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Table 2 Carer and provider-proposed solutions to address barriers to access

From: ‘Doing the hard yards’: carer and provider focus group perspectives of accessing Aboriginal childhood disability services

Solution Categories

Carer-preferred solutions

Provider solutions

ACCHS-based support

Provide education, workshops, information sessions, and support groups (especially for children with intellectual disability) for families

Grassroots-based; educating families and teachers on disability and available services; focus on prevention

Opportunities for carers to speak with health professionals/service providers face-to-face (rather than computer or phone).

Work within a family-centred, flexible model, personal approach, holistic approach

Collect accurate data on number of children in the community with disabilities to inform local and government strategies

 

Aboriginal Child Disability Support Workers

Need for a dedicated support worker/ Aboriginal Child Disability Worker with disability expertise - role in care navigation, health education, interpretation of medical jargon and liaison support with services

Work within a centralised, case manager model; explore other effective and acceptable models (including funding models) in urban Aboriginal populations

Increased flexibility

Increased flexibility and responsiveness of respite services

Minimise red-tape and rigid criteria, particularly during crisis; increase flexibility for Aboriginal families

School-based support

Utilise school data on Indigenous and disability status to ensure adequate resource distribution; facilitate linkages between other support agencies and schools

Increase awareness of disability and support available across professions and within communities; increase opportunity for network building across sectors

Contact Information

Routinely updated listing of services and contacts for support (general and disability- specific information; with consideration for child’s developmental stages)

Inter-sectoral partnerships

Partnerships between schools, parents, and community controlled organisations were also seen as strategies to enable access to services.