Ministry of Social Development

New Zealand Disability Strategy Implementation Work Plan. 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007

Introduction

Vision

The Ministry’s vision is “An inclusive New Zealand where all people are able to participate in the social and economic life of their communities.”

Role of the Ministry

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Te Manatü Whakahiato Ora, provides a whole of social sector leadership and delivers policy advice and social services to improve social outcomes for children and young people, working age people, older people, and families and communities.

The Ministry provides social services to more than one million New Zealanders including:

income support, employment services and NZ Superannuation through Work and Income
student allowances and loans through StudyLink
services to rural clients through Heartland Services

The Ministry is also responsible for the:

Ministry of Youth Development
Office for Disability Issues
Office for Senior Citizens
Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector

From 1 July 2006, the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services and the Ministry of Social Development will merge.

The Ministry’s Statement of Intent

The Ministry’s Statement of Intent 2006/2007 ‘Moving forward with confidence’, which sets out the strategic outlook for the next three years, has a number of clear linkages to the themes of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. The Ministry’s vision directly aligns with the Strategy’s goal of and inclusive and non-disabling society.

In the area of Leading Social Development, the Ministry’s whole-of-government approach works directly to influence a disability perspective in cross-sectoral issues.

Children and young people, including those with disabilities, are to be respected and valued, and have the opportunity to participate positively in society.

Working Age People unable to achieve economic independence should have adequate income and the opportunity to participate in paid work or life in their community. People should also be supported to access health services for themselves and their families.

Communities should be able to determine and achieve their vital and unique social, economic and cultural goals, including having a strong voice in decision making that impacts on their wellbeing, and having effective access to government services.

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Level 1 Activities: Universal responsiveness to disability issues

Accessible government information		Achieved / available	Planned this year
Agency’s websites
	Meet e-government Web-Guidelines 2.1	5 of 14	All others
	Tested for accessibility for disabled people	5 of 14	All others
	Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people	5 of 14	All others
	Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF	Most sites	All others
Other publications and public information available in alternative formats. (eg key information available in easy-to-read English, Braille, NZSL video clips, captions on TV adverts, etc)		Office of Disability Issues site has alternative formats for key documents including NZSL video clips.	Not for other sites
Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (ie phone and fax numbers, email addresses, etc)		Yes in all cases

Accessible government buildings and sites		Achieved / available	Planned this year
All agency’s buildings and sites meet statutory and regulatory access requirements (eg NZS 4121)		Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification		Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust		No	No
Agency’s buildings and sites accessible
	Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness StudyLink Work and Income	Yes Yes
	Reception areas accessible	Yes
	Counters lowered for wheelchair users	Yes
	Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service¹	Yes
	Other accommodations: (ie signage, accessible lifts, hearing loops available upon request)	Yes

Accessible government services	Achieved / available	Planned this year
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues (eg policies on the use of New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters)	Yes
Information / data on services provided to disabled people is recorded Work and Income (Contracts team)	Yes
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training Work and Income staff StudyLink staff	Yes	Yes
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users	Yes

Responsive government employment practices		Achieved / available	Planned this year
Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people		Yes
Recruitment and selection of vacancies responsive to disabled people (eg vacancies advertised to the widest possible audience, vacancies list alternative forms of contact – phone, fax, email, etc)		Yes
Human Resource staff familiar with EEO issues for disabled people (eg staff receive disability responsiveness training, staff familiar with the Disability Perspective Tool Kit², etc)			Yes
Disabled staff are supported
	Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (eg work station assessments)	Yes
	Accommodations provided to disabled staff (eg work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided)	Yes
	Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement	Yes
	Agency supports a disabled staff network group (Corporate HR does not)	No
	Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people		Yes

Information and data on disabled people is collected		Achieved / available
Information on agency’s responsiveness to disabled staff people
	Number of disabled people employed (we recommend you use the State Service Commission’s EEO disability information and definition of disability.)	Yes
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency	No
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’³.	Yes
Information on agency’s responsiveness to the disabled public
	Information and data on agency’s contact with the disabled public is recorded (eg consultation with disabled groups)	Yes
	Information / data on agency’s disabled client group recorded	Yes

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Level 2 Activities: Disability perspective included in ordinary work

Disability responsiveness training and resources

Planned this year

N/A

Disability responsiveness training offered to all staff

Social Services Policy

Staff are informed clearly of the need to ensure that policy, programmes and service delivery take into account the needs of people with disabilities, who are a key segment of our client group. Ongoing on-the-job training is provided to people working on issues with a disability component. The Health and Disability Team works with staff from other areas to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are met. At this stage, separate formal training courses are not provided because this issue is central to our work.

Social Development Policy and Knowledge (SDPK)

The business units within SDPK have not undertaken specific training in relation to disability responsiveness to date. Consideration will be given to this, and some units are having a session during the year. MSD induction sessions to cover disability responsiveness issues.

The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector (OCVS) does, however, plan to approach possible providers of disability responsiveness training for all its staff in 2006/07.

The nature of the work of the Office for Disability Issues and their working partnership with the disability sector, disabled people and their families, facilitates an environment of ongoing educational development in disability responsiveness

Yes

Promotion of the Disability Perspective Toolkit⁴ within your agency

Social Services Policy

The Health and Disability Team incorporates the ideas of the Disabled People’s Toolkit in their advice.

Social Development Policy and Knowledge

The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is promoted as a tool on the OCVS’s Good Practice Participate Website at: http://www.goodpracticeparticipate.govt.nz/key-sectors/engaging-people-with-disabilities.html

The Good Practice Participate website (URL above) includes a section on engaging with people with disabilities. The website is targeted at policy staff throughout government and received an average of 2,345 unique visitors each month over the past year.

Office for Disability Issues staff are familiar with the contents of the Toolkit, and apply its guiding principles in their everyday work.

The Strategic Social Policy Group will be scheduling a session in 2006/07 to bring the Toolkit to the attention of all its staff.

Other (please indicate)

Social Development Policy and Knowledge

The Office for Senior Citizens (OSC) staff have ongoing awareness of disability issues because of the high proportion of older people living with a disability.

The nature of the work of the Office for Disability Issues necessitates that all of their work and outputs reflect a disability perspective.

Disability perspective included in ordinary work		Planned this year
Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective
	A. Cabinet papers The standardised MSD template includes a section called Disability Perspective, which is completed for all Cabinet papers.	Yes
	B. Policy and procedure papers During 2006/07, work on ongoing benefit reform will further develop policy in a way that brings people with disabilities into the mainstream. In this we will align our work with the Disability Strategy Objectives 1 and 2. Working Age Peoples Policy (WAPP) has a Health and Disability Team that will be specifically engaged in development of policy to support people with ill health and disability, and will provide input to work in other areas to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are addressed. Social Services Policy (SSP) staff will continue to bring a disability perspective to all relevant policy work. For example, Unsupported Child Benefit and Orphan’s Benefit have a disproportionate number of recipients with disabilities and this will be taken into account as policy is developed. Another example of how SSP will contribute to implementation of the NZDS through policy development is in the strand of work around eligibility for out-of-school care (OSCAR). Recent work led to an extension of eligibility for OSCAR to children with disabilities and their siblings, and to children of parents with disabilities. This policy work is continuing, to ensure that OSCAR is even more inclusive. This will contribute to Objectives 2, 8, 9, 13 and 14. Similarly, the Childcare Subsidy, to help people access childcare, has recently been enhanced so that people whose children have disabilities have more provision than non-disabled people, in terms of hours and the age range of the children. This reflects the practicalities of raising children where either child or parent is living with disability. Recent work on the community costs of people with psychiatric disabilities (particularly addictions) who are in short-term residential treatment and rehabilitation services recognises that lack of financial support contributes to loss of home and other supports for vulnerable people. Work will continue on identifying the groups in residential rehabilitation services who may require financial assistance to meet their community costs. Work is under way on assistance to foster caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities. This will contribute to Objective 8. Inter-agency work led by the Department of Labour, Enhancing Parents’ and Other Carers’ Choices (EPOCC), will contribute to Objective 15. The Operational Policy Team is working on ways to improve documentation and the information on the website and intranet, to help ensure that all people, including people with disabilities, receive their full entitlements. The Team is working to make policy as clear as possible, such as work on Disability Allowance procedures, making it easier for claimants to understand. The Operational Policy Team also heeds feedback on the stress created by the annual review of people with severe disabilities, and is working to make the process more client-centred in future.	Yes
	C. Strategic documents The Youth Development Strategy underpins the work of the Ministry of Youth Development. Each year the Strategic Social Policy Group considers how best to bring a disability perspective into the Social Report. The Ministry’s Statement of Intent 2006/2007 ‘Moving forward with confidence’ has a number of clear linkages to the themes of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. The Ministry’s vision of “an inclusive New Zealand where all people are able to participate in the social and economic life of their communities” directly aligns with the Strategy’s goal of and inclusive and non-disabling society. In leading Social Development, the Ministry’s whole-of-government approach works directly to influence a disability perspective in cross-sectoral issues.	Yes
	D. Legislation Social Services Policy has contributed to development of the Social Security (Long-Term Residential Care) Amendment Bill in the House now. The Bill includes measures to clarify the eligibility for Disability Allowance of people in residential support services. Work by Office for Senior Citizens on Enduring Powers of Attorney provisions in the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 includes a disability perspective.	Yes
	E. Consultation with disabled people/groups Social Services Policy In relation to fostering leadership in the disability sector, Working Age People’s Policy forms reference groups from time to time. The purpose of these groups is to form communication links for policy development rather than to foster leadership, but some participants of these groups may make personal development gains. Staff working on proposals for carers of people with disabilities are linking with the group Carers’ Alliance . The Out of School Services project of the Employment Team has an engagement and consultation strategy that includes consultation with the sub-group of parents of children with disabilities and their children. There are regular meetings between Older People’s Policy and stakeholder groups such as Greypower and Age Concern. The Operational Policy Team liaises with disability stakeholder groups (including age-related groups), such as IHC, the Disabled Persons’ Assembly, Greypower and Age Concern. They also consult with centre case managers who pass on the concerns of their clients. The Ministry of Youth Development has a Youth Advisory Group in the Wellington region. Two members of the group are from the deaf community and an interpreter is provided for each of these members at all meetings and events. The Ministry of Youth Development has also established two new website forums. Social Development Policy and Knowledge Regional Policy supported and facilitated the Working Age People’s Policy unit’s consultation with the disability sector in relation to work on the Single Core Benefit. The Office for Senior Citizens consults with the Office for Disability Issues and the Ministry of Health’s Disability Directorate as well as disability community organisations on relevant policy work.	Yes
	F. Other (please indicate) Social Services Policy User statistics: The Ministry of Youth Development collects data on the use of services by people with disabilities. Social Development Policy and Knowledge The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector e-newsletter layout and formatting follows Office for Disability Issues guidelines to ensure content can be easily read by text readers etc. The Office for Senior Citizens considers a disability perspective in every step of its project planning and policy development work. According to 2001 Census data, more than half of the population over age 65 has a disability, and the rate of disability increases with older age. For this reason, all the work carried out by the Office for Senior Citizens affects people living with disability. This link between older people and disability is also reflected in the implementation of the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy	Yes

Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency	Planned this year	N/A
Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues Social Services Policy Relevant agencies are the Children’s Commissioner, the Families Commissioner, the Retirement Commissioner, the Office for Disability Issues, the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector, the Social Workers’ Registration Board, and the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board. All collaborative health initiatives led by the Ministry promote consideration of the needs of people with disabilities.

Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency

Planned this year

N/A

Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues

Social Services Policy

Relevant agencies are the Children’s Commissioner, the Families Commissioner, the Retirement Commissioner, the Office for Disability Issues, the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector, the Social Workers’ Registration Board, and the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board.

All collaborative health initiatives led by the Ministry promote consideration of the needs of people with disabilities.

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Level 3 Activities: Policy Cluster

Introduction

The Ministry of Social Development Policy cluster includes:

Strategic Social Policy; Regional Social Policy; Social Inclusion and Participation; Office for Senior Citizens; Office for Disability Issues, Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector; Centre for Social Research and Evaluation; Child, Family and Community Policy; Ministry of Youth Development, Working Age People’s Policy, Older people’s Policy; International Relationships.

Human Rights Action Plan Comment: The Government received the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights in 2005, but the Plan has not been adopted as Government policy. The Government designated the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) as responsible for leading and co-ordinating the government’s response to the Plan (CAB Min (05) 10/8 refers). We are awaiting direction from DPMC before we analyse or implement the priorities for action.

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1. Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector: Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture

Description

Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture is a resource that the OCVS has produced with the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations to help voluntary organisations manage their legal risks and responsibilities. The resource is available both online and in hard copy, and will be updated online on an ongoing basis.

The kit also includes information on the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights for those organisations that work with groups with disabilities.

Representatives from organisations in the disability sector (including disabled persons) attended Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture presentations throughout New Zealand during 2006.

Desired Outcome

This resource should help improve the governance and management of community and voluntary organisations in the disability sector, which should improve their ability to deliver the outcomes for disabled persons and their families they are striving to achieve.

The information provided should also help relevant organisations to comply with the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Community and voluntary organisations have greater knowledge of the current law affecting their organisations and are able to work with the complexities of legislation.

The Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture project will be evaluated in the 2007/08 financial year.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 9: Support lifestyle choices, recreation and culture for disabled people, (Action point 9.3 - Educate arts administrators/ organisations and other recreational and sporting organisations about disability issues and inclusion).

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Action 2.1 - Provide information for everyone about the rights of disabled people).

Objective 5: Foster leadership by disabled people (Action 5.1 - Encourage disabled people to take part in decision-making as service users, as staff in the delivery of services, and in the governance, management, planning and evaluation within all services that disabled people access).

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2. Office for Senior Citizens: New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy Annual Report 2005/06 and Action Plan 2006/07

Description

The Office for Senior Citizens is responsible for promoting and reporting on the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy, which is Government’s framework for supporting positive ageing in New Zealand.

The Office works with business units within the Ministry of Social Development, other government departments, and local and regional councils to help them identify work items that will support positive ageing, for inclusion in each year’s Action Plan. As a result, awareness of the different needs of the ageing population in policy development is increased, which in turn improves the wellbeing of older people living with disability.

Desired Outcome

Any initiative that promotes positive ageing is likely to have a positive affect on older people who are disabled, because more than half of the older population lives with some level of disability. Having said this, Positive Ageing Goals of particular reference to older people living with disabilities are Goal 2, Health – equitable, timely, affordable and accessible health services for older people, Goal 4, Transport – Affordable and accessible transport options for older people, and Goal 5, Ageing in Place – Older people feel safe and secure and can “age in place”.⁵

Outcome measures and timeframes

The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy Annual Reports and Action Plans are produced annually. The Annual Report for 2005/06 and Action Plan for 2006/07 will be published in September 2006.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Promotion of the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy supports all objectives of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

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3. Office for Senior Citizens: Proposed amendments to legislation governing Enduring Powers of Attorney

Description

In 2004, the Minister for Senior Citizens directed the Office for Senior Citizens to review the Enduring Power Of Attorney (EPA) provisions, which form Part IX of the Protection of Personal and Property Rights (PPPR) Act 1988. This was to address public concerns that the provisions are open to misuse and abuse, and do not adequately protect the property and personal rights of older people. This is of particular relevance to older people who are prevented by disability from easily communicating their preferences and decisions to other people, because these people are more vulnerable to abuse by an attorney.

Desired Outcome

The Office is working to ensure that, first, the process for establishing and activating EPAs is sufficiently robust to protect vulnerable older people, and second, that where misuse of an EPA is suspected, concerns can be raised and investigated with maximum ease, if necessary through the Family Court. These dual provisions will work together to protect older people who choose to make this type of personal legal arrangement.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Amendments to Section IX of the PPPR Act has priority 4 on the Legislative Programme, to proceed to select committee in 2006. The Office for Senior Citizens expects to provide the Minister for Senior Citizens with a draft Cabinet paper outlining final proposed changes to the Act by the end of July 2006.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Action 2.6 - Investigate the level of access that disabled people have to independent advocacy, and address any shortfall in service provision.

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4. Office for Disability Issues: Review of long-term disability support services

Description

The Office is leading an inter-agency work programme that will provide advice to Government on improvements to the provision of long-term disability supports.

Desired outcome

Disability support services that improve outcomes for disabled people and their families, are easier to access, more co-ordinated, fairly distributed, more flexible and are consistent with the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The advice will be provided to Government by the end of 2007.

Steps along the way include:

development of a person-centred and outcomes-focused framework, that will provide a consistent and coherent direction for the development and improvement of disability supports
examining key issues and information required to inform resource management decisions, including levels of funding and the allocation and management of resources
maintaining an overview of current work to improve disability supports and implement opportunities for cross-agency service enhancement in the shorter-term

The key deliverable will be advice to Government, which presents options for change to the future delivery of disability supports, building on work from the other work streams.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (all Actions).

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5. Office for Disability Issues: Promotion and monitoring of the New Zealand Disability Strategy

Description

The release of the New Zealand Disability Strategy in April 2001 signalled the government’s commitment to disabled people that they should have the same right to participate in society and have the opportunity to live an ordinary life as non-disabled people do. The Strategy provides a framework for change, through the removal of barriers to participation and promotion of a fully inclusive, enabling society.

Over the past five years, the primary mechanism used to facilitate this change has been the actions of government departments. The Strategy helps departments consider the impact of their decisions upon disabled people, before they make them. Additionally, departments are required to prepare annual implementation plans and report progress against these.

The Office (established in July 2002) plays a facilitative role in this process, working to promote and monitor implementation of the Strategy.

In recognition of the fact that 2006 marks the five-year anniversary of the Strategy’s release, this year the work of the Office will also include initiating and facilitating a Cabinet-mandated review of progress in its implementation.

Desired outcome

The effective promotion and monitoring of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

Outcome measures and timeframes

During each year, the Office co-ordinates the annual departmental implementation planning process. Once the finalised plans are received, the Office then reports to the Minister for Disability Issues with an analysis which, this year, will include consideration of the performance of a new cross-government planning process that the Office has recently introduced.

At the end of each year, the Office compiles an annual report for the Minister for Disability Issues on overall achievements towards realising the vision of the Disability Strategy, which the Minister in turn presents to Parliament.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

All Objectives and Actions.

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6. Office for Disability Issues: Review of payments to and support of family caregivers of disabled people

Description

The Office is leading an inter-agency review of options to provide further support to family caregivers of disabled people.

Desired outcome

Development of proposals to provide further support to family caregivers of disabled people, to help them with their special caregiving responsibilities.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Advice on support options will be provided to Government by the end of November 2006.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Action 6.1 - Develop mechanisms to ensure that all government policy and legislation is consistent with the objectives of the NZ Disability Strategy ).

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (Action 7.6 - Identify unmet need and develop affordable solutions to fill these gaps).

Objective 15: Value families, whanau and people providing ongoing support (Actions 15.2 - Improve the support and choices for those who support disabled people and 15.7 - Encourage debate around responsibility for caring, payment for caring and how to further recognise and value the caring role ).

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7. Office for Disability Issues: New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006

Description

Following enactment of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006, the Office is leading two streams of inter-agency work that will provide advice to the Government aimed at assisting with implementation of the new legislation.

Desired outcome

Review of the funding mechanisms for New Zealand Sign Language interpreters across government, and development of related proposals.

Development of proposals for implementation of New Zealand Sign Language interpreter standards, and other communication mechanisms, for use in criminal justice settings.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The advice will be provided to Government by the end of November 2006.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 3: Provide the best education for disabled people (Action 3.2 - Support the development of effective communication by providing access to education in New Zealand Sign Language, communication technologies and human aids ).

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (Action 6.5 - Make all information and communication methods offered to the general public available in formats appropriate to the different needs of disabled people ).

Objective 11: Promote participation of disabled Māori (Action 11.6 - Support training and development of trilingual interpreters for Deaf people ).

Objective 12: Promote the participation of disabled Pacific Peoples (Action 12.4 - Support training and development of trilingual interpreters for Deaf people ).

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8. Office for Disability Issues: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People

Description

The United Nations is currently developing a binding international convention to protect the rights of disabled people. It aims to address the serious neglect of disabled peoples’ rights by making disability issues more visible, helping to shape human rights norms to meet the particular circumstances of disabled people, and by making states’ obligations clearer.

New Zealand is taking a lead role in the negotiation process, and has won strong international praise for its disability policy over the last few years. Interest has been shown in the New Zealand Sign Language Act, the establishment of an Office for Disability Issues and the New Zealand Disability Strategy as models for positive change.

Desired outcome

A binding United Nation convention for the promotion and protection of the rights of disabled people, ratified by New Zealand .

Outcome measures and timeframes

Work to develop the convention is in its latter stages, with only a few issues left to be determined. These have been referred to the next Ad Hoc Committee meeting in August 2006.

If good progress can be made, the greater part of the convention could be concluded at the August session. Following drafting review and completion of minor procedural matters, it is hoped that it will be ready for adoption at this year’s General Assembly session or at the latest during the 2007 General Assembly session.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people (Action 2.5 - Investigate, and if appropriate, support, development of a United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people ).

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9. Office for Disability Issues: Disability Survey 2006

Description

A post-census national Disability Survey is to be conducted by Statistics New Zealand in 2006. The Office is encouraging and supporting this project through the provision of advice about the objectives and content of the survey, and determination of survey outputs.

Desired outcome

High quality and up-to-date statistical information relevant to disabled people and disability issues is made available to disabled people and their organisations, policy makers, service providers and researchers, to enable evidence-based policy development and service planning.

Outcome measures and timeframes

From July 2006, the Office will provide input into the Disability Survey work to be conducted by Statistics New Zealand. This advice will include feedback on content and technical issues.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (Actions 10.2 - Collect relevant and useful information about disability through all relevant surveys to inform the research programme. and 10.3 - Use disability research, and analyse disability data, including that from the 1996 and 2001 Disability Surveys, to contribute to policy work, service development and monitoring ).

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10. Office for Disability Issues: Register of disabled people for government appointments

Description

The Office is establishing a nominations service that will promote the appointment of disabled people to Crown boards and committees. This work will also focus on developing ways to help ensure that sufficient numbers of disabled people skilled in governance are available for such appointments.

Desired outcome

Increased visibility of disabled people, and raised community expectations about the roles disabled people can perform. Also, more balanced representation on Crown bodies to help reflect wider New Zealand society, and strengthened connections with stakeholders.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The service will be operational by December 2006.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 5: Foster leadership by disabled people (Actions 5.1 Encourage disabled people to take part in decision-making as service users, as staff in the delivery of services, and in the governance, management, planning and evaluation within all services that disabled people access and 5.5 - Establish a register of disabled people for government appointments).

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11. Office for Disability Issues: Developing a partnership with the disability sector

Description

The Office supports a Disability Advisory Council, established in May 2005, whose primary function is to provide advice to the Office on progressing the New Zealand Disability Strategy and on any emerging issues.

The Council is made up of disabled people and their families who have been selected by consumer organisations nominated by the Office. It does not include representatives from professional bodies, providers or funders.

The Council also contributes towards advancement of the New Zealand Disability Strategy by promoting inclusion of disabled people in government policy and decision making.

Desired outcome

Inclusion of disabled people and their families in government policy development and decision making. The Council has the potential to be a very useful resource not just for the Office, but for the wider Ministry of Social Development.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The Council meets four times a year, each time over two days. The Office provides secretariat support and educational material to members for each meeting.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Objective 5: Foster leadership by disabled people (Action 5.1 - Encourage disabled people to take part in decision-making as service users, as staff in the delivery of services ).

Objective 15: Value families, whanau and people providing ongoing support (Action 15.6 - Work actively to ensure that families, wh ā nau and those who support disabled people can be involved in policy and service development and delivery, and in monitoring and evaluation processes where appropriate ).

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12. Centre for Social Research and Evaluation: Cost of disability research project

Description

This is a research project designed to enhance knowledge about the costs associated with disability in New Zealand . It will explore how costs vary by individual needs and circumstances. Research activities include a review of international literature on models for disability support, and development of an economic model of costs associated with disability. The research methodology for the economic model is based on a social model of disability and uses a budget standards approach.

The research team includes disabled people, and a reference group, primarily comprising disabled people who have broad knowledge of the disability and chronic illness sectors, will inform the work. The research will collect information about disabled people and disability issues, in an area where information is currently lacking.

Desired Outcome

This research project will enhance knowledge and awareness of the types and amounts of costs associated with disability in New Zealand .

Outcome measures and timeframes

Outcomes from this research are:

Review of international literature on models for disability support. Report received December 2005.
Main research report due late 2007.
Academic papers based on the research will follow after MSD receives the main research report (ie, late 2007 and onwards).

Links to Strategy objective and action

The Cost of Disability research links closely with Objectives 5 and 10 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (Action 10.1 - Ensure that guidelines for research funding take into account the need for research on disability issues, include disabled people in the development and monitoring of the disability research agenda, and enable disabled people to put forward their own experiences in the context of the research and Action 10.2 - Collect relevant and useful information about disability through all relevant surveys to inform the research programme).

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13. Centre for Social Research and Evaluation: Pathways to Inclusion Evaluation

Description

Current work being undertaken by MSD on the evaluation adds to work previously done by the Department of Labour (DoL). DoL produced a baseline analysis of how vocational service providers and users were responding to initiatives in the Pathways to Inclusion strategy.

MSD will produce a report which follows the progress of service providers and users against indicators used in the baseline analysis. Administrative data will also be used to produce a picture of the people who access MSD vocational services, and the outcomes they are achieving.

Desired Outcome

The Pathways to Inclusion strategy aims to increase participation of disabled people in employment and their communities. Pathways to Inclusion signalled a new direction for vocational service providers. The evaluation seeks to assess how vocational service providers and users have responded to this signal.

Outcome measures and timeframes

A report will be produced that details the progress of vocational service providers in relation to the Pathways to Inclusion goals of increasing participation of disabled people in employment and their communities. This report is due for completion in October 2006.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Pathways to Inclusion represents the Government’s response to the findings of the 2000 Vocational Services Review⁶ and links closely with Objective 4 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

Objective 4: Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people (Action 4.1 - Provide education and training opportunities to increase the individual capacity of disabled people to move into employment and Action 4.2 - Enable disabled people to lead the development of their own training and employment goals, and to participate in the development of support options to achieve those goals).

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14. Social Services Policy: Simplification of the Benefit System and Expansion of Work Support Services

Description

Policy work is underway on reforming social support to replace the seven main benefits with a simplified benefit system. The details of the new benefit structure, including its name, will be the subject of Cabinet decisions later in the year. Legislation is likely to be introduced by the end of this year, with the remaining elements being introduced in 2007.

At the same time, Work and Income services are being reshaped so that more New Zealanders are able to take advantage of the rewards offered by employment. Comprehensive employment help will be available to all Work and Income clients, regardless of their benefit type, under a new case management approach that was rolled out in May 2006. The work-focused approach aims to get people into the right job at the right time, right from the start, by starting with what a person can do rather than what benefit they are entitled to.

Desired outcome

The work-focused approach, enhancements to employment and training programmes, and reform of the benefit system will help people with disabilities to find work and support them in work. This will improve their economic and social prosperity and prospects for career development.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The work-focused service approach was rolled out in May 2006 and will be monitored over 2006/2007. Enhancements to employment and training programmes and the implementation of the new benefit structure are expected to occur in 2007/2008.

Links to Strategy objective and action

This work will contribute to Objectives 3, 4, and 6.

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15. Social Services Policy: The Early Years Approach

Description

MSD is leading a cross-sectoral, cross-years investment strategy to put in place a comprehensive system of early interventions for children from pre-birth to their transition to school and their families.

The Early Years approach builds on the platform of universal services, is based on community development principles, and focuses on ensuring a co-ordinated continuum of early years support and referrals between services.

Disability-related groups within the scope of the Early Years approach include:

children from pre-birth to their transition to school with disabilities
children from pre-birth to their transition to school who have parent/s or caregivers with disabilities
families with disabled children from pre-birth to their transition to school.

Desired Outcome

The vision of the Early Years approach is:

all children have the best start in life, flourish in early childhood, and are supported to reach their potential.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Services for disabled young children and children with a disabled parent

Officials will examine the potential for enhancing early years services and information provision for disabled children from pre-birth to their transition to school and children from pre-birth to their transition to school with a disabled parent. This project will focus on how we best provide support to these groups to enable them to develop the resilience they need to participate in their community and navigate their way around support services. Scoping work will be done to identify:

the vulnerable population group who would most benefit
gaps in the co-ordination of services
where gaps exist in providing support
relevant linkages to other projects.

This work will also be informed by the Office for Disability Issues' Review of Long Term Disability Support Services.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (7.6, 7.7)

Objective 13: Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives (13.1, 13.5)

Objective 15: Value families, whānau and people providing ongoing support (15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.7, 15.8)

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16. Ministry of Youth Development: Conservation and Youth Service Corps Programmes

Description

The Ministry of Youth Development actively encourages participation by young disabled people on the Ministry’s youth development programmes.

The guidelines for the Ministry’s youth development programmes require officials to work with programme providers on the content and framework of the programmes. This includes taking a view to help ensure that young disabled people are able to access and participate in the projects.

Desired Outcome

This work will help young people with disabilities mix with non-disabled peers in ordinary, interesting, age-appropriate activities. As an indication of take-up rates, 25 young people with an intellectual disability and 24 with a physical disability participated in 2005.

Outcome measures and timeframes

This is ongoing work.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objectives 6, 9, 13

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17. Ministry of Youth Development: Children and Young People’s Rights

Description

The Ministry of Youth Development is responsible for co-ordinating and reporting the Government’s compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) to the United Nations. UNCROC is a comprehensive international human rights treaty outlining the basic human rights to which all children and young people are entitled. New Zealand is a signatory to the Convention.

Government agencies must meet their UNCROC obligations to continue to raise New Zealand ’s performance in the area of the human rights of children and young people (including those with disabilities). The Ministry of Youth Development is responsible for monitoring the performance of these agencies with respect to their UNCROC obligations.

The Ministry of Youth Development has developed an overarching five-year work programme from 2004 to 2008. It responds to the UN Committee’s recommendations issued in September 2003 and includes work that agencies have already undertaken to improve children’s rights. It also provides the Ministry with an important monitoring mechanism on progress with implementing the work programme. The Ministry of Youth Development, in consultation with other government agencies, is required to provide the Government with annual progress reports on the UNCROC five-year work programme. This annual progress report provides an opportunity to highlight progress and raise particular issues for children, including those with disabilities.

The Ministry of Youth Development also convenes and chairs the UNCROC NGO advisory group, whose role is to assist the Ministry with managing the Government’s response to the UN Committee’s recommendations, particularly the UNCROC five-year work programme. The group considers all areas of children’s rights, including children with disabilities.

Desired Outcome

This work will raise awareness of the rights of children with disabilities, and contribute to projects that ensure application of those rights.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The annual report for Cabinet will be written by November 2006. The report to the UN Committee is due in 2008/09.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objectives 2 and 13.

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18. Ministry of Youth Development: Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa

Description

The Ministry of Youth Development is leading the implementation of the Keepin’ It Real work programme. Keepin’ It Real is the Youth Development Participation Guide, published by the Ministry. This programme sets out activities associated with increasing youth participation across the sector, including youth with disabilities.

Over recent years programme providers have supported young people with a range of disabilities, including muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, autism, brain injuries, diabetes and mental illness.

The Ministry of Youth Development also funds the Young New Zealanders Challenge in schools and communities to promote and support the programme.

PROVOKE is a youth participation project in which young people aged between 14 and 17 years from schools and youth organisations around New Zealand are nominated to become youth voice advocates. Current advocates include a number of young people with disabilities, and one school in particular works solely with young deaf people.

Desired Outcome

This work will help young people with disabilities mix with non-disabled peers in ordinary, interesting, age-appropriate activities. The PROVOKE programme will contribute to the development of leadership skills and visibility of disabled voice advocates, and the training will help them to advocate for their peers.

Outcome measures and timeframes

The programme is evaluated each year, participants asked whether they have more knowledge, are the more active and more interested. The work will continue throughout the year.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 13.

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Level 3 Activities: Service Delivery Cluster

Introduction

The Ministry of Social Development Service Delivery Cluster includes:

Work and Income; StudyLink; Senior Services including Community Services Card; International Services; War Pension Services; Benefit Integrity Services; Family and Community Services; Child, Youth and Family (from 1 July 2006)

1. Family and Community Services: Funding for Outcomes – Integrated Contracts

Description

Integrated contracting is a mechanism or tool that supports integrated/holistic service delivery. It enables community-based service providers and their government funders to jointly identify the changes sought from the delivery of services to disabled people. Services delivered may include changing societal perception about living and working with disabled people through to service provision that improves the wellbeing of disabled people. Outcomes-focused integrated contracting recognises that addressing well-being is complex and multiple government agencies have an interest in achieving the outcomes sought.

Integrated contracts enable providers of disability services funded by several government agencies to provide a holistic service under one contract. The approach improves funders’ understanding of the provider’s entire service (and rationale for providing that service), facilitates close collaboration between the agencies that are party to the contract, builds understanding of the impact of the services delivered, and changes the reporting to better reflect the integrated nature of the service delivery and its impact.

Desired Outcome

Ensure that outcomes-focused integrated contracts are developed between providers of disability services and their government funders to facilitate the delivery by providers of a holistic approach to disability service provision.

Outcome measures and timeframes

By June 2007 MSD’s Family and Community Services (Funding for Outcomes) team will have developed integrated contracts with three providers of disability services, bringing the total number of disability service providers working under an (FfO) integrated contract to five.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (7.3).

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2. Work and Income: Services for People with Ill-Health or Disability

Description

The Ministry retains a focus on services for people with ill-health or disability and seeks to achieve a number of outcomes through the delivery of services through Work and Income.

The introduction of the New Service Approach for all working age clients now encompasses the original service delivery workstream specific to people with ill-health or disability.

In addition to the New Service Approach a number of health-welfare initiatives continue to be developed and produce positive results, including PATHS and the introduction of employment co-ordinators.

Desired Outcome

The New Service Approach started in May 2006 and is aimed at delivering the following outcomes in the next 12 months:

improved services to people who are receiving Sickness or Invalid’s benefits through good case management practice. This includes linking people to employment services that they have not previously been able to access to assist them to return to employment
modification and expansion of existing employment programmes and resources for this client group including specific strategies for clients through industry partnerships
design and development of a demand-led service⁷ to employers that will explore new approaches, such as placing greater emphasis on assisting people to stay attached to their job if they are unable to work for a time
improvements to the way General Practitioners provide information about medical eligibility including information that may assist the Ministry to help clients take up work
assist working age people experiencing ill-health or disability towards the goals of social participation and economic independence of main benefit by:
- developing quality policies and services to meet the needs of clients and employers
- supporting clients to take up or remain in sustainable employment to the extent that they are able
- supporting clients to participate fully in their communities
- providing full and correct social assistance
co-ordinating activities with other relevant government agencies.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Work and Income aims to ensure people experiencing ill-health or disability have increased opportunities to participate in their communities and in work – and are able to do so through the right services and support.

To achieve this, Work and Income aims to ensure people experiencing ill-health or disability:

receive their full benefit entitlement
access services and support to better manage their health conditions
increase their social participation
increase their participation in work (part-time, full-time, casual, intermittent)
increase their income.

During the 2006/2007 year

Medical appeals board processes will be standardised around the country and good information about the process will be available to clients and medical practitioners.
Mental Health intranet resource established for staff, outlining good practices when working with clients experiencing mental illness
Partnerships with Industry Strategy to increase SB/IB client participation in partnership programmes
Investigation will be undertaken about the viability of medical certificates for Sickness Benefits being available electronically for doctors.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 1: Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society (1.2, 1.5)

Objective 4: Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8, 4.13, 4.15, and 4.16)

Objective 5: Foster leadership by disabled people (5.1)

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (6.1, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5)

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual (7.1, 7.2, 7.5, 7.7)

Objective 8: Support quality living in the community for disabled people (8.2)

Objective 9: Support lifestyle choices, recreation and culture for disabled people (9.2)

Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues (10.2, 10.3)

Objective 11: Promote participation of disabled Māori (11.1, 11.2, 11.3)

Objective 12: Promote participation of disabled Pacific peoples (12.1, 12.2)

Objective 14: Promote participation of disabled women in order to improve their quality of life (14.1, 14.2, 14.5)

Objective 15: Value families, whānau and people providing ongoing support (15.1, 15.4, 15.8)

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Level 3 Activities: Corporate Governance and risk cluster

Introduction

The Ministry of Social Development Corporate and Governance Structure includes:

Corporate Human Resources; Finance; Information Technology; Planning, Purchase and Governance, Communications; Legal; Ministerial and Executive Services, Client Representative; Risk and Assurance.

1. Corporate Human Resources

Description

As a good Employer the Ministry will:-

Undertake a Disability Awareness Questionnaire for Managers to assess the awareness of disability issues and initiatives to support staff / people with disabilities across the Ministry.
Undertake a comparison between sector best practice as described in the State Services Commission’s publication “Moving Forward” EEO for People with Disabilities in the Public Service (2002), and current practices within the Ministry.
Develop a recommended implementation plan to align the Ministry with best practice recommendations from the State Services Commission’s publication “Moving Forward” to provide best practice outcomes for staff with disabilities.
Increase the promotion and visibility of the State Services Commission Mainstream supported employment programme for people with significant disabilities across the Ministry.

Desired Outcome

To identify approaches and interventions that promote a diverse staff profile and encourage disabled people’s social and economic wellbeing and, where appropriate, participation in employment in the Ministry.

To deliver more effective services that better support disabled people within the Ministry.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Assess the awareness of disability issues and initiatives across the Ministry through the Disability Awareness Questionnaire for Managers by December 2006.

Complete a comparison of sector best practice as described in the State Services Commission’s publication “Moving Forward” EEO for People with Disabilities in the Public Service (2002), and current practices within the Ministry by June 2007.

Submit a recommendation report for approval to align the Ministry with the State Services Commission’s publication “Moving Forward” for best practice outcomes for staff with disabilities by December 2007.

There is increased visibility and raised profile of the State Services Commission Mainstream supported employment programme for people with significant disabilities across the Ministry by March 2007.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 1: Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society

Objective 4: Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service

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2. Information Technology – Voice Recognition Technology

Description

1. Voice activated Global Directory

In 2005 a voice activated global directory was implemented across the Ministry’s infrastructure network, so staff are now able to speak the name of a staff member they wish to call and then be connected to them. IT will continue to support voice technologies to enable the Business to achieve better outcomes as part of Business As Usual.

2. Voice recognition software

IT will continue to monitor evolving voice recognition solutions and implement on a case by case basis appropriate voice recognition software onto the Ministry’s infrastructure network. This would allow individual Ministry staff to use the software to "speak" to a personal computer, in circumstances where the person is unable to use a keyboard.

3. Voice Verification Technology Contact Centre

Voice verification technology for securely identifying clients wishing to access Ministry self-service applications was piloted in 2005, and IT will be responsive to the Business as required on implementing such technology to support Business outcomes.

Desired Outcome

Improved ease of use of tools that support Ministry work practices, and reduced manual input (reduced key strokes for Occupational Health and Safety reasons).

Providing enhanced access to our client self service applications, while not increasing overall costs.

Outcome measures and timeframes

IT will continue to support voice technologies to enable the Business to achieve better outcomes on an ongoing basis in 2006/07.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Objective 4: Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people (4.10)

Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service (6.4 and 6.5)

1. For information on NZ Relay service
2. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website
3. Information on the State Service Commission’s Mainstream Programme
4. The Disability Perspective Toolkit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website www.odi.govt.nz
5. An older person “ages in place” when they receive support to remain living in their own home or community of choice for as long as possible.
6. The Vocational Services Review focused upon the vocational services funded through Work and Income, and included serviced that offered employment, training and community participation or ‘day services’.
7. A demand-led service is responsive to both clients and employers.

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