DISABILITY SERVICES
20/07/2012
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:34): I actually have two supplementary questions. My first is: what exactly is the eligibility criterion or the definition of critical need, which I think you mentioned would cover 800 people over four years, if I heard correctly? What is the definition of critical need in that sense?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. In terms of eligibility, part of the new system of individualised funding and self-management, as the honourable member would know, of course, is that the qualification will be that the person receives more than six hours a week of personal care. In terms of the eligibility criterion for accommodation, that really comes down to individual needs and is assessed on an individual basis.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:35): What supports are being given, or have been given already, to residents who have moved out of Strathmont to ensure that their mental health is affected as little as possible by the fact that they are moving out of what is for many of them the only home they have ever known?
The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:36): Throughout the whole process of moving our residents out of Strathmont, we have made sure that we have applied a very sensitive plan based on the person. Person-centred planning is the common phraseology we use. It is about spending some significant time to acclimatise the resident with the fact that they will be moving out. It is about consulting the resident about who they want to live with, whether they want to live closer to family or closer to existing friendships and connections in the community.
When they do move into community accommodation, they are, of course, usually in homes that have 24-hour care, and their needs in particular are matched with the needs of the other residents of the home they are moving into so that they form a very nice fit. I think I have mentioned in this place before that, even with the very best of person-centred planning, sometimes we fail. I think I have also mentioned previously that two people have moved back to Strathmont—two people out of our current displacement of residents—but we will be working with both of those people to make sure that they do move into accommodation that suits their individual needs. That may mean, for instance, that we do not put them in a group-share home. It may mean even looking at a smaller home or, in fact, supporting them in individual accommodation.
