IDS Update (18-09-20)

To members of the IDS Family, we hope you are staying healthy, safe and happy during this time. The sun peaked out to say hello this week and we finally got a taste of what the summer months will bring!

We received some wonderful feedback regarding suggestions for things to do in our last communication, so we’ve included more below:

Order Takeaway from Melbourne’s Best Restaurants

Time Out Magazine keeps an updated list of some of Melbourne’s best restaurants that are offering takeaway dining experiences during lockdown. There’s a lot on offer and it looks delicious. The question is… where to begin?

Live Stream the Northern Lights

Between 10pm and 4am you can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. The live cam is located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, Canada and is situated directly underneath the aurora oval. It might be a late night, but it’s worth staying up for! Grab a cuppa, some snacks, and enjoy the view from the comfort of home.

Check off items from our 60 Activities to do at Home!

Our #ActivitiesAtHome Facebook series in June gave you a glimpse into the types of fun things you can try on your own, with your family, or with your Support Worker while restrictions are in place. We loved them so much here at IDS that we developed even more ideas to share with you.

Check out our blog post for 60 (yes, 60!) ideas for fun activities you can do. You can also download a print-friendly version here.

Watch Art Centre Melbourne’s Big Night In

On Wednesday’s at 7pm, catch the Big Night In live on YouTube or Facebook. Season two continues to connect artists, musicians and audiences virtually with six new episodes and a brand-new line-up of stars. Each episode brings chit-chat, songs, laughs and a grand finale music act from the Aussie Pops Orchestra. You can also view past episodes from season one and two via the Arts Centre Melbourne website.

To our clients, your Support Workers will happily assist you in setting up these activities if need be.

We at the office would also love to hear about what you’ve been up to! We welcome messages, photos or videos showcasing your creations/activities. You can share these via email at communications@idsa.org.au or message us on Facebook.

NDIS Independent Assessments

You may have heard that the NDIS will be bringing in Independent Assessments in 2021. This is a big change for both new applicants and existing participants. This initiative has not generally been well received, and we think it is important for our clients, carers and families to inform themselves of the proposed changes in advance of their introduction.

In order to get a balanced perspective, we would like to provide the following links:

NDIS Website

Click here for more information about independent assessments, or click here for answers to frequently asked questions.

National Disability and Carers Alliance

If you haven’t come across this organisation previously, we recommend the National Disability and Carers Alliance, the organisation behind Every Australian Counts. You may wish to sign up for updates from Every Australian Counts.

Click here to go to ‘Email the Minister’ that contains more detailed information and other questions relating to Independent Assessments.

Are we friends on social media?

Be sure to join our online community on Facebook and Twitter! Keep up to date with the latest news, blog posts and more.

Reminder about PPE

We have a stockpile of PPE available for all our clients and staff free of charge.

For our clients: We can arrange PPE to be mailed to you or brought to you by your Support Worker. Contact us on 9340 5100 to arrange this if you need.

For our staff: If you need additional PPE, please contact us so we can arrange delivery to your home address.

Questions or Further Information

If you need any further clarification or have any questions or concerns, please call the office on 9340 5100 or email support@idsa.org.au.

Stay safe, stay healthy and we will be in touch with you again soon.

Renzo Sgarbossa
Chief Executive Officer