September 2018 NDIS Regional Community Planning Report: Central Australia © 2018 PricewaterhouseCoopers. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the Australian member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors. At PwC Australia our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 158 countries with more than 236,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.au Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation Contents Page 1 Introduction Regional Community Planning 5 Contributing PIC Projects 6 2 The Central Australia Region Central Australia Region Communities 8 Central Desert Regional Council Area 9 McDonnell Regional Council Area 11 3 Stakeholder Engagement in Central Australia Community Engagement in Central Australia 15 Stakeholdersconsulted 16 4 Central Australia Service Profile Services available for people with disability 20 Expressed need for services 21 Adjacent services in the Central Australia 22 Central Australia SWOT analysis 23 Stories fromCentral Australia 24 5 Concluding Comments Concluding comments from Central Australia 27 6 Acknowledgements 28 Please note: this document contains images of people. All necessary permissions have been obtained, and our best efforts have been made to ensure it does not contain images of people recently passed, however please be warned that this may be a possibility. PwC’s Indigenous Consulting 3 1 Introduction PwC’s Indigenous Consulting Regional Community Planning The Northern Territory Department of Health, Office of Disability engaged PIC initially to undertake the Community Planning Project for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the East Arnhem region. Due to the success of the engagement with East Arnhem stakeholders the project methodology was replicated in the remaining four project regions (Top End, Katherine, Barkly and Central Australia). Community engagement was the focus of the work that was undertaken by PIC during the project and the reports reflect the thoughts of those people ‘on the ground’ in each region, including people with disability and their circle of support, current and potential service providers and support workers. At all points of engagement PIC focused on what the NDIS could bring to communities and promoted collaboration, as opposed to a strictly market based competitive environment, putting people with disability at the centre of all conversations. The knowledge and wisdom of the people engaged, which included high representation from Aboriginal people either living or working in remote communities, has been captured in an effort to provide solutions for a way forward in the implementation of the NDIS in remote regions. Reporting for the completed project comprises six separate reports. The Community Planning for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the Northern Territory is the main report for the project. This report contains the overall findings including information gathered on workforce considerations, opportunities and potential market development that highlights opportunities for new jobs under the NDIS for Aboriginal people living in remote communities. While many of the overall findings across the remote communities that PIC visited were similar, the regional reports provide more detailed information on the makeup of individual regions and communities and should be read in conjunction with the main report. It is important to note that communities in each region are in themselves unique with their own challenges which demonstrates a need to take a place based approach as opposed to ‘a one size fits all’ that will compromise the successful roll out of the NDIS in remote regions of the Northern Territory. PwC’s Indigenous Consulting 5 Contributing PIC Projects PIC completed an additional three projects focusing on the NDIS, the findings of which have contributed to the Community Planning Project. NDIS Community of Practice Project The nine organisations who formed the Community of Practice had applied under the NT NDIS Innovation Grants Program to undertake projects related to place based community engagement and examine ways to leverage existing activities, and those activities undertaken by others in their respective communities, to provide new services for people with disability. The organisations were a mix of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (6) and mainstream organisations (3) that have strong links to the communities where their services are provided. Participant organisations in Central Austalia were: Australian Regional and Remote Community Services (Mutitjulu and Kaltukatjara also known as Docker River), Catholic Care NT (Ltyentye Apurte also known as Santa Teresa), Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (Yuendumu) and Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Corporation (Papunya, Willowra, Laramba and Engawala). Photo credit: PIC. Central Australia has huge distances to cover but the team enjoyed some stunning scenery. Meeting and Exceeding Cultural Safety in the Workplace Project Workshops were delivered in all regional centres for mainstream providers to build their cultural safety capacity as required under Domain 5 (Cultural Safety, Security and Competency) of the Northern Quality and Safeguarding Framework 2016. Five organisations generously shared their time and experience to assist in the development of content and format for the workshops. The Meeting and Exceeding Cultural Safety in the Workplace Project also delivered collective resources and best practice examples for organisations to use in the delivery of culturally appropriate services. Engaging Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations in disability service provision PIC was engaged to promote involvement of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) with the NDIS. This work is embedded in the Community Planning Project with PIC building on existing relationships and utilising multiple approaches for community engagement in communication with ACCOs. None of the ACCOs that PIC consulted with provided disability services as a major part of their overall suite of services. Where it was provided, support services to people with disability was integrated into other services such as aged care. Those ACCOs providing mental health services all expressed concern regarding the transfer of Commonwealth funding under the Personal Helpers and Mentors Scheme (PHaMs) into the NDIS which may render many people ineligible for continuation of services. However, overall there was a keen interest expressed by ACCOs consulted in exploring possibilities for expansion of services under the NDIS. PwC’s Indigenous Consulting 6 2 Central Australia Region PwC’s Indigenous Consulting Central Australia Communities Central Australia covers the regional service centre of Alice Springs along with the communities in the Central Desert Regional Council to the north and MacDonnell Regional Council to the south. While both Councils provide services in their respective major communities, the sparse population density and large distances have led to many service providers and both Regional Councils headquartering in and providing services from Alice Springs. While weather does not play the same constraining role as in the wet tropical areas of the Top End, nonetheless, intense rainstorms can lead to some communities being isolated by road for long periods. Central Australia has a land area of just under 552,000 km2 and a population reported in the 2016 census as 34,459, only slightly more than 9500 living outside Alice Springs. A population density of one person for each 55 km2. Outside Alice Springs more than 80% of the population identifies as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Source: Google Maps, 2017, https://www.google.com.au/maps, Bushtel http://www.bushtel.nt.gov.au/ ABS Census 2016 8 PwC’s Indigenous Consulting Central Desert Regional Council Area The Central Desert Regional Council, formed in 2008 through the amalgamation of a number of small community councils, covers an area of approximately 283,000 km2 from Engawala and Anatye, in the south and east to Lajamanu in the north end west. The original inhabitants of the Central Desert Regional Council area were the Anmatjere, Arrernte and Warlpiri Indigenous people. The 2016 census records a population of 3,677 persons, of whom 3,092 or 84% identified as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. The median age was 28 years. Rural land is used largely for cattle grazing and fruit and vegetable growing, with mining also being an important industry. The Council’s Aged and Disability Services continue to develop to meet the needs of elders and people with a disability. Services are focused on providing site-specific and culturally sensitive activities and care tailored to remote clients' needs. There is also a particular focus on taking opportunities to get clients out to enjoy country whenever possible. Source: Central Desert Regional Council http://www.centraldesert.nt.gov.au/ Bushtel http://www.bushtel.nt.gov.au/ ABS Census 2016 Lajamanu Community Hooker Creek Native Settlement was established in 1948. A large number