Project Description

Ministry of Health – Feedback from people living in Ministry of Health funded residential services for people with disabilities (2015-16)

Malatest International designed and ran a feedback and quality of life survey for disabled people who live in Ministry of Health funded residential services. There was an emphasis on face to face interviews with service users with the additional option of completing the survey online, either by the service user or if appropriate, someone on their behalf. The survey was based on the Schalock quality of life framework (which has been specifically designed for people with a wide range of intellectual abilities).  The design and modification of the survey tool was done with extensive consultation with various disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations to help create an extensive and relevant tool for the project. An effective survey design was imperative as it was used to speak with people with a wide range of cognitive/ intellectual/ learning disabilities as well as those with physical disabilities. The final questions had a Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score of 110, confirming the survey was very easy to read.

Peer interviewers (who also had disabilities) completed all interviews. This helped ensure data validity as having peer interviewers can result in service users being more comfortable and able to relate more to the interviewers. As part of this process, Malatest International hired and trained 17 peer interviewers who had a wide variety of disabilities.

Interviews took place in Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington. Overall we had a total of 332 face to face responses and 24 online responses from service users along with 35 responses by people representing service users (16 face to face and 19 online). This represented a sample of 13% of the total population of service users in these areas. The results from this project have helped inform the Ministry of Health and other stakeholder organisations on the current situation and to plan the future directions of residential care services.

For more detail on this evaluation the final report is available at: http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/feedback-people-living-ministry-health-funded-residential-services-people-disabilities