❓ Hon. Stephen Dawson questions the Minister for Disability Services regarding funding cuts to the Lower Great Southern Family Support Association (LGSFSA). The Minister confirms funding changes due to audit findings but assures continued support for families.
AnsweredQoN 1258Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DISABILITY SERVICES COMMISSION — LOWER
GREAT SOUTHERN FAMILY SUPPORT ASSOCIATION — FUNDING
1258. Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON to the Minister for Disability Services:
I refer to recent correspondence from the Disability Services
Commission to families receiving assistance from the Lower Great Southern
Family Support Association.
(1) How much
funding has the state government allocated to LGSFSA for each of the past five years?
(2) How many
families have been supported by LGSFSA for each of the past five years?
(3) Will the minister
confirm that all funding to the Lower Great Southern Family Support Association
will cease from 29 November 2014?
(4) If yes to
(3), on what grounds has the commission decided to cease all funding to LGSFSA;
and how many families currently receiving assistance from LGSFSA will be
supported by the commission; and will the level of expenditure allocated to
assist families be reduced in any way?
GREAT SOUTHERN FAMILY SUPPORT ASSOCIATION — FUNDING
1258. Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON to the Minister for Disability Services:
I refer to recent correspondence from the Disability Services
Commission to families receiving assistance from the Lower Great Southern
Family Support Association.
(1) How much
funding has the state government allocated to LGSFSA for each of the past five years?
(2) How many
families have been supported by LGSFSA for each of the past five years?
(3) Will the minister
confirm that all funding to the Lower Great Southern Family Support Association
will cease from 29 November 2014?
(4) If yes to
(3), on what grounds has the commission decided to cease all funding to LGSFSA;
and how many families currently receiving assistance from LGSFSA will be
supported by the commission; and will the level of expenditure allocated to
assist families be reduced in any way?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) In 2009–10,
it was $1 181 941; in 2010–11, it was $1 693 292; in 2011–12,
it was $2 408 830; in 2012–13, it was $2 506 096; and in 2013–14,
it was $2 516 039.
(2) The number of
families that have been supported by the Lower Great Southern Family Support
Association for each of the past five years is not available because a
significant number of families have accessed small amounts of brokerage funding
or support.
(3) When people
with individual funding packages change to another service provider, their
funding package will be directed to the new service provider to provide their
services. The timing of this is dependent on the date of transfer to the new
provider. The Lower Great Southern Family Support Association has managed a
brokerage budget through which carers of people with disability can access
small amounts of funding to arrange their own supports. A project officer has
been appointed to manage the brokerage funding, which will not be directed
through the association after 31 December 2014. The project officer is located
in the Albany local area coordination office.
(4) I am advised
that an independent audit found that the Lower Great Southern Family Support
Association met only two of the nine disability services standards, with a
total of 23 breaches. The organisation was unable to remediate the breaches and
for that reason the Disability Services Commission has advised that it will not
direct funds through the organisation in the future. A project officer has been
appointed and funding is not being reduced.
(1) In 2009–10,
it was $1 181 941; in 2010–11, it was $1 693 292; in 2011–12,
it was $2 408 830; in 2012–13, it was $2 506 096; and in 2013–14,
it was $2 516 039.
(2) The number of
families that have been supported by the Lower Great Southern Family Support
Association for each of the past five years is not available because a
significant number of families have accessed small amounts of brokerage funding
or support.
(3) When people
with individual funding packages change to another service provider, their
funding package will be directed to the new service provider to provide their
services. The timing of this is dependent on the date of transfer to the new
provider. The Lower Great Southern Family Support Association has managed a
brokerage budget through which carers of people with disability can access
small amounts of funding to arrange their own supports. A project officer has
been appointed to manage the brokerage funding, which will not be directed
through the association after 31 December 2014. The project officer is located
in the Albany local area coordination office.
(4) I am advised
that an independent audit found that the Lower Great Southern Family Support
Association met only two of the nine disability services standards, with a
total of 23 breaches. The organisation was unable to remediate the breaches and
for that reason the Disability Services Commission has advised that it will not
direct funds through the organisation in the future. A project officer has been
appointed and funding is not being reduced.
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