System Transformation and Enabling Good Lives

Transforming the disability system in line with Enabling Good Lives (EGL) principles is a key program of work for us, ensuring all New Zealanders who are eligible to access disability support services through Whaikaha and their whānau have access to creating good lives for themselves.

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Enabling Good Lives

In 2011, members of the disability community developed the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach with the intent of increasing choice and control for disabled people and their families. The EGL approach is a foundation and framework to guide positive change for disabled people, families, communities and governance structures.

The EGL approach has eight core principles, a vision and key components to guide positive change. The vision and eight principles are based on respect towards disabled people and their families resulting in trusting disabled people and their families to be decision-makers in their own lives and to govern the resources used for their support.

EGL holds that disabled people and families can bring about positive change when they have: control over resources (e.g. personal budgets with options of how these are managed), access to an independent ally, access to resources to build regional and national leadership and investment in disabled people, families and their communities.

Enabling Good Lives principles

Self determination - Disabled people are in control of their lives.
Beginning early - Invest early in families and whānau to support them; to be aspirational for their disabled child; to build community and natural supports; and to support disabled children to become independent, rather than waiting for a crisis before support is available.
Mana enhancing - The abilities and contributions of disabled people and their families are recognised and respected.
Person centred - Disabled people have supports that are tailored to their individual needs and goals, and that take a whole life approach rather than being split across programmes.
Ordinary life outcomes - Disabled people are supported to live an everyday life in everyday places; and are regarded as citizens with opportunities for learning, employment, having a home and family, and social participation - like others at similar stages of life.
Mainstream first - Disabled people are supported to access mainstream services before specialist disability services.
Easy to use - Disabled people have supports that are simple to use and flexible.
Relationship building - Supports build and strengthen relationships between disabled people, their whānau and community.

The EGL principles external URL can be understood further by visiting the national EGL website.

Today, Whaikaha's System Transformation work will build on the vision of the EGL approach so that in the future, disabled children and adults and their families will have greater choice and control over their supports and lives, and make more use of natural and universally available supports.

The intent of this work is to make the necessary changes so that disabled people and their families have control of their lives. This includes having the "say so" in how resources are used.

Five elements under pinning our System Transformation work

1. Self-directed planning and facilitation

All supports and services are led by the preferences, strengths, aspirations and needs of disabled people and their families. An aspiration-based personal plan is the main document to design and measure paid supports. While the core components of plans may be similar, plans might take different forms. These plans can be adapted as aspirations can change. Supports and services will also need to adapt in the way they assist people to build and maintain a good life.

An Independent Kaituhono/Connector can assist disabled people and their family/whānau to consider existing options and create new possibilities. The degree of involvement an individual or family has with a Connector is determined between the parties.

2. Cross-government individualised and portable funding

Disabled people and family/whānau have control of funding i.e. bulk funding, according to service type, will be replaced with individualised funding where people can choose how they create a good life for themselves. All government funders will contribute to one funding pool that is determined through a simple process of self-assessment (or supported self-assessment) and confirmation.

Disabled people and family/whānau will be able to move their funding as their preferences and needs change.

3. Considering the person in their wider context, not in the context of ‘funded support services’

Disabled people and family/whānau belong to networks, for example, family, friends and community. These networks are respected as being fundamental to identity, belonging and citizenship.

4. Strengthening families or whānau

There is direct investment in the networks of disabled people and their family/whānau. Resources are provided to assist understanding, educate and promote increased knowledge of options and how to maximise choice and control.

5. Community building to develop natural supports.

Disabled people are active and valued citizens with an everyday life in everyday places. EGL supports people to achieve desirable outcomes such as:

education and training
employment
being with friends
having relationships and a family
taking part in community
cultural activities.

Community (generic, mainstream) opportunities and assets are educated and supported to be inclusive and valuing of diversity.

Where to from here?

Enabling good lives is a relationship framework that can enhance your Mana, self-determination and "voice".

Whaikaha is working hard to ensure that more people, whānau and communities have more choice, control and say over all things that are important to them. We will create tools that support this in partnership with disabled people and whānau. This may take time.

If you'd like to find out more about the impact of EGL in the community, visit Good Life Stories external URL at the EGL website.