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BigDog Newsletter Privacy Notice: Please note that as a subscriber to BigDog which supplies news and events relevant to this organisation, your email address or any other information collected will only be used for the purpose for which you gave it to us and will not be disclosed to any other person, body or agency except where you have provided your consent or it is required or authorised by law. Olivia was a four time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number-one hits and many other Top Ten hits as well as 2 number 1 albums with global sales of 100 million records.
Judith became the lead singer of the Australian folk music group the Seekers in 1963 and the group became the first Australian pop music group to achieve major sales success in the UK and US with over 50 million records worldwide. In 2000, Judith broke her hip and was unable to sing "The Carnival Is Over" at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney with the Seekers. However, she sang it from a wheelchair at the 2000 Paralympics shortly thereafter.
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Judith was born with asthma and at age 4 she caught measles, which left her with a life-long chronic lung disease, bronchiectasis, from which she died from that disease.
On 8 August 2022, Newton John died from cancer at her home in the Santa Ynez Valley of California.
our
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It was a sad August with the passing of 2 of Australia’s music icons in Judith Durham (79) and Olivia Newton-John.(73) Both entertainers had incredibly unique and powerful voices, their music was iconic and memorable and they both called Australia home.
In This Issue 2 Editor’s Notes 3 The Carnival is over 4 Organised Crime in the NDIS 5 NDIA Practice Alerts 6 Our Community 7 WhatsUp in Disability 8 Child Safety Invalidation 9 NGO Training Infographic 10 Toowoomba Group 11 Rockhampton Group 12 WHS First Aid 13 Staff Updates 14 What’s happening in September
In 1978, Olivia starred in the musical film Grease, which became the highest grossing musical film ever at the time and whose soundtrack remains one of the world's best-selling albums of all time. It features two major hit duets with co star John Travolta: "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights". Olivia battled breast cancer three times, was an advocate for breast cancer research, as well as an activist for environmental and animal rights causes.
This will be our last goodbye
Say goodbye my own true lover
Now the harbour light is calling
For the carnival is over
This will be our last goodbye Though the carnival is over I will love you till I die Like a drum my heart was beating And your kiss was sweet as wine But the joys of love are fleeting
For Pierrot and Columbine
Though the carnival is over I will love you till I die Though the carnival is over
I will love you till I die The Seekers 1965
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For Pierrot and Columbine Now the harbor light is calling
As we sing a lovers song How it breaks my heart to leave you Now the carnival is gone High above the dawn is waiting And my tears are falling rain
We may never meet again Like a drum my heart was beating And your kiss was sweet as wine But the joys of love are fleeting
Labor would back Phelan’s call for a taskforce, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said: “It’s definitely got to be an idea on the table. Nick McKenzie and Amelia Ballinger
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Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has found members of Sydney’s notorious Hamzy crime network have infiltrated the NDIS. A crime boss and drug trafficker based in both Queensland and Victoria has been trying to develop properties to lease to the scheme.
Pointing to inadequate scrutiny of the scheme, Phelan said the extent of rorting easily surpassed that of the pink batts and school halls scandals and involved “fair dinkum, serious and organised crime crooks”.
“When they’re not rorting the NDIS, they’re importing drugs or standing over people, extortion, committing other heinous crimes,” he said. “North of $1 billion is being ripped out of the system.”
The NDIS is a non means tested universal insurance program offering uncapped packages of support to people with serious disabilities, but Phelan estimates that as much as 15% to 20% of the $30 billion it costs a year might be being misused. Phelan described previous estimates that scheme fraud sits at 5% as “conservative”. The scheme is estimated to grow to $60 billion by 2030.
An investigation by The Age, The Sydney
The Age Australia’s most senior criminal intelligence official says organised criminals involved in drug trafficking, violence and money laundering are exploiting systemic weaknesses in the National Disability Insurance Scheme to rort it on an unprecedented scale. In an extraordinary intervention into the national debate, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief Michael Phelan has called for a new multi agency taskforce to tackle the problem, which diverts critical funds away from some of the nation’s most vulnerable Phelanpeople. cites intelligence that reveals disabled Australians have been extorted, threatened with violence or even involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric ward by crime syndicates seeking to steal their NDIS entitlements. “It just sickens you,” said Phelan. “This is not a victimless crime. You’ve got to wonder how far down the scumbag scale you get before you start ripping off our most vulnerable people.”
‘The violence and intimidation against these people, it’s just beyond the pale and we all should be disgusted.’
The crime-fighting boss said his agency had detected “ghosting”, or the creation of fake NDIS clients, the systemic inflating of invoices, payment for services that are never provided and networks of facilitators, including doctors, pharmacists, training facilities, accountants and lawyers, who help criminals exploit the Askedscheme.whether
The new NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, has asked the scheme’s commissioner for advice on how registration might be developed to improve quality and safety.
5 Training Modules on NGO 12 new Practice Alerts have been released by theNDISNDIA.registration remains optional for the more than 136,000 operators who provided $27.6 billion of services to more than 534,000 seriously disabled people last financial year. Of these operators, only 13,424 or 10% opted to be registered, while 122,945 or 90% have not registered, according to the latest NDIS quarterly report. Unregistered providers received 39%, or $5.1 billion, of payments by plan managers to Theseproviders.unregistered operators, some who earn more than $1 million a quarter, do not have to comply with the NDIS safety, quality and workforce regulations.
Dom has a rare mixed diagnosis that results in Dystonia and stroke like symptoms. Dom’s disability means that her level of mobility fluctuates, and while she is walking now, that was not always the case.
Dom’s idea for D Dance Academy (Disability Dance Academy) started when she was in a wheelchair and wanted to do a dance for a good cause.
Dom provides dance lessons to people with a disability. She caters to all individuals, including those in wheelchairs and those who are more mobile. Her key aim is to make dancing fun and create an inclusive environment for people aged from 4 to adults.
Dom Dances Ahead
Dom has increased her independence and launched a successful business venture supporting people with a disability all through the power of dance!
“I love dancing, and have danced since I was a kid, so one day I thought I would start my own business. D Dance academy is all about giving back to the community!” she says.
“We have a range of participants now; it is really great to see them learning each other’s names and becoming a big family”, says Dom.
“Three years ago, I had a hemiplegic migraine and ended up paralysed from the shoulders down. I only started walking again a year and a half ago”, say Dom.
Dom is a powerful advocate for people with a disability, and D Dance Academy is a great example of this.
7 To obtain a copy of WhatsUp in Disability magazine or to be a sponsor, please contact WhatsUp via: Office 11 15 Alexander Street, Toowoomba Email admin@whatsupindisability.org Online www.whatsupindisability.org BUSINESS disABILITY AWARDS The Business DisABILITY Awards recognises businesses and individuals across Toowoomba and the Darling Downs who support, educate and employ people with a disability. Due to an increasing awareness of the value and important of disability access and inclusion, the Awards has grown significantly in size and profile since its inception. Wellcamp Airport Located 15.6km west from the CBD of Toowoomba, the 2022 Awards will be held within the Wellcamp Airport Passenger Terminal. Complimentary parking will be available for all guests in the airport car park which is an easy walking distance from the passenger terminal. Tickets and Enquiries Please contact con sol @ t: 07 5571 2854 e: bda@con sol.com.au Thursday 15 September 2022 7:00 pm for a 7:30 start WhatsUp in Disability Stories in this issue include: • Paul Wilson • Business disABILITY Awards • Organised Crime in the NDIS • Dom dances ahead • Carnival of Flowers • Carnival of sadness • The cost of Quality • Michael Burge retires • Hyper-visibility Steven Paull President
8 BigDog Support Services Magazine Invalidation Psychological invalidation is a term that is used to describe the act of belittling a person and making them feel less important. Sometimes, it can be regarded as a form of emotional abuse that does not take into consideration what the other person feels, thinks or exThisperiences.training module will be available this month on NGO Training for those who provide support to our child safety clients. We also welcome Danielle as our new coordinator and look forward to assisting her in her new role The key areas of invalidation include: • Ordering you to look differently • Denying your perception • Trying to make you feel guilty • Trying to isolate you • Minimising your feelings • Using reason • Judging and labelling you • Turning things around • Questioning yourself • How you should feel • Defending the other person • Negating, denial and confusion • Sarcasm and mocking • Guilt trips • Using cliches • Talking about you • Showing intolerance
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10 BigDog Support Services Magazine BigDog Day Service Toowoomba Paul Myatt Community Centre 11 15 Alexander Street North Toowoomba 4350 Coordinator Jess Phone:Wright4512 dayservice@bigdogsupport.com.au6020ThankyouAlanandhisteam at the Commonwealth Bank at Clifford Gardens for their very generous Community Donation. This has allowed us to purchase a washing machine and clothes dryer to assist us in supporting our local community.
11 BigDog Day Service Rockhampton BigDog Community Centre 170 East Street Rockhampton 4700 Coordinator Trey Phone:Brown4573 rockhampton@bigdogsupport.com.au4611
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• HLTAID010 Provide basis emergency life support (valid for 3 years)
Working restrictions Any support worker who is found not to have a current and valid certificate will be removed from all shifts until a certificate is provided.
First Aid
First aid equipment includes first aid kits and other equipment used to treat injuries and illnesses.
• HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (valid for 1 year)
First aid facilities include first aid rooms, health centres, clean water supplies and other facilities needed for administering first aid.
Infection Control Support workers should take standard precautions to avoid becoming ill and exposing others to illness when handling blood or body substances. Standard precautions are work practices that are applied to all participants and other staff and their blood and body substances, regardless of their infectious status, to ensure a basic level of infection prevention and control. Standard precautions include hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, appropriate handling and disposal of sharps and waste, cleaning techniques and managing spills of blood and body substances.
First aid is the immediate treatment or care given to a person suffering from an injury or illness until more advanced care is provided or the person recovers.
• HLTAID011 Provide first aid Support workers may also need to undertake additional first aid training to respond to specific situations at their workplace. For example, where workers have severe allergies, first aiders should be trained to respond to anaphylaxis if this topic has not been covered in previous first aid training.
Key terms
BigDog is a leader in ensuring the safety of people with a disability, including their right to support workers who are fully trained and competent in their role. BigDog has the primary duty under the WHS Act to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers and other persons are not exposed to health and safety risks arising from the business or undertaking. Support workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and must not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. Support workers must comply with any reasonable instruction and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety at the workplace, such as procedures for first aid and for reporting injuries and illnesses. Under our Code of Practice, we require our support workers to have a valid certificate in either CPR or First Aid.
First aider is a person who has successfully completed a nationally accredited training course or an equivalent level of training that has given them the competencies required to administer first aid.
13 CareMaster is now live for payroll Please be patient with us as this is a new system and we are working with CareMaster to iron out a few bugs with how it works with the SCHADS award and links with our payroll system in Xero. The feedback on the staff and participant dashboards has been extremely positive. A New Baby Congratulations to Steph and Doug on the arrival of their son. Leo Eddison Arnold Born Time15/08/20223:47PM Weight 6 pounds 11 oz (3.03 Lengthkg)52 cm We are all so very happy for you both. Another Lawyer Congratulations to Monique who leaves us to begin her exciting career as a lawyer at Clifford Gouldson. Monique has been with us a support worker while she studied Law at USQ especially during COVID 19 when she had to study at home and attend lectures online. We will miss you. 11th Laxmi 14th Henry G 20th Maddison G 22nd Wendy G 26th Mel G Have a great day! Staff Birthdays
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15 Contact Us BigDog Support Services 232 Ruthven Street Toowoomba QLD 4350 PO Box 234 Harlaxton QLD 4350 (07) 4632 9559 1800 22 44 32 www.bigdogsupport.com.au Justice of the Peace This service is available at the Paul Myatt Community Centre 11 15 Alexander The(pleaseToowoombaStreetcallfirsttomakeanappointment) JPs in the Community Program is also available through major shopping centres, libraries, court houses and hospitals.
16 BigDog Support Services Magazine In Rockhampton to run 2 sessions of Aggressive Behaviour training Courtney, Peter and William were guests of honour at the Capras win over the Magpies at Brown Oval. An all BigDog effort! Left Right Jeremy, Peter, Takai, Courtney, Trey, Zev, Radean, Curtis, William
