What's the Answer? - Create

Best Practice Example: Leaving Care Program for Young People with aDisabilitySTATE:ORGANISATION(S):TARGET GROUP:FOCUS:New South WalesDepartment of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of CommunityServices, New South Wales Housing and Human Services AccordYoung people with a disability transitioning from careLeaving care program for young people with a disability offering transitionplanning, case management, access to support, accommodation, vocationalopportunities and skills development, a mentoring service and communityparticipationThe New South Wales Leaving Care Program (LCP), developed in partnership between Department ofAgeing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) and Department of Community Services and the New SouthWales Housing and Human Services Accord, provides person-centred support to young people with adisability leaving care.ADHC is notified two years before a young person’s exit date from care, in order to facilitate referralto the LCP and enable transition planning to occur. Young people are then assessed and a leavingcare case plan put into place. Housing and other support agencies are engaged, with the programbeing managed on a regional basis throughout New South Wales.An evaluation of the program has been conducted by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) andthe Disability Studies and Research Centre (DSRC). The key finding of the evaluation found that theLCP is an important and well funded program that is generally meeting its objectives of supportingyoung people with disabilities leaving care to manage this transition. A wide range of stakeholderswere consulted and there was general satisfaction with the program. The consultation highlighted anumber of program strengths and best practices including that the program was flexible, wellresourced and had encouraged inter-agency relationships that were having positive outcomes forparticipants.52