17th & 18th June 2024, Takina Events Centre, Wellington Seeing the Opportunity! Tirohia te whai waahi Focussing on innovation, solutions to issues and problems that providers have found and are likely to face in future, amidst the most challenging of times. The Conference, over two days, will include keynote presenters, presentations from NZDSN members across …
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NZDSN Opinion: Organisations must do better for disabled New Zealanders
We at New Zealand Disability Support Network applaud the Commerce Commission for filing proceedings against One NZ for their latest failure on 111 Contact Code. It doesn’t take much to think of harmful or fatal scenarios for people with disabilities and their families if they can’t call on 111 in an emergency. Disabled people are amongst our …
NZDSN Media Release: Government needs to make family carers’ payments simple and sensible
The Court of Appeal’s just-released decision that family carers of disabled people are not employees of Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, shows policy in this area must be fixed, says New Zealand Disability Support Network CEO Peter Reynolds. “While it’s positive to finally have a Court of Appeal decision on this issue, it’s not …
Whaikaha – who’s to blame?
This is about where to draw the line and when to move forward. As we all know, on 18 March, Whaikaha issued a statement imposing purchasing guidelines on those accessing equipment management services and to guide those on Individualised Funding packages on where they can spend their support funding and where they can’t. This announcement …
Thoughts On Last Week’s Whaikaha Announcement
Where do things stand as the dust settles after a week’s worth of headlines on the Whaikaha support fund announcement? I personally think some rules around the use of support funds are appropriate. But the announcement of the purchasing guidelines for equipment management services’ funding and the use of funding by those receiving Individualised Funding …
Disability Support has been in the media this morning, following announcements on Whaikaha, funding and new oversight on spending.
RNZ: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018931831/disability-support-network-on-funding-boost- ft Peter Reynolds interview Newsroom: https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/03/26/external-review-to-probe-disability-ministrys-spending-and-systems/ Our position – NZDSN welcomes the additional Cabinet oversight of Whaikaha to ensure they have the funding to do the job. The decision addresses the previous ill-advised decision to appoint a Minister outside of Cabinet for such an important portfolio. Disability support has been subject to decades …