Disability Support

Supporting Families with Complex Disability Needs

Cafs provides specialised support for families of children aged from birth-18 years who have complex disability support needs and are either living voluntarily in residential care or at risk of entering out-of-home care.

Our focus is on early intervention, helping parents and carers manage challenges at home to reduce the risk of family separation. We also assist families in navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and maintaining strong, supportive connections while children are in care.

This program is designed for children and young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder, particularly those experiencing severely challenging behaviours that impact their wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around them.

We work closely with families to provide tailored support, practical strategies & compassionate guidance, because every child deserves to feel safe, supported & connected.

Parenting Children with Complex Disability Needs Program (PCCDN)

Caring for a child with complex disability support needs can be challenging, and families shouldn’t have to face it alone.

The Parenting Children with Complex Disability Needs Program is a child-focused and family centred service which helps families to stay together. This includes advocating for families that have one or more children with complex disability needs to receive the required support from the NDIS.

The program works in collaboration with the NDIA to ensure necessary supports are in place. This enables families to continue care in the family home and in exceptional circumstances, in accommodation outside the home.

The Parenting Children with Complex Disability Needs Program aims to: 

• support families to navigate and access the NDIS and put necessary supports in place
• advocate for the most appropriate supports for families
• help families to build resilience and improve functioning
• support children with complex disability to remain in the home
• support children residing outside the home to return home (where possible)
• support relationships between family members when a child is living outside of home.

Families seeking to access this service must meet the following requirements:

• Live in the City of Ballarat, or Central Highlands region
• Children who require this service present with complex disability support needs which cannot be met at home by their families without substantial supports, but do not require a statutory intervention.
• Have multiple needs impacting on the care and development of children and young people.

Referrals into the program can come via:

• Disability Practice Advice teams
• The Orange Door
• Programs within Cafs
• External community service organisations can consult with the Cafs Complex Disability Practitioner, or contact The Orange Door to refer families to the program.
• Referrals must be endorsed by an external agency (WDPA or their delegate) before they can be accepted.

If the program is at capacity, providers will review other family service offerings that can support the family. Families are not wait listed for supports.

Family Services Specialist Disability Practitioner Program

The Family Services Specialist Disability Practitioner Program is available to support child and family service practitioners to receive secondary consultations to help their clients’ access and navigate NDIS. This service is also available to families who are currently working with a family services practitioner.

Cafs is a Specialist Disability Practitioner (SDP) provider for the Ballarat and Central Highlands area.

The SDP offers guidance to practitioners by: providing secondary consultations on NDIS and disability related queries, providing a short-term case coordination service, providing an understanding of the evidence required when applying for the NDIS, and building the capacity of family service practitioners to work more effectively with children or parents/carers with NDIS and disability support needs.

The SDP can also support vulnerable families with disability support needs, currently involved with a family services practitioner to navigate systems of disability support. This includes: assisting in navigating and accessing disability services such as the NDIS, connecting with disability advocates, disability service providers, and mainstream services, as well as support with NDIS planning meetings.

To access the SDP program, speak with your family services practitioner, or contact The Orange Door (TOD).

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