Issue 105
21 April 2008
A new website is currently being developed to more effectively promote business services and encourage take-up of their products and services! This new website will replace BizAbility.
To ensure the effectiveness of the new website in generating interest and sales for business services, the site needs to contain your most up to date contact and product details. To assist with this, all business service organisations will be contacted by FaHCSIA in the coming months to confirm contact details and product information. The new website will also provide a link to your business' web page which describes your products or services, so web users can find out more about your business and what you can offer them.
However, the website will only be as useful as the information it contains. By ensuring your business information is up to date, you can help us make it the best website possible! As a starting point, please check that your local contract manager has current email details for you in FOFMS.
We will keep you informed of the website rebuild progress over the coming months.
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Nominations for the National Disability Awards are closing soon, so now is the time to nominate!
If you have friends, colleagues, family members or know of others in your network that either have disability or are involved in disability issues, nominate them today.
The National Disability Awards recognise the outstanding achievements and contributions that individuals with disability make to our community, and recognise individuals within our community who have contributed to the disability sector.
Award recipients will be recognised at a National Awards Event in Canberra on 3 December 2008.
For more information, or to order a nomination pack, visit the International Day of People with Disability website or call 1800 440 385.
Nominations close on 9 May 2008, so nominate today!
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Each fortnight, a product from the Consumer Training and Support product list will be highlighted in disAbility e-news. In this issue we will be looking at the Evidence Guide for Business Services workbook.
The Evidence Guide for Business Services workbook has been written for people working in business services - from support staff, to managers, to Board members. It has three main aims:
Business services collect, interpret and store all kinds of 'evidence'. This includes evidence about clients for the Disability Maintenance Instrument (DMI), evidence about internal systems for quality assurance, or evidence about a client for their work assessment.
The guide is essentially a series of questions and answers about evidence. There are six questions that break the guide into clear topic areas, making it easier to find information.
The guide covers some of the key issues about collecting, using and storing evidence. In the answers you'll find facts, advice and examples.
A copy of this product and all the other Consumer Training and Support material can be accessed on the FaHCSIA website.
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In his usual fortnightly column, Michael answers some of the most frequently asked questions from the CBF Helpdesk.
If you have a DEA or FOFMS question for Michael, please contact the CBF Helpdesk by calling 1800 034 887, or by emailing helpdesk.cbf@fahcsia.gov.au
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Please make sure that all fields in the client record are completed when registering a new supported employee on FOFMS. To ensure that people with disability receive the best quality service, FaHCSIA collects information on an annual basis from the services it funds, including the people they assist. Therefore, it is important for business service providers to ensure that all requested information is completed on FOFMS before a new case record is opened and payments start.
Please note that FaHCSIA may suspend payments to business service providers for supported employees who do not have their information accurately recorded on FOFMS.
Please contact the Case Based Funding Helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or at helpdesk.cbf@fahcsia.gov.au if you require further information.
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Recent audits of business services have shown that there are some instances where overpayments have been raised due to authorising Disability Maintenance Instruments (DMI) assessments too early. Another overpayment issue is the failure to 'exit or suspend' within the timeframes specified in the DEA Funding Agreement(s) (the Agreement(s)).
The DEA Audit and Compliance Strategy is one of a range of tools that FaHCSIA uses to facilitate continuous quality improvements to the services provided to people with disability in business services. Consistent with Clause 7 of the Agreement, and sub Item P22.9 of the Schedule, the Audit and Compliance Strategy allows FaHCSIA to manage fraud and compliance risks in the DEA Program. The findings from the strategy will help to identify areas of compliance weakness and identify improvements to business processes, policy and system controls.
FaHCSIA provides verbal feedback, followed by a letter to advise business services of documenting breaches and the amount of money to be recovered. The standard practice for recovering the overpayment is to offset the amount against the monthly funding payment to the business service. This is consistent with Clauses 9.3 (a) and (d) of the Agreement, which states the processes in place for recovering payment(s) that have been made by FaHCSIA that were incorrectly rendered by the business service.
There was a delay in the recovery of money until February and March 2008. All future recoveries will be processed on FOFMS within one (1) month of notification by FaHCSIA.
Any questions regarding this should be directed to your Contract Manager.
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VATMI Industries (VATMI), the largest business service in Victoria, is celebrating 50 years of providing employment for people with disability this year. Through their contract packaging business VaTPaK, recycling businesses Sandhurst Enterprises Bendigo, Wangaratta Recycling and VicWest Stawell, catering business Q DeLicious and art studio Q ArtStudio, VATMI provides employment for about 420 people.
The business service started in 1958 as a joint initiative between the Mental Health Authority (now the Department of Human Services) and the Victorian Employers Federation (now VECCI), with a view to providing challenging and rewarding employment. VATMI assisted the rehabilitation of patients within psychiatric hospitals and provided paid work to 40 hospitals throughout the state. It established the VaTPaK workshop in Collingwood in the mid 1960's and has diversified into many other activities since.
VATMI has embarked on a significant change program over the past few years, to position the company for future growth and better outcomes for all employees.
CEO Greg Wasmund said, "We have made great progress in moving from a sheltered workshop with little focus on commercial outcomes, to a place of business. The start was the sale of our old Hawthorn property in late 2003. In 2004, we merged with Network Q and constructed new, purpose-built premises in Kew, as the first steps in changing the culture of the organisation in unison with the introduction of Disability Service Standards.
"It wasn't out with the old and in with the new, but it was important to have a symbol that could be used in effecting cultural change. I was able to use a new building for this purpose."
"We have invested heavily in people and new automated plant and equipment in all business enterprises, as part of our strategy to boost the overall productivity of our workforce. Whilst new plant and equipment will help, the real goal is to build on our already integrated workforce. We have a mix of supported and mixed ability employees and are seeking work that will allow us to move further along this curve."
Our Recycling division has been a real success story. From modest beginnings in Castlemaine 25 years ago, we now have Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in Wangaratta, Bendigo and Stawell. We have contractual relationships with many councils in regional Victoria and are Visy Recycling's largest county agent in Victoria. Today, those businesses provide employment for about 100 people and generate revenue of about $7 million per year. We have just built a new facility in Stawell and look forward to the official opening in April.
Q ArtStudio provides employment for about 10 artists with disability. They produce a range of art, ceramics, gift cards and screen printing. This month, the studio exhibited a range of artworks in association with the Kew Festival. The exhibition was officially opened by the Mayor of Boroondara on Friday 14 March and attended by about 300 interested members of the public.
Q ArtStudio is a fine example of the change we have seen within the group. Two years ago, it operated at a loss, with the changes made to its business operations, it now operates as a profit centre and contributes to the group's sustainability.
Q Delicious is the catering business within the group. It provides catering to our employees as well as a growing list of satisfied business clients. VATMI is also a partner in a recently established joint venture with Wesley Employment and the Uniting Church. The joint venture owns and operates a 'social firm', The Last Cuppa, a coffee shop within the precinct of Melbourne University. The church provides the premises, Wesley the staff and Q Delicious the fresh food.
Throughout 2008, we have a number of festivities planned to celebrate our 50th anniversary. There will be a gala dinner later in the year as well as a number of employee social activities such as monthly boardroom lunches with key customers, regional Board Meetings and cocktail functions. Most importantly, we will establish a foundation to research links between mental illness and work related activities.
VATMI Industries can be contacted at:
35 Hutchinson Dr Kew Vic 3101
Phone: (03) 9851 9702
Mobile: 0425 811 251
Fax: (03) 9851 9715
Email:gwasmund@vatmi.com.au
Website: www.vatmi.com.au
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Email disAbility e-news if you'd like more information on a particular issue or program in disAbility e-news or to let us know what you think of the newsletter.
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Your contributions to disAbility e-news are welcome. Do you want to let others know about your successes? Or how you engage with local businesses to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities? Email your story idea to disAbility e-news.
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