Longer-Term Support for People with Disabilities
For many people with disabilities, long-term support is a fact of life. You may require a carer to help with some of your personal or home needs. Or you might just need a little ongoing assistance to help you participate in work or other activities.
Do you require longer-term services? Home and Community Care services and Flexible Support Packages may not provide sufficient funding for the services you require or you may simply have other needs not covered by this type of funding. In this case there are a number of different options depending on your age and situation.
At UnitingCare Community Options we have traditionally offered a variety of funding packages to assist people with disabilities. With the adoption of the Disability Act 2006, the way in which disability funding in Victoria is delivered has changed dramatically. Since July 2008, HomeFirst, Support and Choice and Community Options/Futures for Young Adults Years 1-8 Disability Support Packages have all been replaced by Individual Support Packages.
Further complicating this is the current push for a National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Federal Government's Productivity Commission delivered a final report to the Government at the end of July recommending a national, insurance-style approach to disability funding. The outcome of this report is currently uncertain, however early indications are that funding is likely to be increased significantly. The likelihood is also strong that funding will continue to be attached to individuals rather than organisations.
Find out more about the National Disability Insurance Scheme
What are Individual Support Packages?
The most significant different between an Individual Support Package (ISP) and more traditional forms of funding is that under an ISP, funding will no longer rest with UnitingCare Community Options or an alternative Disability Service Provider. Instead once you are approved for ISP and funding is allocated to you, these funds will be attached to you and you will need to make a decision about which organisation you would like to have managing your funds. You will also need to decide how much or how little support the organisation provides you with. Options may include everything from full case management services down to simply acting as a broker and paying your care- and support-related bills.
As part of the process of applying for an Individual Support Package, you will have provided the Department of Human Services with a detailed outline about the needs you have and the types of service you need. While ISPs provide greater flexibility, your spending will need to be based on the Disability Support Register plan you’ve lodged and reported to the Department. For more information about the Individual Support Packages, we recommend you visit the Department of Human Services website.
Find out more about Individual Support Packages
How do I access an Individual Support Package?
The first step of the application is lodging a plan for the Disability Support Register (DSR). The aim of this plan is to provide a detailed compilation of the types of services you expect to need to access including the type of service, the cost of these services, and the number of hours you will require.
There are several ways of lodging a DSR. You may have never had any dealing with the formal service sector in which case the process is different than if you have or are currently receiving funding through programs such as Early Choices, or Making a Difference. If you are currently receiving funding through an existing funding package, your Partnership Worker (or case manager if you are with an organization other than UnitingCare Community Options) can help you lodge your DSR.
If you do not have a case manager, you can lodge a DSR yourself. Remember though, it is extremely important to be as detailed as possible in your plan and to include allowances for future changes in your health and associated needs, and in your personal circumstances and development (such as when you leave school and enter training or employment). We recommend you get assistance to put together your Disability Service Register plan.
The easiest way to get the assistance of a case manager is to contact the Intake and Support staff at your local Department of Human Services office. They will be able to refer you to a service such as UnitingCare Community Options. You may also be able to access short-term support to help you lodge a Disability Support Register application.
Once your Disability Support Register has been lodged with the Department of Human Services it will need to be approved by a panel. This process is generally relatively quick and you should not need to wait more than a few weeks to find out if your DSR has been approved. However, it is important to remember that an approved DSR does not mean you will receive funding. Approved DSR’s are added to a priority-based waiting list and you may need to wait some time before getting funding. A second panel makes a decision about the allocation of funding for a DSR.
It is also important to remember that, because you can wait some time before receiving funding, your DSR needs to take possible changes into account. You can update a DSR that has been approved to take changes in circumstances into account.
Once the second panel approves the funding of your DSR, you will be referred on to a Facilitator from one of a number of Disability Service Providers around Victoria. The Facilitator will provide you with information about the sorts of services you can purchase from service provider agencies like UnitingCare Community Options.
It is entirely your decision which agency you would like to have supporting you. We believe UnitingCare Community Options has some of the best services and staff in the sector and we strongly encourage you to take a look at our Zest program to find out more. We also invite you to talk with our staff about what we can do to meet your needs.