Disability Action Tracker
The following tables outlines the immediate and short-term actions associated with the Disability Action Plan, and the different calender years they are expected to be completed. The immediate and short-term actions have been separated into the following four categories that Ara Poutama Aotearoa is focusing on: Planning and Assurance, People and Capability, Partnerships, and Service Delivery.
Immediate Actions: 2023 – 2024
| Strategic focus area | Goal | Item description | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Leadership | Establish an advisory group for disability support across Ara Poutama Aotearoa. | Ara Poutama Aotearoa will create an advisory group to support achieving the goals outlined in the current Disability Action Plan. | Form an advisory group to support the successful implementation of the Disability Action Plan. By mid 2024, deliver a progress status report against the plan. This group will provide input into relevant projects to ensure disability is considered. |
| Using Evidence to Make a Difference | Identify and accurately record data to inform knowledge of tāngata whaikaha Māori/ disabled people. | The current use of WGSSQ may be replaced in the future with a more specialised tool that is specially designed for Aotearoa New Zealand. | Incorporate the Washington Short Set of Questions on Disability (WGSSQ) into all health screening tools by the end of 2023 and ensure accurate ethnicity data is collected. The WGSSQ may be replaced in time by an improved screening mechanism or a more sophisticated process that would be designed specifically for Aotearoa circumstances. |
| Responding to Disability Support Needs | Use communication approaches which promote wellbeing and inclusion for tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people. | Key information relevant to, or which may impact, tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people should be accessible to them and presented in a manner appropriate for them. | Develop and make available Te Reo, Easy Read, large print, pictorial and New Zealand Sign Language versions of the Disability Action Plan. Further summaries are proposed to ensure the plan is accessible to all disabled people. |
| Responding to Disability Support Needs | Develop and support roles that facilitate and navigate access and continuity of care for tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people and their whānau. | To support their needs, have practitioners working alongside tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people and their whānau. | Trial a model using a qualified social worker or similar role such as a whānau ora worker for both disabled and older persons. Develop in collaboration with tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people and the advisory group. |
Short-Term Actions 2024 – 2027
| Strategic focus area | Goal | Item description | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responding to Disability Support Needs | Develop a framework for early intervention for working with people who have high and complex needs to reintegrate into the community. | We must enable people with complex disability support needs to access the support that they need to reintegrate successfully back into the community following release from prison. | Develop a framework for early intervention planning for tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people with complex disability support needs. This should include input from whānau (where appropriate), community, and tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people service providers. |
| Responding to Disability Support Needs | Support the whānau of tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people to access information and support regarding their whānau members. | Supporting whānau of tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people to access information will enable better engagement with existing service providers and funders. | Established an 0800 number or online means (in collaboration with other teams within Ara Poutama Aotearoa) for whānau of tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people to access appropriate support from providers, government agencies and/or community groups. Partnership with NGO, community, and Iwi service providers will be necessary to deliver this. |
| Developing the Workforce | Disability Awareness Training is part of mandatory induction training for all new front-line staff. | It is vital that all staff have access to the necessary skills and knowledge to work with and for tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people effectively. | Ensure that all new staff receive Disability Awareness Training and that current staff complete regular refresher courses. Ensure that the nurse’s orientation training includes a Disability Awareness module. |
| Developing the Workforce | Staff will have resourcing for and access to learning NZ Sign Language (NZSL). | NZSL is one of the three official languages in Aotearoa. It is essential, from an inclusion and diversity perspective, that as many staff as possible know how to use the language. | Explore establishing memorandums of understanding and contractual partnerships with NZSL agencies. |
| Strategic focus area | Goal | Item description | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developing the Workforce | To have prison staff and volunteers work in partnership with tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people to be the navigators around disability knowledge. | Local knowledge and support underpin good planning and effective networking. | Resource and establish a Terms of Reference for a volunteer network of site-specific disability champions. Develop this in consultation with tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people and other stakeholders. |
| Responding to Disability Support Needs | Have a disability lens on all work practices within Ara Poutama Aotearoa. | All design and operational activities templates should include a requirement to have a disability perspective considered at the start of any project. | Develop a quality improvement plan to ensure accessible facilities, systems, and processes with tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people. |
| Strategic focus area | Goal | Item description | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working with Tāngata Whaikaha Māori and their Whānau | Develop partnerships and relationships with Iwi and Māori service providers working with tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people. | Developing relationships with Māori service providers will result in the delivery of integrated and culturally appropriate support services. | Undertake strategic networking with tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people service providers. Engage with regional groups, including tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people and their whānau, to assist the advisory group in supporting the implementation of the Disability Action Plan. |
| Working with Tāngata Whaikaha Māori and their Whānau | Link with existing regional tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people advisory groups to support disabled people in prison. | Tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people, their whānau, service providers and other stakeholders should contribute equally to creating disability supports. | Link into existing regional groups that will identify/seek to resolve existing barriers for disabled people in prison and act as a resource for developing new ways of working. |
| Strategic focus area | Goal | Item description | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working with Tāngata Whaikaha Māori and their Whānau | Have a formal venue to hear the voices of tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people and whānau. | All projects, programmes and initiatives should include the voice of tāngata whaikaha Māori and their whānau. | Hold a bi-annual (two yearly) hui commencing 2024 for tāngata whaikaha Māori, their whānau and service providers. |
| Responding to Disability Support Needs | Tāngata whaikaha Māori are enabled to access to supports they need when they need it. | Tāngata whaikaha Māori are supported to have equitable access and choices. | The advisory group will link into and advocate within existing Ara Poutama Aotearoa work programmes to ensure appropriate resourcing and focus put on tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people. |
| Research and Evaluation | Support further research, including research about neurodiversity particularly related to tāngata whaikaha Māori/disabled people who are in the care and management of Ara Poutama Aotearoa. | A better understanding of the profile of tāngata whaikaha in prison will help to inform the development of effective services and supports. | Support those conducting research into neurodiversity in tāngata whaikaha in their funding applications to external funders. This will include a focus on supporting Māori research and evaluation methodology. |