Minister to attend inaugural Coffs conference

09 Aug 2013

Minister to attend inaugural Coffs conference

From 16-18 October 2013 Coffs Harbour will play host to the Real People Real Choices Real Solutions Conference being held at Opal Cove.

The brainchild of Community Care Options, the conference will explore themes of choice, cooperation, collaboration and coproduction to promote the importance of community care in maintaining people’s quality of life and enabling independence. Delegates will enjoy informed presentations delivered by a diverse group of speakers while topics will focus on the challenges facing the sector and solutions moving forward.

MC for the three day conference is Paul McDermott of Good News Week fame. Actress and author Noeline Brown will address delegates on day one as an official Ambassador for Ageing joining with experts on aged care reform and the new DisabilityCare Australia program. The following two days include sessions from Peter Kenyon, Paul Higgins, Danielle Buckley and Toby O’Conner from St Laurence Community Services. A diverse range of business and marketing challenges facing the aged care and disability services sector will be discussed. The wrap up on day three includes the inspirational story of Port Macquarie Rugby Paralympian Ryley Blatt and a session with the founder of the Clown Doctors in Australia, Jean Paul Bell.

Award winning journalist Ray Martin will be the special guest at a Gala dinner on the Thursday night.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for care provides across all sectors. A time of change but also an opportunity to better support people within the community to achieve independence and quality of life. To be able to offer delegates the caliber of presenters we have lined up is a real achievement for a regional area” comments Liz Anscombe, acting general manager at MNC CCO.

NSW Minister for Disability Services Hon John Ajaka will address delegates on day three of the conference and will be joined by local resident and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health, Melinda Pavey MLC.

“NSW was proud to be the first state to sign up to a fully funded NDIS with the Commonwealth, and together we are committed to ensure people with disability get the individualised care and support they need to live the lives they want. Regional conferences like this play an important role in outlining the exciting changes and opportunities that lie ahead, and I look forward to meeting with delegates and sharing the NSW Government’s vision for this life changing reform,” Mr Ajaka said.