AUGUST 7, 2018 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Fight for autism care By Tate Papworth Parents and carers have vowed to fight for service provider Autism Plus. Friends of Autism Plus members say they are extremely fearful for their loved ones’ futures if the government decides to close down this service provider. Administrators appointed by Health and Human Services Minister Martin Foley were to hold an information session in St Albans on Monday night, for families, guardians and carers of Autism Plus clients. Jeff O’Donnell, a member of the Friends of Autism Plus, said he and many other families required the services of the provider.
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Bewitched by short films
Come out and speak to the families who use this - Jeff O’Donnell service
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“Myself and a host of other families will be fighting to ensure nothing changes in terms of the service provided,” Mr O’Donnell said. “Autism Plus service some of Victoria’s most complex clients suffering from severe autism, with many of the clients having previously being housed in institutions, nursing homes. “Where other service providers have turned these people away, Autism Plus has taken them on. My son is one particular case, where his condition has improved markedly since Autism Plus took him on.” The service provider hasn’t been without its critics. An Ombudsman report released last year said Autism Plus and the Department of Health and Human Services put clients at risk by failing to move a group home resident who was accused of sexually assaulting vulnerable housemates. Ombudsman Deborah Glass said the events raised serious concerns about the suitability of Autism Plus to provide programs and care for department clients. While accepting the service provider has had its failings, Mr O’Donnell said it remained essential. “People tell me to read the Ombudsman’s report,” the Caroline Springs resident said. “Let me tell you, I’ve read it cover to cover. It’s one thing to read the report. But come out and speak to the families who use this service – walk in the shoes of the families who deal with this every day.”
Organiser Steve Pereira is ready to roll the movies. (Dennis Manktelow)
Filmmakers will embrace their inner ghouls at Sunshine Short Film Festival’s most spooktacular edition yet. This year’s festival, with a theme of “CarnEvil”, will run on Halloween (October 31) and entrants are being urged to turn to the strange and unusual as the focus of their five-minute films. For festival organiser Steve Pereira, the change of pace from last year’s “Beautiful Sunshine” theme is a reflection of how the festival has grown. “We first started this festival as a way of celebrating local culture … but as we’ve grown we’ve got more recognition and we can look a bit more broadly,” he said. “Horror has always been one of the most popular themes in past years, but it’s also about the carnival, the circus and the oddities of human existence … we want to say, let’s bring them out and enjoy the fact that we’ve got so many different, odd, and eccentric people.” As with previous years, there will be three age group categories – primary school, secondary school and open. The winner of each category will take home $1000, while the judges’ award for the best film overall will win $3000. “Entries can be anything from 30 seconds to five minutes, so it’s very achievable and we have a wide variety of films each year,” Pereira said. “What this festival also does is feature people from a wide variety of ethnicities, who don’t see themselves on the big screen or they are in very prescribed roles. “We get to be our heroes here, and tell our stories the way we want to tell them.” Details: sunshinefilmfestival.com.au Ewen McRae