AGY-6433 | Ageing, Disability and Home Care

Full description

Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) was established on 1 July 2009 as a branch of the new Principal Department, the Department of Human Services, following the abolition of the Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care as a Division of the Government Service. (1)

The Home Care Service of New South Wales [II] (AG 2046) transferred its reporting line from the Director-General of the (abolished) Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to that of the newly created Department of Human Services. (2) The Service was under the administration of Ageing, Disability and Home Care branch (3), but still continued to operate as a statutory body with governance through an advisory board, as it had under the administration of Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care. (4)

The main aim of the ADHC branch was to provide services and support for older people, people with a disability, and their families and carers to live in their own home and participate in community life. (5)

Some of the services and support available were:

For older people:
Help at home with personal care, domestic tasks and meals; home modificatations, respite and support for carers; community transport; community nursing and related health services.

For people with a disability:
early intervention programs for children and young people; supported accommodation in the community and in specialised centre; supporting people with a disability to live independently in the community; programs that develop independent living skills; helping people with a disability become active in their communities through social groups, work and other activities; advocacy and information; case management and access to therapy services including occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy.

For carers:
Respite and support for carers; training for parents of children with an intellectual disability; help in managing challenging behaviour; support groups and networks. (6)

The branch also promoted programs, which raised community awareness of older people, people with a disability and the importance of carers, such as NSW Senior Week, NSW Seniors Card, International Day of People with a Disability, NSW Companion Card. (7)

On 3 December 2010, the NSW Government announced the provision of $2 Billion in investment in disability services under the second phase of Stronger together: a new direction for disability service in NSW 2006 – 2016. The main purpose of this plan was to provide greater assistance and long term practical solutions for people with a disability and their families. (8) The plan also involved a clear commitment to close the Large Residential Centres (LRCs) administered by the branch, and its predecessor the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, over time and to redevelop some LRCs as Specialist Support Services. (9) The aim of the first five year phase of the plan has been to increase the capacity of the specialist disability service system by 40%. 29,000 new disability service places were successfully created under the plan, as a result of a record investment of $1.3 Billion (in 2006/07 dollar terms)." (10)

By 2011, the branch's services and programs were delivered through nine Business streams, two Offices, and six regions. The Business streams were as follows: Accommodation Policy and Development; Respite and Carers; Community Access; Aboriginal Service Development and Delivery; Large Residential Centres and Specialist Supported Living; Sector Development; Home Care; Community Care; and Prevention and Pathways. (11)

The Office of the Senior Practitioner, and the Office for Ageing provided the following specialist support services: Leadership and co-ordination of services for people with complex needs and challenging behaviour; undertaking social issues research, and developing strategic policy on issues that impact older people and their potential to actively participate in the community.

A regional structure, consisting of six regions across NSW, also assisted the branch to deliver services and programs which were flexible and responsive to the needs of the local communities. These regions were: Metro North, Metro South, Hunter, Northern, Southern and Western. (12)

From 4 April 2011, when the name of the Department of Human Services was changed, Ageing, Disability and Home Care became a branch of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS). (13)

Beginning on 1 July 2016, the the ADHC began preparing NSW for the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in two ways:
1. By transferring services previously funded by ADHC to non-government organisations (NGOs)
2. By working with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to assist ADHC clients in making their transition to the NDIS as smooth as possible. (14)

By 30 June 2018 to NDIS was fully implemented across NSW and the ADHC was no longer providing services. (15)

Endnotes
1. Department of Human Services, Annual Report, 2009–2010 pp.7, 204.
2. Ibid pp.7-10, 56, 204 and 282; Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cls. 13, and Schedule 1 [1], Amendment of Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 (No 43, 2002); notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009.
3. ‘Home Care Service’ from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/individuals/help_at_home/home_care_service (accessed 16 June 2011).
4. Loc. cit.; Department of Human Services, Annual Report, 2009–2010, op.cit., p.56; ‘Our history’ from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about/our_history (accessed 10 June 2011): Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care, Annual Report, 2008–2009, pp.12-15, 69: Home Care Service of New South Wales, Annual Report, 2000–2001, pp.58-60, and 95.
5. Department of Human Services, Annual Report, 2009–2010, ibid., p.9.
6. ‘What we do’ from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about/what_we_do (accessed 10 June 2011).
7. Loc. cit.
8. ‘Stronger together’ from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about/strategies/stronger_together (accessed 10 June 2011).
9. Department of Ageing, Disability, and Home Care Annual Report 2007–2008, p.61.
10. ‘Stronger together’ ,op. cit., from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website
11. ‘ Our structure’ from the Ageing, Disability And Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about/our_structure (accessed 10 June 2011).
12. Loc. cit.
13. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cls.34; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
14. About Us, from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about_us (accessed 18 April 2024) 15. Ibid.