Burnett Respite Services Inc (Carinbundi) has been endorsed as a "Host Provider" for the "Your Life Your Choice" Funding initiative.

As a Host Provider, Carinbundi will play an integral part in assisting people with disability and their families to take greater control over the disability supports and services they receive.

Our service has been involved in the provision of flexible and individualised services for many years. Since 1995, Carinbundi has developed into an organisation which can now offer the widest range of supports available and, through links with external agencies such as the Wide Bay Burnett Coalition members, the range of services available can be tailored to meet most needs.

 Our model is developed around the needs and goals of the person we support. It generally involves the following series of steps (but this obviously can vary depending on the individual, their circumstances, and urgency of their support needs):

We will engage with the person and their family firstly in all cases; then, as requested by the person,  any appointed decision makers, advocates or other critical persons. Through the involvement of an appointed assessor, the person will explore and develop their plan, based on their immediate physical needs, as well as their dreams and aspirations for their future.

Once a plan is developed and agreed upon, we will work with the person to identify the staffing model he or she wishes to develop regardless of this being provided by Carinbundi; or from another organisation or individual where this is the choice of the person.  As well as identifying the supports to be put in place, any resources etc. necessary will also be identified and sourced.

Each plan is monitored regularly with the person, and adjusted as desired by them. Where necessary, these reviews may beging with weekly, fortnightly or monthly meetings to iron out any issues as they develop. Once the program of support and the reporting model finalised, these reviews will be able to be managed over longer periods. Every plan however, will be reviewed at least each twelve months or sooner if desired by the person.

At Carinbundi, we can offer a planned, external evaluation of the services we deliver. This evaluation can be carried by another member of the Wide-Bay Burnett Coalition at the request of the person to ensure a fair and transparent evaluation is completed in a manner that allows for the open and honest input from all involved. Carinbundi will of course, carryout an internal evaluation and review of the plan of the person is happy for this to occur. It is all about having choices and being free to make those choices.

Why you may wish to appoint Carinbundi as your "Host provider"

1: Good planning:

Carinbundi already works closely with many individuals and families to explore, plan for, and document their goals, needs and aspirations. This can be a fairly simple process with some people, while others may need support and guidance to articulate what is important to them. Our primary aim is to promote active participation and to encourage control by you, the individual, to the greatest level possible. It is our experience that this is often an ongoing process and we therefore work with you to ensure there are sufficient intermediate meetings to monitor how we are doing and change the plan as needed. At all times, the philosophy of “Person-centredness” will be the critical concept driving all planning and reviews.

Working together:

Carinbundi has a strong record of working collaboratively with individuals, organisations in the nonprofit sector, as well as private companies. We have a history of working collaboratively with organisations across the Wide- Bay Burnett Region as well as further afield. The Wide bay Burnett Coalition is a current example of the type of collaboration to which we commit ourselves. This Coalition is made up of a group of “like-minded” organisations across the Wide Bay Burnett Region who all have true commitment to providing only quality, person-centred, goal-oriented services and programs.

Promoting personal choice and control:

From the first contact with our assessor, we will be mindful of, and respect your right  to maintain control over all that we do, and fully support the concept that the service delivery is to be targeted to your personal choice, as long as those choices are in line with teh guidelines around which any funding isd provided. 
You will be encouraged to direct the level and type of support you wish to receive and the manner and timeliness of that support. We will engage with you as much, or as little as you desire to have your plan developed and implemented.

Supporting changes in capacity:

We fully understand that each individual and family will be placed somewhere along a continuum from wishing to fully manage every detail of their funding and planning, through to be happy to just have regular input into how the plan is developed and the service is delivered.
It is also our understanding that people will regularly move along the continuum as their needs and capacity change.
This movement is often seen in our Respite for Older Parent Carers Program, with families graduating from being fully involved in all areas of planning, to moving further away from the day to day management of a person’s plans as the trust is developed and other needs arise in the family. We will always work with you and your family to ensure yu fully engage at the level you are prepared for at any point in time.

Having flexibility:

As a local organisation based in the Wide Bay, we are able to provide on the spot responses to requests, able to make flexible and timely decisions rather than send the information away for approval, and we can liaise with a number of similar organisations to ensure decisions are made and implemented in a speedy, cost effective manner. Carinbundi has a history of developing flexible responses to presenting challenges and are well positioned to carry on in a similar vein in the future.

Being accountable:

We already have a robust information system in place to monitor and report on funds received. Budgets can be quickly set up to map and report on your funding and the resources and services it has purchased. You will have full access to a case manager who will sit down at any reasonable time and review the budget, as well as prepare full reports as required by all agreements with both yourself and teh funding provider.

Encouraging peer support:

Carinbundi has a range of opportunities to support and connect individuals to their peers, others supported by us, and members of the community. We currently facilitate a number of programs aimed at providing individuals with an opportunity to work together to develop plans and programs which meet the group’s needs and goals. An example of this is seen in the several Peer Respite Groups we operate over the weekends and holidays. These groups are made up of like-minded, age appropriate young people who work together to plan their year’s activities out. Our Older Parent Carer’ respite program also encourages family members to liaise with each other to identify collaborative outcomes which meet the needs of more than one family. Through this process, we see the development of stable, long-term relationships and groups built on similar likes and needs.

Purchasing reasonable and necessary supports:

We will always seek to work with you and your family to identify what we and you believe are the best range of options to meet your support needs. We will also ensure that we are open to seeking to better understand the reasoning behind any request for supports related to your disability support needs. We understand that there are times when a particular support type may not fully meet the expectations of the individual however we fully support the rationale behind a choice and, through a process of monitoring and evaluation; it is believed that more suitable support choices can be made in the future.

Supporting community connections:

We have, and do offer a range of opportunities both funded and unfunded which provide opportunities for individuals from this and other organisations to connect with their community. These include activity days, music and drama evenings, dinners and planned trips away, as well as connections with other groups and local government to provide opportunities for people to create their own peer groups based on a need for a sporting activity or skill set, through to providing a valuable service to their community by taking part in schemes such as the Adopt a Park program and Meals on Wheels.

Ensuring safeguards:

Regular reviews open to  all significant others will be carried out to monitor and address the level and quality of supports being provided by this and any other organisation you have chosen. During the first twelve months, it is likely that reviews may need to take place on a quarterly basis. or more often, to ensure we have things right. After this, reviews can be implemented on an annual or twice yearly basis as needed.  The reviews will  ensure cultural consistency, with regard to wellbeing and the availability/access to natural supports. During the initial planning stages, the person’s personal network will be identified and accessed with permission, to ensure the full picture regarding services delivered is gained. This picture will then be used in consultation with the individual and his or her advocates to ensure a process of continuous improvement is followed. The plan/agreement will be firmly built on clear, measurable goals; timeframes and consultation.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your options, even if these are well into the future, please contact the General Manager on (07 4151 3510) or use the "Contact" link on this website.