NDIA Independent Assessment Pilot This year the EarlyStart team supported the NDIA Independent Assessment Pilot for children aged 0-7 years. This was a valuable opportunity for BUSHkids to be involved in trialling such a significant proposed reform to NDIS access and planning processes. Being part of the pilot helped to ensure that the voices of children and families living with a developmental delay or disability in rural and remote regions were heard. Over a three-month period, BUSHkids completed 72 independent assessments (174 appointments) and provided comprehensive feedback to the NDIA. Friends of BUSHkids (FoBk) Our journey in numbers The EarlyStart team rolled out in January 2021 with 118 families ready and waiting for service across our BUSHkids NDIS ECEI regions. Referrals to our team have remained steady with around 50 families identified each month who would benefit from STEI support. Overall, from January to June 2021, the EarlyStart team completed 984 STEI appointments, supporting a total of 242 families. Working in a best-practice model, we have seen an increase in services being delivered in natural settings. Prior to the EarlyStart team roll out, 18% of short term early intervention supports were delivered in natural settings such as homes, early childhood education centres and schools. This has now increased to 33% with the EarlyStart team. Where to next? The EarlyStart team will continue working hard to support children and families within our BUSHkids NDIS ECEI service regions. We look forward to expanding both our team and the supports we provide in 2022. We hope to begin offering targeted ECEI programs, parent education, and increase our opportunities for team members to engage with their local communities. FoBk groups in Warwick, Emerald and Bundaberg continue to play a vital link between the organisation’s clinical delivery and the communities in which we live. An important part of that is networking with business members and community groups that hold the same ethos of better communities and quality services to support families. Raising funds to do this and complementing the operational needs is one way that we can play a part, whether that be in extra services, extra equipment or better play spaces for our young children to learn and grow when they visit our centres. Whilst BUSHkids Service Centres are located across the State, the needs of families and the trust they have in BUSHkids is the same. During the year many events have been enjoyed by families and the wider community as we promote BUSHkids and the wonderful dedicated teams which provide these services, so it is important that—whether it is a Bushdance, ‘Brekky with the Bushies’ or Golf Days and all other events—we very much appreciate the way our communities have supported and embraced all that BUSHkids and FoBk do, because this is our way of adding that extra layer of wellness, smiles, and laughter to our communities. FoBk Chair Judy Peters C E O c o n t i n u e d 37% 33% 30% Remote Support / teleHealth In person / natural setting In person / clinical setting A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 2 0–2 0 2 1 18
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