Disability Federation of Ireland Newsletter January 2008

Issued on January 1 2008

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The Right Living Space

The Housing and Accommodation Needs of People with Disabilities

DFI and the Citizens Information Board (CIB) are pleased to announce the launch of a joint report, 'The Right Living Space. The Housing and Accommodation Needs of People with Disabilities'. This Report will be launched by Mr. John Gormley, TD, Minister for Environment Heritage and Local Government on the 15th January at 10.30 am in the Mansion House. Members of DFI's Housing Sub Group were instrumental in getting the project underway.

This joint report, the result of a two-year research project on housing for people with disabilities, focuses on the experience of people with disabilities and the voluntary organisations working with them in accessing appropriate housing. It also considers the implications for housing and accommodation policies. The report is timely in light of Governments commitment in social partnership and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government Sectoral Plan to develop a Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities. It is anticipated that this report will be a key document informing the work of the consultative committee under the DoEHLG who are charged with the delivery of this commitment.

Recommendations from this report include:

Assessment of housing needs should include protocols for systematic consultation with individuals, and where appropriate, advocates to ensure that people's wishes are understood and accommodated
Local authorities should give a person with a disability a housing services statement (akin to the service statement required for the health and education services in the Independent Needs Assessment required under Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005) setting out the type of housing and supports s/he requires and the timeline for their delivery
There should be substantially increased provision of housing supports for people with disabilities and more provision for different models of support at both personal and community infrastructural level
A community based case-management approach should be applied to identify and meet the housing and related support needs of people with disabilities
Sufficient resources should be provided to ensure that strict enforcement of Part M of the Building Regulations following the introduction of new regulations and strengthening of enforcement mechanisms

To mark the importance of the report, DFI would like to invite you to attend the launch of this report:

Date: Tuesday, 15th January 2008
Time: 10.30 am Sharp
Venue: The Oak Room, Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2

For further information, to request a copy of this report, or to confirm your attendance, please contact :
Margaret Zheng
Tel: 01 6059021
Email: margaret.zheng@ciboard.ie

DFI Operational Plan 2008 - 2010

This is the second Operational Plan (OP) under the Strategic Plan 2004 - 2010. In compiling this Plan we have evaluated our previous OP and have reflected on the changes that have occurred around us.
Since our National Council adopted the Strategic Plan, we have seen the emergence of very significant policy developments in the disability area. This has included the National Disability Strategy (NDS) and its reflection in Towards 2016, the social partnership agreement

A significant change is that we are now operating in an environment where there are bench markers and time frames around implementation and monitoring of the delivery of the NDS. It is important that DFI would calibrate its work to take this into account.

The OP sets out targets, Expected Outcomes and Key Performance Indicators across four areas:

Support and Service Provision
Influencing Policy
Building a National Platform
Strategic Implementation Framework

Through this Plan we are focusing on assisting organisations to respond to the many policy changes which will effect how they will deliver services and advocate on behalf of people with disabilities. This includes assisting organisations to build their internal capacity and to adapt to providing services in an emerging mainstream context.

In relation to Government policy on disability the OP focuses on how DFI and our member organisations can adapt to the role of monitoring, ensuring that all that has been committed to in the NDS will be delivered.

Throughout all of our work in the coming years will be the continuation of our objective to build coherence and relationships across the disability sector.
Finally we identify the actions that will help to support DFI to build our own capacity.

There is much to be gained by people with disabilities over the coming years. It is our intention that this OP will assist us in supporting our member organisations to secure as much as there is to be gained.
The OP is available on the DFI website.

Multi-Annual Funding A Disappointment In 2008 Budget

In launching the National Disability Strategy the Taoiseach announced the Government's commitment to a multi-annual investment for disability specific services over a five-year period. For each of the past three years, the investment programme has been used to create additional residential, day and respite places for people with disabilities. It includes annual funding for 255 new residential places, 85 new respite places and 535 new day places in the intellectual disability and autism areas. In regard to services for persons with physical and sensory disability annual funding was to be provided for a further 80 new residential places and 250,000 additional hours of personal assistance / home supports services.

DFI recognises the significant additional investment already made to disability services since the introduction of the National Disability Strategy. However, it was disappointed that the Government did not take into account inflation when calculating multi-annual funding for 2008. This year the Minister announced €50m to be allocated in line with the original multi-annual commitment in 2006. This is compared to €75m provided in 2007.

It is unclear how the Government will deliver the same number of additional key services when inflation and the increasing costs of staff / services are taken into account. Furthermore, it is unrealistic to expect the same amount of funding to stretch across disability services as it did in 2006. This could lead to significant under-resourcing of the disability sector and negatively impact people with disabilities in society. DFI will continue to seek further clarification from the Government and examine what services will be affected.

Local Implementation of NDS and T16

For the commitments in the National Disability Strategy and Towards 2016 to bring improvements for people with disabilities, they must be implemented effectively on the ground. Local Authorities are key players in this regard. They supply community buildings and other infrastructure as well as a range of services that should accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. Also through the County / City Development Boards they support the planning of co-ordinated services across independent agencies including the HSE.

Each Local Authority is required to prepare and implement a plan that incorporates the obligations set out under the Disability Act 2005. In order to support this work and to provide Local Authorities with templates for drafting their plans and to promote good practice, the Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) established a Disability Act 2005 Steering Group. Their activities can be viewed on http://www.la-accessibility.ie .

During 2008 DFI will be seeking ways to improve both the knowledge of voluntary organisations about local authority representational mechanisms, and access to those who make decisions that effect their members.

DFI is making a presentation at the next meeting of the LGMSB Steering Group on 23 January. The aim is to identify areas of mutual concern between the disability voluntary sector and the local authorities. From this base, possibilities for working together can be explored to facilitate progress in implementing the NDS and T16.

Sectoral Plan of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government

The second meeting of the Disability Act Sectoral Plan Advisory Committee took place in December, 2007. The DOEHLG admitted at the outset that decentralisation and other pressures have adversely affected staff resources for progressing the strategy.

Some limited progress was reported, as well as disappointments for example in the transfer of functions to the Department of Transport. Fourteen Local Authority Implementation Plans had been received by the Department out of the 34 that were due.

Housing

There was a discussion of the need for better assessment of the unmet housing need amongst people with disabilities. It was pointed out that the implications of deinstitutionalisation must be planned for. It was estimated that this would mean some 3,000 persons seeking alternative accommodation.

The Department said that HSE / local authority protocol governing support costs for social housing projects for people with disabilities was close to completion, with a view to implementation early in 2008. Representatives from the voluntary sector strongly cautioned the Department against an arrangement that could stall investment. Given the difficulty of obtaining advance commitments by the HSE to revenue funding, it was proposed that the protocol approve a project if it was agreed that there was unmet need for such a project.

Voting

Although the Department reported that its target for supplying accessible information about voting had been met, the voluntary representatives were sceptical about the outcome. They pointed out that these materials had not been disseminated to their organisations for distribution on the ground to people with a disability.

Community and Voluntary Sector

A representative of the local authority sector raised two issues. He referred to the frustration at the County / City Development Boards when other agencies do not co-operate locally in co-ordinating services. He suggested that the voluntary sector could lobby for better participation. He also suggested that the voluntary disability sector was not well represented in the Community and Voluntary Forum in some areas, and he pointed out that in his county at least this was where the Authority looked for a representative voice for the sector.

National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities

This National Group, promised under NDS and T16 to progress the National Housing Strategy, has begun work. The Group plans to meet every two to three months. There are 24 members, consisting of six officers from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, four representatives of the Local Authority sector, the Department of Health and Children, NDA, from the Irish Council for Social Housing, the Mental Health Commission, the Homeless Agency and the ICTU. The Carers Association represents the Community and Voluntary Pillar. The voluntary disability sector is represented by the six members of the DSG. DFI is presented by Martin Naughton.

At the inaugural meeting Batt O'Keefe, TD, Minister of State for Housing Urban Renewal and Developing Areas addressed the Group. He emphasised the Department's efforts revising the housing adaptation grant schemes, agreeing protocols between local authorities and HSE to exchange information and co-ordinate housing and supports for projects, developing new guidance for local authorities in assessing housing need and revisiting Part M. He also singled out for attention the inclusion by local authorities in their Housing Action Plans of specific strategies to respond to the accommodation needs of people with a disability.
The National Disability Authority contributed a paper to the Group which identified key priority areas. The paper highlighted the importance of streamlining inter-agency working and the need for the Group to consider new financial arrangements such as a shared funding stream

"which could be drawn down by local authorities and the HSE to provide housing supports for people with disabilities in a synchronised way."

DFI pointed out that the Group needed to ensure monitoring arrangements that would reveal the extent to which we have succeeded in achieving the objectives of the NDS and T16. It is DFI's view that voluntary disability organisations working on the ground are best positioned to gauge progress. For him the proper test is not whether or not a policy or programme had been changed but whether that change results in the lives of people with disabilities moving closer to the vision agreed by the social partners.

The second meeting of the National Group takes place on 15th January. The Newsletter will provide regular updates on the Group's progress.

DFI will be meeting with members of its Housing Subgroup soon afterwards to plan how best to embrace the work developing the housing strategy and how to measure the strategy's impact. For further information please contact Lillian Buchanan at the Dublin DFI Office.

What do you know about the new Charities Legislation?

If your organisation is from the voluntary sector it will impact on how you do business for the future.

P.J. Cleere DFI Support Officer South East is planning an information session on the new legislation for February 5th in a Carlow venue. This session is intended to inform you about the legislation and to give you an overview of what the legislation has in store for the voluntary sector, how it may impact on your daily work, and to inform you around any additional responsibilities and / or liabilities you may have to meet following it's introduction.

It is hoped that the session will help us answer whether we as a sector and as individual organisations are prepared for the changes?

If you might be interested in such a session please respond to me directly at pjcleere@disability-federation.ie or at 086 3811064 before January 15th at the latest and please indicate whether sign language interpretation might be required.

National Physical and Sensory Disability Database (NPSDD)

Update Part 1

Following the DFI 'Information is Power' day we are pleased to announce that a demonstration of the NPSDD system will take place on Wednesday 27th February 2008. This session will show you how information is recorded and managed on the system; in addition to how to use and report on this information.

If you would like to find out more information on the NPSDD and / or the demonstration on 27th February, please contact Mary-Ann O'Donovan at (01) 2345117 or modonovan@hrb.ie
Attendance at this session must be confirmed by Friday 8th February 2008 with Mary-Ann O'Donovan (contact as above).

Update Part 2

A review of the Access Protocols guiding access to information on the NPSDD took place in 2007. This was led by the Health Research Board and involved a subgroup from the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database Committee. The changing organisational structure of the HSE and the introduction of new posts under the Disability Act 2005 were drivers for the review. The main aim of the review was to ensure the continued protection and confidentiality of information provided through the NPSDD data collection process.

For more information on the review and / or the updated Access Protocols, please contact Sarah Craig at (01) 2345113 or scraig@hrb.ie .

Update Part 3

The NPSDD has released their second edition of the MAP Bulletin which documents the results from the World Health Organisation's Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS II) section of the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database. The document also highlights the value of this information in service planning. The bulletin provides an overview of the functional ability of a sample of 5,191 people who completed the MAP section of the dataform in 2006. Service information provided by the people who have indicated some difficulty in WHODAS II is examined in the document and examples are provided that are indications of the potential within the data to assess the effectiveness of service interventions for people who are registered on the NPSDD. For further information or for copies of the bulletin, please contact the Health Research Board on 01 234 5000.

The National Adult Education Learning Council

The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Seán Haughey, responded recently to a PQ about the National Adult Education Learning Council. This Council was disbanded in 2003, after one year of operation. The Government stated that a strategic review of the role and functions of the Council was undertaken to address concerns that had emerged. The review is still under consideration by the Department of Education. The Minister promised to make a decision soon on the best way forward. He said that,

"The decision will be based on how best to provide in the most cost-effective manner for the learning needs of young people who leave school early or who may not wish to progress directly into employment or higher education and of adults seeking second-chance education in the adult, further and vocational education sector. It will also be necessary in that context to take account of existing provision and structures."

SKILL Programme Update

SKILL stands for Securing Knowledge Intra Lifelong Learning and is aimed at increasing the education, training and development of support staff and their supervisors in the Irish health and personal social services. DFI supports the delivery of the SKILL Programme to DFI member organisations. As part of SKILL Programme, training is provided free of charge to organisations and a financial contribution will be made from the SKILL Programme funding towards the cost associated with participants attending programmes - this amount has been significantly increased to a sum of €3,500 per person per programme for each participating DFI member organisation.

Training and up-skilling of staff within organisations is critical to the growth of the disability voluntary sector. Expressions of Interest are available from the DFI website or by calling (01) 4547978. Deadline for submission is 15th February 2008.

In the meanwhile all interested staff are encouraged to attend SKILL Programme Briefing Sessions running throughout the country from 16th January 2008 until 14th February 2008 to get a full understanding on the potential of this training. Briefing Sessions run from 10.00 am until 12.00 pm. Additional sessions may be arranged on demand. For any queries please contact Cathy McGrath on 01 4250124. Full information on the SKILL Programme is available from the website www.skillprogramme.ie.

SKILL Programme Briefing Sessions

Date Venue
16th January 2008 Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise
17th January 2008 Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny
18th January 2008 Radisson SAS Hotel, Sligo
23rd January 2008 Radisson SAS Hotel, Galway,
24th January 2008 Tullamore Court Hotel
24th January 2008 Radisson SAS Cork Airport,
28th January 2008 HSEEA Tele-Theatre, 63-64 Adelaide Rd., Dublin 2
30th January 2008 Hilton Hotel, Limerick
1st February 2008 Cavan Crystal Hotel, Cavan
1st February 2008 South Court Hotel, Raheen, Limerick*
5th February 2008 Manor West Hotel, Tralee
6th February 2008 Radisson SAS Hotel, Dublin Airport,
7th February 2008 Traveller's Friend Hotel, Castlebar
12th February 2008 Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford
13th February 2008 Red Cow Moran's Hotel, Dublin
14th February 2008 Fairways Hotel, Dundalk
* This is a DFI run event

Partners Wanted For Exciting Telephone Support Pilot Project

Community Network is seeking organisations to work with them on piloting a new approach to social inclusion and low level care. Since 1989, Community Network, a UK registered charity, has used telephone conference call technology to develop the concept of social telephony as a means of combating social isolation. With a client database of 760(plus) voluntary and community groups last year it facilitated circa 9,000 conference hours.

Community Network offers voluntary and community organisations a cost-effective opportunity to reach out to and support individuals by telephone networking from their own homes. For individuals unable to physically attend a meeting, a conference call will allow them to contribute to, and remain a part of, the wider community. Friendship circles, carers' support meetings are all held over the phone - new friends made and stories told.

Community Network is seeking a range of organisations for this exciting pilot. This is a free opportunity to test out a new way of working and see if and how it will work for your organisation. Each participating organisation will have one telephone conference a week for a six month period for 6 - 8 participants plus a host.

The host, a volunteer from your organisation, will be trained, by Community Network in how to manage the conference call and maximise the experience for all concerned. Everyone will be called out from Community Network and therefore not incur any costs at all.

Contact julian@community-network.org and tell them why you think your organisation should be part of this opportunity. As a big response is expected to this offer please reply as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment.

No special equipment needed to take part - just a phone and no costs to participating organisations. For more information visit www.commuity-network.org . BT is sponsoring this project.

Funding

Grundtvig In-Service Training Grant

The objective of the Grundtvig In-Service Training for Adult Education Staff action is to help improve the quality of lifelong learning by giving those involved in the delivery of adult education in the formal and non-formal sectors the opportunity to develop skills in areas such as coaching, counselling skills and training methodology.

Applicants can undertake training of up to six weeks.

For further details and application forms please consult www.leargas.ie/education/grundtvig/action3.html
or contact Denise Shannon at Léargas 01 - 873 14 11
email education@leargas.ie

Training

OpenIT seminars

DFI have partnered with the Wheel and Enclude to promote a series of workshops to help organisation better manage their ICT needs. Other partners include the Third Age Foundation and INOU . Each workshop will take place from 9.00 am - 12.30 pm in the Carmelite Community Centre, Aungier Street, Dublin 2.

12th February Manage your Communications
20th February Manage your Information
13th March Manage your IT Strategy
8th April Manage your Finances

Each event has a €20 registration fee. The fee includes materials on the day, opportunities for the follow-up phone calls, refreshments and a light lunch.
The flyer can be downloaded from the DFI website. For further information please contact The Wheel, Irish Social Finance Centre, 10 Grattan Crescent, Inchicore, Dublin 8, Ireland. Tel 353-1- 454 8727, Fax 353-1- 454 8649, E-mail: register@wheel.ie , Web: www.wheel.ie .

Carmichael Centre Training Programme Spring 2008

Within the community and voluntary sector the struggles of juggling long-term vision with daily work demands, ongoing funding concerns and increasingly complex needs can be challenging. To deal with these challenges the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups have developed a comprehensive training programme to increase the effectiveness and impact of your organisation.

Leadership & Governance

Effective Board Meetings (Cork) 6th March, 2008
Board Roles and Responsibilities (Galway) 19th April 2008
Effective Board Meetings 17th May 2008
Board Roles and Responsibilities 8th March 2008

Developing Your Organisation

Stress Management 13th March 2008
Risk Assessment 27th February 2008
Conflict Resolution 9th April 2008

Planning

Time Management 20th May, 2008
Monitoring & Evaluation 14th & 15th May 2008

Fundraising

Corporate Fundraising 6th March 2008
Writing Funding Proposals 5th March 2008
Developing a Fundraising Strategy 19th February 2008

Financial Management

Finance for Non-Financial People 16th April 2008

Administration

Managing your Information 21st February 2008
Producing an Annual Report 21st May 2008

External Relations

Effective Press Releases 3rd April 2008
Marketing your Organisation 20th February 2008

Service Provision

Setting up a Support Group 12th March 2008

Human Resource Management

Dealing with Grievance & Disciplinary Issues 30th April 2008
Developing your Staff Management Skills 26th February & 10th April 2008
Dealing with Grievance & Disciplinary Issues (Cork) 4th March 2008

Venue:
Dublin: Carmichael Centre, in either Coleraine House or Carmichael House.
Cork: Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind National HQ & Training Centre, Model Farm Rd
Galway: Westside Community Development Resource Centre, Seamus Quirke Rd.

Times:
10.00 am - 4.00 pm (Full day), 10.00 am-1.00 pm (Half day)

If you would like further information about these courses or future training events, please call Danielle on 01-873 5282, Fax: 01 873 5283 or email tssinfo@carmichaelcentre.ie .

Respond! Housing Association Education & Consultancy: Training and Seminars

Respond! is the only agent in Ireland delivering training and education courses for the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has released its latest training schedule. Some of the Training Courses with Continuous Professional Development Points available are:

Good Practice in Rent Arrears Management
Managing Neighbourhood Disputes
Improving your Team's Performance
Racial Harassment in Housing
Strategies for Dealing with Anti-Social behaviour
The Emotional Consequences of Death in Sheltered and Supported Housing
Community Care and Mental Health
Managing your time
Chairing productive meetings
Inclusion and Social Lettings

For full details log on to www.respond.ie and Click on 'Education' and then 'Consultancy' or email education@respond.ie to receive a brochure.

IPA Learning and Development Programmes

The Institute of Public Administration's January to March 2008 Learning and Development Programmes schedule, which lists the training courses, certificate and diploma programmes and seminar / briefing events which take place in the first quarter of 2008 is now available.

A new programme of seminars 'A-Z of Irish Government' , which will be launched in February 2008. These seminars have been developed for civil and public servants to provide an improved appreciation and understanding of the key aspects of government in Ireland.

If you would like further information about any of the events, please contact the IPA Central Bookings Office on 01-2403666 or emailing training@ipa.ie . Alternatively, you can also log onto the training section of the IPA website www.ipa.ie/training where you can access course details or download a course brochure.

General Notices

IASBAH 40th Anniversary Conference

"A Fuller life with Illness and Disability" is the theme of the International Conference organised by Irish Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IASBAH)
Date: Fri, 9th May - 10th May 2008
Organisation: Irish Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IASBAH)
Address: Radisson SAS Hotel, Little Island, Cork
For further information please contact The Irish Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Tel: 01 457 2329, web: www.iasbah.ie.

Adult Learners Festival

The second annual nationwide Adult Learners' Festival will take place from February 4th to February 8th 2008! AONTAS the National Adult Learning Organisation, will invite the education spokespeople from all political parties to outline their priorities on the last day of the festival on February 8th 2008.

If you would like more information on how to get involved in the festival, just email mail@aontas.com AONTAS or call on 01-4068220.

DFI Newsletter Information

DFI Newsletters are available for download from our website:
www.disability-federation.ie

Send newsletter submissions by e-email to:
newsletter@disability-federation.ie

Send newsletter subscription requests by e-email to:
newsletter@disability-federation.ie
or
Newsletters

Disability Federation of Ireland is the national support mechanism for voluntary disability organisations in Ireland covering all areas of disability and disabling conditions: intellectual, physical, sensory, hidden and mental health. DFI has ongoing involvement with over 150 organisations and groups across the country, 70 of which currently comprise its National Council, and 42 of which are Associate Members. Allied to this, it works with and supports over 200 organisations and Groups around the country that have a significant and growing disability interest, mainly coming from the statutory and voluntary sectors.

DFI provides:

Information
Training and Advice
Organisation and Management Development
Research and Policy
Advocacy and Representation

Dublin Office
DFI
Fumbally Court
Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8
Tel: 01 454 7978
Fax: 01 494 7981
E: info@disability-federation.ie

Dublin Mid-Leinster
Lillian Buchanan
Support Officer - Policy and Research (Dublin Office)
Tel: 01 - 424 0127
E: lillianbuchanan@disability-federation.ie

Anthony Carrick
Dun Laoghaire, Dublin South East, Wicklow (Dublin Office),
Mobile: 086 8206736
E: anthonycarrick@disability-federation.ie

Louise McCann
Dublin South City, Dublin South West, Dublin West, Kildare, West Wicklow (Dublin Office)
Mobile: 086 9189750
E: louisemccann@disability-federation.ie

Jacqueline Thomson
Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath (Dublin Office)
Mobile: 086 3882600
E: jacquelinethomson@disability-federation.ie

Dublin North-East
Joan O'Donnell
Meath, Louth, Cavan, Monaghan (Dublin Office)
Mobile: 086 3834587
E: joanodonnell@disability-federation.ie

Martin Naughton
Dublin North Central, Dublin North West, Dublin North
Mobile: 086 8207196
E: martinnaughton@disability-federation.ie

West

Michael Corbett,
Galway, Mayo, Roscommon
C/O DFI, Acres, Newport, Co. Mayo,
Tel: 098 41919,
Mobile: 086 3804750,
Fax: 098 41065,
E: michaelcorbett@disability-federation.ie

Marcus Hufsky,
Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal
DFI, NRC, Forthill, Sligo,
Tel: 071 9144614,
Mobile: 086 3811261,
E: marcushufsky@disability-federation.ie

Toni Gleeson,
Limerick, North Tipperary, East Limerick, Clare
DFI, The Forge, Croke St. Thurles, Co Tipperary
Mobile: 086 6004526
E: tonigleeson@disability-federation.ie

South

P.J. Cleere
Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford
DFI, Tinryland, Carlow
Tel: 059 9158111
Mobile: 086 3811064
E: pjcleere@disability-federation.ie

Alison Ryan
On leave
Cork, Kerry
Please contact the Dublin Office.