NSW commences privatisation of group homes

Parents, guardians of intellectually disabled people and community 
groups are mobilising for a campaign against the NSW State Government's 
plans to contract out — put to tender — up to 75 per cent of publicly-
owned group houses set aside for intellectually disabled people.

The NSW Department of Community Services runs 255 such homes for 1,200 
residents.

Group homes usually accommodate three to six residents, with a support 
worker either living in or visiting regularly. Residents have the normal 
responsibilities of daily life, such as cooking and housework; but they 
also have assistance and access to medical facilities, help with budgeting, 
etc.

Group homes can be expensive to run, as in some cases 24-hour supervision 
is needed to manage medication and handle behavioural and other problems.

Helen Seares, chairwoman of the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability 
explained that the Department of Community Services (DOCs) is proposing to 
invite non-government organisations and anyone else who is interested to 
submit expressions of interest for up to half to three-quarters of the DOCS 
homes.

"First of all, there has been no consultation with any of the people living 
in the group homes or their families or their guardians or advocates", said 
Ms Seares.

"The second issue is that it would appear to be a purely cost-saving 
measure although the Minister says that it is not and that the money saved 
would be re-allocated to the disability sector."

Despite these assurances it is understood the money would go back to 
Treasury. The amount of money being talked about is between $10 million and 
$12 million.

The Council for Intellectual Disability doubts that non-government 
organisations can look after people with disabilities as well or as cheaply 
as the DOCS can.

The DOCS has a big training budget for staff that non-government 
organisations do not have. Despite the fact that DOCS is still unable to 
provide all of its staff with adequate training, there is even less money 
available to NGOs to train staff properly. 

"There's no type of accreditation of workers there [private sector] and 
sometimes people like backpackers are being recruited to come in virtually 
off the street and work with people with disabilities", Ms Seares said.

DOCS also has access to clinical resources and behavioural support 
resources that non-government organisations don't have.

This is of vital importance as people may have multiple disabilities and 
easy access to medical professionals is absolutely necessary. It's an 
under-resourced service but it is still better than nothing.

Ms Seares says that it will be those with the lowest support needs who are 
handed over to NGOs, leaving the DOCS to manage the group home residents 
with the most severe behavioural problems and/or high medical support 
needs.

"DOCS will be left with the hardest cases and people will be labelled as 
`unteachable', etc, because they are in the DOCS service which adds to the 
stigmatisation of individuals."

During the last term of the Carr Government the then Minister Ron Dyer gave 
a guarantee of "life-time support of service" to people in group homes.

When these people's services are going to be `re-auspiced' the service 
providers are given an out if they consider they are not able to provide a 
service to a person any longer.

They can just stop giving them the service. What happens then? If the DOCS 
downsizes considerably, will they be able to take people back?

Will people be sent back to live with their families? Will they be fobbed 
off to boarding houses or institutions? 

And what if for-profit outfits move in?  Will families be burdened with 
heavy fees?

There is no guarantee from the Government that any of these issues will be 
resolved in the interests of the patients. 

"Real anger is coming from people in the community", says Ms Seares.