The “New Model” was an attempt to action recommendations associated with the Social Services Select Committee Inquiry.

The New Model was made up of four key elements:

– Choice in Community Living
– Local Area Coordination
– Enhanced Individualised Funding
– Supported Self-Assessment.

Parts of the New Model were demonstrated in the Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Waikato, Auckland, Hutt Valley and Otago/Southland regions

● People First provides information and support to learning disabled people, advocates for them and promotes self-advocacy. It is an international initiative which is run by and for people with a learning disability.
● The Disabled Person’s Assembly (DPA) is the collective voice of people with disability in New Compiled by Care Matters – wwwcarematters.org.nz Zealand, based on principles of human rights and equal value of life.
● Standards and Monitoring Services (SAMS) is governed by people with a disability and family members. Since 1979, SAMS has worked in partnership with disabled people, families, whānau, agencies and other stakeholders to improve community services for disabled people through developmental evaluation, education, resource development and research.
● Standards Plus is an independent agency promoting leadership and outcome-based quality in services for people with disabilities, the mentally unwell and older people.
● Parent to Parent New Zealand Inc. (Parent to Parent) provides support and information to parents, family/whānau and caregivers who have children and family members with disabilities and health impairments

Whānau Ora is about increasing the wellbeing of individuals in the context of their whānau, it is whānau – centred. It differs from traditional social and health approaches that focus solely on the needs of individuals.

Whānau ora recognises the strengths and abilities that exist within whanau, and aims to support and develop opportunities that fulfill potential.

The whānau-centred approach:

● starts by asking whānau and families what they want to achieve for themselves, and then responding to those aspirations in order to realise whānau potential,

● provides flexible support for whānau and families to move beyond crisis into identifying and achieving medium and long-term goals for sustained change,

● focuses on relationships, self-determination and capability building for whānau to achieve positive long-term outcomes,

● uses a joined up approach that focuses on all factors relevant to whānau wellness, including economic, cultural, environmental factors, as well as social factors,

● recognise that each whānau has a different set of circumstances, and what works well for one whānau does not work well for other whanau,

● recognises that whānau and families have skills, knowledge and experiences that contribute to their own resilience, and can provide a platform for whānau and families to become more selfmanaging and independent.

https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/whakamahia/Whānau -ora/about-Whānau-ora

This independent working group of disabled people, families and allies developed what became known as the Enabling Good Lives approach (EGL).

Initially, there was a focus on “Day Services”. However, the clear consensus was there is “no sense to chop our lives up into funding streams.” A key feature of EGL, is that it is about people’s lives, not about where the money comes from.

In October 2011, Minister Turia asked officials to progress the EGL approach.

EGL is a principles-based approach, closely aligned to the Whānau Ora approach, and was initially founded on 10 principles.

Principles

The Working Group developed the following set of ten principles to underpin future disability supports. These are:

● Self-determination – tino rangitiratanga: disabled people are in control of their lives, and supports are tailored around their interests, preferences and goals.
● Whole of life: supports are designed to take a whole of life approach (i.e. people’s lives are not compartmentalised into day, night, home, community etc).
● Ordinary life outcomes: disabled people and their family/whānau are supported to imagine what a good life might look like and how this can be achieved. They have opportunities to work, contribute, learn, have relationships, have a family, have a home, take part in their culture and participate in recreation and sport – like others at similar stages of life.
● Mana enhancing: empowerment: values the contributions of disabled people and their families, and ensures support provided empowers them – i.e. support should be invisible, not diminishing mana.
● Mainstream is the default: community-based or generic supports are made accessible and available to disabled people before separate disability supports are provided.
● Kotahitanga tatou – Whānaungatanga: supports are based around relationships – a unified partnership connecting disabled people and their family and whānau with communities, building supportive relationships, and encouraging community responsibility.
● Manaakitanga – Community building: engage and support communities to be more welcoming and inclusive of disabled people – create accessible communities.
● Simplicity: supports are simple, easy to access, are the least restrictive they can be, and make things easier for the disabled person.
● Timatanga (beginning early): invest early in families and whānau to support them to be aspirational for their disabled child, to build community and natural supports and to support disabled children to become independent, skilled adults.
● Flexibility: supports meet the continuum of need and are responsive to people’s changing needs and aspirations over time.

Self-determination
Disabled people are in control of their lives.

Beginning early
Invest early in families and whānau to support them; to be aspirational for their disabled child; to build community and natural supports; and to support disabled children to become independent, rather than waiting for a crisis before support is available.

Person-centered
Disabled people have supports that are tailored to their individual needs and goals, and that take a whole life approach rather than being split across programmes.

Ordinary life outcomes
Disabled people are supported to live an everyday life in everyday places; and are regarded as citizens with opportunities for learning, employment, having a home and family, and social participation – like others at similar stages of life.

Mainstream first
Disabled people are supported to access mainstream services before specialist disability services.

Mana enhancing
The abilities and contributions of disabled people and their families are recognised and respected.

Easy to use
Disabled people have supports that are simple to use and flexible.

Relationship building
Supports build and strengthen relationships between disabled people, their whānau and community

1. National Network – comprising representatives of key stakeholder groups;

2. Officials – comprising key operational and policy managers from each Ministry;

3. Local Steering Group – with nominated representatives from the National Network agencies, plus identified local community leaders in the disability sector.

Each of these groups met regularly through the process and one meeting was held with all groups together to test the degree of consensus and to ensure the approach was demonstrably open and participative.

Three facilitated stakeholder groups (disabled persons, families and service providers) each met on three occasions to share the Plan’s purpose and gain people’s insights and expertise about what it should contain.

A pro-forma was designed and widely circulated to offer individuals and organisations an additional way of contributing to the Plan.

The intent of this project was to consult with disabled persons, family/whānau and selected providers in the Waikato to determine how:

1. existing providers deliver supports in more flexible ways that enable disabled people to have greater choice and control over what activities they are involved in during the day;

2. disabled people in the Waikato will have increased participation and inclusion in mainstream activities and settings (according to their interests);

3. There can be more flexible contracts that enable providers to build on positive changes they have made and move progressively towards providing

Process

Two sets of separate meetings were held with disabled persons, families and service providers on 25th and 26th June and also 6th and 7th August along with subsequent communication between these groups and the facilitators of this project. Some protocols were established at each meeting including agreement not to quote people directly, to respect the views of all people present, and to seek consensus on any outcomes.

Systems Change

It is critical to recognise that disabled persons, family/ whānau and many providers emphasised positive development must occur within the context of a much wider and fundamental systems change.

This project did not explore the details of the wider systems change. However, it was suggested systems change should include:

● a single place of “governance” that was a partnership between disabled persons, families, providers and officials,
● a shared reference across Ministries i.e. principles, outcomes framework, development focussed evaluation, work plans and measures of success,
● Designing a system where the person’s aspirations drive the process at all stages of life the need to explore a new process of “facilitation”, assessment and allocation of funding,
● a focus on acknowledging and strengthening community networks and supports (not just a focus on the individual).

● one person-directed aspirational plan (across all supports),
● one pool of funding (personal budget drawn from all sources),
● access to an Independent ally,
● growing the voices and leadership of disabled people and families,
● one principles-based and outcome focussed Developmental Evaluation process (across all Ministries).4

Goals:

1. Persons with disabilities, family/whanau of persons with disabilities, service providers and persons with disabilities advocates and organisations are engaged in the design, implementation and monitoring of an Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach in the Waikato;

2. To be ‘champions for change’ and to ensure momentum with the introduction of an EGL approach in the Waikato;

3. To promote and protect the EGL principles and approaches in the Waikato.

Note: The Organisational Self Review is being reviewed and updated by the EGL Waikato Leadership Group in 2020

The ‘Redesign Group’ believed “The Ministry of Health should work with the disability sector to ensure the Enabling Good Lives principles underpin and guide the transformation of the disability support system. This will include promoting the values, and working with contracted providers to ensure the values are reflected at all levels of their business”.

Some of the recommendations included:

That the Ministry of Health should implement a revised process for accessing disability support by:

1.1 Put discussions about what is a good life for the person at the front of the process;
1.2 Everybody has the option of working with an independent facilitator (eg. a local area coordinator);
1.3 Ensure the person has one plan that evolves throughout the process;
1.4 Offer people who need paid support an allocation of funding rather than types or levels of service;
1.5 Provide additional support to people who, because of their circumstances, need help with planning a support arrangement that involves government money; and
1.6 Ensure the success of any plan is reviewed for the benefit of the disabled person and at times that reflects their circumstances”

Note: This was reconfirmed in the Disability Action Plan 2014-2018

Note: A consensus was not reached between the ‘report writer’ and the working group members regarding how to reflect the decisions of the working group in a final report.

1.1 Shared result: Transform the disability support system;
1.2 Priority 4: Promote disabled people having choice and control over their supports/services, and make more efficient use of disability support funding;
1.3 Priority 4(a): DPOs advise and work with government agencies and the National Enabling Good Lives Leadership Group to support changes to the disability support system, including learning from the Enabling Good Lives approach (particularly its demonstrations), and other initiatives. Key principles of this work are being culturally responsive, strengths-based, holistic, involve whānau (Whānau Ora principles), and an integrated approach;
1.4 Action 6(a): A systematic analysis of the evidence from the demonstrations of the Enabling Good Lives approach as well as other innovative approaches by government agencies, and the disability sector will provide the platform to identify the changes needed to the disability support system.