COMMUNITY LIFESTYLE ACCOMMODATION LTD April Edition 2015 Chairman’s Report A warm welcome to all CLA members and supporters The Cloverleaf project was planned to address the critical need to house older people with a severe/profound intellectual disability still living with their aging parents/carers at home. The project is a unique housing and support model and is a joint venture between Community Lifestyle Accommodation (CLA) and the Southern Mornington Peninsula Uniting Church (SMPUC). It seeks to support individuals with a disability and their families, to engage with the local community and inspire others to embark on a similar journey. The Uniting Church have generously allocated the land where Ten individuals with a disability will have an opportunity to live in a community which ‘feels like home’, providing 24\7 support for six individuals with a severe / profound disability and four individuals who will live independently with support. It will provide a homely, warm, safe, supportive environment based on the values of care, choice, dignity and love. The project brings together shared values of social justice for all and a truly inclusive open community that values all its members as contributing citizens. Originally the capital cost of the buildings was to be funded by the State Government. However, this is no longer the policy. The current policy is that the costs must be supported by families, the community and Governments. When applying for capital from the Government, projects are assessed on the basis of value for money for the Government. Thus, families must be prepared to contribute a bond to secure a place in supported accommodation. The size of the bond is determinant upon the amount of capital that can be acquired from other parties e.g philanthropists service organizations and businesses. The Board is doing everything possible to minimize the burden on families. To achieve this, discussions have been arranged with Arthur Rogers, the Deputy Secretary of DHHS, Housing Choices Australia, Glen Foard, the CEO of Melba Support Services and lastly Senator Fifield’s Personal Assistant. Unfortunately the NDIA has made it clear that they will not supply capital to construct buildings. CLA’s Carer’s & Friends Support Group: February, twenty families enjoyed lunch together, shared information & stories at the Baxter Hotel Tavern. All present were given an update on our Cloverleaf housing development at Rosebud by CLA’s chair Kevin. March –A carer’s recognition award from Carers Victoria enabled CLA to organise a lunch for thirty two guests at the beautiful Morning Star Estate at Mt Eliza. It was a stunning venue, delicious food & excellent service. A day to remember that was magical!!! The owner Judy Barrett has offered to be CLA’s patron. The Rosebud Uniting Church has offered the Dromana Church Hall for CLA to use as an office and meeting place to set up a carer support base, till the Cloverleaf development is built. The board is putting in for grants to enable us to employ a paid person to run a support group, assist local unpaid and family carers with information, assistance to contact the services they need to support their person. Social lunches and outings will be held depending on the budget. The friendships that we build are a wise investment, life treasures are people ---together. Save on your power bills: Carers Victoria has been contracted by the state government to deliver a series of presentations on saving money on electricity bills. These will include how to use an online tool that the state government has created called My Power Planner. My Power Planner enables users to enter details of their electricity usage and compare all other offers to identify if a cheaper option is available. Contact Mick Leyden, Carer Support Group Project, T 03 9396 9547 (Direct), F 03 9396 9555, M 0477 223 367 Mon, Thu, Fri Alfred Health CareLine on Tel: 1800 052 233 or 9076 6111 Email [email protected] Gippsland Carer Association Inc Tel: (03) 5133 3343 The Innovation Frenzy Extract from an article by Max Jackson & Margaret Ryan3 March 2015 What is truly new in accommodation for people with disabilities? - Is there really a housing model or approach or design in accommodation that has not yet been tried? Legislated principles Based on the legislated principle of people with disabilities being able to enjoy the same opportunities as other in the community, therefore it must be that accommodation options and services available to people with disabilities must encompass the same range of opportunities available to others in the community. What does innovation mean in terms of disability residential accommodation? In order to address this question we must firstly ask: What residential accommodation options are available in the community? Then we must also ask ourselves: What models or approaches are currently operating in the disability sector? And further: What models or types of accommodation are rejected under the new philosophy? Equal opportunity CLA remembers with love the life of Glenis Newman Who passed away on Dec 23rd 2014; several members attended the service 31 Dec to celebrate her life and to offer condolences to Glenis’s family. In lieu of flowers, money was donated to CLA. Glenis was an original member of our group, who was loved & respected & will be missed. Links to Services, Peer Support and Advocacy: Carers Victoria 1800 242 636 Family Relationship Support for Carers (FRSC) information, counselling, workshop/forum assistance to carers Tel: 1300 303 346, Email: [email protected] NDIS [email protected] [email protected] Office of the Public Advocate Advise Service Tel: 1300 309 337, Email: [email protected] Along with the right to be treated like others in the community is also the much-promoted concept of choice, this being that people with disabilities have the right to choose where they live, with whom and in what type of accommodation. Yet, despite this immutable right, if the option sought through a funding application is anything other than that deemed to innovative, it will be rejected. The ideologues and policy gurus conveniently argue that choice has limitations. Of course it does. However, the limitation should not be manufactured as restricting the choice to only those models imposed, or approved by the decision makers, who, because they control the funding, make the choices. After all, we do not impose the same philosophical restrictions of the rest of the community. Equally, by rejecting reasonable models that already exist or exist for the rest of the community, where is the choice for those people with disabilities who want to move out of the family home? Where is the choice for those aging parents who are forced to continue to have to care for their sons and daughters with disabilities in the family home because there is no other option? And, where is the choice for those families who might join together and who seek other accommodation options, or who are self-starters and initiate submissions for funding? Parents must have the right to speak/ support their loved son or daughter into accommodation of their choice! The Much Talked about Housing Paper prepared for the NDIA about a year ago was binned, now the Federal & State Ministers are meeting before the end of April to discuss a plan to implement a strategy to address housing under the NDIS. To delay like this is not beneficial to the thousands of aging families who are in fear of dying before 2020. Please go to Make Every Australian Count website www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au and tell them what options the person you support needs to be happy, healthy, and safe and have long term security in a caring environment free from abuse and neglect. Have your say on the NDIS quality and safeguarding framework under the NDIA Visit engage.dss.gov.au to down load the consultation paper and fact sheets and have your say –Consultation closed on 30th April 2015 CLA’s Fundraising Our efforts over the past 3 months have been very successful. Firstly we have had various sausage sizzles, a book fair and donations from CWA Mornington Peninsula and the Uniting Church op shop of Crib Point. This has resulted in our bank balance reaching new heights. Our thanks go to our two fund raising Directors Lyn and Carole for this sterling effort. Additionally an a la carte lunch at the Briars Mt Martha is scheduled for the 16th April (for which ALL tickets have been sold), A Sunday afternoon of hot jazz, including coffer & cake. Date 28th June 2.00pm—4.30pm Chris Mac’s Dixieland Band Featuring Jazz Affair Quartet Venue Mornington Park Pavilion, Flinders Dr Mornington Map Ref 104 C10. Tickets $20, Conc. $18, Children under 10 free. For tickets ring Carole Lowther 5996 3050 A fund raising appeal launched at a suitable venue to be advised. Additionally to cover our running costs various sausage sizzles have been scheduled. General meeting Guardianship and information session on Next General meeting is on 23rd of April 2015 at St Peter's Church Hall, Crn of Queens and Baxter-Tooradin Rd, Pearcedale. Meeting commencing at 10.30am. 11am information session OPA Opportunity to hear John Chesterman, Office of the Public Advocate speak on Guardianship and the associated challenges facing parents/families who need the rights to advocate on behalf of their sons, daughters and family member with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. Knowledge on planning for the future care of a loved family member is essential to relieve the anxiety suffered by aging parents. John will take questions from the floor. Light lunch to follow, time for families to socialise. RSVP to Marie 5983 8785 Email [email protected] Seeking creative volunteers for a major community challenge. Community Lifestyle accommodation is working to build homes and improve the lives of adults with a disability and support their ageing carers on the Peninsula. We need people with professional and business skills for the following roles: Fundraising Local events Laising with Philanthropis Trusts Write Business Plan Treasurer Governance & constitution Risk Management IT Website/Social Media Interested people, please send CV’s to Secretary, CLA LTD, 7 Milne St crib Point 3919 Learn more about us: www.communitylifestyleaccommodation.org.au
© Copyright 2024