Disability care and support inquiry 
Productivity commission 
GPO box 1428 canberra city ACT 2601
Disability-support@pc.gov.au  

To the Commissioner Scott 

I wish to make a submission into this inquiry into Disability services under Decision making Process.

Last month XXX from YYY decided that I can use the Community Centre only if I am with staff. I and staff sought a meeting with management of XXX.  I asked for 2 people that would have supported me was not at the meeting despite having asked staff to invite them when the meeting started. I said shouldn’t we wait for my two witnesses to support my case. Staff said he has already spoken to person A and B and staff stated the centre was not designed for me to do my work as it was only designed for staff to do paperwork but this does contradict when XXX asked another staff member to find me a space where I can do my work staff and I went to Library they said I have to pay XXX then went to other Community Centre they said no. Then staff and I spoke to Staff at the YYY  section of the Multi Purpose Centre who said I can use the centre from 10am to 2pm.
When Management of YYY Head Office made the Original Decision I was not Consulted on that Decision and I asked for a review at the review the first part of the meeting was unfair as staff tried to justify making the decision rather then reviewing it. CJP used YYY to deliver my support and they are not consulting me in their decision making process and this is a clear breach of the Disability Standards under decision making and choice.

But in this inquiry we need to look at services that makes decisions without consultation with me and the Government is not enforcing the Disability Act and the Disability standards
Advocacy Services

I applied for an advocacy service to rep me at my next case conference at YYY they tell me that the request for Advocacy service is not automatic and they decide what cases they take on and what cases they don’t take on
I think they should take on all cases and not exclude anyone with an ID but prioritise the matters to Urgent Non Urgent

Health Respite and ADHC formerly as DADHC 

Last year I was in St George Hospital after being hit by the car when I was crossing the road I was  taken to hospital and Operated on my Broken ankle however I was not able to go home from Hospital as I could not balance on crutches and was unable to get up the stairs Hospital Social worker contacted my DADHC support worker at Hurstville office and requested respite Services Hospital Social worker was told  that I was not Eligible for ADHC Respite as I was not living with a carer so I was kept in Hospital for the whole recovery time 6 weeks and two weeks in Rehab I asked ADHC to supervise homecare at my home as they would not go in without me being their the request was refused because I was in Health at that time they would start service when I was discharged  my frond from the South coast brought me some PJ to wear in Hospital when they got Dirty ADHC pick them up transported to Sutherland Homecare to be washed  Homecare Declined to do this unless someone was at my place to supervise Homecare The PJ remained on the shelf in the store room I got a call and informed that cleaning staff thought the bag was rubbish threw them out and a council truck picked the big bin outside
I asked ADHC to collect mail and organize bill payments while in Hospital they refused as I was in the care of NSW Health at the time but Health could not do everything and ADHC needed to come to the party 
I was later transferred to Sutherland Hospital 
I spent 2 weeks in Jara Ward then went to the Rehab Ward for Rehab while on rehab I  had my Medication withheld by the Rehab Dr and the Nurse became concerned about my Mental Health contacted my Physiatrist in the Blue Mountains and he Recommend that my Medication is charted and given to me before I start have Psychotic Episodes on the seconds I had Psychotic Episodes where it was alleged by the Hospital that I broke the fire alarm Threatened staff the night before my discharge the Rehab Dr decided I have overstepped the line the Rehab Dr decided to discharge me without support and as of my discharge I continued to have Mental Health I tried to Admit myself to the Mental Health unit at Both Sutherland and St George Hospitals but they stated that High Anxiety and Mild Depression did  But I was assessed of not being in a crisis I them made a Complaint to the HCCC and the Police picked me up and tried schedule me to Sutherland Hospital but the Schedule was not upheld I was taken back To Sutherland Police Station charged with the matters and Remanded into Custody I was assessed by the Jail Mental Health Team as I was on Suicide watch for the first night in a safe Cell I was accessed by Justice Health Mental Health Team and I was placed back on my correct medication and moved to a normal cell at the MRRC  I was later Transferred to the Disability wing at Long Bay Jail where I remained until my Court hearing in Feb 2010 
I had my Charges dismissed under Section 32 of the Mental Health Act

What needs to be improved?
Health
I need to question that while in Rehab the Dr still had a duty of care to notify the mental health dept of the issues that took place in the Hospital at Sutherland.

I question what constitutes a crisis to admitted to a mental Health Unit or a General ward on Mental Health issues where the is not admitted but ends up going to jail and treated in jail as the Community Health Services had failed to rogaines this illness this happened in my case 
ADHC there needs to be improvement in communicating with services provides and to that buck-passing stopped Services work together to get a better outcome while the person in Hospital the service has the duty of care to organize and continue services
St Johns Church was very good they did my washing and collected my mail and brought it in   
Services must talk to each other  and regarding Medical Treatment Respite and the Respite Criteria needs to be changed to include medical for a person who is well to be  Discharged from Hospital  but cannot return to their home Due to Injury and cannot climb stairs they need respite until Rehab and Respite should also be available for day surgery Patients who don’t have someone to stay with them for the first 24 hours and the respite should benefit people with an intellectual disability not the carer 

HAACC services

Community transport
Community transport is only available for medical appointments only during the day after hours service for medical and social appointments are serviced by taxis that don’t come 

Community transport needs to transport people to places other then medical and improve the taxi service at night

Education

I went to Sutherland TAFE to  enrol in a course but the disability worker said the course was unsuitable and I was referred to Sutherland/St George Community college the Disability officer enrolled me in the Computer course but on 30 July the Teacher did not have my stated that he did not do you tube or facebook and the computer I was allocated to was locked and the teacher claim that he could not unlock computer me and my support person went back to main office to speak to the Disability worker she gave us some other contacts

The course I want to do does not exist in the Main Education System Education body needs to tailor their Courses on  to the individual area of training and supported to do this training 

Governments that Fund Organizations such as ADHC Education such as TAFE and Community Colleges that when they are given funding they must assist people to train on community media and not put barriers up I ask you to take this into account.

James Condren
23 July 2010