Is Danger Looming?

My team of support workers is managed by a local agency called Golden City Support Services under a program called HomeFirst. It is a Department of Human Services (DHS) program that provides home and community-based support services to enable individuals with a disability to :
• live as independently as possible and not require staffed residential accommodation
• remain living in their own homes
• increase or maintain maximum independence
• move to more independent living arrangements
• access community activities and facilities


It is a Nationally funded scheme and an allocation of funds is set aside for each individual to cover costs of their support workers wages, necessary equipment and administration costs of the service provider.


Which has all been a blessing for me and no real problems have arisen - until now.

My allocation of funding for this financial year has almost reached as far as it can go... in other words, I am considerably over budget, the reasons mainly because of the increased rates on weekend, but also due to my increased needs.

It has been suggested (strongly) that I keep within my base roster hours for the rest of the financial year, unless I can pick up some extra funding. This means cutting down on support workers shifts, but what has to go? The first will be my lunch shifts with my carers preparing my lunch before they leave in the morning... or I could go up to the corner store and buy a pastie or something else I can put in the microwave oven.

Then, there is my radio program where one of my support workers helps out by operating the CD player and panel, while I do the presentation on air. This is my main form of recreation and I don't want to give it up. I have already cut back on playing darts each week.

Anyway, this all has to be sorted over the next few days. I'll keep you posted.

On top of this, I'm trying to find time to send my autobiography out to various publishers. My life is never dull!