Opening our Annual Public Forum, CEO and founder of the Summer Foundation Dr Di Winkler shared the origin story of the organisation, its impact so far and our vision for the future.

“We’ve successfully shown that residential aged care is not suitable for younger people with disability. Now we need to lift expectations about what a good life can look like for Australians with high support needs,” she said.

“So, the Summer Foundation is relaunching.

“We believe people who need access to 24/7 support have the right to equitable and inclusive housing, support and services.

“We will identify, design and scale up innovative, user-led housing and living solutions.”

This focus on innovation was central to the Forum, which brought together a panel of experts to discuss housing and living supports for people with disability who need access to 24/7 support. It looked at what is needed to fulfil the NDIS promise in housing and living and what role innovation plays in driving this reform. 

The Forum showcased innovative models of housing and living supports in Australia and overseas and the impact they have had. 

The panel included:

• Dr Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director at the Grattan Institute 
• Jo Collins, Branch Manager, Home and Living Reform, NDIA 
• Rod Davies, CEO, One2One 
• Dr Mark Brown, Senior Research Fellow at the Summer Foundation
• Michelle Newland, Lived Experience Contributor, speaker and business owner 
• Anna Chambers, Lived Experience Contributor

Via video, Ewan King from Shared Lives UK spoke about the shared lives model of care, and Stephanie shared her brother Bill’s journey to his own home in Perth.

More than 550 people attended the Forum in Melbourne and online. It was hosted by Jamila Rizvi, best-selling author, podcast presenter and gender equality advocate.

The Forum was also the public debut for the Summer Foundation’s new look.

If you missed the forum, watch the video here.

We are excited to share that we have moved into the next phase of the Home and Living Outcome Framework study.

With the pilot stage complete, and funding from the Australian Research Council in place, we are now recruiting both participants and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) providers to take part in this important study. The 3-year, $1.64 million project is being run by La Trobe University and the Summer Foundation.

The study uses the Home and Living Outcome Framework to investigate the experiences, outcomes and economic impact of people with disability moving into NDIS funded SDA. The evidence collected will ultimately benefit people with disability by fostering innovative practice in housing and support.

The study is important because demand for SDA is increasing rapidly, with around 36,000 people becoming eligible for SDA payments over the next 20 years. Despite this we don’t know much about the impact SDA has on the lives of tenants. Without knowing what works and what doesn’t, there’s a risk that Australia will develop SDA that isn’t fit for purpose.

The Framework fills an urgent need by using valid, reliable and tested outcome measures to understand life domains.

If you’re a participant who has recently moved into SDA, or an SDA housing provider we’d love to hear from you. You can learn more about the study here, or register to have your say here.

The Australian Government introduced the Aged Care Bill 2024 to Parliament on 12 September. If passed by the Parliament, the Aged Care Bill 2024 will become the new Aged Care Act and will start on 1 July 2025. The Bill includes changes to the circumstances in which young people can enter residential aged care.

The Senate referred the Aged Care Bill 2024 to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 31 October 2024. The Summer Foundation made a submission to the Inquiry and our Head of Policy, Communications and Systems Change, Jessica Walker appeared at an Inquiry hearing in Melbourne on 17 October.

She outlined our concerns that the current drafting of the criteria for determining eligibility for entry into the aged care system opens a loophole for young people to enter aged care.

The Summer Foundation believes there must be additional changes to the Bill to ensure aged care is preserved for supporting older people and does not become a substitute for a lack of access to appropriate housing.

The Summer Foundation also made a submission to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s development of regulation and practice settings to enable innovative housing and support.

The Summer Foundation’s position is that the considered design of the system of proportionate regulation is key to ensuring that the NDIS can achieve its original intent of supporting the independence and social and economic participation of people with disability.

In this approach, regulation must: 

• Have a focus on participant outcomes and achieving the overall intent of the NDIS
• Maintain and encourage flexibility and innovation in housing and support for people with disability 
• Balance dignity of risk and strengthen safeguards where required

In the latest Reasonable & Necessary podcast Dr George secured an exclusive interview with National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) CEO, Rebecca Falkingham.

They talked through the changes to the NDIS Act that came into effect on the day (3 October) the podcast was released and explained what these changes mean for participants.

“I know it might feel like the legislation is a lot of big change, but as we’ve discussed before, the big design features are not designed yet,” Rebecca said.

“We have to work deeply with proper co-design to design the new Support Needs Assessment, to design the new budget model, how navigation will work. So I really encourage everyone…to get involved with the Agency in how we design the new system, because the strength of the NDIS will always be about having people with disability at the centre.”

Listen to the podcast here

The Building Better Homes campaign featured in the news in both Queensland and NSW recently.

Building Better Homes is a coalition of peak bodies and organisations working to ensure the mandatory accessibility standards in the 2022 National Building Code (NCC) are properly implemented in every state and territory.

In the lead-up to the recent Queensland state election it called on both major parties to maintain and strengthen Queensland’s adoption of the Livable Housing Design Standard. 

The Head of Policy, Communications and Systems Change at the Summer Foundation, Jessica Walker, said the Queensland Government had enacted the standard a year ago but had since introduced a series of exemptions and delayed some aspects of the rollout. 

“Regional Queenslanders have expressed a clear preference to age in place,” she said on regional radio.

“Only through full implementation of the Livable Housing Standard will we be able to increase accessible housing stock and support regional Queenslanders to do just that.”

In September, under the headline “Going for gold in accessible living not on NSW’s radar”, the Newcastle Herald published an article from Julie Charlton, a campaign ambassador,  elite para shotput athlete and disability and youth advocate. 

“Finding a house that’s accessible for someone in a wheelchair is a pipe dream in this state,” Julie wrote.

“I am proud of my contribution to society, but as a NSW resident I feel abandoned by our state government. 

“The Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review recommended the NSW government adopt the standards in the NCC for all new houses. Last month, the NSW government again refused to sign up to the standards, as part of their response to the Disability Royal Commission. 

“By failing to sign up they disregard the needs of people with disability and older Australians and deny us our right to safe affordable housing.”

The article came after the August rally in Sydney’s CBD calling on the NSW government to adopt mandatory accessibility design standards for all new houses.

The NSW government is one of only 2 state governments that have refused to sign up to the design standards.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Frances Kupke-Smith, and I wear many hats – I’m a wife, a carer, and an individual living with a progressive disability. Professionally, I serve as a director and support coordinator at Peoplecraft, where I dedicate my work to supporting people navigate the complexities of the NDIS and secure the support they need to live authentic lives. 

My personal experience with disability gives me a unique perspective and deep understanding of the challenges faced by those in similar situations, which fuels my passion and commitment to this field. 

Outside of work, I thrive on connecting with others, whether it’s over a meal, a coffee, or occasionally a gin, and I enjoy being an active member of my local community. I’m a self-proclaimed networking junkie who loves bringing people together.

What does good support look like?

Good support is about truly empowering individuals with disability to make their own choices and maintain control over their lives. 

It’s essential for all support services to be accessible, inclusive and adaptable, ensuring they meet the diverse needs of each individual.

Effective support is person-centred, flexible and proactive. It’s about breaking down barriers that prevent full participation in society and fostering an environment of respect and inclusion. 

What would you say to people setting up their supports?

It’s crucial to advocate for yourself and clearly communicate your needs. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification if something isn’t clear. 

Choose providers who align with your values and are dedicated to supporting your goals. Building a strong foundation of trust and open communication with your support team is key to ensuring your network is effective, responsive and genuinely supportive of your wellbeing.