Community Care – Individuals Controlling Their Own Support?

There is a campaign afoot to give every person in community care the option of having an individual budget to take charge of their own support. The concept comes from the successful In Control campaign in the UK.

At its inaugural national conference on 17-18 March 2008, the National Federation of Parents Families and Carers acknowledged Australian governments have been very slow to move in this direction and a co-ordinated national campaign is now required ‘to push them along’.

In Control UK has pushed Self-Directed Support and Individual Budgets on to the public agenda:

• Independent Living – the goal
• Self-Directed Support – the route
• Individual Budgets – the vehicle

In Control Australia

The idea is a national partnership between families – in a key role – individuals, services, agencies, local authorities, and government. Organisations and businesses in these fields will be encouraged to make available these options to every person who wants them.

The aim is to change the system of personal support/community care to Self-Directed Support through an Individual Budget for people in the fields of:

• disability
• aged care
• chronic illness
• mental illness

Expressions Of Interest Invited From Interested Organisations And Businesses

In Control UK there are 12 organisations involved and the Federation here anticipates a similar number on its Advisory Board to help develop In Control Australia.

CLICK HERE for further information.

CLICK HERE to submit an expression of interest.

Note: only organisations and businesses are invited to submit an expression of interest in partnership with the Federation. Partnership will entail a leadership role in developing the campaign, promotion of In Control Australia nationally, and a financial investment in the campaign.

This info comes from the Centre for Civil Society, a not-for-profit non-party political think tank leading an empowerment agenda for ‘invisible’ grassroots people in Australia. The National Federation of Parents, Families and Carers is supported by the Centre for Civil Society.