SWAN in West Busselton | Social service

SWAN

Locality: West Busselton

Phone: +61 499 819 038

Address: 6 Pettit Crescent 6280 West Busselton, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.swanautism.org.au

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25.01.2022 Our AGM is on this Thursday night at 6.00pm via Zoom. We’d love for you to join us, and there is still time to nominate for a position on the Board. Please email [email protected] for more details.

25.01.2022 Every Australian Counts would like to hear your questions about independent assessments to pass on to the Minister for Disability. Some questions people may have include: How they are going to work.... What they will mean for you. And why they are being introduced in such a big hurry. In the last week we have heard all your questions and concerns. Now its time for the Minister to hear them too. So if you have a question about how this is all going to work NOW is the time to speak up. We know everyone has so much on their plate with COVID19 and lockdowns and everything else. So we have done the hard work for you. We have a form on our website for you to email the Minister. You can send him your own questions and concerns or you can just borrow the ones we have put together. But whichever way you do it - it's time for the Minister to come clean and tell people with disability and their families what they want to know. And we want straight answers not spin. And most important of all no more changes without first talking to the people who matter most. #NDISMakeItWork PS And if we could ask one last favour - please share and help us spread the word so the Minister hears from as many people as possible. You can find the form on our website - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/questions-for-ministe/ (Image description: A photo of the Every Australian Counts website. There is a green background at the top with a picture of Minister Robert in the bottom right hand corner. The text reads "Take action: ask NDIS Minister Stuart Robert these questions about the new NDIS Independent Assessments")

25.01.2022 From Every Australian Counts: More and more people are speaking out about the planned introduction of independent assessments to the NDIS. On Friday people all around the country took photos of themselves doing such everyday tasks as making a cup of tea to protest the introduction of the assessments. ... Some people took photos or video of themselves sitting on the floor or crawling on the ground to protest the fact that they will have to "crawl on their hands and needs" for support. Craig Wallace was one of the organisers of the #ndiscrawl and attended the protest outside the NDIS office in Canberra. People actually getting out of their chairs and crawling on the ground is pretty unprecedented, I cant remember anything like this happening, even during the NDIS campaign, Craig said. Don't miss your chance to tell the Minister what you think about the introduction of compulsory assessments. You can email him on our website - https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/questions-for-ministe/ #NDISMakeItWork (Image description: A photo of the protest in Canberra on Friday. Seven people are in a line holding signs. They are distanced from each other. The first two people in the line are sitting in their wheelchairs. A building can be seen in the background) https://probonoaustralia.com.au//fight-against-ndis-indep/

24.01.2022 SWAMS are hosting a Lunch in the Park to celebrate International Day of People with Disability. 10.00am- 1.00pm Wednesday 2nd December 2020 At Graham Brickell Shell Park, Bunbury. ... All Welcome Enjoy a FREE sausage sizzle, cultural music, games, activities, and have a yarn with the SWAMS NDIS and Disability Services team.

24.01.2022 Send a message to The Lions Club of Vasse Inc. if you are need some support.

22.01.2022 You have spent the last week telling us about your concerns about the introduction of independent assessments. Turns out you are not alone. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal shares them. The AAT has just handed down a ruling which has shattered the credibility of an independent assessment.... Mrs Ray applied for access to the NDIS. She had multiple reports from professionals collected over many years. Her application was rejected. So the NDIA paid for an assessment by an Occupational Therapist who visited her home once and did an assessment over three hours. The AAT found that the reports of her treating professionals were much more accurate and much more reliable than the single assessment paid for by the NDIS. The case was run by Naomi Anderson from Villamanta Legal Service in Geelong. The NDIAs current stance that treating health professionals are somehow biased in their reporting is disrespectful of the professional obligations of such individuals said Ms Anderson. It is absurd to suggest that a stranger without appropriate qualifications can assess a person with complex disability in three hours and come to relevant and credible conclusions. We fear this will simply create a massive stream, of applications to the AAT, with thousands of distressed and unsupported people in its wake. You can read the media release from Villamanta here - http://www.villamanta.org.au//aat-rejects-ndis-independen/ You can read the full case here - https://www.austlii.edu.au//au/ca/cth/AATA//2020/3452.html (Image description: The front of a door at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The sign reads "Administrative Appeals Tribunal Room 4.06".)

20.01.2022 A lot of young people are doing it tough right now. Things are not quite back to normal, and the world is still a very stressful place. Here are some readily accessible mental health supports:

20.01.2022 The Disability Royal Commission has published an Issue Paper on Restrictive Practices. An issue paper asks questions about a topic that is important to the Royal Commission. Anyone can answer the questions in an issue paper. People With disabilities WA is going to respond to the issues paper on Restrictive Practices. We do this by considering information we have received through our individual and systemic advocacy. To help us write our response we are also asking for feedbac...k from the community. This survey includes the questions from the issue paper. We will use the information as part of our submission, and may quote some of the responses. We will not be providing full responses to the Disability Royal Commission. If you think you would like to provide information about Restrictive Practices directly to the Disability Royal Commission you can find more information on their website. You can also ask an advocate to help you make a submission, or answer the question in the issue paper. If you would like to contact our Royal Commission Advocate email us at [email protected] https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6BZQZZJ

20.01.2022 Today the Disability Royal Commission will start a week of public hearings. These hearings will focus on the experiences of First Nations people with disability. And while the hearing will look at all aspects of the violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation experienced by First Nations people, this hearing will particularly look at the child protection system.... The hearings start this morning at 9.30am AEST, 10.30am AEDT. They will run all week. The Commission's hearings are always streamed live on the Commission website. You can watch here - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au You can also find the story behind this beautiful artwork created by Wiradjuri artist and lifelong disability advocate Paul Constable Calcott on the Commission's website. This artwork entitled "Respectful Listening" was created just for the Royal Commission. You can read more here - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au//resources-first These hearings, like all the others, will be filled with distressing evidence and stories. Please remember there is support available if you need it. Blue Knot Foundation offers free, counselling and support for people with disability, their families and anyone affected by the Royal Commission. You can call Blue Knot on 1800 421 468 (9am - 6pm AEST Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm AEST Saturday, Sunday and public holidays). You can also find more information here - https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/counselling-and-s (Image description: A photo of a beautiful artwork by Paul Constable Calcott. The artwork is titled "Respectful Listening". There are seven circles representing the seven Royal Commissioners. Each has a message stick in the centre of the circle. The circles are surrounded by blue, red, green and yellow. The blue represents the salt water coast and islands, the red is the desert, the green is the hinterlands and the yellow represents the coast. These are all the lands the Commission will travel through.)

19.01.2022 WA joins the federal NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1st December 2020. This is a good thing for people with disabilities in WA, as the current system which is managed by Department of Communities - Disability Services (DCDS) will only consider complaints made about providers registered with DCDS. How the federal system works: Some service providers are registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. We refer to them as registered providers. Other busin...esses/organisations choose not to register with the NDIS Commission; they are unregistered providers. Regardless of whether they are registered or unregistered, all service providers must comply with the requirements of the NDIS Code of Conduct and listen and respond appropriately to complaints. The NDIS Commission aims to empower people with disability to exercise choice and control in the services and supports they receive. To learn more about your rights as a participant, visit our website: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au//your/right-participants

17.01.2022 Do you know someone who needs support using technology or connecting online? What: FREE training and ongoing support When: 11:00am 2.30pm, Thursday 24th September 2020 Where: South West Sports Centre Function Room (1 Rotary Drive Bunbury) ... How to Book: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-helping-australian Alternatively contact Jacqui or Matthew at Bunbury Public Library on 9792 7190 or [email protected] for more information or bookings. Free Inclusions: 1 x Group Training session, ongoing 1-on-1 support, lifetime access to additional training materials and content, National Police Check, Australian Government Certificate of Completion as well as lunch and refreshments. Image Description: A poster showing a picture of a smart phone and icons of different buildings, and text of the above information.

17.01.2022 Autistic comedian talking about his not-autistic brother.

15.01.2022 Self-Managing NDIS funding? If you receive this Rejection Reason when submitting a claim in the NDIS Portal, it's because there's insufficient funds in the support category you are claiming from. Go into the 'My Plan' section of the Portal, and click on 'My Support Budget' to see how much is still available in each category. This will display under 'Allocated Funds'. Image Description: A screenshot from the NDIS Portal with black text on a white background. The text reads "Rejection Reason - Multiple business validations failed. Resubmit it with correct information or contact customer service centre to get additional information."

14.01.2022 Some of the SWAN Board, staff and volunteers completed Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training with Mel and Nick this week. Awesome work, team - proud of you!

13.01.2022 Advocacy WA Reach Out Community Information Sessions: Do you want to know more about applying for: Disability Support Pension (DSP) - An Introduction to DSP including the eligibility criteria... & The Disability Royal Commission - Information about the Disability Royal Commission and the submission process Where & When: Busselton: Thursday, 17th Sept at 1:00-2:00pm Forrest Personnel, 72 Duchess St, Busselton Manjimup: Monday, 21th Sept at 12:30-1:30pm Manjimup Community Resource Centre, 45 Rose St, Manjimup Collie: Thursday, 24th Sept at 1:00-2:00pm Collie Family Centre, 5 Forrest St, Collie Margaret River: Wednesday, 30th Sept at 12:30-1:30pm Margaret River Resource Centre, 33 Tunbridge St, Margaret River Bunbury: Thursday, 1st Oct at 11:00-12:00pm Bunbury Public Library, 1 Parkfield St, Bunbury For more information or to RSVP, please call 9721 6444.

12.01.2022 Early Childhood Early Intervention Afternoon Tea with Wanslea Early Learning and Development Drop in between 12.30pm-2.30pm Monday 21st September 2020 at the Child and Parent Centre Carey Park, Ecclestone St, Carey Park (Bunbury) New to the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)? Or dont know where to start? Wanslea is hosting an afternoon tea, come along and get some answers.... Wanslea invites families and carers of children with developmental delay and/or disabilities for a casual afternoon tea. You can drop in anytime. What will this look like? Answering questions you might have regarding NDIS for your child aged 0 - 6 Explaining your childs plan An opportunity to meet other families A space to discuss the barriers and enablers within the wider community

11.01.2022 Statement from Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia & New Zealand regarding the proposed NDIS Independent Assessments: ASAN AUNZ is deeply concerned regarding the roll out of Independent Assessment by the NDIA. See details here https://www.ndis.gov.au//in/independent-assessment-process... The NDIA claim to have consulted with up to 40 organisations. We are not aware of a formal consultation process and any feedback given to the NDIA by ASAN AUNZ has been that mandatory Independent Assessments would be stressful, intrusive and will not be fair for Autistic people. Feedback from our own members tells us that: - Many Autistic people will not attend independent assessments due to anxiety and communication difficulties - Some Autistic people have a lot of trauma from being assessed by people they dont know in health and mental health settings - Some Autistic people have already had bad experiences with Job Capacity Assessors or Commonwealth Medical Officers from Centrelink - Autistic people feel that any independent person they see will not know them well enough to understand their strengths and issues - Autistic people feel that many specialists do not understand autism - Many Autistic people and their families feel very stressed about the idea of Independent Assessment, not knowing when it will happen or what the report will say - There are serious concerns about the mental health of Autistic people following this announcement especially on top of a global pandemic ASAN AUNZ believes in a sustainable NDIS but we believe that this can only be built by working closely with participants to see where funds can be used wisely; by supporting better and more equitable services, examining billing practices and supporting self-management. This scheme is meant to be individualised in that everyone is seen as individual with different needs, relationships and support systems. Individualised does not mean applying and Individual Standardised Assessment to each person we are not cattle to be graded we are people who need lifelong supports. https://www.asan-au.org//statement-regarding-ndia-indepe/

11.01.2022 CONTENT WARNING: Distressing content to follow. Mention of self harm and suicide. -... - - From Every Australian Counts: Just in case you missed it ... last week the Minister for the NDIS Stuart Robert announced that independent assessments would be introduced next year for everyone applying for the NDIS. And in the middle of the year they would be introduced for people having plan reviews at critical life points, like leaving school or moving out of home. And gradually at all plan reviews. But disability advocates have expressed strong concern that far from making the scheme simpler and easier, this will create another hurdle for people to get the support they need. Without having people who know us and have got the time to understand what our issues are, what our needs are, its just going to be set up for failure. Lots of you have told us about your concerns with the assessments. And as we promised we will keep taking them to the government and the NDIA. There is still very much more to come. So stay tuned. But in the meantime if you want to read more about independent assessments you can find it on the NDIS website - https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/independent-assessments https://www.sbs.com.au//concern-in-australia-s-disability- (Image description: A photo of the front door of a Centrelink office. The Centrelink, Medicare and NDIS logos can be seen on the door)

10.01.2022 "An Introduction to Employment Supports" presented by APM Communities and NDIS 10.00am-12.00pm Wednesday 23rd September 2020 at the APM Communities office, Shop 1 / 16 Victoria St, Bunbury... Cost: FREE RSVP required as places are limited - please contact Renae Hartmann on 0408 934 148 or email [email protected] Community, Parents and Participants Workshop Opportunity A workshop designed to increase the understanding of the types of employment supports available inside and outside the NDIS and to help parents / participants plan and prepare better to discuss employment support options for their son / daughter during and after school. The workshop will cover information on: Employment supports - DES and ADE NDIS Employment Support Funding * Social, Economic and Community Participation * Finding and Keeping a Job * School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) Understanding the Specialised Job Customisation Approach (Customised Employment) The Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Employment

10.01.2022 8 GREAT TED TALKS ABOUT AUTISM "As we sail into an uncertain future, we need every form of human intelligence on the planet working together to tackle the challenges that we face as a society. We can't afford to waste a brain." ~ Steve Silberman 1 Steve SIlberman: The Forgotten History of Autism (March 2015) www.ted.com//steve_silberman_the_forgotten_history_of_auti... 2 Chris Varney: How My Unstoppable Mother Proved The Experts Wrong (June 2013) youtu.be/T1HQKB2txgY 3 Dr. Jac den Houting: Why Everything You Know About Autism Is Wrong (November 2019) youtu.be/A1AUdaH-EPM 4 Rosie King: How Autism Freed Me To Be Myself (November 2014) www.ted.com/tal/rosie_king_how_autism_freed_me_to_be_myself 5 Tim Chan: Turning Impediments Into Opportunities (January 2014) youtu.be/Woy-XzC-UVs 6 Yenn Purkis: Disability, Resilience and Achieving the Supposedly Impossible (September 2013) youtu.be/pqdGb4TraFk 7 Tashi Baiguerra: My Brain Isn't Broken (June 2019) youtu.be/D8j1fcQiyBU 8 Amy Laurent: Compliance Is Not The Goal: Letting Go of Control and Rethinking Support for Autistic Individuals (March 2019) youtu.be/fx3cfzlCG_Q

09.01.2022 Are your kids using the following apps to stay connected with friends online? Houseparty https://bit.ly/3drMHDk FaceTime https://bit.ly/2WExGrQ Hoop https://bit.ly/2UQMfGl Messenger https://bit.ly/33HCfDe... Skype https://bit.ly/2UwUEQb TikTok https://bit.ly/3bEOPpz YouTube https://bit.ly/2UPW7Ad Instagram https://bit.ly/2R0zszT Learn how to protect their information and report inappropriate content or conduct with The eSafety Guide https://bit.ly/2xZAOnU #ncpw

09.01.2022 More breaking news this morning regarding the introduction of compulsory assessments to the NDIS This morning the NDIA have released four consultation papers. They cover: Assessments and access Assessments and planning and budgets Proposed changes to how the NDIS supports young children and their families... Project report on the Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Reset project The papers make clear the introduction of these new assessments will now be delayed by about six months. Assessments for access to the scheme will now begin in the middle of next year Assessments for existing participants will begin at the end of next year There are a series of questions in each of the papers. Feedback can be given through the NDIS website. You can make a written submission or upload an audio or video recording. The consultation will run until the end of February next year. You can find out how to give feedback here - https://www.ndis.gov.au/community/have-your-say We are looking through the papers now to see if they answer the questions you have been asking us. And, most importantly, what will be the outcome of the consultation how people’s feedback will be used to change what is being planned. So stay tuned we will come back to you with how you can get involved and have your say. In the meantime you can read the media release here - https://www.ndis.gov.au/.../5683-ndia-invites... And you can find the papers here https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/improving-ndis We have checked and Easy Read versions of the papers are on their way and will be available by the end of the day. And finally a very BIG thank you to everyone out there who wrote to the Minister or wrote to their local MP about their concerns about this enormous change to the NDIS. YOU did this. There was no consultation planned and you have made this happen. But (you knew there would be a but) This isn’t over. This is just the first step. Now we HAVE to make sure they listen to our concerns and then act. We have proved what we can do when we work together. Now for the next step. So stay tuned there will be more to come. #NDISMakeItWork (Image description: A red rectangle with the words "Breaking News" in white capital letters. Underneath the words you can see the Every Australian Counts logo and the words "NDIS: Make It Work) See more

08.01.2022 The Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance (AASQA) at Curtin University has again partnered with the Department of Training and Workforce Development (Department of Education, Western Australia) and Autism Association of Western Australia to offer the 2021 VET Scholarships for students on the autism spectrum wishing to take up CERT IV or Diploma level studies in Information Technology and Cyber Security. Five scholarships will be available. If you are interested, please go to https://www.dtwd.wa.gov.au//aasqa-scholarship-flyerandform for further information about eligibility and application details.

08.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads, foster Dads, Grandads, Uncles, substitute Dads and Mums pulling double duty. We hope you enjoy a relaxing day full of fun and laughter. Image Description: A cartoon of Darth Vader receiving a gift from a young Luke and Leia. He is holding a TIE fighter on a string. A speech bubble from Darth Vader reads, Just what I wanted... another TIE. The cartoon is on a turquoise background, with black text at the top reading Happy Fathers Day.

08.01.2022 From The Neurodivergent Teacher: Friends. We need to have a talk. Amid many conversations about accessibility of remote learning during this crisis, I am hearing functioning labels tossed around left and right lately. And it has to stop. . .... . Functioning labels are harmful. They convey no actual information about a person's support needs. They are centered on neurotypical and nondisabled experiences. They dismiss the needs and struggles of some while simultaneously dismissing the competence and capabilities of others. And they are simply inaccurate. . . . It is not ok to say your students are "low functioning" and therefore can't learn on a computer. It is not ok to say your students are "high functioning" so they should be able to adjust to remote learning as easily as neurotypicals without additional supports. It is not ok to say your severely autistic students are really functioning at a 6 month old level. . . . No brain is "more autistic" or "less autistic" than the next. No brain has a different "functioning age" from its actual, chronological age. And how *you* perceive and experience an autistic person's autism is irrelevant. . . . Stop believing the lie that we have to compare ourselves, our students, our coworkers, our neighbors, our friends to a fictitious "normal"--and then judge how well we hide each of our divergences from this arbitrary scale. Functioning labels are nothing more than a momentary measure of one's ability to hide their disability from judging, ableist eyes. . . . When we use functioning labels, we are perpetuating the hoax that "you are this much Not Normal." Instead, we should be teaching our students, colleagues, families, and friends that there is no normal brain and our students "function" in perfectly autistic ways. Their full-body stims, their scripted and repetitive conversations, their highly focused interests, their happy-flappy hands, their giddy squeals--it is all what makes them their amazingly autistic selves. . . . I don't want my students to "function" more or less like a neurotypical. They're NOT neurotypical. They are perfectly autistic, and that's exactly what they should be. . . . Picture ID: Text on a watercolor background reads: "Functioning lables are:" followed by a checklist that includes "ableist, uninformative, dismissive, inaccurate." All items are checked. Text concludes with the query, "So why are we still using them?" The Neurodivergent Teacher logo is at the bottom of the image. See more

07.01.2022 Disability Services Consulting have released two pretty big articles today In the first one they weigh up the governments response to the Tune Review recommendations- and (spoiler alert!) the response is pretty sneaky. Like, there is some good stuff in it. But there are also more sinister reforms flagged which we really need to keep an eye on. You are going want to read this: https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/out-of-tune Have you noticed that the NDIAs promise of Independent Assessments has been how to put this not well received? In this article, they look at the reasons behind the community concern, and why these assessments might not be so independent after all https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/independent-assessments

07.01.2022 Some breaking news from the NDIA this afternoon ... From Every Australian Counts: The NDIA have just released the Functional Capacity Assessment Framework (phew that's a mouthful).... This long document gives some information about why the NDIA think independent assessments are a good idea. It also explains a little bit more about how and why they have selected the assessment tools they have. It is rather ironically titled - given that the NDIA have said the assessments won't just be about function. And yet that's what the framework is called? The NDIA says the framework has been developed with researchers, academics and allied health professionals. But not, as far as we are aware, with input from people with disability or their families. This is a very technical document and quite hard to get through. There is no Easy Read or plain English version available. So it's going to take us a while. We will of course let you know what we find. We know many of you have so many questions and concerns about what independent assessments will mean for you. We share them - and we promise to keep taking them to the government and the NDIA. And that is not all we are doing - so stay tuned. In the meantime if you want to look at what has been released today you can find it on the NDIS website. But be warned because it is very hard going. You can read the media release here - https://www.ndis.gov.au//5260-ndia-releases-new-functional You can read the full framework here - https://www.ndis.gov.au//functional-capacity-assessment-fr The NDIA have also released some frequently asked questions about independent assessments. You can find them here - https://www.ndis.gov.au//inde/independent-assessment-q-and (Image description: A red rectangle with the words "Breaking News" in white capital letters. Underneath the words you can see the Every Australian Counts logo and the words "NDIS: Make It Work)

07.01.2022 Shift Youth Festival, which was postponed in April due to COVID-19, is now finally here! 3.00pm-7.00pm Saturday 10th October 2020 Renamed Shift by the Bay, the rescheduled event will be held at Koombana Bay with loads of free activities for all ages.... What to expect: Southern Ports Activity Zone including mini golf, mechanical surfboard and rock climbing wall An exciting line up of activities including an amazing race, dunk tank, smoothie bike, speed races and more Loads of delicious food on offer with the Dinner at Dusk Food Truck Festival happening right next door. The event will be delivered in accordance with State Government regulations and with additional community safety measures.

06.01.2022 If your kids have been / are doing Telehealth sessions and online learning, here are some tips from an Occupational Therapist on making sure they are in position to learn.

05.01.2022 Have you received information, support, referral and/or advocacy from SWAN recently? We need your feedback! 3 minute survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VPSQ5G6

05.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS The Government has released their response to the Tune Review and *every* recommendation has been "supported" or "supported in principle". This includes: FLEXIBILITY ACROSS CORE & CAPACITY BUILDING Improving the speed and quality of NDIA decision making, with a Participant Service Guarantee. Outlining when Support Coordination should be funded and when it should be delivered by an independent provider... Giving plan managed participants the same flexibility as self managers Better guidance around access requirements for people with psychosocial disability and much, much more. This is a really positive, BIG step forward for the NDIS and will hopefully lead to a lot of improvements in the participant experience of Scheme. We'll share a complete analysis of the announcement early next week. You can read the full report here: https://www.dss.gov.au//australian-government-response-tun image desc: gif of Will Ferrell in the movie Anchorman (a man with a very 70s moustache) sitting in a chair and nodding three times with the text "agreed". The "agreed" text briefly disappears and he looks a bit more skeptical, which we reckon is what "supported in principle" would look like if it were a facial expression.

05.01.2022 Internalised or hidden anxiety: Characteristics of some types of anxiety are internal and may never be noticed by others (or ourselves) despite the fact that they *may* cause you a great deal of stress. Credit: https://www.blessingmanifesting.com/what-high-functioning-/

05.01.2022 National Disability Strategy - Stage 2 Consultations Submission period extended to 31 October 2020 Have your say... On 29 July 2020, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Minister for Families and Social Services, released the National Disability Strategy Position Paper (the Position Paper) and announced the commencement of Stage 2 consultations for the new National Disability Strategy. Since consultations opened, many people have already shared their feedback on the key features that governments are proposing to include in the new National Disability Strategy. The Department of Social Services is still seeking peoples feedback on the Position Paper and invites all Australians especially those with disability to have their say by reading the Position Paper and providing a submission or answering the questions in the guided questionnaire. Your feedback will be an important input to further develop the new National Disability Strategy for release in 2021, driving real, practical improvements for Australians with disability over the coming decade. The submission process has now been extended to allow you more time to provide your feedback. Submissions will now close on 31 October 2020. National Disability Strategy Position Paper: https://engage.dss.gov.au//national-disability-strategy-/ Stage 2 Consultations: https://engage.dss.gov.au/nds-stage2-consultation/ Make a submission: https://engage.dss.gov.au//stage-2-consultations-make-a-/ Source: https://mailchi.mp//nds-stage-2-consultations-submission-p

04.01.2022 Our sincere gratitude to the 2019-2020 SWAN Board, Ronnie Madge (President), Giselle Elson (Vice President), Grant Avery (Treasurer), Janine Slaven, Ant Pursell, Bob Johnson and Jasmine Geddes. Thank you and welcome to our 2020-2021 Board members, Ronnie Madge (President), Giselle Elson (Vice President), Kelly Clark (Secretary), Grant Avery (Treasurer), Janine Slaven, Jasmine Geddes, Ant Pursell and Clare Gibellini. Image Description:... "Thank you so much" in multi-coloured text on a black background. See more

03.01.2022 Spot the difference? LAC or NDIS Planner? From The Growing Space. LAC's (Local Area Coordinator)... help most NDIS participants by holding the planning meeting, and collecting all your information. Some LACs hand that info on to the NDIS who build and approve the plan, but many LAC's are able to build a plan based on your info, and then send that "draft" to the NDIS for their budget approval by an "NDIS delegate". LACs are usually local to your area, and should also help yo...u understand and use your plan and the MyPlace portal, if you do not have Support Coordination fund allocated to help with that. LAC's have NO power to approve or change NDIS funding, though they can help you with a review request. NDIS Planners... help a smaller number of NDIS participants, usually those with the most complex needs and/or situations in their planning meetings. NDIS Planners are employed directly by the NDIS, and many (but not all) are appointed as NDIS "delegates", which means they get to approve plan funding amounts. There are different levels of "delegates" so when a requested plan budget is a fair amount higher than what would normally be expected for a person with those particular needs or situations, the plan may need to go to a "higher level delegate" to be approved. Participants who have their planning meeting with an NDIS Planner are more likely to have Support Coordination included in their plans, because of their more complex needs and/or situation. Participants don't really get to choose whether their plan is done by an LAC or planner, though you can of course ask to have a planner if you think your needs and/or situation is among the most complex. This post is copyright of The Growing Space 2020 image desc: a cartoon drawing of two very similar trains with a carriage each. There are a few differences between the two images, like one has a red wheel while the other has a yellow wheel. It is a "spot the difference" type image.

03.01.2022 Busselton, Vasse, Provence, Yallingup and Dunsborough People - The Lions Club of Vasse Inc. have free food hampers available for people in need. Please contact them direct to order your hamper by Friday night ... Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September Hamper pick up times are 2.30-4pm at a private address. ... SecondBite & FeedItForwardInc are here to ensure people in need in our community, are reached Well have bakery items and fruit /veg ... lots of extra to compliment your soups/ winter meals. Its here for those in need .., and people who have lost their jobs Please reuse our boxes and bring your own bags for any extras needed. PICK Up West Busselton ~ PM me for address and to organise any drop offs for those you know that cant drive over (Sanitary and Hygiene items available from Bags of Hope WA for men, women and teenagers.) ONLY one person at a time to come in to Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, social distancing of 1.5m must be maintained. #FeeditForwardinc #Secondbite #VasseLions #LionsServe #kindnessmatters #bagsofhopeWAc

03.01.2022 This online event for people in WA is on tomorrow. When people with intellectual disability are finishing high school, they often arent given enough options to choose from when deciding what to do next. So what can people do if they want a regular job but need additional support? Inclusion Australia CEO Catherine McAlpine will talk about the Everyone Can Work website at the Whats Out There: Employment Opportunities for People with Disability Perth webinar next Tuesday 2...2 September. Register here: https://bit.ly/3bZGiiH What is Everyone Can Work? With the support of an NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme ILC Grant, the Inclusion Australia team has spent the past year creating Everyone Can Work'. Everyone Can Work is an evidence-based website that translates research into Plain and Easy English and includes lived experience to explain how people can use the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Disability Employment Services (DES) and Disability Support Pension (DSP) systems to find and keep a regular job. Register for Whats Out There: https://bit.ly/3bZGiiH

02.01.2022 Congratulations to artists Digby Webster and Emily Crockford, who have made it into this years prestigious Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales!!! Their pieces were selected as finalists from over 2000 submissions from artists across the country

01.01.2022 Silent Disco coming up in Margaret River on Saturday 19th September 2020: