Ageing, Disability and Home Care NSW

Ageing, Disability and Home Care NSW
Agency overview
Formed	July 2009
Preceding Agency	New South Wales Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (June 2009 – April 2011)
Type	Department
Jurisdiction	New South Wales
Headquarters	Sydney
Employees	13,600 (2011)^[1]
Annual budget	A$2.5 billion (2011)^[2]
Minister responsible	Hon. John Ajaka MLC, Minister for Ageing and Minister for Disability Services
Parent Agency	Department of Family and Community Services
Child agencies	Home Care Service of NSW Disability Council of NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing
Website	http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/

Ageing, Disability and Home Care NSW (ADHC) is a division of the Department of Family and Community Services in the Government of New South Wales that is responsible for the provision of services to older people, people with a disability, and their families and carers in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

The ADHC division supports approximately 300,000 vulnerable people from its annual budget of A$2.5 billion. It employs more than 13,000 staff. ADHC delivers services and manages 900 non-government and local government service providers that are funded to deliver services such as early intervention, therapy, respite, supported accommodation, case management and post-school programs.

The division is led by a Deputy Secretary, presently Jim Longley, who reports to the Minister for Ageing and Minister for Disability Services, presently the Hon. John Ajaka MLC.

Structure

Nine business streams and two offices deliver ADHC services for older people, people with a disability (particularly those with an intellectual disability) and their carers across six regions in NSW.^[3]

Accommodation Policy and Development: oversees the development and funding of programs and policies to support people with a disability requiring accommodation options
Respite and Carers: manages the development and funding of programs and policies related to respite services, including respite expansion and integration of a range of respite models
Community Access: responsible for the development and funding of programs related to access to early intervention and prevention services, community based support (such as community access teams), and participation in the community or workforce. Also provides strategic advice to program and policy areas to enhance access for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Home Care: manages the Home Care Service of NSW by providing strategic policy direction and undertaking program development activities to enhance service quality for clients, including clients with acquired brain injuries, acquired physical disabilities and sensory disabilities
Aboriginal Service Development and Delivery: develops policies and programs to enhance access to all ADHC programs for Aboriginal communities in NSW. Provides strategic advice to ensure inclusive practices for Aboriginal people in mainstream services
Large Residential Centres and Specialist Supported Living: develops contemporary, supported living options for current residents of large residential centres, focusing on greater links to the community and participation in community activities for clients
Sector Development: oversees the development of policies and funding for the non-government sector to ensure quality services, including building the capacity of the service system to better respond to individual needs
Community Care: oversees the management of the Home and Community Care (HACC) program in NSW collaboratively with the Australian government. Works with key stakeholders to improve community care services for older people, including health
Prevention and Pathways: develops policies and strategic initiatives to enhance access to mainstream and community supports. Oversees the development of policies and reform agendas to reshape the service system to be person centred and focused on the life span of a person with a disability

Two offices also provide specialist services and support:

Office of the Senior Practitioner: provides leadership and coordination of services for people with complex needs and challenging behaviour
Office for Ageing: undertakes social issues research and develops strategic policy on issues that impact older people and their potential to actively participate in the community

Ancillary functions

The agency also funds the NSW Disability Council and the Home Care Service of NSW. These are statutory authorities which report directly to the Minister and are not subject to ADHC direction.

Complaints about service provision

In 2004 under a special report to the NSW Parliament, the New South Wales Ombudsman raised concerns about the way services to children and young people with disability were being provided in NSW. The Ombudsman found that for families seeking support to care for children with disabilities, there was lack of clarity about how to access support and that the service system was fragmented and was characterised by poor coordination of support. A subsequent progress report in 2006 highlighted that while progress had been made to improve systems to support the provision of disability services, there had been no evaluation of the longer term impacts of the reforms on families requiring those services. In response to these reports, the Iemma government released Stronger Together, a 10-year plan to improve and expand services to people with disability and their families. The first five years were funded through an investment of A$1.3 billion and set out plans to increase capacity of the disability service system by 40 per cent. A subsequent four-year plan, released in February 2007 entitled Better Together, focused on improving ‘universal’ and ‘adapted’ services: such as childcare; school; before and after school care; and vacation care.^[4]

Between May and August 2010, the NSW Ombudsman consulted with over 300 parents and carers of children with disabilities in order to report against progress at the mid-way point of Stronger Together. A change in government delayed the release of the report. In its assessment of making access to disability services simple, in June 2011 the Ombudsman reported that:^[4]

Families told us that in their experience many health practitioners, social workers, and even some ADHC staff, lack knowledge about the specialist disability service system.

....that their calls to ADHC to seek assistance had not been returned, or there had been extensive delays before they received a call back. This included people who had reapplied for ADHC support after previously receiving some assistance. Other families said that they had received a swift response after contacting ADHC, including a home visit and assessment, but had heard nothing afterwards. Some parents and carers told us that they believed that they were on a waiting list for support, but when they contacted ADHC, found out that there was no record of their contact or they had not been added to the relevant waiting list.

...the work has been slow to date, and it is not yet clear whether the actions will address the problems raised by families.

References

↑ "Ageing, Disability and Home Care" (PDF). Annual Report. Department of Family and Community Services. 2011. p. 30. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
↑ "Ageing, Disability and Home Care" (PDF). Annual Report. Department of Family and Community Services. 2011. p. 34. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
↑ "About: Our structure". Ageing, Disability & Home Care NSW. Government of NSW. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
1 2 Barbour, Bruce; Kinmond, Steve (June 2011). "Consultations with families of children with disabilities on access to services and support" (PDF). New South Wales Ombudsman. pp. 1–5. Retrieved 27 April 2012.

External links

Departments and agencies of the New South Wales Government

New South Wales Government

Premier and Cabinet	Parliamentary Counsel's Office Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal Ombudsman's Office Public Service Commission Office of the Governor NSW Electoral Commission Ombudsman Venues NSW Sydney Cricket Ground Trust Sydney Olympic Park Authority Office of Sport NSW Institute of Sport Destination NSW Infrastructure NSW Natural Resources Commission Barangaroo Delivery Authority Audit Office Auditor-General Independent Commission Against Corruption Office of Western Sydney International Engagement

Justice	Arts NSW Art Gallery Trust Australian Museum Trust Crown Solicitor's Office Corrective Services Director of Public Prosecutions Fire and Rescue NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority Industrial Relations Commission Information and Privacy Commission Judicial Commission Juvenile Justice Legal Aid Commission Legal Profession Admission Board Liquor & Gaming NSW, formerly Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing Library Council of New South Wales Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Ministry of Police and Emergency Services Crime Commission Office of the Rural Fire Service Office of the State Emergency Service NSW Police Force NSW Trustee and Guardian Police Integrity Commission Public Guardian Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Screen NSW Sydney Opera House Trust Veterans' Affairs

Education	Aboriginal Affairs NSW Aboriginal Land Council Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards Charles Sturt University Council Macquarie University Council Southern Cross University Council University of New England Council University of New South Wales Council University of Newcastle Council University of Technology, Sydney Council University of Western Sydney Board of Trustees University of Wollongong Council

Family and Community Services	Ageing, Disability and Home Care Community Services Children's Guardian Advocate for Children and Young People Home Care Service of New South Wales Aboriginal Housing Office New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation Housing NSW Multicultural NSW

Finance and Services	Service NSW Office of State Revenue Valuer General NSW Self Insurance Corporation Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority Government Property NSW Teacher Housing Authority of New South Wales Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund Building Insurers' Guarantee Corporation State Records Authority New South Wales Government Telecommunications Authority Motor Accidents Authority WorkCover Authority Board of Surveying and Spatial Information Building Professionals Board NSW Architects Registration Board Rental Bond Board Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Luna Park Reserve Trust Internal Audit Bureau NSW Fair Trading Waste Assets Management Corporation Geographic Names Board NSW Public Works (including the Government Architect)

Health	Health Care Complaints Commission Sydney Children's Hospitals Network Agency for Clinical Innovation Bureau of Health Information Clinical Excellence Commission Health Education and Training Institute Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network Mental Health Commission Ambulance Service of NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Council of New South Wales Local Health Districts x 15 Statutory Health Corporations x 10 Health Administration Corporation Cancer Institute of New South Wales Office for Women’s Policy

Industry, Skills and Regional Development	Department of Primary Industries Crown Lands Division NSW Food Authority TAFE Commission Soil Conservation Service Local Land Services Cobar Water Board Dams Safety Committee Veterinary Practitioners Board NSW Rural Assistance Authority Essential Energy Ausgrid TransGrid Endeavour Energy Delta Electricity Hunter Water Corporation Sydney Water Corporation Forestry Corporation of NSW Game Council Water NSW Sydney Catchment Authority Office of Small Business Chief Scientist and Engineer

Planning and Environment	Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust Environment Protection Authority Historic Houses Trust Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust Landcom Lord Howe Island Board Office of Environment and Heritage Office of Local Government Parramatta Park Trust Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Sydney Living Museums Taronga Conservation Society Australia UrbanGrowth NSW Western Sydney Parklands Trust

Transport	Independent Transport Safety Regulator NSW Trains Office of Transport Safety Investigations Port Authority of New South Wales RailCorp Roads & Maritime Services State Transit Authority Sydney Ferries Sydney Trains Transport for NSW WestConnex Delivery Authority

Treasury	Liability Management Ministerial Corporation Long Service Corporation NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp) Office of Industrial Relations Residual Business Management Corporation SAS Trustee Corporation State Rail Authority Residual Holding Corporation

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