Outcome 7: Choice and control

This Outcome has two work programmes: 

• Development of a Shared Understanding of Supported Decision Making.
• Transform the disability system to enable disabled peoples’ choice and control over their lives 

Ministry of Social Development: Development of a Shared Understanding of Supported Decision Making

Overall status: Off track - but low risk/issues to delivery

Progress against Plan for the period

Narrative – Any celebrations? What is going well? What is being learned? Any impacts?

This work is part of the Disability Strategy and Action Plan under improving choice and control. The main aim is to: reach a Shared Understanding of what supported decision making means in practice (including a definition and checklist on good practice) and develop this Shared Understanding into an appropriate Resource/s for implementation under existing policy and legislative settings.

Progress

MSD has held three workshops with the working group (July, September, November 2019). The group was enthusiastic and fully engaged at these workshops, providing useful advice and input. However, there has been limited input or feedback on drafts sent out, which may be due to lack of capacity outside these workshops. We also spoke to the Whanau Ora Interface Group in Christchurch which recommended that te ao Māori principles be weaved throughout the resource.

Progress was delayed for most of the Covid-19 lockdown due to lack of computer access, but revisions have been made since then. Most existing resources are quite short as they are focused on single sectors (e.g. IHC, Auckland Disability Law) so a key task has been trying not to make the resource too long while covering all audiences (decision maker, supporters, and service providers/ professionals). The Working Group to date has largely been in agreement on key aspects, such as it being pitched at a high level rather than covering specific groups and sectors. Some universal values and principles are essential to good practice, but we hope this guide will also encourage various sectors to explore these core values further and refine them to their specific contexts, and for the groups they work with – recognising they have the knowledge and expertise to do this.

Work to do / next steps

There has been limited input on incorporating te ao Māori and Tiriti principles to the resource, as well as adding case scenarios / best practice examples. MSD has attempted to fill these gaps, but further input and feedback is needed from the working group, which will be asked for on the final draft we send out.
After the above changes have been made, the resource should be at a stage for Comms input, final feedback from the working group, and ODI promotion.
Key tasks (see also proposed timeframe) include:
Comms – timeline, feedback and changes to final draft; enhancing with any pictures or diagrams, accessible formats produced, design, print, Comms Plan
• MSD Policy – gaining any necessary copyright approval from NZ and overseas
• MSD Legal – final sign-off
• MSD IT – website build
An evaluation is planned after the resource has been in the field for six months. MSD R&E recommended that this cover use/take-up and usability of the resource, rather than outcomes, as a baseline need to be developed for this at some later stage. As part of the evaluation, a wider group will be consulted including people working in education, hospitals, residential care, and lawyers.

Ministry of Health: Transform the disability system to enable disabled people choice and control over their lives

Overall status: On track or ahead

Progress against Plan for the period

Narrative – Any celebrations? What is going well? What is being learned? Any impacts?

Mana Whaikaha, EGL Christchurch and EGL Waikato continue to support disabled people and whānau achieve outcomes that are important to them. An evaluation of the implementation of Mana Whaikaha was completed. The evaluation informed the recommendations of the MidCentral Governance Group's recommendations to Ministers on improvements. A proposal for change in Mana Whaikaha intends to support the improvement in the operational model to the benefit of disable people and whānau. A new structure will be implemented on 1 October 2020. 

Read the full report for January to June 2020

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