Disability sector — accommodation and support services
4642. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Disability Services
I refer to the outcome of the most recent round of Combined Application Process (CAP) Funding for people with disabilities, and I ask —
(1) Of the 394 (77 percent) applicants for accommodation support who did not receive the funding for which they applied, how many have been provided with assistance or accommodation support through some other means? Please describe the alternative assistance or support provided.
(2) Of the 394 persons referred to in (1), how many currently live in —
(a) accommodation that is privately owned, rented or sourced independently by the service user;
(b) mainstream housing authority rental housing;
(c) housing provided under the Community Disability Housing Program;
(d) hostels;
(e) Community Residential Living;
(f) accommodation provided under the Community Living Support Funding Strategy; and
(g) other?
Hon HELEN MORTON replied:
(1) In Round 1 of 2011, of the 394 applicants who did not receive Accommodation Support Funding (ASF), 313 received some level of assistance through other means.
Family assistance provided through Intensive Family Support (IFS), Family Living Initiative (FLI) and Flexible Family Support (FFS) provides funding support to people with disability to remain residing within their family unit. Support may include a carer coming into the home to provide personal care, opportunities for community inclusion and socialisation, while at the same time providing families a break from the caring role.
There are also block funded respite opportunities available for people with disability. These are managed by the disability sector organisations funded to provide this type of service.
Alternatives to Employment (ATE) services seeks to ensure that people with disability with high support needs who require an alternative to paid employment have access to a range of opportunities to develop their skills and participate within their community.
Community Living Initiative (CLI) offers people with disability a broader range of alternative community living arrangements outside the traditional models of accommodation. Community living allows a person to live in their own home and be a part of the various communities that are important to the individual.
(2) (a) 118 applicants have existing ASF and live in privately owned or independently sourced accommodation. These applicants are seeking additional ASF as a result of changing needs, mainly caused by the impact of the ageing process on the disability.
(b)–(e) The Combined Application Process (CAP) does not capture the information necessary to respond to this. The application form captures that information essential to assist with the decision making process. The people applying have requested that the application form captures essential information only.
(f) Four applicants are supported by Community Living Initiative (CLI) to live independently in the community.
(g) The number of applicants who receive other supports are as follows:
58 receive IFS support packages, nine receive support via FLI or the previously known funding FFS and 124 receive ATE, of which 46 receive ATE alone, while 78 receive other supports already noted above (such as IFS, ASF and FFS.)