiles? opendocument&navpos=230 .

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2012b, Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers (SDAC) 2009, Small Area Estimates.

Disability Services Commission (DSC) 2012, Annual Client Data Collection (ACDC) 2011–2012, Service User Data.

Real Estate Institute of Western Australia 2012, Perth Suburb Profiles, Rental price for period October–December 2011 and house prices for period April 2011–April 2012, accessed 1 August 2012, http://reiwa.com.au/Research/Pages/Suburb-profile-results.aspx? suburb_id=121&census_code=SSC51036&geogroup_id=2627&geogroup_parent_id=3 .

Support Groups Association Western Australia 2012, Connect Groups, Directory Search, accessed 20 August 2012, www.connectgroups.org.au/modules/directory/search.php? search_term=&location=6126&search=Submit+Search .

Appendix A

All efforts have been taken to ensure that the data contained in these profiles is as accurate and contemporary as possible. Refer to Appendix B of the more detailed Upper South West Profile Consultation Document for information about specific data limitations.

For more detailed information, tables and charts relating to this area’s population, demographics and service use please refer to Appendix A in the more detailed Upper South West Area Profile Consultation Document (available at on the Sector Development Plan— Area Profile Consultation Documents page on the Commission website).

Organisations that offered shared management in the Upper South West profile area in 2012:  Activ Foundation  Baptistcare  Enable Southwest  Multiple Sclerosis Society  My Place  Perth Home Care Services. Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the Upper South West area for shared supported accommodation in 2011–20122:  Activ Foundation  Baptistcare  Multiple Sclerosis Society. Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the Upper South West area for individualised community living in 2011–2012:  Accessability (formerly Upper Great Southern Family Support Association)  Activ Foundation Inc  Anglicare WA Inc  Baptistcare  DSC - LAC (self-managing)  Enable South West  Life Without Barriers  Multiple Sclerosis Society  My Place  Perth Home Care Services  Strive Warren Blackwood  Teem Treasure  UnitingCare West

Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the Upper South West areaWest area for Alternatives to Employment (ATE) and Post School Options (PSO) in 2011–2012:  Activ Foundation Inc  Anglicare WA Inc  Baptistcare  DSC - LAC (self-managing)  Enable South West  Intework  Life Without Barriers  Multiple Sclerosis Society  My Place  Perth Home Care Services.

Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the Upper South West areaWest area for recreation in 2011–2012:  Activ Foundation Inc  Multiple Sclerosis Society  Riding for the Disabled Association of WA  WA Disabled Sports Association. Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the Upper South West areaWest area for Intensive Family Support (IFS) in 2011–2012:  Activ Foundation Inc  Australian Red Cross (Lady Lawley Cottage)  Baptistcare  DSC - LAC (self-managing)  Enable South West  Life Without Barriers  Multiple Sclerosis Society  My Place.

Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the central north metropolitan area for out-of-home respite in 2011–2012.

 Activ Foundation Inc  Australian Red Cross (Lady Lawley Cottage)  Family Support WA  i.d.entity.wa.

Source: DSC 2012.

Organisations used by people in the Upper South West areaWest area for flexible respite in 2011–2012:  Activ Foundation Inc  Baptistcare  Enable South West  Kids’Camps Inc  Life Without Barriers  Lifestyle Solutions (Aust) Ltd  Multiple Sclerosis Society  Wheatbelt Individual and Family Support Association.

Source: DSC 2012.