Disability Support Advisory Committee (DSAC)

Goals

- Monitor devolution of older people's services including TDH's implementation plan and continuums of care.
- Input into the decision making processes on funding of younger people's (65 years) disability support services with emphasis on integration to ensure needs are met.
- Encourage a non-disabling society – identify barriers to access for people with impairments and developing plans to remove them.

Board Members	Community Members
Lois McCarthy Robinson (chair)	Gordon Jackman
Ben Tahata	Muriel Jones
Brian Wilson	Patricia Mill-Poi
Ingrid Collins (ex officio)

The focus of the meetings is:

Oversight of the performance of the funded services of the Board in terms of their impact on the inclusion, participation and independence outcomes of people with disabilities of the District
Consideration of the trends and developments of disability support needs of the people of the District
Consideration of the strategic development of services funded by the Board in terms of maximizing their impact on the inclusion, participation and independence of the people with disabilities of the District.
The committee will use a range of approaches to form a view of the performance trends and strategic development of these services, including:

review of regular reports from the key service managers on the impact of services on outcomes for people with disabilities against the performance objectives set out in the annual plan and other relevant accountability documents.
review of information on key disability support needs and the impact of services on the outcomes for people with disabilities
discussions with the service General Managers and the General Manager Funding and Planning
participation in relevant workshops
The Committee will meet every two months. The focus of each meeting will vary slightly in terms of the timing in terms of the timing in the District annual and strategic planning process. Every second month joint forums combined with the Community & Public Health Advisory Committee are scheduled to receive presentations on a health related topics for information and debate. These forums are advertised and open to the public.

A joint annual planning workshop to develop advice on key priorities for the DHB as part of the DAP planning process for the following year will occur with other committees and the Board.

Reporting

The Committee will receive reports focusing on:

Significant trends and developments in terms of the performance of the Board funded services on the outcomes for people with disabilities
Assessing the disability support needs of people of the district
The Committee will receive bi-monthly update reports on significant exceptions to planned performance of the service or any significant events or performance issues.

The Committee may commission reports on specific significant issues or opportunities in relation to improving outcomes for people with disabilities.

Public participation

The Committee will be open to the public. Each meeting may have elements of the meeting that are open to public and elements of the meeting that are not open to the public. This approach will facilitate open and frank advice to and discussion with the committee on the performance and development of the services.

The DSAC will also develop a proactive programme of communication with communities and community groups to gather feedback on the needs of the community and the impact of Board funded services on the outcomes for people with disabilities in the District. The extension programme may include:

- Meetings with community groups,
- Workshops on key issues for people with disabilities, and
- Meeting with other agencies who contribute to the inclusion, participation and independence of the people of the District.
- Member development
- Annually members will consider their development needs in terms of providing informed governance of the performance of the hospital and related services.

Submissions to Advisory Committee Meetings

People wishing to make submissions/deputations at advisory committee meetings should notify the Committee Secretary at least 10 working days before the meeting.

Submissions may be sent to:

Board & Advisory Committee Secretary
Tairawhiti District Health
Private Bag 7001
Gisborne
Telephone: 06 869 0500 x8093
E-mail: