Engagement forums: Growing voice and safety
This event was on
This engagement has now concluded. Up to date information on these services is available on our Growing Voice and Safety webpage.
The services will aim to increase the focus on the voice, good lives and human rights of disabled people, while also reducing the risks and occurrences of neglect and abuse in services. Note that the implementation of these services is dependent on funding.
The proposed services
- A disabled person-led peer monitoring service: This service would provide a way for disabled people’s voice to be heard, initially focused on those disabled adults most at risk and who would have the most difficulty exiting an unsafe situation. The service would employ/contract disabled people and whānau who would visit disabled people who may be at risk, talk with them to find out if they are ok and take action if they are unsafe.
- An intensive quality improvement advisory service for providers: The advisory service will assist providers who need to improve their support of disabled people who are considered most at risk, or who wish to develop their service in line with the principles of Enabling Good Lives. The advisory service would assist providers to improve what they do, building leadership and collaboration within their work.
How can disabled people and whānau give their input?
We have already engaged with many disabled people and family networks and a series of meetings are underway.
We will also be holding three community Zoom open forums in May, which you are warmly invited to. These forums will have NZSL interpreters.
The key questions we will be covering in the community forums are:
- What are the most important things to pay attention to for peer monitoring to be successful?
- What do providers need help with so they are better at supporting disabled people to live their good life?
- What are the top 3-4 priorities we should focus on in the peer monitoring service design?
- Idea for names instead of ‘peer monitors’?
Note that these forums will be focused on input into the design of these services. There will be opportunities later in 2023 to provide input into the wider work to develop a transformed quality framework and quality mechanisms.
Discussions about other matters, such as funding or contracts, will not be covered in these service design forums.
How can disability support providers give their input?
We are holding four provider Zoom open forums in May, which you are warmly invited to.
The key questions we will be covering in the provider forums are:
- How could the proposed intensive advisory service most usefully assist providers to support disabled people well?
- What are the top 3-4 priorities we should focus on in the service design?
- What are the most important things to pay attention to for peer monitoring to be successful?
- How might the peer monitoring service benefit your service or the disabled people you support? (explore benefits, challenges, risks, opportunities)
Note that these forums will be focused on input into the design of these services. There will be opportunities later in 2023 to provide input into the wider work to develop a transformed quality framework and quality mechanisms.
Discussions about other matters, such as funding or contracts, will not be covered in these service design forums and can be discussed with your Whaikaha Portfolio Manager.
Who is working on the project?
Whaikaha has contracted Sue Sherrard and Kate Cosgriff to lead the service design project. Sue is a disabled leader based in Auckland and Kate is based in Tauranga. Both Sue and Kate have extensive experience in the disability sector, including Enabling Good Lives.
The disability community partner for the project is the Whaikaha Insights Alliance. Their membership is tripartite, that is tāngata Whaikaha Māori me ō rātou whānau, disabled people and families and Whaikaha staff.
You are very welcome to email your feedback directly to Sue and Kate directly at: sue.sherrard010@whaikaha.govt.nz