Compliance

The Authority contributes to the achievement of the Government's strategic goals in Better Planning: Be tter Services as follows.

Goal 1: People and the Communities

“To enhance the quality of life and wellbeing of all people throughout Western Australia.”

Disability Access and Inclusion Plan

As stated in its 2004-05 Annual Report, the Authority intended to develop and implement its Disability Service Plan during the 2005-06 financial year. The Authority was aware that the Disability Services Act 1993 was amended in December 2004 and this required it to develop and implement a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan. The Authority produced a draft plan and sent it to the Disability Services Commission by 21 July 2006, as required under the Act.

Cultural Diversity and Language Services Outcomes

In line with the Government's Language Services Policy, the Authority has developed a Language Services Policy to ensure that language difficulties do not create a barrier to accessing its services.

The policy outlines how the Authority recognises that some clients and/or stakeholders may not speak English at all or may not speak it well enough to communicate adequately with Authority staff members.

During the 2006-07 financial year, work will focus on implementing this policy through a series of initiatives such as:

  • acknowledging clients' entitlement to the services of a qualified interpreter, where necessary, provided at the expense of the Authority, or to linguistically appropriate information in situations of communication difficulty;
  • collecting data necessary to guide the development of the Authority's language services strategy;
  • investigating, where necessary, a variety of ways to communicate with clients that require assistance in English (such as visual and electronic media);
  • recognising and providing for the cultural diversity that exists in the community when undertaking public consultation;
  • ensuring that, where necessary, documents are translated into languages appropriate to the client and stakeholder groups; and
  • consulting, where appropriate, with client groups when planning communication strategies.

Youth Outcomes

The Authority understands that it is required to report against outcomes of programs and policies specifically targeting young people aged 12 to 25 years.

Due to the nature of its activities and client base, the Authority will give further consideration to developing such programs during 2006-07.