MACS Goals and Objectives

Statement of Purpose

MACS as an auxiliary service will provide in home, night time care to younger people with physical disabilities who are at risk of premature or inappropriate institutional care in a timely and responsive manner.

Target Group

The primary target group of the service are individuals under the age of 65 living in the community within MACS geographically defined area, (see map) who have a physical disability and require personal care assistance throughout the night and are able to direct and monitor the Attendants work.

Mission/Goal

To enable people with a disability to live valued, least restricted lives in the community preventing unnecessary or untimely admission to residential/institutional care by providing night time support which enables the target group to exercise their choice of continued living in the community and maintain basic independence and quality life styles.

Objectives/Outcomes

• To provide a timely and least intrusive mobile assistance service, enabling the target group to either remain in or return to community living.
• To ensure that individuals are physically assisted with their night time routines in the lease intrusive manner.
• To enable live-in carer/partners/parents to have occasional unbroken nights of sleep in order to better continue in the role of daytime carers. Decreasing the risk of premature residential/institutional admission through breakdown in support.
• To provide auxiliary support to individuals, their carers and primary service providers by providing short visits.

Service Provision

• Provision of a mobile personal care service staffed by well trained, sensitive workers who nightly drive throughout the target area supporting and assisting people at both scheduled and unscheduled times throughout the night.
• Timely and efficient responses to Vital Call and Emergency call - ins.
• Individualised support for people with more complex needs considered and planned under special circumstances considering the available resources.
• Provision of well equipped and maintained vehicles, mobile phones which enable quick contact between the service and service users and the Coordinator / Assistant Coordinator on a 24 hour basis.

Philosophy/Values

The underpinning of MACS service is based on the philosophy that each individual has the right to be a valued member of society making personal choices in relation to every aspect of their lives including their choice o living situation. Individuals accessing services have the right to be provided services in the least restrictive, least intrusive manner delivered with regards to the right of each individual to be treated with dignity and respect. Services are responsible to individuals fro the provision o private and confidential service deliver. Services are responsible for their accountability to service users, stakeholders and to the community.

History

MACS commenced in 1992 in response to a need within the area for a service which provided night time assistance. Service User involvement from a service development, planning, management and review perspective is historically an integral par to NACS. The foundation of this service included a working Policies and Procedures Manual. The service and Manual has continued to develop, meeting the changing needs of the service users and the changing climate of service provision today. The original objectives continue today as MACS continues to be a service “by the people for the people”.
“ MACS has striven to provide a model to the community of an organisation successfully run by people with disabilities”
(MACS Policy and Procedures Manual, Objective 4, pg3, 1992)

MACS has documented a comprehensive historical record of the service in “Night Life, 10 Years of Life in the Dark, The Story of the Mobile Attendant Care Service”.