4 February 2016
Policy and research update
With the biggest reform to disability policy in Australia just over the horizon – the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – Youngcare has continued to be a prominent voice in the sector.
In November, Youngcare was invited to the announcement of the Queensland lifetime care and support scheme for people catastrophically injured in traffic incidents. This initiative will cover those not currently supported by third party insurance schemes – about half of all Queenslanders severely injured in a road traffic crash – to fund the care and support they will need across their lifetime. Youngcare fully supports the initiative, which is part of the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS), and will bring Queensland in line with the rest of Australia.
Youngcare also hosted the inaugural ‘Getting Home: Accommodation Solutions’ Think Tank in Sydney last December with a selection of the best minds from the the disability, property, government and policy sectors as well as young people living with disabilities all in one room. Delegates focused their efforts on finding workable solutions to address the severe shortage of housing options for people with a disability in the lead up to the NDIS rollout. After a day of in-depth discussion encompassing all areas of appropriate accommodation for young Aussies with 24/7 care needs, the forum delivered tangible, key recommendations to be taken forward to The Senate Joint Standing Committee for the NDIS and Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and toward the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Framework.
L-R: Senator Rachael Siewert (WA Greens), Di Winkler (CEO, Summer Foundation), Senator Linda Reynolds (WA- LNP), Bronwyn Morkham (CEO –Young People in Nursing Homes Alliance), Nic DeLuca (Managing Director, De Luca Corporation and Chairman, Youngcare), Minnie Saxina (NDIA), Matt Kayrooz (Executive Manager NSW CTP Portfolio, Suncorp Group).
Front: Todd Winther (Youngcare Wesley Mission Sinnamon Park Brisbane Resident), Samantha Kennerley (CEO, Youngcare).
