Scope - Therapy, Training, Consultancy - Communication Resource Centre

Developing services that enhance participation for people with complex communication needs

By now we hope you will have heard of the Department of Human Services (DHS) speech therapy initiative with the "hub and spoke" model. However some of the feedback we are getting from the community is that there is still confusion around what this really means. Some of the questions we get asked include the following: -

How is this model different from what we are providing now?
What is the hub and spoke model?
Does this mean that if we are a spoke, we will be directed in how we provide services?
What is a spoke? Are these all SCOPE services?
These are all good questions. Let's explore them further

The speech therapy initiative - the hub and spoke model

This is a model for providing services for a small population spread over a large geographical area. We know there are about 8000 people with complex communication needs in Victoria. These people have a wide range of disabilities; disabilities people have been born with or acquired through an accident or developed later in life due to a neurological difficulty or aging.

The hub is generally placed in a denser area of population such as a large city. The spokes are attached to the hub in terms of support they might want or need but have their own networks in their local areas. The hub and spoke model is more sustainable than an outreach model as spokes have an ongoing tangible presence in the local community. They can make links and assist other services to work with people with complex communication needs in their local community.

What is the hub?

SCIOP successfully tendered for the "hub" which is now the Communication Resource Centre auspiced by Scope Vic. The Communication Resource Center provides an office for some speech pathologists, an OT, a community development worker and a person centred planner. The Communication Resource Centre plans and develops resources, provides web based and telephone based information and referral services, peer support and provides training anywhere in Victoria. Currently the Communication Resource Centre is providing a direct support service to adults with complex communication needs but this will stop once the regional spokes are in place. Once the spokes are established the staff at the Communication Resource Centre will provide peer support where appropriate to ensure high quality supports for people with complex needs.

What is a spoke?

The Department of Human Services (DHS) have planned to fund a number of spokes across all regions in Victoria. This will happen gradually over the next eighteen months. DHS will advertise submissions for partnerships of services in each region to look at developing the spoke within a supportive regional network. The money allocated will be for supporting person centred approaches to speech pathology services for adults.
Thespokes may be based in a variety of different settings for example a community health centre, hospital, disability services etc. Service partnerships within the local community are essential. The Communication Resource Centre is not involved in the spoke submission process. If you want to know more about the submission process, contact DHS Head Office or your local DHS regional office.

I am not a spoke but I want to be sure I am supporting people with complex communication needs as best as I can

You do not need to be a speech pathologist or a spoke to receive support from the Communication Resource Centre. Our funding is focussed on adults and preschool children with complex communication needs but telephone discussions are free for anyone. We can help you deliver training, develop communication aids, learn about person-centred planning, and find out about speech therapy alternatives in your area.

Contact the Communication Resource Centre on 61 3 9843 2000