Performance Reporting

Part two

Output Group 2.2: Support for people with disability

Administered items:

COAG Helping Younger People with Disabilities in Residential Aged Care
Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement
Disability Support Pension
Services for People with Disability
- Employment Assistance and Other Services—Employment Assistance
- Employment Assistance and Other Services—Employment Assistance (Case‑Based Funding)
- Children’s Services
- Disability Supported Employment
- Targeted Support Services
Mental Health
- Community‑Based Programs to help families coping with mental illness
- More respite care places to help families and carers
- Personal Helpers and Mentors

Departmental outputs:

Policy services and program management
Service delivery

COAG Helping Younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care

The Australian Government is working with state and territory governments to reduce the number of younger people with disability living in residential aged care services. The program initially targets people under 50 years of age. The program has three objectives: moving younger people with disability currently accommodated in residential aged care into more age‑appropriate supported disability accommodation; working to prevent future admissions of younger people with disability into residential aged care; and enhancing the delivery of specialist support services to those younger people with disability for whom residential aged care remains the only available supported accommodation option.

Price
Estimate	$13.949m
Actual	$13.861m

Effectiveness—Targeting Indicator: Expenditure in 2007–08 matches all jurisdictions except South Australia/Australian Capital Territory
Estimate	NSW: $4.7m VIC: $3.5m QLD: $2.7m SA: $1.1m WA: $1.4 m TAS: $0.3m NT: $0.1m ACT: $0.2m According to signed bilateral agreements	The actual results for most states and territories were the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements. A variance of $0.09 million was recorded for Tasmania. The Tasmanian Government Department of Health and Human Services requested a revision to 2007–08 participant numbers from its original target. FaHCSIA granted approval for this change, which led to a reduction in expenditure.
Actual	NSW: $4.7m VIC: $3.5m QLD: $2.7m SA: $1.1m WA: $1.4m TAS: $0.2m NT: $0.1m ACT: $0.2m

Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement

The Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) provides the national framework for the provision of government support services for people with disability. Under the three agreements signed so far, the state and territory governments have responsibility for the planning, policy setting and management of accommodation support, community support, community access and respite care services. The Australian Government has similar responsibilities in relation to employment services for people with disability. The current CSTDA was due to expire on 30 June 2007, but has been extended pending negotiation of a new agreement. Development of a new agreement is underway and is part of the implementation of Specific Purpose Payment Reform.

Price
Estimate	$736.916m
Actual	$735.888m

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: People with disability are receiving the level and quality of services they need. All jurisdictions will: Improve transparency and accountability; Quantify unmet need; Implement quality assurance through third party accreditation of disability services; and Increase access to mainstream disability services for Indigenous people
Estimate	Cost—Expenditure by all jurisdictions will at a minimum match 2006–07 commitment in Schedule A1—subject to the new CSTDA 4 agreement being signed.	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	Cost—Expenditure by all jurisdictions will at a minimum match 2006–07 commitment in Schedule A1—subject to the new CSTDA 4 agreement being signed.

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Proportion of consumers per 1,000 of potential population from linguistically and culturally diverse background, Indigenous and by service type

This is an Australian/state and territory government agreement and no target or estimates are set by the Australian Government. Information on usage is reported in the Annual CSTDA Public Report.

Service type	Non-English speaking origin^*	Indigenous origin
Accommodation support	0.5	2.4
Community support	n/a	8
Community access	n/a	2.5
Respite	n/a	2.9
Employment	1.9	5.9

Source: Productivity Commission Report on Government Services 2008.
* English proficiency groups 2–4, which includes all countries except Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland and USA.

Disability Support Pension

Disability Support Pension (DSP) is a payment made to people with disability who are unable to work for at least 15 hours per week at or above the relevant minimum wage, or be re‑skilled for any work, for more than two years because of their disability. People who were receiving DSP on 10 May 2005, were not affected by the welfare reform changes to the work test and are still subject to the 30 hours per week, unless they lose entitlement to the payment. The payment is income and assets-tested and paid at the same rate as other social security pensions. In March 2008 the $500 Utilities Allowance was extended to DSP recipients.

Price*
Estimate	$5,495.652m
Actual	$5,540.119m

* Please note: This price indicator only includes the DSP appropriation from 3 December 2007, when the DSP was transferred to the FaHCSIA portfolio. The full year DSP appropriation for 2007–08 is approximately $9.37 billion.

Quantity indicator: Average (mean) duration on income support by current income support payment (weeks)
Estimate	597	The variance is –8 weeks. The average duration is slightly lower than the estimate. However, the growth in average duration remains consistent with previous years.
Actual	589

Quantity indicator: Percentage of time on income support in the last 12 months that customer declares earnings.
Estimate	10%	The variance is –0.2 per cent. The percentage of earners is lower than estimated, but remains consistent with previous earnings trends.
Actual	9.8%

Quantity indicator: Number of clients assisted
Estimate	N/A	The variance is unable to be reported as Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) do not project customer numbers. Based on recipient numbers from June 2007 (714,156) there was a 2.6 per cent increase.
Actual	732,367

Quantity indicator: Average earnings for pensioners in employment
Estimate	N/A	The variance is unable to be reported as DEEWR do not project average earnings. The average earnings for DSP recipients are consistent with previous earnings trends.
Actual	$395.33

Services for People with Disability

Programs under this administered item provide services, which include a booking service for Auslan Interpreting Services, employment assistance, print disability services, postal concessions for the blind, respite and out of school hours care, as well as support to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and their families and carers (prior to the commencement of the Helping Children with Autism package).

Additional support for disability business services announced in 2007 has resulted in an overall 8.5 per cent increase in funding for supported employment. Five hundred new supported employment places also became available in the sector during 2007–08. From July 2008, an additional 250 places will be released when new supported employment services come online.

Price
Estimate	$276.816m
Actual	$275.020m

Employment Assistance and Other Services—Employment Assistance

Funding is provided to help people with severe disability gain and maintain supported employment. Funding is also provided for respite care, and to promote the inclusion of people with disability in Australian society through the delivery of services such as the Postal Concessions for the Blind Program, print disability services and advocacy.

Cost indicator: Average cost per employment outcome in business services
Estimate	$8,970	The variance is +$353. The variance partly reflects increased funding provided to business services in 2007–08, offset to some extent by an increase in consumers achieving an employment outcome of 13 weeks or more.
Actual	$9,323

Cost indicator: Average per annum cost per place in a business service
Estimate	$8,215	The variance is –$164. An additional 500 places commenced part way through the year, resulting in a lower cost per place than estimated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	$8,051

Effectiveness—early intervention indicator: Young users of business services per 1,000 of the eligible population aged 15–24 years
Estimate	67	The variance is +13. The variance reflects an increase in the number of business service users aged 15–24.
Actual	80

Effectiveness—early intervention indicator: Users of business services with a profound or severe disability per 1,000 of the eligible population with a profound or severe disability
Estimate	49	The variance is –1. The actual result was similar to the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	48

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Average hourly wage rate of business service employees
Estimate	$3.00	The variance is +$0.03. The actual result was similar to the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	$3.03

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Average hours worked per week in a business service.
Estimate	27.3	The variance is –0.9. This reduction is attributed to an increase in the number of consumers with a profound disability not able to work longer hours.
Actual	26.4

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Indigenous people using business services per 1,000 of the Indigenous population
Estimate	1.3	The variance is +0.6. The variance is attributed to increased participation and improved service provider reporting.
Actual	1.9

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Number of users of business services per 1,000 of the eligible population for employment services
Estimate	61.4	The variance is +3.1. The variance is attributed to additional 500 new places provided in the sector and increased take‑up of existing places in business services.
Actual	64.5

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Users of business services per 1,000 of the eligible population born in a non‑English speaking country
Estimate	10.2	The variance is +5.1. The variance reflects both improved service provider reporting and an increase in new users with non‑English speaking background.
Actual	15.3

Effectiveness—targeting indicator: Users of business services per 1,000 of the eligible population in outer regional and remote areas
Estimate	5.7	The variance is +2.9. The variance is due to an increase in participation of new business service users in outer regional and remote areas, partly attributable to the additional 500 places provided in the sector in 2007–08.
Actual	8.6

Quantity indicator: Capacity Utilisation Rate in business services
Estimate	93%	The variance is +3 per cent. The variance is due to a greater take‑up of business service places than estimated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	96%

Quantity indicator: Total number of people using business services
Estimate	22,112	The variance is +765. The variance reflects an increase in the number of consumers assisted, including the 500 new places funded in the sector in 2007–08.
Actual	22,877

Employment Assistance and Other Services—Employment Assistance (Case‑Based Funding)

Effectiveness—capacity indicator: Percentage of business services users who have achieved an employment outcome of 26 weeks or more
Estimate	85%	The variance is +9 per cent. The variance reflects a greater number of consumers achieving an employment outcome of 26 weeks or more.
Actual	94%

Children’s Services*

Quantity indicator: Number of clients assisted
Estimate	250 families supported	The variance is +59. A detailed analysis of available funding identified that more families could be assisted than originally anticipated.
Actual	309 families supported

* This performance indicator is taken from the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements

Disability Supported Employment*

Quantity indicator: Number of places
Estimate	500**	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements. The measure was implemented as planned, providing 500 additional places under the existing disability supported employment program.
Actual	500

Quality indicator: Per cent of clients satisfied
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements. The measure was implemented as planned, providing additional places under the existing disability supported employment program.
Actual	100%

* This performance indicator is taken from the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.
** The estimate of 750 in 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements was incorrect and should have read 500.

Targeted Support Services*

Quantity indicator: Number of people with disability continuing to receive targeted support services
Estimate	400	The variance is –19. The variance is attributable to a greater number of people electing to remain in the workforce, rather than choosing targeted support.
Actual	381

* This performance indicator is taken from the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements

Mental Health

The FaHCSIA Mental Health programs deliver flexible respite and support for carers and families, community‑based support for carers and families and recovery support for individuals with a severe functional limitation as a result of a severe mental illness.

The FaHCSIA Mental Health programs aim to:

help people with mental illness, their families and carers to have better access to specialist and mainstream support services
increase the capacity of people with mental illness, their families, carers, and children to participate in the community
improve access to appropriate support services for Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse clients
provide assistance to help families and carers sustain their support roles.

Price
Estimate	$93.766m
Actual	$83.283m

Community‑Based Programs to help families coping with mental illness

Community‑Based Programs are delivered to support families, carers, children and young people affected by mental illness.

Effectiveness—take‑up/coverage indicator: The percentage of family members and carers affected by a mental illness that report an increased level of support within the target community
Estimate	80%	The variance is –5 per cent. This is a new program and data is from the first seven projects that were established. It is anticipated that service users will report increased levels of support as the program becomes better established.
Actual	75%

Quantity indicator: Total number of community‑based local projects assisting families, carers, children and young people affected by mental illness
Estimate	75	The variance is –30. Full expenditure of program funds has not been achieved. An outcome of the open competitive process used to select non‑government organisations to deliver the program was a smaller number of high quality projects funded at the upper end of the funding range.
Actual	45

More respite care places to help families and carers

Flexible respite care options have been developed for carers and families who are caring for people with mental illness and/or intellectual disability.

Quantity indicator: Percentage of funds allocated from Mental Health Respite Development Fund to new programs
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quantity indicator: Total number of respite hours brokered
Estimate	244,000 hours of respite	The variance is +15,014 respite hours brokered. Brokered respite hours exceeded expectations, resulting in provision of assistance to more carers of people with a mental illness or intellectual disability than anticipated.
Actual	259,014 as at 31 March 2008

Personal Helpers and Mentors

Personal Helper and Mentor services are provided to assist people with severe functional limitation resulting from a mental illness. Refer to the Personal Helpers and Mentors case study, for further information about this program.

Effectiveness—capacity indicator: The number and percentage of participants whose life skills improve as measured by review
Estimate	80%	Case studies indicate that program participants are developing improved skills as a result of their involvement in the program. This is a new program and data is not yet available.
Actual	N/A

Effectiveness—capacity indicator: The number and percentage of surveyed participants who believe they have better access to the services they need
Estimate	80%	Case studies demonstrate that the program not only increases access to the range of community and other services participants need but also improves the level of social inclusion for individuals. This is a new program and data is not yet available.
Actual	N/A

Quality—client satisfaction indicator: The number and percentage of surveyed participants who are satisfied with the service assistance
Estimate	80%	Anecdotal feedback and case studies indicate high levels of participant satisfaction with the program. Data will be collected in 2008–09 through participant surveys.
Actual	N/A

Quantity indicator: Number of eligible participants
Estimate	Is a caseload of 10 to 12 per personal helper and mentor at any point in time.	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements. Data relates to the 28 Personal Helper and Mentor services that have been operational for the full financial year.
Actual	Is a caseload of 10 to 12 per personal helper and mentor at any point in time.

Price information: other administered items— Respite Brokerage for Older Carers

Price
Estimate	Rephased	Funding for this initiative was rephased from 2007–08 to 2008–09 to enable Centrelink to undertake interim brokerage for the Respite for Older Carers until this initiative transfers to the states and territories.
Actual	Rephased

Policy services and program management

Price
Estimate	$31.752m
Actual	$31.079m

Quality—assurance indicator: Collection and analysis of data on employment services, research of relevant policy topics and evaluation of programs are comprehensive, based on sound methodology, informative and contribute to policy understanding and development
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—assurance indicator: Service agreements/contracts that meet legislative, government policy and departmental requirements in place with all service providers
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—assurance indicator: Service providers meet terms and conditions of funding
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—client satisfaction indicator: Ministers and their offices are satisfied with the quality of policy advice and Department meets standards for policy advice
Estimate	100%	Ministers and their offices did not provide feedback on individual output groups, but did provide feedback on departmental performance as a whole. Further information on ministerial and parliamentary services can be found in Part 3 of this report.

Quantity indicator: Major pieces of research and evaluation completed
Estimate	Development of relevant data collection and research activities	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements. One major piece of research was completed, which was a report to FaHCSIA entitled Quality of Life Outcomes reporting for younger people with disability in residential aged care.
Actual	1 major piece of research completed, plus significant supporting activity

Quantity indicator: Number of contracts/service agreements under management
Estimate	598	The variance is +313. This is due to machinery of government changes through which a number of children’s services contracts were gained. The variance also includes contracts/service agreements from the Mental Health Branch. These programs are in their first reporting period and would not have been part of the original estimation process.
Actual	911

Quantity indicator: Number of items to Ministers’ offices
Estimate	440 items of ministerial correspondence 180 submissions and briefings	Detailed information on actual results for this indicator can be found in Part 3 of this report.

Quantity indicator: Number of service providers under management
Estimate	393	The variance is +299. The variance reflects new service providers for Respite for Older Carers of Children with Disability under the Disability assistance—support for people with disability and their families and carers measure. The variance also includes service providers from the Mental Health Branch. These programs are in their first reporting period and would have not have been part of the original estimation process.
Actual	692

Service delivery

Price
Estimate	$85.832m
Actual	$84.013m

Quality—assurance indicator: Service providers deliver services to the standards agreed with FaHCSIA
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Table 2.9 Reviews and appeals—Output Group 2.2
Client rights and obligations indicator: Percentage of reviews and appeals where the original decision is changed
Payment type	Authorised review officers		Social Security Appeals Tribunal		Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Payment type	Reviews finalised	Percentage changed	Reviews finalised	Percentage changed	Reviews finalised	Percentage changed
Disability Support Pension	7,981	29.6%	2,032	33.6%	643	29.5%

Case study—Respite support for carers of young people with severe or profound disability

Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres and Carelink Centres provide information on community services and support to carers. Centres provide information on community aged care, disability and other support services available locally or anywhere within Australia.

After a severe fall, the mother of a Queensland child with cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability was admitted to hospital. The local Commonwealth Respite and Carelink was contacted as the child’s mother required spinal surgery that would entail four months of hospitalisation and recuperation.

As the child’s father worked until 6pm each day, he required assistance with collecting the child from the special school she attended and caring for her until he returned from work. In consultation with the child’s father, Commonwealth Respite and Carelink negotiated with the Cerebral Palsy League to arrange for a worker already familiar to the family to provide additional respite to the four hours per week they were already providing. With Commonwealth Respite and Carelink contributing a further 10 hours per week, adequate care was provided for the child. This extra assistance minimised financial hardship and enabled the father to continue in his paid employment.

The child’s mother said she was overwhelmed by the support provided to her family and looked forward to returning home and eventually being able to resume care for her daughter.

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