Access to services

Throughout their lifetime, individuals will find it necessary to access services to assist them to meet their specific needs and to support their wellbeing. Such services include educational intervention, employment support, home care, transport, suitable accommodation and technology.

The uniqueness and diversity of groups within the community can influence which services are required to meet the specific needs of the group or individuals within the group. 

• CAR:

  • Characteristics 

  • Aspects of the service

  • Resources 

All individuals need to access various resources throughout their lives in order to maintain their wellbeing. At times, groups with specific needs might require additional resources, or might need to access resources more regularly than those who do not have specific needs.

Factors affecting access to resources can include any circumstance or issue that prevents or limits a person or group from accessing services or other resources that they might need. Such resources might be available to them, but for various reasons they might find it difficult or impossible to access them. Not everyone has equal access to services. Not surprisingly, more services are available in urban areas. However technology has improved access, and integrative machines allow people with disabilities to use computers to seek information.

The characteristics affecting an individuals access to services include: 

• Age

• Gender 

• Level of education 

• First language spoken 

• Culture 

• Type of disability 

• Socioeconomic status  

Resources necessary to access services. For people with disabilities, a variety of services and support structures are available, however, the personal resources available to these individuals such as time, money, energy and knowledge, will affect their access to these services. 

For each of the following explain how they can assist an individual to access the services that they - need. Give an example to support your ideas.

• • Time 

  • Energy (consider classification and degree of limitation) 

  • Money 

  • Knowledge (i.e. knowledge of disability and treatment options, communication skills) 

Location

• Services are more likely in built areas (urban) and less likely in rural areas. 

• Services, such as Special Purposes Schools may be a distance away and require special transport services to get there. This can be a disadvantage for this group. 

• NDIS has pop up places in a variety of locations, but once again may be a distance for those living in more rural areas. 

• Specific services for e.g. RIDBC (deaf and blind society) and CPA (Cerebral Palsy Alliance) may have operational centres in only a few locations within the state. This might mean some families have to travel long distances to receive physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc.

Opening hours

• Is it open 24/7? Is there an online service to help? Are the opening hours limited, making it challenging to fit in to the schedule. 

• “Free time” can be limited in a day to day schedule around feeding, changing, dressing, medications and ease of transport to a service. The more time a service is open, the more flexible it is for people to access which can be a huge benefit. An online service may be challenging for the elderly, people with limited use of their arms, or a vision impairment. Phone calls may be challenging for the hearing impaired, those who are non verbal or those with an intellectual disability. 

Confidentiality

• To disclose information to outside sources, a signature of the person/carer is needed. The Disability Discrimination act supports equity and the right to confidentiality. Information that is personal cannot be disclosed to unnecessary groups. It will always be clear who medical records will be shared with in paper work. 

Staffing

• Variety of levels of expertise. 

• Seems to be a high turnover of staff in the disability sector. 

• Staffing may include receptionists, specialty providers, administration workers, phone operators, trainees. 

• Having reduced staff can mean longer waiting times (i.e. Centrelink and the NDIS). The bigger the organisation/demand for service, the more staffing will be provided. For example, the NDIS is a huge service that would have many sectors across Australia. They would need a significant amount of staff when compared to a smaller/specific organisation such as Vision Australia.