BigDog Newsletter June 2022

Rain, rain and more rain 1

Netflix is celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day with expanded languages, screenings and a new collection. The platform is beefing up its audio descriptions (AD) and subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) offerings in more languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean. The platform is spotlighting this work in Celebrating Disability with Dimension collection, which highlights stories focused on people living with disabilities. The collection has over 50 shows and films with characters or stories about people living with disabilities.

In This Issue 2 Editor’s Notes 3 NDIS Intentions 4 All Inclusive Sport 5 NDIS Updates

6 Healthy Mind 7 Community Partnerships 8 Circle of Relationships 9 NGO Training Infographic 10 Toowoomba Community 11 Rockhampton Community 12 WHS—Aggressive Behaviour 13 Staff Updates 14 What’s happening in June

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BigDog Support Services Magazine

By Erin Turner Manners In 2009, the Productivity Commission considered how to fund a national long-term disability care and support scheme. From the inquiry, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was born.

The NDIS was intended to bring specialist disability services under a single umbrella, moving away from the previous fragmented and ineffective disability system and to serve three communities: For every Australian (Tier 1) the NDIS would provide insurance against the costs of support in the event of acquiring a significant disability.

For all people with disability and their carers (Tier 2) the NDIS would provide information about care and support options for disabilities and service providers, and referrals to services for which the NDIS was not directly responsible: ie mainstream services and community groups. The goal was to promote community engagement and employment for people with disabilities.

For people with significant and long-term disabilities (Tier 3) following an assessment process, the NDIS would provide individually tailored supports. This third function would account for most of the costs of the NDIS. The main principles underpinning the NDIS were: • Promoting the participation and inclusion of people with disability in the community: to improve the wellbeing of people with disability and their carers and reduce the longer -term costs of care and support.

• Engaging the community to raise awareness and change attitudes about disability, and support the participation of people with disability in community activities. This brings benefits to the whole community.

• Giving ‘choice and control’ to people with disability to enhance wellbeing, independence and social and economic participation. People with disability are better placed to know what they need, and decision-making power should be given to them, rather than government and service providers.

• Certainty of lifelong support to provide a certain and sufficient source of future funding for proper life planning for people with disability.

• Greater sustainability to build a sustainable and efficient scheme through strong governance.

The NDIS is designed as a social insurance model.

This approach reflects that disability arises socially rather than medically and guarantees services to insure people against long-term or ongoing risks.

The NDIS is also part of Australia’s efforts to meet our international human rights obligations, including under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This includes the rights of people with disability to access the community, live independently, participate fully in all aspects of life and to have choices equal to others.

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Clive Berghofer Stadium

Sponsoring Inclusive Sports Thanks to Mal and the NRL for hosting our all abilities day with the Western Clydesdales RLFC. Everyone had a great time!

Unfortunately the shirts were late, so we’ll wear them next time!

Rockhampton Leagues Club Capras May 27 2022 BigDog Support Services are a sponsor of the CQ Capras Women's BMD Premiership, big thanks to Steven Paull, Simone Heit and all the great people at BigDog Support Services.

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BigDog Support Services Magazine

Are NDIS Plans being cut?

Sara Gingold DSC In a world of competing NDIS narratives, it’s not easy to feel you have an accurate sense of what is going on with the Scheme. For months now, we’ve all been hearing horror stories about plans slashed at review while simultaneously being told that the NDIS is forking out more cash than ever before.

So what’s actually happening?

The NDIA is keen to hammer home the message that the average amount paid on behalf of participants is going up each year, feeding fears about Scheme costs. As we can see in the graph, there was an 11.5% increase in the average payment per participant between 2018 and 2021, and a median increase of 18.2%. Importantly, these figures represent the amount participants are spending—not the amount put in their budget.

Or are there just a few bad Planners out there, undermining a system that—by and large— works?

In the second quarter of this financial year, 34% of complaints received by the NDIA related to NDIS plans, compared to 14% in all previous quarters combined. There has also been a 400% increase in external reviews—a figure that is even more alarming in the context of more plans being rolled over.

If you’ve been paying attention to NDIS data over the last two years, you’ve probably seen a graph like the one below, charting the increase in average spend per participant.

All of these are signs that the impact of plan reductions is being felt in the community and cases of individual plan cuts often hit us harder than statistics.

Does the data support Bill Shorten’s accusation that there is an ‘undeclared war’ on the NDIS?

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The Black Dog Institute - Healthy Mind Designed using psychological strategies from the professional health community and tested by people with intellectual disability, this Easy Read website empowers people to take charge of their mental health and gives carers and supporters an online tool designed specifically for the people they care for and about.

Recognising feelings Noticing your feelings Talking about your feelings Breathe and relax Relaxing your breathing Relaxing your body Taming anger Calming anger Talking when you feel angry

Having more fun Enjoyable activities Planning activities Tackling unhelpful thinking Managing unhelpful thoughts Focusing on helpful thoughts Online at https://www.healthymind.org.au/#

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BigDog Support Services Magazine

aaa aaa

Steven at the Business Brews and BBQ at the Toowoomba Indoor Sports Club sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce

Paul Myatt Community Centre

May/Jun Magazine WhatsUp in Disability Stories in this issue include: • Manny’s Moment • Meet the Groom Candidates • Plan Management • Blessed to be Disabled To obtain a copy of WhatsUp in Disability magazine or to be a sponsor, please contact WhatsUp via: Office

11-15 Alexander Street, Toowoomba

Email

admin@whatsupindisability.org

Online

www.whatsupindisability.org

• Tamworth Country Music • PITC Program

Steven Paull President 7

Purple—Private Circle

Yellow—Handshake Circle

You are important and you decide who can You can say NO. touch you.

No one can touch you unless you want to be No one should touch you unless you want to touched and be touched and You can use a handshake to greet this person You do not touch other people unless they if it feels right for you… want to be touched ...

Blue—Hug Circle

Orange—Wave Circle

Sometimes you may not feel like being touched.

You wave to an acquaintance who is too far away for a handshake.

If you do not want to, you must say / or communicate STOP and

It is best to wave to children. Children do not know as much as you, so it is best to show them the correct behaviour ...

Your partner can say STOP to you too…

Green—Faraway Circle

Red—Stranger Circle

Sometimes a friend may want to be closer to you than you want.

You may talk about business to a stranger who is a community helper.

You just say to your friend STOP

If a stranger touches you after you have said STOP, go get help and tell someone…

You may give a faraway hug only on special occasions...

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BigDog Support Services Magazine

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The Force was with us!

Wow didn’t May go fast Toowoomba day service had some big adventures, Star Wars theme lunch, and on the menu was deep-fried nuna legs aka chicken. Back to social bowling on Tuesdays as well as Thursdays. Music Therapy is now on a Monday as well as the library. Some of the team made it to the footy in the rain but had a great day.

Cancer Council Australia’s biggest morning tea was a big hit with amazing food and heaps of fun.

EPIC Science Day was a colourful mess we made fluffy slime and changed white flowers to rainbow colours. Gloopy goo and a heap of mess but everyone had fun. Even in all this rain, we have had in Toowoomba we have been out and about for lunch at Bettys Burgers. This week we have a Street art tour followed by lunch at The Walton stores. Next week we are ready to tee off at mini-golf, In the last Friday of the month, we have decided to wind down with a day service movie day and homemade pizza oh exciting.

Birthday shout out to Azad Happy Birthday have a wonderful day.

BigDog Day Service Toowoomba Paul Myatt Community Centre 11-15 Alexander Street North Toowoomba 4350 Coordinator Jess Wright Phone: 4512 6020 dayservice@bigdogsupport.com.au 10

BigDog Support Services Magazine

Containers for Change Every week we collect our recyclable bottles and cans and head off the our local Containers for Change depot. Not only are the guys learning about the importance of recycling, they are saving up for their end of year trip.

New Building Plans

Admiring modern art???

Look out for some changes to occur in the next few weeks as we are looking at selling our East Street building and moving into a larger and better suited Community Centre and administration offices. The property also comes with a Respite house and sporting facilities, and what’s more—plenty of off street parking. We are excited!

BigDog Day Service Rockhampton BigDog Community Centre 170 East Street Rockhampton 4700 Coordinator Caleb Tull Phone: 4573 4611 rockhampton@bigdogsupport.com.au

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Aggressive Behaviour Training

Criminal Code 1899 Sect 271

Paul Myatt Community Centre

Self-defence against unprovoked assault

Saturday 4 June 12:15 pm to 2:15 pm

When a person is unlawfully assaulted, and has not provoked the assault, it is lawful for the person to use such force to the assailant as is reasonably necessary to make effectual defence against the assault, if the force used is not intended, and is not such as is likely, to cause death or grievous bodily harm.

This is compulsory training for anyone who is working in the Group Centre and beneficial training for all other support staff.

The types of challenging behaviour you are likely to encounter will depend on your work role and your position within BigDog. The training is conducted by 2 qualified Australian Army trainers who have conducted a previous session with us this year and was considered to have been the best training of its type by all who attended.

In threatening situations it is common to feel fear, anxiety and anger. To manage incidents involving aggression and violence effectively it is crucial to remain in control of your actions.

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The session includes:

} Why are people aggressive } Early signs of aggression } STAMP } Environmental considerations } Self-control } Actions to avoid Bookings are essential.

BigDog Support Services Magazine

Performance Appraisals Now in week 5 we are reaching 75% completion of the appraisals and overall there has been an excellent result.

Staff Birthdays

Areas requiring attention include the following:

} 2nd COVID-19 booster. If you haven’t had yours you need to get it now. National Health requirements.

} Supporting participant goals. With the introduction of CareMaster and PATH planning these will become an integral part of your participant support program.

} NGO Training 10 modules to complete your probation and then 20 modules in the first year. There are plenty of additional modules available but we need to reach an overall completion rate of 80% to upload another 50.

June 2022 1st 7th 9th 11th 12th

Shift Notes and Travel Logs

14th 15th

Congratulations to the Toowoomba team for achieving 100% in Shift notes!!!

27th

Steady improvement with Rockhampton now sitting at 76% compared to a few weeks ago.

Reminder to have all shift notes submitted at the end of shift and checks are done weekly on a Monday.

Ethan Steve A Mugisa Takai Brad Laura Wilson Zev Hannah Herman (21st) Jackson Tracy

Have a great day!

Reminder for the travel log as people are still not completing it at both sites!

Welcome to Jacinta Gomes new Child Safety Coordinator

Superannuation As required by Federal legislation, superannuation contributions have increased to the rate of 10.0% of ordinary wages from 1 July 2022. Unless otherwise agreed to, BigDog will be paying the rate of 10.5% to all employees.

An additional BigDog contribution above this rate may also be paid for excellent work performance or as part of a managerial appointment.

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Glenvale Park Glenvale Monday 6 June 10am to noon Supporting Motherhood is hosting a fun day for your little ones to enjoy some activities out in the sun and make some new friends!

Brady’s Naming Ceremony Paul Myatt Community Centre Sunday 5 June 11am For our invited guests ,we are having a small dedication ceremony for Brady Carroll and we hope to see you all there.

11465 Warrego Hwy Kingsthorpe June 7—9

9am to 5pm daily

FarmFest is the one-stop farmer's shop, showcasing and demonstrating a vast range of new products and services, highlighting new technology and innovation and providing information to professionals on the land.

Fitzy’s Atrium Thursday 22 June Addressing professional challenges and responsibilities from a range of business professionals in our region.

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BigDog Support Services Magazine

Justice of the Peace This service is available at the Paul Myatt Community Centre 11-15 Alexander Street Toowoomba (please call first to make an appointment) The JPs in the Community Program is also available through major shopping centres, libraries, court houses and hospitals.

Contact Us BigDog Support Services

232 Ruthven Street Toowoomba QLD 4350 PO Box 234 Harlaxton QLD 4350

(07) 4632 9559 1800 22 44 32 www.bigdogsupport.com.au 15

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BigDog Support Services Magazine