Sexual Assault and Cognitive Impairment: Information for Workers, Carers and Consumers

Sexual Assault and Cognitive Impairment: Information for Workers, Carers and Consumers

WELCOME

Hello, and welcome to the weekly update from the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit (DARU). If you would like to be removed from this list or kept up to date another way, please reply to this email and let us know.

DARU has been funded by the State government. It is run by a governance group, including members of the Victorian Disability Advocacy Network (VDAN), and the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS). DARU’s staff currently includes a Co-ordinator, Sharon Granek, and a Project Administration Officer, Leah Hobson.

We are always happy to hear from people who are interested in what we do. If you have a question, an idea, some news you’d like to see in the next update, or even if you just want to tell us something we’re doing is good or bad, get in touch! Call us on 03 9639 5807 or email Sharonor Leah.

EVENTS

Sexual Assault and Cognitive Impairment: Information for Workers, Carers and Consumers

When: 9:15 – 4:15 31st October 2007

Where: Yvonne Bowden Auditorium, Basement Level, The Royal Women’s Hospital, 132 Grattan StreetCarlton

Registration: To RSVP, call (03) 9257 0133 or email Family Planning Victoria

Cost: $20 for workers, discounts available

What to do, where to go and what to expect. Sessions will include:

Background – Research, Issues and Projects

Services Providers – Issues and Responses, and

Concurrent workshops

A PDF copy of the flyer (including a draft program) can be found here.

Australian Employer’s Network on Disability Seminar: Embedding Reasonable Adjustments

When: 9:00am – 2:00pm 1st November 2007

Where: Telstra Conference Centre, Level 1, 242 Exhibition StreetMelbourne

Registration:RSVP by 5pm Friday 26th October 2007 to Rachel Butler on (02)9261-3922 or email Rachel. A PDF copy of the registration form can be downloaded here.

Cost: Members $345 + GST / Non- members $475 + GST

The topic of the seminar will be "Embedding Reasonable Adjustments"; the policies and procedures that are required to ensure that Reasonable Adjustments become an integral part of an organisation's systems.

These policies and procedures form part of the foundations that must be in place to actively and successfully recruit and retain employees with disability.

The half day seminar will be a highly interactive session incorporating case studies, presentations and group workshops. Information to be covered will include:

- Case studies from IBM Australia, Telstra and ANZ

- Presentations from the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission and Diversity Council Australia;

- An overview of the JobAccess system, including examples of typical adjustments and an outline of the approval process.

The information provided will be highly relevant and practical, and will assist your organisation to become a confident and proactive employer of people with disability.

SPEAKERS

Mr Graeme Innes AM, Human Rights Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Disability Discrimination, Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission

Ms Fiona Krautil, Head of Diversity and Women, ANZ

Mr Mark Morley, Senior Diversity Specialist, Telstra Corporation

Ms Morgan McAllister, Workforce Diversity Program Manager, IBM Australia & New Zealand

Ms Nareen Young, CEO, Diversity Council Australia

Anti-Poverty Week Policy Forum

When: 2:00pm – 4:00pm 16th October 2007

Where: Fitzroy Town Hall Reading Room, Napier Street Fitzroy

Registration:RSVP to Sarah Howe via email or by calling (03) 9349 7903

Local Responses to Poverty: Socially Sustainable and/or Band Aid Solutions?

Local governments have neither the resources, the legislative or the taxation power to alleviate poverty. Yet our role is critical in the face of continual cost shifting.

Despite perceptions that the Cities of Boroondara and Yarra are places of great wealth, there are still pockets of disadvantage where families and singles are struggling to make ends meet. To make a difference, we’re working with local communities and welfare groups to try and address the underlying causes of poverty, such as food insecurity and social exclusion.

If you are interested in:

-the extent of food insecurity and social exclusion

-access to emergency relief and material aid

-the role of local government

-innovative local responses and partnerships

-Implications for social sustainability, health and wellbeing

Come along to hear:

-Di Cummins, Foundation Boroondara Executive Officer

-Cr Beth Davidson, VLGA President

-Rod Wilson, Inner East Community Health CEO

-David Ring, St Mary’s House of Welcome Social Worker

-Marnie Wilson, RDNS Homeless Person’s Program Nurse

Afternoon tea provided.

Australia Fair Election Forum

When: 5:15 – 7:30pm Tuesday 23rd October 2007 (5:30pm start)

Where: Wesley Uniting Church, 128 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne

If one in ten Australians is missing out on a fair go, is Australia fair?

Hear Victorian candidates from major parties outline their policies to make Australia a fair and inclusive place to live at this *free* public event.

WIRE Seminar: Stalking

When: 1:00 – 2:30 Thursday 22nd November 2007

Where:VictoriaRoom, 4th Floor, Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, 210 Lonsdale StreetMelbourne

Registration: To RSVP, phone (03) 9921 0878 or email WIRE. A PDF flyer for the event can be downloaded here.

Stalking affects 1 in 10 Australian adults. Yet, there are few
specialist services designed to meet the special needs of stalking
victims. Early intervention to bring stalking to an end and protect the ongoing mental health of victims is critical.
Dr Rosemary Purcell, Senior Research Fellow at the University of
Melbourne, has researched and published widely on stalking. Research she published in 2005 revealed that 75% of stalking victims are female.
Dr Purcell will present this free seminar. She will discuss her
findings, as well as:
• Why people stalk
• The impact on victims
• Approaches to managing this crime
• Q & A time
There will also be pamphlets to take away for further support.
This session is for anyone effected by, working with, or simply wanting to find out more about stalking.
WIRE is hosting this important and much-needed seminar as part of our activities to mark White Ribbon Day on 25 November and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence that follow.

PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES

Report: The Overlooked Consumers – 20% of the Population with Disabilities and Older People

The paper explains the vast access problems encountered by people with disabilities and older people in accessing consumer electronics and home appliances. It discusses some strategies and design approaches which can be adopted to improve the situation. It then collates and summarises work being done, including initiatives, research projects, guidelines and standards, and concludes with recommendations to the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission aimed at improving the situation in Australia.

You can read a full version of the paper online here.

DVD ‘Beyond Expectations: Profiling People with Disability in Employment’

This DVD presents video profiles and stories of 55 people with disabilities (hearing, physical, learning / neurological, intellectual, psychiatric, vision) who are succeeding in the workforce. These can be enjoyed by case workers, teachers, family members etc. The DVD aims to assist in career planning, to increase employer awareness and expectations, and to alleviate misconceptions about OHS implications of people with disabilities undertaking certain occupations.

For information or to obtain the DVD:

email:

Phone: 9244 5098 or 9244 5059

Mail: TAFE NSW Disability Programs Unit, Level 16, 1 Oxford Street, Sydney 2010

Official Launch of an Online Resource for Parents of a Child with a Disability

The Raising Children Network launched a disability section on the Raising Children Website to provide resources and support for parents of a child with a disability.

The Raising Children Website aims to resource and support parents in raising children from birth to school age. Funded by the NSW Government Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC), the new disability section addresses common issues and concerns of parents, such as:

· Parent reactions to a disability diagnosis.

· Helping siblings of a child with a disability.

· Working with professionals and accessing services and support.

· Choosing childcare and a school.

· Routines, play, health and fitness for children with a disability.

You can access the website here.

Melbourne City Mission TIME Out Sibling Support Group

Melbourne City Mission’s TIME Out program runs groups for siblings of children with a disability. TIME Out stands for “This Is Me Everybody!”

TIME Out sibling support program aims to give young people:

-an opportunity to develop confidence

-strategies and skills for living in a family where there is a child with a disability

-the chance to get to know others in a similar situation

-time to have fun

For more information, contact Meg Moorhouse, TIME Out Program Coordinator on (03) 9385 3211 or by email.

IN THE NEWS

Victorian Government’s Discrimination Appeal Fails

September 26, 2007

THE State Government has failed in its bid to appeal against a landmark tribunal decision that found it had discriminated against a student by not providing a teaching aide.

Year 10 RingwoodSecondaryCollege student Rebekah Turner took her discrimination case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and won in May.

The decision found Ms Turner, 16, who has a severe language disorder and learning disability, was "indirectly discriminated against" because of learning difficulties that entitled her to classroom assistance such as a teaching aide.

Read the rest of this article here.

New Australian Government Funding for Children with Autism

Media Release, 3rd October 2007

Prime Minister John Howard

Today I am very pleased to announce that the Australian Government will provide $190 million in funding over five years to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), their parents and carers.

There are major gaps in the provision of services for children with ASD. We know that the more we help these children early in their lives the easier it will be for them to attend school and to participate in every day life.

Under this initiative, the government will provide:

  • new Medicare funded services to diagnose ASD and provide specific follow-up services;
  • early intervention services for approximately 15,000 families of children aged 0 to 6 diagnosed with ASD;
  • training and support so that parents and carers are better equipped to assist their young children;
  • workshops and information sessions for parents and carers with school-aged children with ASD; and
  • professional development for 450 teachers and other school staff each year.

For more information, view the full press release online.

ALP: Specialised Early Childhood Centres for Children with Autism

Press Release, 8th October 2007

Kevin Rudd MP, Jenny Macklin MP and Jan McLucas MP

Federal Labor will establish specialised child care and early intervention services – six in the initial stage – for children with autism.
As a first step, there will be up to six specialised early childhood centres. Parents know that mainstream child care environments can be overstimulating for children with autism, making it difficult for them to develop new skills. Children with autism are better supported in services that take an autism-specific approach.
Federal Labor would make sure that our specialist child care centres would provide programs delivered by staff with specialist training, and a physical environment which provides appropriate stimulation. The specialised child care and early intervention centres will be built on appropriate sites across Australia to provide dedicated early intervention and care for children with autism spectrum disorders.

For more information, view the full press release online.

PAID AND VOLUNTARY POSITIONS

MetroAccess Worker – City of Brimbank

Closing date: 15th October 2007

Brimbank City Council is committed to mobilising a range of supports and resources in local communities which will enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families, and address issues of regional isolation and marginalisation from community life. There is a critical need for the disability support system and the mainstream community to develop a broader range of strategies which incorporate direct support of individuals and
community building initiatives that challenge the disadvantage people experience as a result of disability.
MetroAccess Project Officer will play a pivotal role in local communities integrating a range of intervention strategies which will build and resource local community services, disability support providers and people with disabilities and their informal support networks. Critical outcomes will include, individual empowerment and choice; resilient, manageable and meaningful family life; enabling communities that promote social cohesion and solidarity; coordinated and coherent local planning; effective and
efficient use of local resources; more opportunities - better access to people, places and key community events and activities.

For more information, view the job advertisement and information here.

Send your application addressing the selection criteria and quoting
Job Reference No. to:
Recruitment Officer,
Human Resources Department
Brimbank City Council
Po Box 70
Sunshine 3020
or email to

Department of Human Services Project Manager – Aids and Equipment Program

Closing date: Tuesday 23rd October 2007

POSITION DETAILS
Title: Project Manager Aids and Equipment Program
Classification: VPSG-5
Division/Branch: Disability Services Division Community and Individual Support Branch
Work Location: 7/50 Lonsdale StMelbourne 3000
Position Number: DHS/DIS/130369.
Employment Type: Full time Fixed Term eighteen months
SalaryRange: ValueRange 1: $69,584 - $76,886
ValueRange 2: $76,887 - $84,190
Further information: Rina Sherry
Phone: (03) 9096 2832
Position reports to: Manager Resource Optimisation

Reporting directly to the Manager, Resource Optimisation the
Project Manager is primarily responsible for providing
authoritative advice and expert project management direction
for Resource Optimisation projects including the Aids and
Equipment Program. Key responsibilities will include
development and implementation of future service directions
for the Aids and Equipment Program arising out of the recent
review of the program and the development of new program
initiatives including the vehicle modification subsidy scheme.
Communication and implementation of change management
strategies including undertaking complex projects for statewide
application are features of this position thus, the incumbent will
need strong relationship management knowledge and skills and
the ability to provide solutions to complex issues. The position
operates within the DHS project management framework,
standards and principles.

Do you have a passion for influencing community and industry
awareness and providing quality services to people with a
disability and the frail aged?

Are you interested in developing policy direction and program
structure?
For more information, visit the DHS recruitment website.