1996-1997
6.1: Access and Participation by People With a Disability
The 1996-97 Portfolio Budget Statements, informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to portfolios outcomes and their objectives and targets including the agencies within the Health and Family Services portfolio.
Objective
- To foster the development of environments and supports that promote participation and choice in work and community life for people with a disability.
Goals
- An integrated disability employment service system responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.
- Community support that encourages participation and helps carers.
- Better outcomes from funded services for people with disabilities.
- Equity of access to services and support.
- A more positive image for people with disabilities in the community and a greater voice in decisions that affect them.
- Improved accountability of purchasers and providers of specialist disability support services.
Strategies
- Manage disability programmes to develop integrated funding arrangements for disability employment support and vocational rehabilitation services that:
- encourage effective, flexible and innovative service delivery based on the needs and preferences of individuals; and
- distance the Commonwealth from direct service provision by introducing a purchaser/provider split for vocational rehabilitation services.
- Pursue equitable access to specialist disability support services on the basis of support needs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, ethnicity, gender and geographic location.
- Establish clear and more transparent links with mainstream labour market programmes.
- Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure outcomes for consumers, and to provide a basis for continuing improvements.
- Develop a quality assurance mechanism for all Commonwealth funded disability services.
- Re-negotiate with State and Territory governments a new Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement that clarifies roles and responsibilities and is consistent with the Council of Australian Governments principles for health and community services, incorporating agreed goals, objectives and eligibility criteria and clear accountability.
- Facilitate implementation of responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act to promote an awareness of the rights and abilities of people with disabilities.
- Undertake a comprehensive review of the nature, scope and value of existing advocacy services.
Performance Indicators and Targets
Effectiveness
- Number of clients supported by disability employment services.
Targets:
- Four per cent increase over previous year.
- Establish reliable baseline data on people placed in open employment.
- Progress made on Departmental Action Plan under the Disability Discrimination Act.
Efficiency
- Average total cost per client for employment services and cost per client placed in employment.
Target: Establish baseline data and monitor in future years.
- New agreement in place with States and Territories to replace the existing Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement.
- Average cost per client for advocacy services.
Target: Establish baseline data and monitor in future years.
Quality
- The development of a quality assurance model agreed by industry and government.
Equity
- Establish baseline data on proportions of special needs groups (based on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, ethnicity, gender and geographic location) in funded disability employment services compared with proportions in the general population.
Budget Measures
Savings
Cessation of the Disability Services Quality Council
Financial Implications
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.7 | -1.1 | -1.1 | -1.2 |
Purpose of Measure
This measure notes the abolition of the Disability Quality Council. Quality initiatives will be pursued through mainstream programmes rather than using specialist disability ones.Top of page
Intended Impact of Measure
A quality assurance scheme for disability services will be pursued as part of funding reforms over the next 12 months. The new scheme will be developed in consultation with people with disabilities, their families and with industry stakeholders. The newly established Ministerial Disability Advisory Council will play an important role in future industry development, together with ACROD and other peak bodies. The existing standards will be reviewed. New standards benchmarks will be established, which are tailored to the needs of the disability services industry but which are simple to measure and to implement using proven mainstream industry based mechanisms.Application of Efficiency Dividend to Commonwealth Own Purpose Outlays and Specific Purpose Payments of a Running Costs Nature
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-6.5 | -18.8 | -25.3 | -32.0 |
Across-the-Board Reduction of 2% in Running Costs
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.3 | -0.3 | -0.3 | -0.3 |
