Onemda Insight - Summer 2022 Edition

CEO Update
Meet Our Partner - Merri-bek City Council
Research & Innovation Update
Industry News & Updates
Onemda Services Update
- Group Services
- Therapy

CEO’s MESSAGE

Welcome to our Summer edition of Onemda Insight...

As the year draws to a close, I want to acknowledge the incredible work of the Onemda Council. Throughout the year they have given outstanding leadership and support to our participants. This includes providing regular advocacy and advice to our Board on matters important to our participants. They have established a participant orientation program for new staff, along with a new buddy program to welcome new participants to the service. Recently, at the national Contemporary Governance & Leadership Summit held in Brisbane, the Onemda Council were acknowledged for their work in influencing and shaping inclusive practice in a disability service.

In October our long-serving Chair Greg Schinck announced his decision to step down from the role. Greg has been an incredible support to the team throughout his tenure as Chair and helped shape the Board into a progressive, responsive and ethical governing body. Pleasingly, Greg will remain on the Board as a director and mentor. The Board unanimously supported the motion to appoint Bill Cracknell as Onemda’s new Chair. Bill has been serving Onemda for several years and brings extensive strategic, leadership and good governance expertise to the role. As a parent of a child with a disability, Bill has intimate knowledge of the needs of our participants and the important work Onemda strives to achieve.

With the pandemic orders winding up and life returning to the new ‘COVID normal’, Onemda’s service teams are also adjusting our operating practices. From January 2023 the service pods, which have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic, will be relaxed to enable greater flexibility in our programs and activities. Our staff will continue to wear PPE when appropriate and maintain safe operating practices; however, this shift is a welcome change for both participants and staff.

It is pleasing to see the federal government promising to get the NDIS back on track to its original purpose by stopping the waste, simplifying plans and fostering a vibrant and sustainable service sector. With this commitment, together with several key community partnerships and activities returning, an ongoing consolidation of our workforce, and increasing social opportunities for our community, we look forward to the new year with much optimism and excitement.

On behalf of the entire team at Onemda, I wish you all a happy, safe, and restful holiday season.

Warm regards

Simon

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MEET OUR PARTNER

Merri-bek City Council – New Name, Same Great Support

Merri-bek is one of the newest names in Melbourne, with the former area of Moreland – and its Council - changing its name to Merri-bek in September this year, in recognition of the traditional custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation.

But while the name, chosen by residents in consultation with Wurundjeri Elders, may be new, the Council’s commitment to community initiatives remains as strong as ever, as evidenced by their support for Onemda’s Lend A Hand Project which launched in Glenroy in November.

Lend A Hand is an exciting new program, first piloted in Melbourne’s East, which sees volunteers from Onemda’s Pathways to Independence & Employment program at the Glenroy Neighbourhood Learning Centre get out into their local community to help older residents with light gardening tasks and tidying up around the home.

The program is funded by a grant from Merri-bek City Council, Program participants have designed and developed the program, set up emails, created and distributed promotional flyers and purchased the necessary equipment and materials.

It is fantastic to have such a great relationship with Merri-bek Council, where we have such a strong and growing presence, and we thank them most sincerely for their ongoing willingness to collaborate with us and support our initiatives.

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RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Exciting Collaborative Research Project with Swinburne University

We are excited to be collaborating with MedTechVic – part of Swinburne University – on a project that aims to develop new insights into postural management.

Positioning can significantly impact on quality of life, with poor postural management potentially compromising breathing and swallowing, causing pain and discomfort, and leading to health issues like pressure injuries or infections. Positive changes to positioning can, therefore, deliver real benefits in health, wellbeing, independence and participation.

This project aims to develop new insights into postural management, with input being sought from people who need postural support and their support teams, including informal carers, support workers, and therapists.

The collected insights will be used to co-create a postural management experience map, which will pinpoint issues in the current approach and identify opportunities for improvement.

The research team is looking for three types of volunteers:

People who need postural support – to qualify you must be between 18-35 years old and need support for your posture / positioning. You may be unable to communicate verbally yourself, but you or your support person, should be able to communicate in English.
Informal or formal carers – as a family member or support worker of someone who needs postural support, you have implemented postural support for them. You must be over 18 and be able to communicate in English.
Allied health professionals with experience in positioning / postural management. You must be over 18 and able to communicate in English.

Your participation will involve spending between 15 minutes and an hour in a one-on-one interview, either online or in person, where you will be asked questions about your experiences with positioning or postural management. You’ll be offered an e-voucher for your time and your privacy and confidentiality is assured.

The potential benefits are many, with the insights you share being used to improve postural management approaches and develop resources that may well assist you and your support teams in the future.

If you are interested in participating, contact Paraskevi (Paris) Triantis at [email protected]

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INDUSTRY NEWS

2022 State of the Disability Sector Report Released

National Disability Services, the representative body for disability service organisations, has just released its annual State of the Disability Sector Report – and it makes for interesting reading.

The report, which is based on input from 364 disability service providers, provides a ‘health check’ on the industry. This year it is a mix of change and challenge – but with some glimmers of hope and what NDS describes as a ‘cautious expectation’ of positive change.

In presenting the report, NDS CEO Laurie Leigh provided a summary of its five major findings, which are:

That general economic pessimism is tempered by the hope that the NDIS Review will bring improvement
That recruitment and retention of the workforce is a worsening problem
That regulation needs to focus on making services safer for participants
That there is a lack of confidence in the direction of reforms in disability employment
And, that providers are fatigued by change but need reforms.

You can read her commentary here.

The full report is a weighty – but vitally important – document. If you are invested in the future of our sector, it is certainly worth reading the full report or checking out the quick fact sheet; you can access or download the report and fact sheet from the NDS website here. Both documents are available in accessible format.

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Round Up Provides Update on NDIS Review Progress

The government’s review into the NDIS is ongoing, and regular updates on actions and progress are available on the NDIS Review website.

In line with the government’s commitment to ‘listen and learn’, the NDIS Review panel recently met with NDIS participants, families and carers, and representatives of disability organisations in Canberra to hear firsthand their experiences, the challenges they face, and how they believe the NDIS could be improved for current and future participants.

A new ‘Have Your Say’ section has also been created on the NDIS Review website, providing lots of different ways for you to share your ideas, experiences and information to help the Review panel plan for the future. If you want to write a note, make a video, record some information or answer some questions, you can click here to go to the Have Your Say Page.

If you would like to get all the latest news and updates on the NDIS Review, you can subscribe here.

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TALKBACK: How Can We Afford the NDIS?

Dougie Herd, one of the NDIS Review panel, recently spoke to the ABC Life Matters program about some of the challenges the NDIS is facing, and why things need to change.

You can listen to this really interesting conversation on the ABC website HERE.

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Crackdown on NDIS Fraud Extended After Early Success

The NDIS Fraud Taskforce, which was formed to crack down on dodgy providers has recently been extended indefinitely, with the government saying Australians should be confident that NDIS funds go to provide the supports participants need – not to fraudsters.

The taskforce, which is a multi-agency partnership between the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Services Australia, has demonstrated early success, with a man arrested in October for defrauding the NDIS of more than $120,000.

The taskforce will now continue to work with the NDIS regulator, the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission and other bodies to continue to ensure plan funding remains protected and that criminals who attempt to misuse funding intended for participants are identified and apprehended. You can find out more about the NDIS Taskforce here, including how to recognise fraud.

In the meantime, remain vigilant to protect yourself and your Plan. Firstly, make sure you are not unintentionally misusing your own funds by checking the detail of your funding carefully so you know exactly what it has been allocated for. Secondly, be vigilant for any suspicious, illegal or unscrupulous behaviour. If you have any doubts or suspect fraud, you can contact the NDIS Fraud Reporting and Scams Helpline on 1800 650 717 or email [email protected]

Read more about this topic at Fraud and non-compliance | NDIS and check how the NDIS is safeguarding you and your Plan at For participants | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (ndiscommission.gov.au)

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Disability Royal Commission - UPDATE

Well over 6000 submissions have already been received by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, with the latest Public Hearing – number 31 – held from 12 – 16 December 2022. The theme of the hearing was a Vision for an Inclusive Australia.

As with previous hearings, this hearing was open to the public and livestreamed – you can find information and access the video of this, and previous, hearings, on the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability website.

This hearing was to explore what needs to be done to create a more inclusive society that better supports people with disability and examine the progress of the Australian Disability Strategy and how it is being implemented. The website says:

The hearing will explore innovative models and pathways that enhance inclusion and the realisation of human rights. Evidence will be heard from people with disability, academics, experts, organisations and advocates about topics including:

co-design, consultation and disability leadership
challenging ableist attitudes and behaviours
universal design, accessibility and technological innovation
the power of media, sports and community representation
reforming mainstream systems and services to be more accessible and inclusive.

As with every stage of this Royal Commission, the views and experiences of people with disability are at the forefront. We await more information on this hearing with great interest. If you want to keep up with the latest news releases, you can check the media page here.

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ONEMDA SERVICES UPDATE

GROUP SERVICES

A Positive Year Sets the Scene for Great Outcomes in 2023

Group Services is a diverse range of programs which cater for individuals with a range of different needs, abilities and aspirations. Delivering learning and activities in groups not only helps everyone build capacity and work towards their goals, but provides plenty of fun and social interaction – and the foundations set in Onemda’s Group Services this year are set to have some great outcomes in 2023.

Current participants across all campuses have been finishing up their programs after another year of learning, development and enrichment. It has been positive to reflect on people’s goals and to see the progress they have made – we have had some great achievements within the groups this year.

At the same time, each of Onemda’s campuses has been hosting Come & Try Days for potential new program participants, as they and their families research their options and find out about Onemda’s programs and holistic approach to helping them achieve their goals.

The feedback on the range of services, and complementary offerings like on-site therapy services, has been very positive and many have signed up already – some enrolled for an immediate start, while a large cohort of school leavers have enrolled to commence in 2023. Many of our campuses are already close to capacity, and we know demand will continue to be strong.

An example of positive feedback was a young man who communicates with Eye Gaze technology, who was able to tell Onemda staff at his Come & Try day that he was feeling really happy and had enjoyed the experience. He felt the High Care & Wellbeing program he’d experienced in Room 1 at Doncaster East that day was going to be of real benefit in fostering his ability to learn.

This year, after more than two years of disruptions due to COVID, we have focused on getting services back to normal, as far as possible, and it is great to look forward to a further easing of restrictions – and the wider range of activities that will make possible – next year.

Next year will see a continued return to this more ‘normal’ curriculum for all Group Services programs. Already, groups have enjoyed attending the Collingwood Farm and visiting local places of interest like cafés and shops.

All campuses have been able to take advantage of some warmer weather to engage in more outdoor activities, whether that be ball sports, sensory activities or gardening, and Lorene Moyle, Campus Coordinator, has recommenced the popular All Abilities Soccer Program which has been a real highlight for many participants in the Pathways to Independence & Employment program at Doncaster East, Glenroy and The Basin.

Speaking of contests, it was great for groups to engage in a Halloween decorating show-down between different rooms across the various locations. While Glenroy took out the hotly contested title this year, the judges really had a tough time – every campus looked amazing, and those who participated reported that they had the ‘best time’ creating their spooky décor.

With the relaxation of COVID restrictions meaning activity pods will only be needed in 2023 should a local outbreak occur, we are looking forward to more friendly competitions and cross-campus activities in the New Year.

Next year will also see a continuation of the important alliances which support learning and development pathways, with several Adult Community Further Education (ACFE) courses being organised through our partnership with Box Hill TAFE across several campuses and more work experience opportunities being arranged through CVGT and our employment partners.

Building on an expanded team, which has seen several new Educator Support staff members come on board recently, we are looking to further develop and expand our program reach, and to reintroduce extended services and other key activities which we know have been greatly missed.

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THERAPY

Maintain Your Wellbeing over the Holidays

The holidays are coming up, which means that regular therapy sessions will also be taking a break – so how do you make sure you maintain all the benefits of therapy to your health and wellbeing over the Christmas period?

Onemda’s Therapy Services will close on 23 December 2022 and will resume on Monday 9 January 2023. Onemda’s Therapy Services team say it’s important to keep up your exercise program as much as you possibly can over the break.

Here’s the five reasons regular exercise is good for you...and some advice and resources to help keep you on track!

Keeping active is important for all of us, to keep our minds and bodies happy and healthy.
Regular exercise can help prevent or reduce the risk of many health problems.
Exercising regularly maintains your strength, mobility, flexibility and overall fitness.
Use it...or lose it! Stopping your exercise program for too long usually means you will lose some of the progress you have made.
Keeping up your exercise helps you continue to work towards achieving your goals.

Onemda’s exercise physiologists and physiotherapists can provide a home exercise program for you and help train family members and carers to help you exercise safely over the break, so don’t hesitate to chat to your therapist for their advice and assistance.

If you’re looking for a good resource to help keep you on track, the Exercise Right guidelines which have been released by Exercise & Sports Science Australia are terrific – you can download those guidelines from our website by clicking here.

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