Ministry of Health

Introduction

This is the Ministry’s seventh New Zealand Disability Strategy Implementation Plan and includes initiatives from across the Ministry. A number of the projects are building on progress from previous years’ plans.

The Ministry’s Statement of Intent highlights the importance of the New Zealand Disability Strategy as an overarching platform for achieving the Ministry’s goals. The Ministry’s Outcome Framework also provides the impetus for improving the lives of disabled people in a context of both disability support services provided but also through the disabled person’s experience within a health context.

The Ministry of Health is the Government’s primary advisor on health policy and disability support services. The Ministry’s core functions are:

• strategy, policy and system performance – providing policy advice on improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities and increasing participation, nationwide planning, facilitating collaboration and co-ordination within and across sectors
• servicing Ministers and ministerial advisory committees
• monitoring and improving the performance of Crown health entities including District Health Boards (DHBs)
• funding and purchasing of health and disability services on behalf of the Crown including maintenance of service agreements, particularly for public health, disability support services and other service that are retained centrally
• administration of legislation and regulations, and meeting legislative requirements
• information services
• payment services.

The Ministry is able to influence improvement in health outcomes across a range of areas, and in doing so depends on relationships with the many and varied parts of the health system and with the public sector.

Accessible government

All government agencies are asked to prioritise actions to increase their accessibility to disabled people. This is about getting the basics right, so that disabled people can access government on the same basis as other people.

These actions support realisation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy’s objective 6: foster an aware and responsive public service.

Four critical areas where disabled people interact with government agencies are:

• information – such as brochures, letters, publications, websites
• buildings – such as service centres, corporate offices
• services – such as face to face at a service centre, call centres, information electronically or hard copy
• as an employer – such as job application procedures, job descriptions, accommodations in workplaces, intranets.

Achievement story
The Ministry of Health’s Disability Services Directorate has made a determined effort over the past year to improve its communication with and provide accessible information to disabled people. It has achieved this in several ways over the past year and will continue to enhance communication over the coming years:

• Completed a revamp of its web pages to ensure that disabled people accessing the site can find out more about services funded by the directorate. This now includes contractual information and service specifications for key services, so people can see what the expectations are of providers and services. All documents are available in word and are in plain language;
• Developed a series of fact sheets about funded services in accessible formats, i.e. Braille and plain language; and
• Held consumer forums, hui & fono throughout the country where people from the Ministry meet with disabled people to discuss their issues and ideas for future planning. Records of the consumer forums and an overall report are also made available on the website. These meetings always have sign language interpreters, hearing loops or other hearing assistance and material available in accessible formats. Physical accessibility to meeting venues is always considered.

Feedback has been very positive with disabled people in general saying that they are very pleased that the Ministry is improving its communications, especially getting out to communities in cities and more remote areas. Information and feedback has provided the directorate with direction on gaps in services and enabling these gaps to be addressed or prioritised.

Accessible information

Outcome: Disabled people can access publicly available government information on the same basis as non-disabled people. Disabled people know about, access and use government information and services.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Online information (internet and intranets)

2. Hard copy information

3. Audio/visual resources

4. Other information

Accessible buildings

Outcome: Disabled people can visit, work, and move about independently in all government buildings and carry on ordinary activities there, on the same basis as others.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Structural elements

2. Contact with the public

3. Workplace management

Accessible services

Outcome: Disabled people can access government services on the same basis as non-disabled people.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Policy and practice

Being a good employer

Outcome: Government agencies provide equal opportunities in employment for disabled people to be recruited, retained, and promoted on the same basis as non-disabled people.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

1. Employment practice

2. Supports for disabled staff

Including a disability perspective

A disability perspective should be routinely considered within ordinary policy development work that may directly, or indirectly, impact on disabled people.

What is a disability perspective?

A disability perspective is a viewpoint that considers the needs and aspirations of disabled people and their families/whānau. When you apply a disability perspective to a policy or service you are developing, you need to analyse the impact it will have on disabled people and their family/whānau.

In the past, government policy and programmes have often failed to consider disability perspectives. This has effectively prevented disabled people accessing opportunities and fully participating in society.

Government policy and service development that reflects the realities of disabled people’s lives can enhance their participation and independence. This contributes to a more inclusive society. Cabinet requires all papers, where appropriate, to include a disability perspective.

When is it appropriate to include a disability perspective?

Any initiative that directly or indirectly affects disabled people, both within and outside government. Disabled people are present in all social environments - the home, work and the community – of all ages, and in all population groups, such as Maori, Pacific peoples. This means all legislation, policies, programmes and services will potentially impact on them.

Consultation with the disability sector should be considered, where appropriate. The Office for Disability Issues should also be involved on the same basis as other government agencies.

How do I learn more about what a disability perspective means?

The Office for Disability Issues has produced an online resource that explains Cabinet requirements to include a disability perspective in policy development.

This resource can be accessed on the Office website at:

Achievement story
Te Kokiri, the Mental Health and Addiction Action Plan was published in August 2006. It contains a specific set of 4 actions designed to improve responsiveness of services to people with specific disabilities. These include:

1. Develop a coherent national approach to coexisting mental health and intellectual disability that addresses access to services and workforce understanding, knowledge, skills and clinical and cultural competencies (years 3-5 – action for Ministry of Health and DHBs)

2. Build the knowledge and skills of the workforce to respond to people with mental illness and disability, including those with sensory disabilities such as deafness and those with brain injury impairments (years 1-3 and ongoing – action for Ministry of Health and DHBs))

3. Implement the NZ Disability Strategy (years 1-3 and ongoing – action for DHBs)

4. Address barriers (physical and attitudinal) to accessing mental health and addiction services and support across the broad spectrum of disabilities (years 1-10 – action for DHBs)

Policy making and service development

Outcome: Government agencies’ policy development shows analysis of the impact upon disabled people. Disabled people experience an increase in their well-being and ability to participate in society as the result of government policy.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

Implementation beyond your agency

Outcome: Government agencies promote action to implement the New Zealand Disability Strategy in other agencies within their monitoring and/or reporting responsibility.

Please describe against the suggested action outputs what your agency planned to do in the year ending June 2007, what your actual achievements were, and what you plan to work on for the year ending June 2008. Grey highlighted action outputs are new this year.

Leading work that makes a difference

This section is for agencies to describe key work that you are leading that makes a difference in the lives of disabled people. This work may be directly relating to disabled people, or it may be for all people but have a strong impact on disabled people.

You should use this template to:

• describe your planned work
• report progress against previously planned work and/or new work undertaken since the last plan.

There are separate sections for you to record any specific activities in support of:

• New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
• National Health Committee’s 2003 report: To Have an ‘Ordinary’ Life: Community membership for adults with an intellectual disability.

You may like to consider whether you can plan implementation action over several years, with milestone dates that you can report progress against annually. There may be a wider goal that your agency is working towards that several pieces of work may contribute to, and you should refer to this goal in the following template.

Achievement story
Kimberley Closure Marks End of Institutional Care in New Zealand

The Ministry led the huge project to relocate former residents of Kimberley Centre into their communities. The closure of Levin's Kimberley Centre on 20 October 2006 marked the last of 13 institutions for people with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities to have closed in the last two decades.

Minister of Health Pete Hodgson said "the New Zealand Disability Strategy focuses on giving people an ordinary life, like every other kiwi in this country is entitled to have and the deinstitutionalisation process is about ensuring people with intellectual disabilities can live in the community and do day-to-day things most of us would take for granted."

"New Zealand is at the forefront of deinstitutionalisation."

Kimberly Centre opened in Levin in 1945 and once provided for 790 people with intellectual disabilities. The Government signed off on the formal plan to close Kimberley in 2001. In April 2003 some of the 379 residents began to relocate to homes in the community.

A 1973 Royal Commission on Hospital and Related Services reported on services for the intellectually disabled. The Royal Commission rejected the medical model of care for people with intellectual disabilities, recommended a freeze on hospital beds and proposed the expansion of community based services.

In 1975, the United Nations General assembly proclaimed the Declaration of Rights for Disabled Persons which states that disabled people have a right to enjoy a decent life, as normal and full as possible.

In 1994 the Government issued guidelines which health authorities have been required to follow in planning and managing deinstitutionalisation. Prior to 1993, deinstitutionalisation was not subject to formal government planning procedures. Oakley hospital in Auckland was the first institution to close in New Zealand and this occurred in 1987.

During the closure of Kimberley, the Government has put a very intensive effort into a much more specialised and skilled assessment of individual's needs. Families and people with an intellectual disability were also engaged at every level of the decision-making process. Families and Kimberley residents made choices about where they wanted to live and who they wanted as their service providers. This has been an ongoing development in the deinstitutionalisation process.

To celebrate this national milestone an event took place on 14 November 2006 at Parliament, where former Kimberley residents and others celebrated the end of large state-run institutions caring for people with disabilities who are able to be supported in the community.

1) Health Target: Relapse prevention planning for Adults with Mental Health Conditions

a) What time period does this work cover?

This is ongoing, but is part of the 2007/08 Ministry of Health SOI and all 2007/08 DHB accountability documents

b) Please describe this work

One of the 10 new health targets for the health sector is about relapse prevention planning for all those people in contact with mental health services for more than 2 years. These long term clients can be defined as people with a disability. The target for DHBs is that 90%-100% of all those people in contact with services more than 2 years will have a relapse prevention plan based on the principles of recovery.

A relapse prevention plan identifies the bio psychosocial needs and early warning signs for the service user. The plan identifies what the service user can do for themselves and what the service will do to support the service user. Ideally the plan will be developed with involvement between the clinicians, service users and their significant others. The plan represents an agreement and ownership between parties.

c) What difference will this work make to disabled people’s lives?

There is evidence that relapse prevention plans are an indicator of effective mental health services and that the number of acute bed days reduces directly in proportion to the number of people with relapse prevention plans.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

(for example, a possible wider goal is for 100% of all new public buildings to be accessible, or all public facilities in urban centres to be accessible)

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Please describe progress targets and milestone dates for reporting against.

DHBs report annually in the second quarter. The report includes:

• The number of adults with enduring serious mental illness (2 years or more in treatment since the first contact with any mental health services (in treatment = at least on provider arm contact every three months for two years or more);
• The number and % of long term clients with up to date crisis prevention plans and describe how this is assured;
• The number and % of long term clients in full time work (over 30 hrs);
• The number and % of long term clients with no paid work;
• The number and % of long term clients undertaking some form of education.

The Ministry has a “champion” for each of the 10 targets, including mental health.

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Policy making and service development

Outcome: Government agencies’ policy development shows analysis of the impact upon disabled people. Disabled people experience an increase in their well-being and ability to participate in society as the result of government policy.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

This is one of the 10 health targets that are the key deliverables in the Ministry of Health Statement of Intent for 2007/08.

2) Reducing Discrimination against People with Mental Illness Multi Agency Plan 2005-07

a) What time period does this work cover?

The initial plan described work for 2005 to 2007. The ongoing work is currently being reviewed and planning is underway for next plan

b) Please describe this work

In 2004, four agencies agreed to collaborate on a cross-sector plan for New Zealand to address the stigma and discrimination faced by people with experience of mental illness. This resulted in the development and launch of Reducing Discrimination against People with Mental Illness Multi Agency Plan 2005-7 Those agencies were the Mental Health Commission, the Like Minds, Like Mine programme of the Ministry of Health, the Office for Disability Issues and the Human Rights Commission.

For the purposes of this multi-agency work, discrimination refers to:

1. the areas and grounds of discrimination as specified in the Human Rights Act, 1993;
2. systemic policies and practices that result in social exclusion;
3. personal discrimination of the kind that people with experience of mental illness have identified as affecting their social participation; and 4. poor practices and treatment, in both mental health services and in the community, which is experienced as stigma and discrimination.

The long-term vision of this plan is the development of a country where people with experience of mental illness can live in recovery, supported in health and in illness, participating fully in life as valued members of our communities.

The following strategies were identified to address stigma and discrimination:

1. Influence and improve public attitudes through media;
2. Develop and enhance the ability of people with experience of mental illness to advocate for their rights and participate in activities to reduce discrimination;
3. Enlist the support of a broad range of institutional allies and key opinion leaders, including people from different cultural and ethnic communities;
4. Improve systemic advocacy for changes to discriminatory policies and practices.
5. Develop coalitions and working relationships with organisations and individuals working in the mental health, human rights and disability sectors; and
6. Develop and promote education and community activities to reduce discriminatory practices.

What difference will this work make to disabled people’s lives?

The Disability Strategy and the Multi Agency Plan both use the social model of disability, which analyses disability as a process which happens when one group of people create barriers by designing a world only for their way of living. Disabling attitudes and behaviour are a social problem of barriers to participation, and these barriers are the cause of disability. This is in contrast to the medical model, which equates mental illness with disability, and locates the problem within the individual who has experience of mental illness.

Disabled people face systematic discrimination in the way society and its institutions are organised, by the way the environment is constructed and by the attitudes, values and beliefs that develop as a result of the systematic exclusion of disabled people from mainstream society.

A key implication of the social model of disability is that those who are excluded must participate in the design and implementation of solutions to the problem. For the Like Minds programme and its contribution to the Multi Agency Plan, this means that people with experience of mental illness have a central role to play in the leadership, management and operation of project activities.

The plan and the partners within have examined barriers to participation and social inclusion:

• Special/segregated provision in education, housing, employment, transport and many other services means that people with experience of mental illness are separated socially from other people.
• Disabled people are on average three times more likely to be out of work than non-disabled people, and many will have to rely on benefits for their basic income.
• Poverty is the greatest disabling factor for the majority of disabled people – and that includes people with experience of mental illness.
• Many people with experience of mental illness can not get the information they need to participate in society, either because their education levels have been limited, or because the information is not provided in accessible formats.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

The long-term vision of this plan is the development of a country where people with experience of mental illness can live in recovery, supported in health and in illness, participating fully in life as valued members of our communities.

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Like Minds will continue to implement the projects in the multi-agency plan that Like Minds is responsible for leading.

Like Minds has continued to meet quarterly with Multi – Agency partner organisations and provide written reports on the progress against the projects for which it has responsibility.

Like Minds will complete a report on progress against the multi-agency plan projects. A report on progress will be completed by 30 September 2007.

The next multi-agency plan will involve a project plan with identified areas for joint working and setting of key targets. Projects appropriate for joint agency working will be identified. Following this decision the MAP agencies will determine desired outcomes, establish clear timelines and allocate roles and tasks for each organisation.

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Reducing Discrimination against People with Mental Illness Multi Agency Plan 2005-7 aligns to the following high level objectives of NZ Disability Strategy:

• Citizenship: The Multi Agency Plan supports the inclusion of disabled people, and people with a mental illness specifically. It encourages the leadership of people affected by the issue to drive change, challenges myths and stereotypes through media campaigns, and adopts a human rights perspective to housing, employment and education.
• Build government capacity: The Multi Agency Plan provides an opportunity for government agencies such as Like Minds to review their activity and align to the goals and objectives of the whole sector. This increases the capacity for government to meet the objectives of reducing stigma and the vision of a New Zealand that values and includes people with experience of mental illness
• Participation in all areas of life: The Multi Agency Plan aims to ensure people with experience of mental illness are included in all aspects of society. This is to address current discrimination experienced particularly in housing, employment and education.
• Diverse needs: increase the focus on key populations: The plan and the partners are committed to reducing inequalities between groups. This has meant that specific focus has been given to targeting people disproportionately affected by mental illness and the stigma and discrimination associated with it such as Maori, Pacific Islands’ people and young people.

In addressing these objectives, the development of the Multi Agency Plan and ongoing efforts of partner agencies to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness directly addresses specific NZDS objectives: 1”Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society” and; 2 “Ensure rights for disabled people”.

These objectives are addressed through relevant NZDS actions 1.1 “Develop national and locally-based anti-discrimination programmes” and 2.1 “Provide information for everyone about the rights of disabled people”.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy (2006) Building on Strengths (2002) He Korowai Oranga Te Tahahu – Improving Mental Health 2005-15 (2005)

3) Allocating funding responsibility for people with chronic health conditions who need long-term support services

a) What time period does this work cover?

1 April 2006 to 30 June 2008

b) Please describe this work

The project is concerned with resolving responsibility for funding long-term support services for people aged under 65 who have chronic health conditions. Currently this group of people does not meet the access criteria for Ministry of Health funded Disability Support Services (DSS) or District Health Board (DHB) funded long-term support services for older people or those defined as being ‘close in interest” to older people.

c) What difference will this work make to disabled people’s lives?

Clarifying funding responsibility for long-term support services for people with chronic health conditions will enable this group of people to access needed services without protracted negotiation over the funding source. It will also enable funders and policy makers to plan for, as well as monitor the demand for, and the cost of, necessary long-term support services for this group.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

This work contributes to wider goals relating to equity and fairness in access to long-term support services funded through Vote: Health

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Depending upon the outcome of advice to the Minister of Health by 30 June 2007.

• 31 July - paper to Cabinet on allocating funding responsibility
• 1 July 2008 implementation of the agreed funding option

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Resolving funding responsibility for long-term support services for people with chronic health conditions is consistent with Action 7.5 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. This objective is to encourage equity of funding and service provision for people with similar needs, regardless of the cause of their impairment.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

The work is part of long-term sector plan development in the Ministry of Health Statement of Intent 2007-2010.

4) Environmental Support Services (ESS) Development Programme

a) What time period does this work cover?

1 March 2005 to 30 June 2008

b) Please describe this work The Ministry of Health’s Disability Services Directorate (DSD) and Health of Older People, have worked together to establish a programme of work until 30 June 2008 to improve the provision of Ministry of Health funded Environmental Support Services (ESS). The programme of work is based on the findings and recommendations from the ESS Review, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and completed by Disability Resource Centre Auckland. The findings and recommendations from this review are outlined in a summary report entitled: Environmental Support Services Review and Framework Plan: Summary Report.

The programme of work has been organised into short, medium and long term activities to address the ESS areas of information, access and eligibility, accredited assessors, service delivery and intersectoral collaboration.

• An ESS project manager was appointed from February through December 2006, to undertake some short to medium term work.
• A Ministry of Health steering group, including DHB representatives, was established to oversee the ESS Development Programme.
• An advisory group that includes consumers has been established to provide advice to DSD and Health of Older People as work progresses.
• An interagency advisory group has been established to enhance cross government information sharing around ESS.
• An email address has been set up for people to ask questions or make comments about the ESS Development Programme: ESS@moh.govt.nz

• The two ESS providers, Enable New Zealand and Accessable meet regularly with the DSD to plan ongoing service improvements. They are currently revising the Assessor Equipment Manual.
• Work is under way to:

• improve availability of current information about Equipment & Modification to the sector
• improve the consistency of service provision by the two funded providers, Enable NZ and Accessable
• clarify current operational policies about the funding of Equipment & Modification related to residential services
• plan for addressing access and eligibility issues for hearing equipment and hearing aids
• plan for improving assessments and develop an enhanced assessor framework o undertake initial policy and financial analysis, particularly examining options for extending access and eligibility criteria.

c) What difference will this work make to disabled people’s lives?

Improved information about equipment and modification services will mean that disabled people will have a greater understanding of what services and supports are available to them and how they can access them. Additional funding for the 2007/08 financial year and out years will mean that an increasing number of disabled people will be able to be supported to remain more safely in their homes, communicate in their everyday lives and participate more in their communities.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

This work contributes to wider goals relating to equity and fairness in access to long-term support services funded through Vote: Health

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

That disabled people will be able to access the appropriate services and supports in a timely manner so that they can live safely and as independently as possible in their homes.

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Objectives 7, 8 and 13.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

The work is part of long-term sector plan development in the Ministry of Health Statement of Intent 2007-2010.

5) Care and Support in the Community

a) What time period does this work cover?

This will be a long-term piece of work. This reporting will only cover work to be done in 2007/08.

b) Please describe this work

There is international evidence that most (but not all) older people prefer to receive care at, or as close to, home as possible (Wanless, 2006). This is supported by qualitative research in New Zealand (e.g. Barrett et al (2005) and Parsons et al (2006)). Research and other work indicate that many people who enter residential care could have remained in the community if they had received a sufficient level of community support. This work focuses on the role of health and disability support services in enabling older people to continue living in the community.

c) What difference will this work make to disabled people’s lives?

This work aims to increase the range of options available to older people regarding where they live and receive support. This includes improving and expanding the home based support services available to older people.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

This work contributes to the wider goal of allowing older people to have the opportunity to live in their homes, if they can do so safely.

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

• A report will be provided to the Minister by 30 June 2007 about DHB progress in implementing care and support in the community initiatives, and next steps (e.g. identify policy issues, areas for further policy work, areas in which the Ministry can assist the sector). The advice will be informed by discussions with key stakeholders around the sector.
• 2007/08 actions and timeframes, including measures of achievement, will depend on the outputs and results from the above process.
• A Cabinet paper updating progress and advising on the next steps on community-based aged care and funding of aged care services in support of the Minister’s priority for the health of older people will be completed by 10 December 2007

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

This work connects with objectives 7, 8 and 9 in the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

This work connects to the health of older people, identified as a Ministerial priority in the Statement of Intent. The final two items in section e) are included in the Statement of Intent.

6) Health Target: Rollout of national certificate training for home based support service workers

a) What time period does this work cover?

This work will be completed by June 2007.

b) Please describe this work

This project, follows work which began in August 2005, to create infrastructure that would support workforce development in the home based services sector.

Careerforce (the community support services industry training organisation) was contracted to prepare resources and support the project as the industry training organisation (ITO) responsible for the disability sector. The first phase, which concluded in June 2007, established, implemented and trialled an assessment and training framework for the national certificate. The trial targeted workers employed in home based support services (HBSS) funded by the Ministry and DHB funded providers.

An external evaluation of the trial has been conducted. Evaluation findings and recommendations will inform the rollout which will be planned in consultation with a stakeholder reference group.

c) What difference will this work make to disabled people’s lives?

This work will improve skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of workers who enter peoples’ homes to deliver direct support to service users. Therefore, quality and safety of service delivery is expected to improve.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

The Training Initiative acknowledges the current pressures, such as workforce recruitment and retention issues, that HBSS providers are experiencing. Work on the health and disability career framework also contributes to this goal.

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Reporting will be based on the project management framework that has been adopted for development of disability support services. Monthly reporting will be provided by the project manager to the project sponsors. Updates will be provided via monthly health reporting covering disability support services. Milestones will be developed from the recommendations of the external evaluation of the trial.

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

This work connects with objectives 1 in the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

This work connects to service planning and improvement within the Statement of Intent.

7) Guideline for Autism Spectrum Disorder and development of ASD Work Programme

a) What time period does this work cover?

2006 - 2008

b) Please describe this work

The National Guideline for Autism will provide information primarily for health, disability and education professionals, social service providers and policy makers, using an evidence-based approach. The secondary audience includes parents, people with autism, families/whanau, and care givers. An impact analysis of will inform Government of the likely impact of implementing the recommendations in the Guideline.

c) What difference will this work make to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities?

The Disability Services Directorate (DSD) Autism Work Programme aims to improve services for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The ASD work programme falls into two categories. The first includes projects, initiatives and service development that will directly benefit people with ASD and their families. The second category includes projects, initiatives and service development that benefits a wider range of people with disabilities but will also impact on people with ASD.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

(for example, a possible wider goal is for 100% of all new public buildings to be accessible, or all public facilities in urban centres to be accessible)

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

The draft guideline has been widely consulted on together with an impact analysis assessment that will consider the priorities of the guideline and inform a workplan to implement the agreed recommendations. Key milestones will be determined for 2007/08 following the Impact Analysis Assessment.

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Objective 13 - Enable disabled children to lead full and active lives. Objective 15 - value families, whanau and people providing ongoing support.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

Statement of Intent and Ministry Work Plan and Output Plan.

New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006

In April 2006, the New Zealand Sign Language Act became law. This legislation recognises New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as an official language of New Zealand, gives the right to deaf people to use NZSL in legal proceedings, and provides guidelines to government agencies on the use of NZSL and on consultation with the Deaf community.

Section 9 of the NZSL Act 2006 states:

1. A government department should, when exercising its functions and powers, be guided, so far as reasonably practicable, by the following principles:

1. the Deaf community should be consulted on matters relating to NZSL (including, for example, the promotion of the use of NZSL)
2. NZSL should be used in the promotion to the public of government services and in the provision of information to the public
3. government services and information should be made accessible to the Deaf community through the use of appropriate means (including the use of NZSL).

2. Consultation carried out by a government department under subsection (1)(a) is to be effected by the chief executive of the government department consulting, to the extent that is reasonably practicable, with the persons or organisations that the chief executive considers to be representative of the interests of the members of the Deaf community relating to NZSL.

3. The purpose of the principles in subsection (1) is to promote access to government information and services for the Deaf community, but nothing in subsection (1) is to be read as conferring on the Deaf community advantages not enjoyed by other persons.

1) Consumer Participation for Deaf People

a) What time period does this work cover?

March to June 2007

b) Please describe this work

Disability Services run a programme of consumer forum, hui and fono throughout NZ. This is an opportunity for disabled people their families, whanau and support people to talk to the Ministry about what is working for them, what is not and give us ideas on how we could improve services. This year we ran 29 meetings in total and covered main centres and smaller towns as well as Hui on Marae and fonos. All meetings have NZSL interpreters available for deaf people.

The DSD Consumer Consortium is a group of 18 people representing 18 disability organisations including Ngati Kapo (Maori Deaf) NZ Hearing Association and Deaf Association. One of the members uses sign language interpreters at every meeting. This member also represents the Consortium at a number of the consumer forums

c) What difference will this work make to Deaf people’s lives?

It provides deaf people with an opportunity to put forward the views of the organisations and people within those organisation to understand what Ministry of Health funded disability support services are about, ask questions and tell us what they think of the services and how the Ministry can improve services for deaf people

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

All meetings are accessible to deaf people. Ministry planning and funding for deaf people take into account the views and needs of the people impacted by funding

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Feedback forms are distributed and attendees are asked to comment on a range of things including the content and accessibility of information at the meetings. A report about this feedback will be available at the end of the programme.

Measures
2 Consumer Consortium Meetings by June 2008 Report and minutes of consortium meetings – July 2007, January 2008 Up to 19 Consumer forums by June 2008 Report and feedback on current year’s forums including issues for deaf people will be available by December 2007

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Objective 2 – Ensure rights for disabled people

Objective 5 – Foster leadership by disabled people

Objective 10 – Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

Consultation requirements noted throughout The Statement of Intents Outcomes Framework, particularly that of better participation and independence and as performance measures for the Disability Services Directorate within the SOI and the Ministry’s Output plan

2) DVD on Ministry of Health funded disability support services

a) What time period does this work cover?

It will be completed by September 30, 2007

b) Please describe this work

Disability Services is creating a DVD on how to get information about and access to Ministry of Health funded disability support services. The DVD is for people who are not aware of these services, including parents of children newly diagnosed and people with progressive disability who may need support. It includes sign language, captioning and alternative languages

c) What difference will this work make to Deaf people’s lives?

AS NZSL will be on the DVD it will ensure that deaf people know how to access information and services

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

(for example, a possible wider goal is for 100% of all new public buildings to be accessible, or all public facilities in urban centres to be accessible)

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Various disability organisations are involved in this project. This tool will be evaluated once it is out in the sector. Report at the end of June 2008 on feedback and impact on deaf people’s ability to access disability support services

f) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Objectives 2, 6 and 7.

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

Statement of Intent Ministry Workplan and Output plan

National Health Committee’s To Have an ‘Ordinary’ Life report

This section describes the work in response to recommendations in the National Health Committee’s report To Have an ‘Ordinary’ Life: Community membership for adults with an intellectual disability (September 2003).

The report can be accessed at:
http://www.nhc.health.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexcm/nhc-ordinary-life?Open

The work will have a specific impact on people with an intellectual disability.

1) Implement Outcomes Based Evaluation for Intellectually Disability Residential Services

a) What time period does this work cover?

January 2007 – June 2008

b) Please describe this work

The Ministry is implementing outcomes based evaluation for most services but this year is concentrating on implementing this for all intellectual disability residential services.

The Personal Outcome Measure focused evaluation tool has continued to be trialed in community homes for persons with an Intellectual Disability. Feedback to date has been positive. The reporting process using this evaluation tool is giving a much better picture of the quality of life for those living in the services.

c) What difference will this work make to the lives of people with intellectual disabilities?

Anecdotal feedback shows the process is contributing to educating staff in the services to think more creatively about community integration and assisting service users to meet their goals.

d) What wider goal does this work contribute to? Are there other pieces of work that also contribute to this goal?

e) How is progress in achieving this work being measured or to be measured?

Evaluation results will be reported on through the audit reporting process and progress on through monthly progress reports and in the output plan reporting.

) What objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy does this work connect with?

Objective 7: Create long-term support systems centred on the individual

Objective 10: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues

g) What part of your Statement of Intent and/or other strategic documents does this work connect with?

Statement of Intent and Ministry Work Plan and Output Plan