Disability Council NSW

Information pack for people who want to apply

Easy Read version

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How to use this document

This information is written in an easy to read way.

We use pictures to explain some ideas.

This document has been written by the NSW

Government. When you see the word ‘we’, it

means the NSW Government.

Some words are written in bold. We explain what

these words mean. There is a list of these words

on page 19.

This Easy Read document is a summary of

another document.

You can find the longer document on our website

at https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/ DCrecruit

You can ask for help to read this document.

A friend, family member or support person may

be able to help you.

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What’s in this document?

Your chance to join the Council 4

What does the Council do? 6

What skills do members need to have? 9

What do members have to do? 13

Do members get paid? 15

How to apply 17

Word list 18

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Your chance to join the Council

We are looking for people who are interested in

being members of the Disability Council NSW.

The Disability Inclusion Act 2014 is a law

that helps people with disability take part in

their community.

It says that there must be a Disability Council –

this is a group of people who meet, talk and

work together.

They will tell the government about their work.

And they will help make the lives of people with

disability in NSW better.

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The law also sets out the rules for the

Disability Council.

The Council has 8 to 12 members.

Most of the members must be people

with disability.

This document explains:

• what the Council does

• what skills members need to have

• how to apply to be a member.

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What does the Council do?

There are 8 things the Council does:

1. Makes sure the policies important to

people with disability are being

carried out.

Policies are government plans for how

things will be done.

2. Tells the government about things

important to people with disability.

3. Gives advice about Disability InclusionAction Plans.

This kind of plan explains what a

government department or local council

will do to make things better for people

with disability.

4. Gives advice about the State DisabilityInclusion Plan.

This plan explains how the NSW

government is trying to make NSW a

better place for people

with disability.

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5. Helps make sure that people with

disability can take part in our

community.

6. Tells the community about things that

are important to people with disability.

7. Works with other organisations.

8. Talks to people with disability to find

out what they think.

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The Council receives help from

a small Secretariat.

A Secretariat is a team of government

workers that helps with jobs that the Council

needs to get done.

The Secretariat sits with The Department of

Communities and Justice

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What skills do members need to have?

Members are chosen because they are the

best people to do the job.

The law says that members of the Council

must include people who:

• know a lot about disability

• have worked in the disability sector.

To make sure the Council does its job well,

there needs to be a mix of:

• skills

• knowledge

• experience

• abilities.

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We will think about the following areas when

reading the member applications:

People with disability

The Council has people with different

disabilities including:

• physical

• intellectual

• sensory

• psychosocial.

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Diversity

The Council has many different people,

including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander people

people who are from different cultures

• people who speak other languages

at home

people who are lesbian, gay,

bisexual, trans or intersex

young people and older people

• people living in rural NSW as well as

the city.

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Right mix of skills and knowledge

The Council includes people who have a mix

of skills and knowledge, including:

• strong leadership skills

• writing and using policies

• lots of new and good ideas

• up-to-date knowledge of disability in

Australia

• understanding how people with

disability work with government and

other organisations in all areas of their

life.

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What do members have to do?

There are laws and rules about how members

should behave. You can ask for a copy of

these rules.

Members are chosen to be on the Council for

up to 4 years.

Two people lead the Council. They are called

the Chair and Deputy Chair.

They are chosen from the members.

They can be in those roles for up to

12 months.

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The Chair must be a person with a

disability.

The Council usually meets every two months.

Meetings are usually in Sydney.

There might be 6 Council meetings each year

that you go to, and other meetings too.

If you join the Council, you need to come to a

meeting in Sydney. Where you will learn more

about the Council.

The first meeting council meeting of 2020 will

be in February.

You will need to do some reading to get ready

for the meeting. You can get help with the

reading.

At the meeting, the group will talk and

make decisions. You can get help at

the meeting.

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Do members get paid?

Council members are paid for the time they

spend in meetings.

Members are paid:

• $110 for a half day

•$220 for a full day.

The Deputy Chairperson is paid:

• $126.50 for a half day

$253 for a full day.

The Chairperson is paid:

• $175 for a half day

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• $350 for a full day.

If a Council member is doing something for us

and has to use their own money, we will pay

them back. For example, we will pay for:

• travel

•accommodation

• phone calls.

We will also pay for

reasonable adjustments.

Reasonable adjustments are things you need

so you can do your job.

For example you may need a support worker

when you come to Council meetings. We will

pay for this.

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How to apply

Go to: https://nswcommunities.smartygrants.com.au/dcrecruit

Answer all the questions. The questions ask you about your skills, knowledge and experience

We need to get your application by 11:59pm on Sunday 29 September 2019.

If you do not have a computer or cannot use a

computer, please contact the Disability Council

secretariat. We can talk about other ways you

can apply.

(02) 9716 2991

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you

can contact us through the National Relay

Service.

D i sa b i l i t y C oun c il @facs . n s w .go v . au

https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/ DCrecruit

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Word list

Disability Inclusion Action Plan

A Disability Inclusion Action Plan says what the

government department or local council will do to

make things better for people with disability.

Policies

Government plans for how things will be done.

Reasonable adjustments

Things you need so you can do your job.

Secretariat

A team of government workers that helps

with jobs that the council needs to get done.

State Disability Inclusion Plan

This plan explains how the NSW government will

work towards making NSW a better place for

people with disability.

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This Easy English document was created by the Information Access

Group using PhotoSymbols, stock photography and custom images.

The images may not be reused without permission. For any enquiries

about the images, please visit www.informationaccessgroup.com.

It was updated in June 2019 by the Disability Council secretariat.