QUICK REFERENCE: What’s The Buzz Newsletter | Telephone Information, Support & Referral |
Support groups | On-line services | Information sessions | Cerebral Palsy Brokerage Program | Swiss-Trac
The CPSN offers a range of support services including:
WHAT’S THE BUZZ NEWSLETTER
A bi-monthly newsletter containing information about various issues relating to cerebral palsy. This is a great resource to help keep you in touch with what services are available, what’s happening in the community, and with the CPSN. This is available to all members either in hard copy or electronically. If you subscribe to our email mailing list, you will automatically be sent the current newsletter bi-monthly. Previous newsletters are available here:
WTB October 2007
WTB December 2007
WTB February 2008
WTB April 2008
TELEPHONE INFORMATION, SUPPORT & REFERRAL
'Our new office manager, Kim Henderson, is available Mon-Fri 9-5. Kim has worked extensively with individuals with a disability and their families. She is available in all circumstances-whether to answer difficult questions or just to have a friendly chat.'
SUPPORT GROUPS
The CPSN currently has two support groups, one for parents and carers and one for teenagers with CP.
Parents and Carers Support Group
Weekly meetings held in various locations. This is to enable individuals from different regions to meet and chat with other members in a relaxed environment over a coffee or a light lunch.
Join a support group near you. Check out our events calendar online for dates and locations.
Phone 9300 3901 for further information.
APRIL
WEDNESDAY 30th APRIL
Primary Pioneer Park Café
Berwick
Crn Peels & Lyalls Rd
10:30am – 12:30pm
MAY
WEDNESDAY 7th MAY
Broadmeadows
Gloria Jeans Coffee
Broadmeadows Shopping Centre
(opposite Coles)
10am – 12pm
WEDNESDAY 14th MAY
Reservoir
Summerhill Hotel Coffee/Bistro
(near Target)
10am – 12pm
WEDNESDAY 21st MAY
Sassafras
Black Kettle Tearooms
1/351 Mt. Dandenong Road
10.30am – 12.30pm
WEDNESDAY 28th MAY
Williamstown
Pelicans Landing
1 Syme Street
10.30am-12.30pm
WEDNESDAY 4th JUNE
Rowville
The Eating House
1100 Wellington Street
10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 11th JUNE
Moonee Ponds
The Boathouse
7 The Boulevard
10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 18th JUNE
Kew
It's All Good Cafe
234 High St
10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 26th JUNE
Bundoora
Café Luci
9 Plenty Rd
10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 16th JULY
Melton
La Porchetta
Shop 171, Woodgrove Shopping Centre
12pm-2pm
WEDNESDAY 23th JULY
Werribee
BB’s Café
Werribee Plaza
10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 30th JULY
Glen Waverly
Bonbons
(Inside David Jones)
Glen Waverly Shopping Centre
10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 6th AUGUST
Eltham
Volumes
70 Commercial Place
10am-12pm
Access All Areas (AAA) Teenage social group
With the financial assistance from the Foundation for Young Australians Spark Fund, this teenage social group is now offered to all members between the ages of 13 and 17. Fun activities are organised monthly, and vary from trout fishing to attending a Comedy Festival event. Participants are supported by competent young adults in the development of skills that will make them more independent and self assured when accessing their community.
Access All Areas (AAA) meetings and activities:
MAY 2008
SUNDAY 18th MAY
IMAX Cinema
Crown Casino
JUNE 2008
SUNDAY 15th JUNE
Melbourne Aquarium
JULY 2008
SUNDAY 29th JULY
Kingpin Bowling
Crown Casino
More dates to come.
Contact Kim on 9300 3901 if interested.
BACK TO TOP
ON-LINE SERVICES
The CPSN hosts a website with information about cerebral palsy and the services the CPSN provides its members. It also has links to other disability related services.
You can also subscribe to our email database to receive regular, relevant information about CP. This is a free service available to all. Just submit your email address at the top of this page.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
The CPSN runs information sessions on topics, which relate to cerebral palsy and related issues. The topics chosen and number of information sessions per year are guided by feedback we receive from our membership and as the need arises.
Some information sessions are about the services we proved eg: Brokerage Program, and are presented by members of the committee or staff. Other times we cover topics where an expert in that particular field is required and a guest speaker presents it.
CEREBRAL PALSY BROKERAGE PROGRAM
In 1999 the CPSN responded to an identified need and devised the Cerebral Palsy Brokerage Program (CPBP) for its members. The program has worked so well that it is now open to anyone in Australia who has cerebral palsy or closely related disability. This person must be eligible to access funding from an agency or funding program. The CPBP enables client/family to engage an employee who has been selected by them and can meet their needs or the needs of the family member who requires care. Once the CPBP pack has been completed in full and authorisation has been gained from the funding agency the CPBP Co-Ordinator will notify you in writing and care can commence. The CPBP enables client/family to choose their own employees and to arrange days and times that best suit their individual situation directly with the employee.
What are the advantages of the Cerebral Palsy Brokerage Program?
- The CPSN administration fee is considerably less than other respite agencies. Currently we charge 30% Administration fee, which is up to 8% - 10% less than other agencies, which means more money for the care required.
- The client/family selects their own employee or employees, whatever the client/family needs dictate.
- Care can be extremely flexible as the client/family is liaising directly with the employee not a third party. Times and days can be organised around the clients/families needs which, as you know, can be constantly changing.
How do I start?
Firstly the family will need to have available funding through a funding body. The family may either contact the funding body and ask them to have their respite dollars brokered through the CPSN or the funding body may approach the family with the information. The family contacts the CPSN for a Brokerage Pack, which needs to be filled out by the family and returned to the CPSN. Transport may be part of the carers role in which case a travel allowance may be allocated. Employees will abide by the Australian Collective Workplace Agreement which is currently in place.
What happens then?
From there, the CPSN will receive a purchase order from the agency listing the amount of funding available to the family. The break up of costing will include:
- Amount of Funding Dollars and time period of funding
- 30% Administration Fee
- Travel Allowance (if relevant)
- 9% Super Excess for carer wages amounting to over $450 p.c.m.
The CPSN will then invoice the agency for the funding. Once the pack is completed the family is contacted by the CPSN and the carer can begin.
Payroll for carers is handled by the CPSN, which includes superannuation, tax, work cover and insurance.
For further information or clarification on Cerebral Palsy Brokerage Program, please contact the Brokerage Co-ordinator Tanya on Ph: (03) 9300 3409, Fax: (03) 9300 4057 or Email: cpbrokerageprog@cpsn.info
Tanya is available Tuesdays - Fridays from 9:30am till 4pm.
Click here to download more information about the Brokerage Program (PDF file).
SWISS-TRAC
The Swiss-Trac is a small, efficient power unit on wheels, which can be quickly, manually, attached to and from, a wheelchair. The Swiss-Trac pulls the wheelchair along behind it and it could be described as a "towing tractor".
The Swiss-Trac is an exciting approach to personal mobility for wheelchair dependent CP users. It’s designed to haul wheelchairs over terrain normally impassable in a manual wheelchair, electric wheelchair or scooter. The Swiss-Trac enables wheelchair users to explore the countryside, develop new hobbies and interests and expand their horizons.
The Swiss-Trac was developed over the last 10 years by Josef Jakober, a Swiss engineer who is himself a wheelchair user. It has a maximum speed of 6 mph, a range of up to 20 miles and can climb 20% inclines and 6 inch kerbs.
A Swiss-Trac is suitable for all wheelchair users who can manually propel a wheelchair and handle the Swiss-Trac steering. Children from 7 years upwards can also easily handle the Swiss-Trac. There are versions for both children and adults.
The CPSN has been funded by The Jack Brockhoff Foundation and Perpetual Trustees to import three Swiss-Trac machines from Switzerland for trial by Australian users.
In early 2006, volunteers were requested to trial the Swiss-Trac machines. We have volunteers ranging in age from 6 to 50 years of age. All the volunteers have different disabilities, and they all have various makes and models of wheelchairs.
The volunteers will submit their feedback to the CPSN, and a report will be written up based on their findings. The report will be submitted to DHS, with the aim of getting the Swiss-Trac listed on the official Victorian Aids and Equipment Program (VA & EP).
For more information on Swiss-Trac, you can visit the Swiss-Trac website by clicking here.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer Swiss-Trac tester, or know of anyone else who may be interested, please e-mail: swisstrac@yahoo.com.au for further information.
