FAQ

The period from leaving school to adulthood is known as Transition.

Disability Support Services provide transition services to help people with ORS (Ongoing Resource Scheme) funding who are between the ages of 16-21 years transition out of school. This includes planning for work, further study or community opportunities. There are other periods of transition within life stages, but in the context of Transition on this website, and for Transition Expo we are referring to child to adult transition.

A transition coordinator is a professional who supports a young disabled person and their family to navigate the process of moving from school to post-school life in the community. This is a free service provided to disabled youth in their final school year, between the ages of 16-21 years of age.

Community day services are designed to help disabled adults to take part in their community. They provide access to regular meaningful social contact and stimulating activities. Sometimes they are referred to as Day programmes or Vocational services.

To access community day services, you’ll need to meet criteria for disability funding through your local Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC).

IF is a type of person-directed funding from Disability Support Services which gives disabled people and their family/whānau more choice in how they are supported to live their lives. It is available throughout New Zealand for eligible people who have been assessed to receive either:

• Home and Community Support Services (Ministry of Health) external, which includes help with household management and personal care
• Respite services to help carers take a break. This can include facility based respite, Carer Support and In-home support.

IF increases your choice and control about who provides this support, and how, and when you use it. Your options range from engaging support workers to directly work with you and the person in your care or choosing purchases which support you living a good life. 

Carer Support funding is a contribution of a set amount that can be given to a person who cares for the disabled person while a parent/guardian takes a break. The person is not employed by the family or disabled person and this means there are no employment conditions attached ie. No minimum wage criteria. Individualised Funding Respite is provided as a budget for a disabled person, and can be used to employ or contract a carer/support worker. Full employment conditions must be adhered to. Refer to Individualised Funding for more details on purchasing of items.

IF Hosts are contracted by MSD to support you to understand and use Individualised Funding. They will help you learn how to organise, set up and manage your supports. IF Hosts administer payments for support services and report on the support hours you use to ensure you are following purchasing guidelines.

In Auckland there are 8 possible Hosts to use. Each person will have different priorities and requirements from an Individualised Funding host. To pick the host that is right for you, we recommend you compare their services to your needs to make a decision. Flying Kites have a useful guide to choosing a host here.

Enabling Good Lives is an approach where disabled people and their whanau can choose to increase the choice and control they have in their lives and supports. EGL is based on 8 principles: Self Determination, Beginning Early, Person-centred, Ordinary Life outcomes, Mainstream first, Mana enhancing, Easy to Use, Relationship Building. Those living in an EGL area (3 areas in New Zealand) are able to use a personal budget for funding.

Although the EGL pilot funding (personal budgets) isn’t available in Auckland, you can use the EGL principles and approach for planning and goals when applying for funding or dealing with providers.

If you have a disability you can ask for a referral to the Kaikaranga NASC (the Auckland Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordinator) from your GP, Specialist or social worker. You can also self-refer for yourself or your family member.

If you are over 65 years old and have not had disability support previously you should get a needs assessment through the disabled older persons NASC.

NASC stands for Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordinator. The NASC is the agency responsible for completing needs assessments and allocating the disability support services funding.

The Auckland NASC for disability is Kaikaranga. There are NASC’s for Health and Mental Health. If a condition is not considered a disability, you may be eligible for support at home via the Health or Mental Health NASC.

Under current New Zealand guidelines FASD does not qualify for disability support services funding. If you have other diagnoses you may be eligible for support under these.