(4-6 weeks)Using a nga takepu lens, critique the practice issues in the placement setting and critique the role of information technology within your specific field of social work


The allocation of Disability support services DSS within in Taikura Trust is calculated through a data base, called Socrates.  This process is either calculated per hour or at $10 a unit depending on what provider contract is chosen to support the disability need, if it be personal cares, in home respite, Individual funding, home management.  The allocation depends on what need was identified during the process of the Needs Assessment.  Are you confused by the above few lines, if so, you are not the only one. 

When the allocation of hours or units are sent to a provider they can choose to accept or decline the service request sent out.  What we are seeing in NASC (needs assessment service coordination) is the provider is accepting the service request to support the client with ie personal cares in the home and the allocation are for 14 hours per week but in reality, only supporting the client for 1 hour twice a week, they do not notify Taikura Trust of this, accepting all allocated hours prior.  Case managers are finding their families are quickly going into crisis where they don't have the ability to lift or transfer the client to perform personal cares routine, or they are maybe elderly, not have the skill/confidence to support their loved one, or client may live alone in which they have gone without personal cares for days on end, which is unacceptable but reality within today's recession.

Since covid and boarders been closed off to works Aotearoa has lost our support workers within the sector.  With the big job boom people have moved out of the sector to move to more attractive employment.  Support work is a hard job and not a glamorous one.  The sector is under paid and the duties that are needing to be performed at times sit with hospital care, such as nurse to perform certain needs to the client.

Providers need to be clear and honest regarding what supports can actually be offered to ensure high quality of supports are in place and ensure that consistence will occur with providing personal cares or the provider would be at risk of auditing taking place for their organization or possible discontinuation of Ministry of Health contracts.

The support worker role needs to be more attractive, offering a higher hourly rate to perform personal cares and medical support.  The job needs to be looked at as a career opportunity offering a career path and degree opportunities in disability, i.e., scholarships offering a career path into service coordinator and service manager roles after performing so many hours on the ground.

Comments

  1. Elias MartisNovember 27, 2022 at 6:56 PM

    Good analysis of the current situation here. Good reflections.

    ReplyDelete

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