Nineteen participants attended a morning of information and activities designed to raise awareness about communication difficulty. Kelsey and Meredith provided strategies that support people to communicate more successfully, including an introduction to Key Word Sign.
Signing together
Participants included disability support workers, parents and family members of people with communication difficulty, and NDIS support coordinators.
Communication with Key Word Sign
Here’s what some participants said about the training:
“it is very important for all disability support workers/community services to attend this type of training; especially support workers”
“Good short course, great to have 2 presenters!”
“Very descriptive and covered areas interesting regarding my employment”
“ Very entertaining and informative…”
More workshops are planned in other LGA’s including Wodonga and Alpine
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been described as the biggest change in social services in 30 years and offers people who have received very little services in the past the opportunity to access life changing funding. But big changes can be disruptive and a bit scary, and the question on everyone’s mind is how to navigate the planning process to ensure that loved ones get the funding they need.
Planning for an NDIS planning meeting is one of the most important things people can do to ensure they get funding for communication supports that will make a difference in their lives. So, the North West Regional Communication Service has been offering information sessions to support people to do this. Two information sessions have been run, and included information and discussion about setting goals, the range of communication aids available and where to go for support. These sessions were attended by adults with disabilities, their families and support workers. Many of the people who attended had not accessed speech pathology services in a long time and were excited about the possibilities that are now available.
Exploring communication aids and strategies
The information sessions generated a lot of discussion about how to navigate a new system that can seem quite alien and daunting. People who attended said that it was extremely beneficial to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with others going through the same process.
The groups recognised how very important it is to be prepared and organised well before your NDIS planning meeting to make sure you get the most out of your NDIS plan.
Here some of the tips suggested:
Be prepared and organised well before your planning meeting
It is
recommended to start planning 3 months before your next review. There are lots
of different ways to get prepared including planning workbooks and group
sessions.
Collect any
recent assessment reports and recommendations from existing service providers
to bring to your planning meeting.
Think about your goals
Any services requested must directly link to your goals. Think about what
your long and short term goals are and what supports you need to achieve these.
You can
talk to your current service providers for support in writing goals.
Use the
language of the NDIS
It is a good idea to link your goals to the buzzwords of the NDIS. This
will help your planner to understand that your goals are in line with the goals
of the NDIS. Think about how your goals fit in with the following areas: Daily Living, Home, Health and
Well-being, Lifelong Learning, Work, Social and Community Participation,
Relationships and Choice and Control. The NDIS price guide can be a good tool to learn the
lingo.
Write a written justification if you didn’t use all the
funding in your plan
There are
many reasons why a person might not use all the allocated funding in their
plan. There might be long wait lists for services, limited services available
in rural and regional areas or an illness in the family. It is a good idea to
write down why specific funding hasn’t been used and specify that it is still
needed for the next plan.
Know that Support Coordination is available
Support Coordinators are people who can help you make the most out of
your funds by linking you in with service providers and helping you understand your
plan. You can ask for this to be
included in your NDIS plan.
Seek support from others
It can be overwhelming to have to find services, manage
funding and navigate a whole new system. Talk to family and friends about your
experience and ask them to share theirs with you. Do they have a great speech
pathologist that they can pass on to you? Can they pass on pearls of wisdom for
preparing for planning meetings? It can make us feel supported to connect with
others who are going through similar experiences.
Other tips
You can have more than one communication aid funded
Provide a quote where possible
Ask to see the plan before it is finalised
Bring someone with you to the planning meeting
Ask for a review if you are not happy with the plan
Swallowing assessments and reviews are currently being funded
by the NDIS
Organisations or groups in the North West Metropolitan Region can contact the North West Regional Communication Service if interested in hosting an information session facilitated by the North West Regional Communication Service.
East Hume Regional Communication Service facilitated a very successful Talking Mats training day in Wodonga this week. Karyn Muscat from Zyteq presented to an enthusiastic fourteen participants from across the Wodonga and Wangaratta regions.
They included Local Area Coordinators, support coordinators from disability and mental health agencies, as well as speech pathologists and disability support workers. A number of those attending also had family members with communication disabilities and were interested in gaining new skills to support their communication.
The session also provided networking opportunities. There were some very interesting conversations about the current disability services landscape. The session also highlighted the role of the Regional Communication Service in advocating for people with communication disabilities and their support networks and the practical services we can provide.
Here’s some of the feedback on the day:
“I came to the training with a specific resident in mind, but I got so much more. I can see this being beneficial for all of our guys”
“This will help me better support the vulnerable people who use our service with their decision making”
We were thrilled to be able to provide such a useful resource to a wide range of services and feel that it is a positive addition to the skills of disability services in our region.
