WHAT DO WE DO?
The Federation nationally promotes and supports the local provision of generic disability information and referral services that are community integrate, needs driven and focused on achieving the aims of the New Zealand Disability Strategy Document. Our objective is:To provide an impartial information and referral service, through a network of independent community Centres nationwide who operate to established National Standards.
The Centres network nationally by voluntarily coming together as Principal Members of the New Zealand Federation of Disability Information Centres Inc (NZFDIC), for the purposes of upholding established national standards, training, promotion and lobbying processes.
NZ Federation holds formal working protocols with strategically associated organisations being: Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA), ENABLE New Zealand, Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination Association (NASCA) and New Zealand Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux Inc (NZACAB), for the purposes of networking, overcoming perceived funding and service overlaps. These relationships also assist in identifying service gaps and opportunities, as does the Federations facility of consistent New Zealand wide service statistics.
In 2004, centres collectively serviced over 150,000 client calls for generic disability information needs.
STANDARD 1: INFORMATION ACCESS AND REFERRAL
Create a fully accessible Centre/Services with a user-friendly atmosphere.
STANDARD 2: SOURCING INFORMATION
Centres will collate all relevant holistic information through networking with the wider community.
STANDARD 3: MANAGING INFORMATION
All Centres will manage information by agreed systems, in a way that enables easy access, storage and retrieval.
STANDARD 4: DISSEMINATING INFORMATION
Centres will provide access for all people to receive appropriate accurate, and impartial information relevant to their disability needs and issues, by all means, methods and types of communication.
STANDARD 5: ETHICS, PRIVACY AND PROFESSIONALISM
Centres will provide ethical, professional and safe services.
STANDARD 6: IDENTIFYING RELEVANT NEED
Centres will identify relevant needs in their communities.
STANDARD 7: CO-OPERATIVE/COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND SHARED FUNCTIONS
Centres will on an ongoing basis identify and develop service relationships. These will include:
· Community Needs
· Existing Resources
· Activities of other Services
STANDARD 8: HUMAN RESOURCES
Centres will foster leadership amongst people with disabilities.
STANDARD 9: ORGANISATION STRUCTURE – GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Centres will have an efficient, viable organisational structure with aims that can be achieved effectively to meet identified community needs with flexibility to adapt to micro-macro (community/environmental) changes.
STANDARD 10: FINANCIAL CONTROL/PROCEDURES
Centres will attempt to have a viable organisation which meets corporate objectives and develops community needs.
STANDARD 11: MARKETING
Centres are seen as the leading provider of generic, impartial disability information.
STANDARD 12: CULTURAL ENHANCEMENT AND TREATY OF WAITANGI
Centres will reflect a commitment to cultural sensitivity and Treaty in all aspects of their organisations, i.e. governance, management and operation.
STANDARD 13: EVALUATION AND MONITORING
Centres will demonstrate evaluation and monitoring systems in all aspects of their operation.