Newcastle based disability support provider, Butter Fish Services is urging the region and business working within the disability sector to get real about the people who are accessing the NDIS.
Butter Fish Services has launched its Real Talk Movement, an initiative that aims to encourage other providers to have authentic conversations about the way they can best support people to reach their NDIS goals.
CEO, Don MacAskill said that Real Talk was about putting people at the centre of the process as much as possible.
“Real Talk is about removing barriers, being accessible, understanding our clients’ needs and supporting them with skilled people who can really add value and help them achieve goals,” Don said.
“In July 2013, the Hunter region became the trial site for the NDIS. We are now six years on and less than 3% of people have moved from their incumbent providers. You could argue that is because people are happy with their current plan and its delivery. The reality is that many clients aren’t happy and they do not know that they have a choice. They can have one or multiple providers.
“The sector has been hugely disrupted and frankly it has struggled with the transition. NDIS was designed to provide participants with real choice and control. It was also designed to encourage the sector to be more innovative. Small independent providers now need to lead the way to bring about changes and help facilitate real choice and control for NDIS clients.”
“It’s about putting the client at the centre of the process by meeting them in their homes, listening to their stories, learning about what’s important to them and their primary support networks, along with understanding what’s working for them and what’s not.
“It’s about the client choosing who they want to work with. This means not just focusing on the fun stuff; it’s very much about doing the hard work and most importantly, celebrating their achievements no matter how large or small.”
After working in the sector for more than 20 years, Don MacAskill established Butter Fish Services three years ago because he wanted to create change in a sector that is not delivering for its people.
“Butter Fish Services is about ensuring that our clients are at the centre of everything we do by being different. At Butter Fish we have a team of people who we call capacity builders. These people are highly skilled and specialise in being able to breakdown our clients’ goals and work out the best possible way for our clients to achieve the outcomes they want,” Don said.
The Real Talk Movement campaign was developed after the team at Butter Fish Services spoke to dozens of people of all ages and abilities about what real meant to them. In a short Vox pop video, people talked about their opinion of real. These thoughts embody the Butter Fish way.
As part of the Real Talk Movement launch, Butter Fish Services announced that it had designed a shirt that will be given to clients as part of the celebration of them reaching their goals.
IMAGE | Federal member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon was presented with one of the first Real Talk jerseys by Butter Fish Services CEO, Don MacAskill.
