Community update - 19 December 2024

Kia ora koutou. I'm Chris Bunny. I'm leading the work to stabilise Disability Support Services.  

After 3 months in this role, my number one highlight has been meeting and talking to disabled people, families and carers who support them.  

The determination everyone has to do better for the disabled community is an inspiration to me and my team. 

We know 2024 has been a difficult year with a lot of change and uncertainty.  

Please be assured my team is doing their very best to stabilise disability support services and move towards a system that is more fair, consistent, transparent and sustainable. 

As Minister Upston announced this week, between February and March next year DSS will run broad consultation with the disabled community throughout New Zealand. 

This consultation will focus on how we can improve disability support services through assessment and allocation settings, and the criteria for, and guidelines on, Flexible Funding.  

We also are planning to connect with various organisations and groups who support people in the community to hear their ideas on how we can be successful.  

In addition to talking to you about assessment and allocation settings and Flexible Funding we are intending more targeted consultation next year which will focus on residential care contracts and pricing. 

All of this feedback is important. 

It will help us develop options for policy change so Government can make final decisions in response to the recommendations from the Independent Review. 

This work follows what you’ve already told us in our recent survey. We can’t do the work without you and we want you to stay involved. 

More information, including community consultation dates and how to register, will be available on our website early next year.  

I want to finish by saying I recognise Christmas can be a joyful but also a stressful time.  

I hope you stay safe, do something you love and enjoy spending some time with whānau and friends.  

Mā te wā, bye for now.