Visualising the Future
Having a ‘vision’ of where we are heading is a fundamental step in making progress. Once we have a sense of where we are wanting to go, we are much more likely to create the change we are seeking. Being clear on what we are wanting to create also enables us to focus our resources and enlist our supporters most effectively.
If you want to find out more about options for creating a vision for the future follow the link below.
Securing Your Funding
To access your portion of the Ministry of Health Disability Support Funds you need to go through your local Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) Agency. When you understand how this process works, what is included and how to positively engage with the NASC process, better outcomes are more likely.
If your next step is to engage with your local NASC follow the link below to find out how Allies can assist you.
Turn the Resources (Funding) into a Good Life
Funding can be very helpful when we know what to do with it. Money does not think, it does not act, it does not know what to do. Funding in the form of money can also bring its own challenges. If you have resources but are struggling to know how to use them well, Allies can assist.
If your current question is how to turn my resources into real life outcomes, follow the link below.
Home, Work & Friends (The Big Three)
As parents or supporters, the thought of ‘what will happen when I’m no longer able to do what I am doing’ is never far below the surface. We all carry (many, many) questions around what do I need to do to secure the future for my son / daughter, brother / sister or loved one. These are complex and very individual questions.
At Allies we have found that by addressing the big three life domains of home, work and friends, people will not only be safer but also better placed for the future.
If you are wanting to explore how to safeguard the future for your loved one, follow the link below to learn more.
Korero
A Conversation in Print
We’re very pleased to bring you the first issue of Korero, the Allies quarterly periodical. In these issues you might find personal stories, strategies and ideas from our team. Head over to Korero to see our first periodical, and be sure to sign up to our mailing list to get alerts via email for new content.
Ministry Purchasing Guideline Changes 2024
Allies Aotearoa Periodical | Issue #1 Spring 2021 | A life that includes disability is a life that includes interaction with multiple systems. Colloquially referred to as [...]
Navigating the System
Allies Aotearoa Periodical | Issue #1 Spring 2021 | A life that includes disability is a life that includes interaction with multiple systems. Colloquially referred to as [...]
We are practical, helpful, knowledgeable, skilled, and effective at assisting and supporting people as they walk the road of life that includes disability.
We intimately understand this road because we are walking it as well. Allies is a user pays service* for individuals and their family / whānau and agencies / organisations.
*Individuals, families and whānau who have individualised or personalised budgets are able to use these resources to fund their assistance from Allies (this is completely within the ‘rules’ and the Ministry of Health guidelines).
Testimonials
I feel privileged to have had a personal individualised service design report written by Tony McLean on behalf of my son.
I had this report done because I believed that aspects of his current residential service were not allowing him to live the life that he deserved.
The research, time and effort that Tony put into this document was well beyond any other report that I have had done for our son, and there have been many!
The comprehensiveness of his report was a combination of spending a significant amount of time talking to people who have been both historically and are presently involved in his life and thus learning what his needs are. In addition, the unique visionary skills that Tony has, resulted in ideas and a plan that I believe will have a really positive change in his life.
The report contains a large number of practical options that will make his life a lot more meaningful. Because these options and ideas suggested by Tony are practical, I can see a great many of them being successfully implemented.
The report is very much in line with the aspirations and dreams that I have had for my son for many years. So if you have a vision for your family member that you want to turn into a reality, I would highly recommend having an individualised service design report done by Tony McLean.
Our family worked with Tony to support our daughter to clarify her vision of having an intimate relationship. Tony spent time establishing trust with our daughter and together they explored concepts of friendships and special relationships; while always being tuned to her and our family’s attitudes and beliefs. This has assisted our daughter to make and be a good friend and to begin a special relationship.
Navigating the NASC system is problematic for most families including our own. Having Tony’s knowledge, guidance and support enabled us to achieve a much more successful outcome with our recent assessment process. We also now understand the process and are feeling empowered and ready for the next time!!
Our family had experienced significant changes in our circumstances and I had requested a reassessment and a review of our support needs. Our NASC was very difficult to work with, communication was minimal and after a period of many months I was not making any progress. It was a hugely stressful process and I felt like I’d exhausted all options and was ready to admit defeat.
Tony looked through our assessments and quickly determined we had a good case to put forward with our NASC. He knew exactly how I needed to approach them, what needed to be said and which questions needed to be asked. His correspondence was very professional and well written – using specific wording the NASCs understood and responded to with urgency.
Once Tony was involved very little effort was required from me and the NASC always responded promptly to all correspondence I sent. Tony was fantastic at keeping in touch and guiding me through the entire process and our experience with the NASC improved dramatically with his involvement. Within a very short time after engaging with Tony we had a hugely positive outcome and funding and support was changed to reflect our change in circumstances. There were also referrals made to other departments that were quickly actioned.
Tony was very professional and easy to work with.He was incredibly understanding of the difficulties families face within the NASC process and I would highly recommend him to anyone needing advice or guidance for issues or delays they are having with their NASC.
At Allies, we understand that life which includes disability can have its challenges.
Between them Tony and Nicky have almost 50 years of lived and practical experience. They have assisted hundreds of people (individuals, families / whānau and organisations) to create a positive vision for their future, identify and obtain the resources necessary and then turn this into reality.
Tony McLean
(Founder & Ally)
Tony has volunteered and worked, nationally and internationally, in ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries for more than 30 years. He has held senior leadership roles within Aotearoa in Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC), Employment Support, Home and Community services and International Development with cbm NZ. Tony is well-known as a teacher/trainer and has significant practical experience in service design, delivery and evaluation.
Tony is also a parent who knows firsthand what is involved in trying to successfully navigate our services and systems. Having a personal experience of being a service recipient deeply informs his practice and approaches. In 2019, Tony and his wife Ange, founded Allies Aotearoa as a practical way of providing independent and highly focused support to individuals, family/whānau and organisations.
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