L.I.S.A Inc

LISA...
Is a parent support and lobby group, for parents and families with a family member having an intellectual/multiple disability, and living in a supported accommodation group home in the State of Victoria, Australia.

LIFESTYLE IN SUPPORTED ACCOMODATION.....
It is our mission to help the families dealing with a loved one who has disability...

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Title	:-	RESIDENTS DISADVANTAGED by DHS SPLIT SHIFT PRACTICE

Detail	:-	Split shifts often create communication situations. A classic example would be when the morning staff put a warm jacket on a resident who has no meaningful communications and who is unable by reason of their disability to make reasonable judgements in respect of all or any matters concerning their personal circumstances and/or estate, and the resident comes home in the afternoon without the jacket. As the afternoon staff know nothing of the resident wearing a jacket, the jacket goes missing. Plenty Residential Services (PRS) direct care staff are on a 12 hour shift, as was the practice in the old Institutions. So the same staff person sees the resident in the morning and the afternoon. The department will not, however, pay the "dead-time" (11am to 2pm) to any staff outside of PRS. And, the Union will not accept "Same Person Split Shifts" (no dead time). So the department got around this with, "Not Same Person Split Shifts". This addresses the Union and Department concerns, but not those of the Residents, as the above scenario shows!
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Title	:-	COMMUNITY VISITORS LEGAL BUCKET OF WORMS

Detail	:-	Supported accommodation group homes for young adults with an intellectual or multiple disability are regularly inspected by “Community Visitors” under section 131 of the Disability Act 2006. Residents of these group homes who have no meaningful communications and who are unable by reason of their disability to make reasonable judgements in respect of all or any matters concerning their personal circumstances and/or estate are consequently not represented during a visit by Community Visitors. Community Visitors can communicate only with service provider staff, and these staff could be all casual or extra hours staff. The Community Visitor Program is coordinated and implemented in practical terms by the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA). The OPA categorically refuse to have Community Visitors call the families of the said residents, following their visit to the group home, to see if the families have any concerns in respect to the service level and quality their family member is receiving. It is considered by both the OPA and a Legal Aid lawyer (see attachments) that there is no obligation on Community Visitors to contact families, or that families have a right to represent their family member with Community Visitors. We consider that a consequence of not being represented during or following a service level and quality inspection of their home, the said residents’ reasonable human rights are being seriously infringed.
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