Behaviour Support Policy and Practice Manual is presented in two parts.

Part 1, Policy and Practice, is applicable to all disability services delivered or funded by The Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC). 

Part 2, DADHC Procedures and Templates along with the templates below, is specifically for services delivered by DADHC but is also provided to DADHC-funded services to support their own work processes.

Go now to: The Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care 
 

The Disability Council of NSW provided written and verbal testimony to the NSW Upper House inquiry by the Social Issues Committee into substitute decision-making for people lacking capacity.

The Council’s evidence was given in three parts.

1. Introductory remarks to the parliamentary committee by Andrew Buchanan, Chair of the Disability Council of NSW.
2. Written responses to questions from the Committee addressed specifically to the Disability Council of NSW.
3. Written responses to questions addressed to all participants in inquiry hearings.

Community Builders Funding Program is a community strengthening and capacity building program.

The Community Builders Funding Program funds projects that aim to build strength and capacity within communities. Community Builders Funding Program projects work within communities to enhance their capacity to deal with issues and respond to change.

A funding round will open on 2 November 2009.

Who can apply?

Non government not-for-profit organisations with an Australian Business Number (ABN) and local councils can apply for funds. For-profit organisations can apply too if they have a separate not-for-profit arm of their business.

Your project will need to operate in an area covered by the Community Builders Funding Program. The Community Builders Funding Program is available in certain local government areas (LGAs).

Go now to: communitybuilders.nsw - Funding & Awards - Funding programs - Community Builders Funding Program

Premier Nathan Rees honoured his commitment to ‘Forgotten Australians’ and apologised on behalf of NSW for the hurt and suffering many endured in care.

The apology was heard during a special service in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens before 500 of the estimated 200 000 people who grew up in orphanages, children’s homes and foster homes in NSW.

“Today will be an important marker in the lives of many people who have lived with sad and dark memories of their childhoods,” said Mr Rees.

“I hope the apology will help us all move forward.

The Premier announced a $9 million funding boost over five years for additional counselling support and training for care leavers.

“The funding is a practical way of helping many people who are still working through their experiences.

“We knew that many of those affected live with poor literacy and numeracy skills, long term physical and mental health issues and drug and alcohol addictions.

The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour,  tabled in Parliament volume one of his report of reviewable deaths.

This volume concerns the deaths in 2007 of 98 people with disabilities who lived in the care of disability services or licensed boarding houses. They included:

· 31 people who lived in accommodation provided by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC)

· 52 people who lived in non-government accommodation funded by DADHC

· 15 people who lived in licensed boarding houses

A 12-month inquiry into New South Wales child protection systems has recommended that only children suspected to be at risk of "significant harm" should be reported to the Department of Community Services (DOCS).

Justice James Wood's special commission of inquiry was set up after several children known to DOCS died within weeks of each other.

They included two-year-old Dean Shillingsworth, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase floating in a Sydney duck pond in October last year.

A month later, a seven-year-old girl was found dead in her home, weighing just nine kilograms.

In a report handed to the State Government today, Commissioner Wood says only 13 per cent of reports of at-risk children resulted in a home visit by a DOCS caseworker.