National Federation of Parents, Families and Carers

In Control

Everyone in community care can have their own Personal Budget and take charge of their own support.

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

At its inaugural national conference on 17/18th March 2008, the Federation decided to develop a campaign to give every person in community care the option of having their own Personal Budget to take charge of their own support. The initiative is inspired by and based on the successful In Control campaign in the UK.

In Control UK is a partnership between families, individuals, services,
agencies, local authorities, and government. The Federation proposes a similar partnership in Australia, on a national scale. The Federation will auspice the project so that families hold a key place in the partnership.

The case for Personal Budgets and Self-Directed Services is outlined comprehensively in this recent report Making it Personal from the influential UK think tank Demos.

The aim of our partnership in Australia is to change the system of personal support and community care to enable every person in the fields of disability, aged care, chronic and mental illness to exercise Self-Directed Services through a Personal Budget. This means encouraging organisations and businesses operating in these fields to make available these options to every person who wants them.

Because governments in Australia have been slow to introduce self and family-directed support options and individual budgets, a coordinated national initiative is necessary to push them along.

Expressions of interest are invited from organisations and businesses wishing to partner with the Federation in developing our In Control campaign. (In Control UK has 12 organisations on its Editorial Board; we anticipate a similar number on our Advisory Board).

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 initiative, promotion of In Control nationally, and a financial contribution towards the start-up costs of the venture.

CLICK HERE to read our statement of purpose governing the project.

CLICK HERE to read the UK Demos report Making it Personal.

STATEMENT OF  PURPOSE

Name

In Control; variations containing the words In Control.

Mission

To change the system of personal support and community care in Australia to enable every person in the fields of disability, aged care, chronic and mental illness to exercise Self-Directed Support through a Personal Budget.

Identity

Our venture will be a partnership between families, individuals, services and businesses, and will operate as a social enterprise. It will not simply advocate for change in the abstract; it will work to enable individuals and families to put in place working arrangements for the practice of Self-Directed Services and Personal Budgets.

Functions

1. To work with governments, organisations and businesses in introducing options for Self and Family-Directed Support and Individual Budgets for every Australian in the fields of disability, aged care, chronic and mental illness;

2. To encourage operational best practice in the provision of Self and Family-Directed Support and Individual Budgets.

Inclusion of Individuals and Families

We will work with both adults who want self-directed services for themselves, and families who want family-directed support for their family members. We reject the one-size-fits-all way of thinking which assumes that the interests of independent adults and the interests of families are necessarily in conflict.

Scope

We will work nationally to assist commonwealth, state and local governments in permitting, and enabling, every Australian to benefit from Self-Directed Services and Personal Budgets.

Seven Ethical Principles underpinning Self and Family-Directed Support

1. Right to Independent Living

2. Right to an Independent Budget

3. Right to Self-determination

4. Right to Accessibility

5. Right to Flexible Funding

6. Mutual Accountability

7. Assumption of Capacity to Manage

Options in Individual Budgets

We will support individuals and families to have the choice to select from one of the following four models of management of individual budgets:

1. Self-management. The individual holds the money in a bank account, pays people and records expenditures.

2. Agent. The money goes to an individual's agent, which may be a family member, an independent broker, or an accountant or other professional.

3. Trust. The money goes to a Trust set up on behalf of the individual and managed in accordance with its terms.

4. Individual Service Fund. The money goes to a service provider who holds the money in a special account set up in the organisations accounts. The money may only be spent on the support of that individual.

Governance  

We will establish an independent entity to govern the venture, with an Advisory Board representing the Partner organisations, and a Governing Board appointed by the Advisory Board. The Governing Board will seek funds from various sources and appoint staff to achieve our mission.
 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Vern Hughes
Secretary
National Federation of Parents Families and Carers
federation@civilsociety.org.au
PO Box 159 Yarraville Vic 3013
Tel: 0425 722 890

CLICK HERE for further information.

CLICK HERE to join the Federation.