Practice And Meaning Intersect Disability Support – Possability

Critical analysis of the environment

Discuss about the Practice and Meaning Intersect Disability Support.

Possability is a non- profitable organization in the Tasmania region of Australia. They are responsible for providing support to the disabled people with a community setting along with their families. They have a wide range of services that vary from adult and children respite, supporting them with accommodation, providing semi- independent living to community support, specialist support services and leisure and recreation. Their services are spread out throughout the region of Tasmania but not all the services. Possability aims to provide their services to people of all ages, genders, and all levels of support to people with people disability (possability, 2017).

A disability is a physical or mental damage which has a considerable and long term terrible effect which can last up to 1 year or more than that. Such disability can hamper the individual’s ability to do their routine activities on a regular basis. The regular activities can include mobility, perceiving the risk of physical danger, working with the hands, ability to pay attention or understand something, physical coordination, hurting of speech, eyesight or hearing, continence and capability to move, carry or lift any normal everyday objects. Possability excels in providing support to such needy people. They work with people who have any kind of disability, impairment or long- term damage (www.nds.org.au, 2017). The staff of the Possability organization in Tasmania is required to make reasonable adjustments. These adjustments can include physical attributes of premises or arrangements to employ the people with disabilities. The factors that are taken into consideration for indicating the reasonable adjustments are as follows-

The disabled person’s opinion on what he needs; how much effectiveness will the adjustment carry in preventing the disadvantage; how the adjustment can be put into practice; the extent of any disturbance in the activities; the impact on the other staffs; its sustainability; the finance and the other prices that are used by the employer. The staff of the Possability organization must not be adept in issues related to disabilities. They believe in three elements which are essential for effectively managing the disabled people. The three elements are- an open- minded problem-solving approach which will help in making adjustments; a positive and welcoming attitude towards the disabled people; voluntarily seeking advice. The reasonable adjustments can be done in the premises; by acquiring or modifying the equipment; by providing with a support worker; permitting the person with disabilities to remain absent from work if attending any treatment; altering his shift time accordingly; and adjusting his work according to his convenience (Whitburn, Moss and O’Mara 2017).

General Environment Analysis

The external environment of Possability in Tasmania involves a variety of factors which directly or indirectly can have an impact on the behavior and performance of the organization. The action and impact of these factors can change the business climate and their existence act upon the competitors. The prime variables where concerned, are analyzed that can affect the organization by offering strategic diagnosis and information on those strategic situations which can be offered by the internal analysis. The analysis can sense the opportunities and threats for the organization and the potential success coming out of it. The internal and external environment when analyzed critically can be determined by the strategic directions for action.

Industry definition- they operate in the whole area of Tasmania with most of their services but not all. Their services include accommodation, respite, community connections, leisure and recreation, personal support and life skills, specialist services, coordination of supports and child and youth services. Their efficient staffs help in developing skills and confidence among the disabled people. They are also responsible for operating a center- based respite which is a short- term accommodation far from home that let the individuals indulge in fun activities and support. The caretakers and the families of the disabled people also get time for a break and remain assured that their family members are being taken care of in a safe and secured place. The short- term accommodation are designed in such a way that the individuals can feel at home and comfortable. Their boundaries lie in longer stays which can be negotiated in specific circumstances for instance, if the family goes for a vacation or the caretaker falls ill. Their customers vary in ages and gender and all kinds of support from high to low level are provided to them. Their business model involves a non- profitable organization that has an experience of 25 years in the field of disability services. They have extended their services across the states in 2015. Their plan includes working for the children who do not get proper treatment from their foster families. They excel in offering a nurturing and secured environment along with a special support to meet with the specific needs. Their sponsors include Department of Health and Human Services, National Disability Insurance Scheme, National Disability Services and Uniting Church in Australia.

General Environment Analysis- children suffering from physical or mental disabilities often experience environmental constraints which become a barrier in their daily activities. There are certain environmental situations which prove to be a kind of substantial challenge for the children. Focus group and individual interviews have found out the environmental factors which affected the life of the disabled individual. Social and institutional barriers were considered as the most important environmental barriers. Although there are many physical factors too but the attitudes and deficiency in knowledge prevented in changing the behavior. The parents’ longing for more control and increasing use to include for change attitudes need to be more flexible, also establishment of disability issues are a thoughtful apprehension about the common view of familiarity.

Industry analysis

For people with disabilities, there are more frequent barriers than with the normal people. These barriers are not just physical barriers but something more than that. There are factors in the environment of a person that limit their functioning and cause disability in presence or absence. The aspects included in it are- an inaccessible physical environment; deficiency of relevant and assistive technology; people’s negative attitude towards disability; certain services, policies and systems which are either absent or prevent the involvement of individuals with irregular health conditions in all the areas of life. Then there are several other barriers which are extremely difficult and make it impossible for the disabled person to function in their own way. The seven most common barriers that are faced by the disabled people are- Attitudinal, communication, physical, social, programmatic, policy and transportation.

Industry analysis- the health industry in Australia is the third largest industry and therefore one of the major employers in the region. Disability support and services is one of the parts in the health industry. Most of the people are aware of disabled people and assured that they would recognize them as disability either because the disability is open to all or the other people know about the fact called disability. The technological meaning of the term disability is not so easy to define. A person with disability lags behind in competing or performing with others. The environment and the surrounding of the person greatly influence the extent and the experience of disability. The treatment and diagnosis of a disability should be easy and effective. The most effective way to prevent disabilities and its further transmission is to start diagnosing and treating at an early stage.

Porter’s five forces framework is used for the strategic analysis of Possability in Tasmania. This industry analysis not only looks into the direct competitors of the company but also at the numerous aspects of the competitive structure of the industry and their economic environment which involves the bargaining capacity of the suppliers, buyers, the risk of new entry, and the danger of substitute services in the market. The aim is to look at all these factors and find out the extent to which they are increasing the competition (Crates and Spicer 2016).

Strong forces increase the competition while weak forces decrease the competition. Disability might arise due to interaction of the health conditions, personal factors and environmental factors which must vary from each other. It has been observed that the individuals with disabilities or the disabled persons are diverse and heterogeneous. Disability centers on a child if born with a congenital issue for instance, cerebral palsy or a middle- aged woman. According to a public health approach, there are certain distinguishing factors such as primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. The development of a strong support system for the disabled people will lead to a better scope and opportunities. With the implementation of a proper support system, the disabled people will be able to contribute minimum to the diversity, variety and vitality of the communities. The services attached with the disabled people will make their life improved and better. Numerous jobs and other work filled with individuals of the same category and good wish make the disabled individuals feel comfortable similar to staying at home.

Competitor analysis- It is said that the biggest turn over in the disability sector of Tasmania is the emerging competition. The NDIS or the National Disability Insurance Scheme is now spread all over the country. It is believed that they should make some arrangements to continue struggling and make attractive offers to keep up their business. This will lead to a rise in the expense of the marketing and advertising. In Tasmania and other states, the roll out will take place between the children of age 12- 14 who are eligible first time for the NDIS. The disability service providers have agreed to the fact that the roll out of the NDIS will give rise to stiff competition. But marketing, billboards, TV and online campaigns are somewhat under consideration now. Under the control of the NDIS, their original funding model for the disability services is being reshaped.

When the disability and the charity companies start to compete with each other, to serve the disabled people with disabilities, there are several anticipating fusions and attainments (Banks 2016).

For this reason, the Tasmanian disability support providers are deciding on marketing, billboards, TV and online advertising and media consulting. According to most of the people the change to full NDIS will be smooth compared to the previous operational activities. As the state had been under a trial for four years therefore the local service providers will get time to prepare. The organization, Possability in Tasmania has tied up with a number of groups that have helped in finding resources in order to achieve their objectives. Their collaboration with the local community is another major step in within their enterprise for growth and development in the future and creating a long term and sustainable benefits.

Opportunities and threats- there are councils who have reported that in the coming years the amount of possible pressures is going to increase. The possibilities are- the cost incurred in implementing the Care Act; high risk that can affect the Independent Living Fund and create an impact on the funds for young disabled adults. The cost that will be implemented on the new guidance for the sustenance of the care market and offering the required price for care. The threats that is associated with managing demand with a possible increase in people who will be replaced in the disability services. There are still increasing pressure from the hospitals to meet the needs of a larger amount of people within a short time limit. Then there is lack of district nurses which leads to more challenges in disability services (Pirkis et al. 2014). The threats continued with the learning disability budgets due to the increase in more number of young adults shifting from the children’s services who was in need for critical care. At the same time, there is an ageing population who require change in care.

But still there are opportunities where the approaches need to be developed for managing demand which will lead to decrease in costs for the adult social care. These are the opportunities which are still lagging behind the contemporary increasing pressure faced by the industry. If there is a continued stress on the significance of preventive intervention then all the areas will be pursued with a strong management culture. Personal budgets will tend to offer better opportunity to decrease costs and they should be observed in other way.

Resources- the Possability Disability Services is responsible for operating in a context that is characterized by innovation and change. In the crucial time of significant change and reformation, the organization has set up an agenda of strategic plan for action. The agenda provides direction for improving and developing the condition of the disabled people by their participation in the social, economic and cultural life. The Possability services in Tasmania aims to make a fully inclusive and participatory society where the disabled people will be valued and respected as other members of the society and this will be possible by making use of the available resources. These can be made possible when the disabled people will be able to pursue their individual goals without being discriminated. They will have to be felt embraced and respected which will make them welcome and accessible to the society. The disabled people will be involved in shaping the policy, legislation and program involvement. The strategic plan will be implemented through developing an operational plan and by working together with the community sector, service providers, the disabled people and their families (Whitburn, Moss and O’Mara 2017).

The resources for the disabled people include permanent and temporary limitations with the chronic illness or health conditions. There are limitations but those are not just limited to mobility, seeing, hearing and learning. Also, there are health conditions which are not just restricted to epilepsy, depression, celiac, diabetes or concussion. The resources for the people with disabilities include newly designed program to help in smooth transition. A series of workshops will let the people provide with the required information and they will be a part of it. These resources will help them to be a part of the community and they will be happy and satisfied.

Capabilities- the structure of the Possability Tasmania include defining the skills, knowledge and capabilities required by the prime job roles in the disability sector. There is a requirement of the visual and interactive tool that helps in the progress of the disability services. There are consistent and clear framework which takes care of the management strategies, career opportunities and a set of defined skills, knowledge and capabilities. The resources will make the individuals who are working in this sector capable enough to perform better and will be beneficial for those who are looking forward to join this sector. Understanding of disability comes with various challenges which needs to be worked on and overcome. These include a number of resources, lack of reliable and relevant data and knowledge, defaming and lack of visibility in persons with disability and the policies were seemed to be ineffective when they were based on separate structures for the concerned persons.

The existing and the original data on the disability services are very meager and there is scarcity of comparison between two countries. There are several challenges which cannot be avoided when a discussion on disability is going on. By using the capabilities approach the issues related to disability can be looked into which will help in responding to the various upcoming challenges, whether assessment of the disabled persons or defining the national policies. There lies an evident opportunity to mainstream people with disabilities and to include them in the approach will affect the living conditions of the disabled people in a great way (Pirkis et al. 2014).

Core competencies- Possability in Tasmania excels in helping people with significant and permanent disability and are in constant need for assistance with their regular activities. These are the people with intellectual, cognitive, neurological and sensory disability or any kind of physical damage. They aim to provide better choice and control to deliver a life-long and individual funding approach for supporting. The individuals who are seeking support from the organization are set according to the criteria. Those individuals who are deemed eligible take part in their own planning process for determining the essential and reasonable supports required to achieve the goals. The individuals will also receive a pack of funding to procure the supports as mentioned in the plan. These are the core competencies which have given a competitive advantage to Possability Tasmania over other disability services.

The participants will be given the option to keep their present support arrangements even if they shift or change but they need to be consistent with the organization Possability. At the end of the strategic plan, it will be seen that around 1000 people within the age of 15 to 25 years will receive the approved plan. The resources and the capabilities of the Possability Disability Services will be a live document that will be updated on a regular basis and will be made available for the stakeholders too.  The data that were presented and the actions implemented have strong relevance to the time when it was developed. But these require amendment to pay heed to the change in workforce that is taking place over time.

Business Model- Possability Tasmania is a leading Disability service provider who offers a full range of services to enable the people reach their potential (Jordan and Tseris 2017). The organization assists people with disability so that they can live an independent life, full of confidence, choose their action and achieve their goals. The services of Possability include accommodation, coordination of supports, community connections, respite, recreation, leisure and many more. They also offer special services to the individual such as consultant psychiatrist clinics and other intensive support. Their business model includes services that support in developing skills to help the individuals reach their goals. Their service quality accredited programs are based on research and the best practices. They can get access to a special team of expert and consultants. Attention on the social inclusion and active participation within the community will lead to a beneficial life for the disabled individuals. Their flexible and receptive service delivery measured to meet the specific needs is another criterion of Possability which keep them ahead in the run of competition in the disability sector.

They are open five days a week except Saturday and Sunday. They excel in delivering services associated with community living and special needs. They also offer attendant care, rehabilitation, residential support and respite care. The features included in their services are appointment, certified, delivery, registered and TAC. They mainly deal with issues such as intellectual disabilities. Their target group includes adults of all ages, children, male, female and youth. The essential services include supported accommodation, intensive support services, and disability care in Tasmania, life skills, disability services, community access, respite care, personal support and respite (Fitzgerald et al. 2015).

Value proposition- in order to meet the aspirations of the person with disabilities it becomes essential to take a look at the current situation with respect to the excluded populations and then implementing the plan of building on the same. It is expected to improve the effectiveness of the development program which will lead to the inclusion of growth and then ensure equal participation as well as sharing of benefit by disadvantaged social groups. It is seen that the disadvantaged and the disabled men and women have limited livelihood options and that is why Possability is working towards making their life better and fruitful. Previous records have shown that disabled people living in poverty always face more disadvantages and are prone to become poorer. At the same time, it is applicable for people living in poverty who have a high chance of getting disabled. This happens due to their limited access to the basic necessities such as health, sanitation and education and they are more exposed to perilous working situation.

Many individuals are indulged in the operational activities of joint disability management programs. The stakeholders of this sector include- injured or sick workers, joint committees, healthcare providers, return to work coordinators, insurance providers, union officials, senior management, worker representatives and supervisors. The sick workers are encouraged by Possability to actively participate in the process of return to work for assuring that it is safe, suitable and sustainable by reporting illness or injury very soon. The joint committee takes a look in the administration of disability management. Healthcare providers help an employee to return to work by reviewing the functional job descriptions. The coordinators of return to work are the person for contacting all the stakeholders and the insurance providers play a role by supplying for the benefits and arranging rehabilitation services. Union officials offer visible support while senior management commits to disability management objectives. Worker representatives are the advocates of rights for the employees including the disabled people and the supervisors are in charge of monitoring the overall safety and security (Crates and Spicer 2016).

Strengths and Weaknesses- An eight- phase implementation strategy was adapted in the organization to develop an informal community disability services. This service continues in a voluntary way just in the same way it was implemented but the capacity has slightly been reduced. They are SACS accredited which means more beneficiary activities for the disable people. Possability has a team of experienced, dedicated and competent board of trustee, staff and faculty. Their strengths also include limited audit findings. They can also utilize their available technology. They have funding for grunt. There lies a balance between the disabled people and the caretaker ratio. Increased enrolment and expansion of the services will lead to development of the organization.

The weakness lies in their budget constraint and additional wireless accessibility. There is lack of space for providing minimum work area, sufficient space for the fun activities, and a meeting room to discuss about the work and performance. The business plan is spread at various locations which should have been better if located together where the staff and members can train and work with each other. The disabled people had to be kept in small rooms where they cannot roam about freely and there is not enough space for the book store too. The local funding in the present is not providing finance for the landscaping requirements beyond cutting grass and collecting trash in the premises. The premise needs to be filled with new plantings, flower beds, trimmed trees and shrubs. This scenery will help the disabled individuals to lead a joyful and merriment life on their own.

Possability disability services have set out agenda for a specific time to implement significant change and bring new shape in the specialist disability services area. Disability services play a pivotal role in achieving the goal of a fully inclusive and participatory society in which the disabled people are valued and respected in the same way as the other members of the community. The strategic priorities of Possability will be helpful in achieving the commitments as a part of the National Disability Strategy. The goals set in the strategic plan are deliberately high level and inspirational. The implementation of the strategic plan will be set in the operational plan which will be provided accordingly. It is essential to develop a strategic plan for the disability services. It was developed after a round of public consultation and approval from all others (Banks 2016).

The strategic priorities of Possability are guided by certain principles. All disabled people are treated equally with dignity and respect. The organization Possability protects the human rights of all people with disabilities. According to this plan, the abilities and contributions of the disabled people are recognized and respected. Equal access to support and services is delivered to the disabled people irrespective of their location, gender, race or color. The disabled people and their families have choice, flexibility and control over the support in their lives. This principle states the individual autonomy, capability, independence and aspirations of the disabled people to decide on their own and become a recognizable citizen.

For the future strategy, the organization Possability must learn to acknowledge the important role of the families, caretakers, friends and others in the lives of the people with disabilities. They must provide with options for control and flexibility in the same way that they provide support. They have to keep it in mind that support is accessible, innovative, person- oriented and culturally responsive. The principle identifies the significance of the well- being of the disabled people. From the organization, the Possability support providers, caretakers and others who give support to give a premium quality, accessible, innovative and culturally responsive services that are measured to meet up the individual goals and services. The organization must also understand and meet the requirements of the disabled people and their families and caretakers. This includes understanding of the family, communities and cultural preferences and then putting them at the central point of planning and delivery of services.

Reference

Banks, S.M., 2016. ” Becoming people to each other”: how practice and meaning intersect in the delivery of aged care and disability support (Doctoral dissertation, University of Tasmania).

Cortis, N., 2017. Working under NDIS: insights from a survey of employees in disability services.

Crates, N. and Spicer, M., 2016. Reactive strategies within a positive behavioural support framework for reducing the episodic severity of aggression. International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, 6(1), pp.24-34.

Eriksson, S., 2014. The Need for Self?Determination and Imagination: Personal Budgeting and the Management of Disability Services in Finland. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 11(2), pp.137-148.

Fitzgerald, B., Hawkins, W., Denison, T. and Kop, T., 2015. Digital inclusion, disability, and public libraries: A summary Australian perspective. In Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and the Inclusive Future of Libraries (pp. 213-236). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Jordan, K. and Tseris, E., 2017. Locating, understanding and celebrating disability: Revisiting Erikson’s “stages”. Feminism & Psychology, p.0959353517705400.

Pirkis, J., Whiteford, H., Jorm, T., Harris, M., Reavley, N., Siskind, D., Bassilios, B., Diminic, M.S., Robinson, J., Carstensen, G. and Wong, I., 2014. Informing the development of Tasmania’s long-term plan for mental health A review of policy documents and related literature.

possability. (2017). [online] Available at: https://possability.com.au/ [Accessed 3 Oct. 2017].

Whitburn, B., Moss, J. and O’Mara, J., 2017. The policy problem: the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and implications for access to education. Journal of Education Policy, 32(4), pp.467-479.

www.nds.org.au. (2017). [online] Available at: https://www.nds.org.au/images/files/Annual_Report_2016.pdf [Accessed 3 Oct. 2017].