The Ministry has established a Working Group to develop proposals for changes to the regulation of safety in disability support.
These changes are intended to enable disabled people to make choices and live everyday lives without greater risk of harm than other New Zealanders.
This work is part of the implementation of the Putting People First quality review. There are more than 60 identified activities to achieve what that review recommends, and the regulatory review relates to two of these activities.
Those activities are:
- establish a working group to co-design proposals for changes to safety regulations in disability supports
- develop options to change regulation so disabled people can live ordinary lives free from harm, in the same way as others.
These activities were identified because major changes in the disability sector since 2001 mean the relevant Act and standards may not be suitable in the new environment. The Act and standards are:
- the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
- the standards that certain providers of health and disability services must meet to continue to provide those services.
The Ministry is working with disabled people and those who support them to review the regulation and develop proposals for changes that will support the current and future direction of the disability sector.
The downloads section on this page contains some key information about this work and will be added to over time.
If you have any questions about this work, please email disability@moh.govt.nz.
Working group members
The Ministry of Health approached a number of organisations representing disabled people and those supporting them and asked them to recommend someone with the right experience and expertise to participate in the working group. Group members participate in the Group as independent persons, not as representatives of the organisations that recommended them. The views of members will not bind any other organisation of which they are a member, or prevent that organisation from disagreeing with the Group’s proposals.
| Name | Nominating organisation |
|---|---|
| Bryan Agnew | Ministry of Health |
| Chris Barton | Carers New Zealand |
| Angus Capie | Independent expert advisor |
| Jim Craig | Parent to Parent |
| Maxine Dale | Disabled Person’s Assembly |
| Terese Germon | New Zealand Disability Support Network |
| Gillian Grew | Ministry of Health |
| Rowanne Janes | Ministry of Health |
| Pam MacNeill | Ministry of Health |
| Alice McCallum | Ministry of Health |
| Megan McCoy | Office for Disability Issues |
| Stephnie Roberts (facilitator) | Ministry of Health |
| Mary-Ann Robson | New Zealand Disability Support Network |
| Hamish Taverner | People First |
| John Taylor | Enabling Good Lives Leadership Group |
| John Wilkinson | Ministry of Health |